Vietnam: More exploration

I must admit, I was considering letting my blog die a quiet death. We didn’t think people were reading it nor really all that interested in following our travels in Vietnam. We received a very positive WhatsApp message of support today. I feel that I have to add more to the blog. So here goes…

In Hue, we stepped off the train and went to our little hotel in the centre of town. Hue itself isn’t that spectacular, but the environment is really interesting for Vietnam war history lovers. We booked a full day tour with the renowned Mr Vu of Annam Tours. Mr Vu is a history enthusiast and tour guide. He took us to the former DMZ (De-Militarized Zone), Quang Tri, Khe Sanh combat base. We also saw a part of the infamous Ho Chi Minh trail. We learnt all about the history of the second Indochina (Vietnam) war. It was a real privilege to visit the sites where the soldiers fought the most famous battles during the War. This was very impressive indeed. He even took us to his family home after the tour for a quick traditional rice wine tasting. A real treat for us tourists!

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Train from Hue to Da Nang

From Hue, we took another train to Da Nang. We purposely took the day train, but we booked a sleeper cabin which has more space. This costs very little extra and we could be sure that we would likely have it all to ourselves! Who books a cabin for a day train ride after all? This part of the train trip through Vietnam is known for being most beautiful because it goes via a stunning coastal route. The panoramic views over the ocean and jungle are breathtaking.

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On arriving in Da Nang, our chauffeur was waiting to take us to Hoi An.

Hoi An is a lovely little town close to the coast. Hoi An is famous for its skilled Tailors and colourful lanterns in the streets. We loved every minute in this quaint little town and therefore extended our stay by another week.

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Our secret formula in Vietnam

In the meantime, we had our travel arrangements worked out ‘to the T’. Our formula is as follows: We book 2 or 3 nights via Booking.com (if you ever book via booking.com, please use my link on this page: Click Here. You still get your deals when you log in, but I get a very small referral commission directly from them, 🙂  ), if we like the place we simply extend it. Prior to arrival, we arrange ourselves a taxi/hotel transfer via the accommodation, this way we know we have transport waiting for us and no risk of being scammed or getting lost at night etc. In the busier towns, we make use of ‘Grab’, the Asian version of the Uber app, which works perfectly for us. You do, however, need a local sim card which is very inexpensive and easy to arrange.

We are masters of finding the best local supermarkets and restaurants and we’re loving every bit of the local Asian lifestyle.

Before we arrived in Vietnam, we thought we would probably only stay about two weeks before moving on. In no time at all our four-week e-visa had almost expired! We managed to find a local agent, Mr Hung who was located in the back of a Tailor shop. He was able to help us get a three-month multiple entry visa on condition we had to complete a visa run (leave the country and return shortly afterwards). Our original e-visas were not easily renewable so this was our next best option. We managed to find some relatively cheap outbound flights between Da Nang and Bangkok with a return booked to Ho Chi Minh City. This was way cheaper than a train ticket from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City and saved us hours of train travel.

Visiting Bangkok

We contacted a friend who lives in Bangkok and she very kindly said we could stay at her apartment. In hindsight we really would have liked to stay in Bangkok for longer as is has SO much to offer. We basically only had one full there so we walked a total of 13 kilometres. Our host told us to take the water taxi to town, which we did. What an experience! One speed boat with 150 small Thai people and 2 tourists 🙂 But it all worked out and we had lots of fun.

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At the time of writing this, we have already been in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a month. Saigon is much more like a familiar big western city. The locals no longer saw us as strange foreigners. English is more widely spoken here in the city too. We found a small apartment which has all the basic necessities in a compact 35 m2 space. We are extremely happy here and planning to stay longer.

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P.S. if you ever book accommodation anywhere in the world via Booking.com, please use my link (Click Here). I earn a small commission if you make a booking by clicking my link. Your support would be greatly appreciated!