WHY HOLIDAY IN VIETNAM?
I had been wanting to take my boys on a holiday with a difference, to step away from the obvious and into the remarkable. We decided on Vietnam.
Breathtakingly beautiful, Vietnam is a country on the move. Fast, energetic and resilient by nature, it is rapidly emerging as one of the latest hotspots of Asia. A fun country to explore, the culture is rich, the scenery majestic and the locals are friendly. With many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, breath-taking scenery, beautiful beaches, an abundance of shopping and a delectable cuisine – Vietnam is a kaleidoscope of cultural and sensory contrasts; Vietnam has it all.
MY TRAVEL TIPS
To ease your way into the Vietnamese lifestyle, start in Hanoi. The north is less chaotic than the culture-explosion that is Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam’s south.
NORTH. It's cultural, with must-see sights such as Sapa rice terraces, Halong Bay and the city of Hanoi.
SOUTH. It's more chaotic than its northern counterpart, but fun. Ho Chi Minh City is bustling
HANOI is a hocus-pocus mix of culture, history and character. The chaotic streets will leave your eyes wide and your children’s even wider. Visit the Presidential Palace and historic Dong Khoi Street. Hanoi is also your easy gateway to Sapa and Halong Bay.
HALONG BAY. Giant limestone karsts, secret bays, caves and overnight junk boat cruises. Two days and one night spent on-board a junk boat is fine.
HOI AN. The yellow-hued architecture is a crowd-pleaser, traffic is non-existent and the food’s sublime.
Trains are reliable throughout, but the Reunification Express train, which chugs between Hanoi and Sapa, is a real highlight. Slow but intrepid.
MY FAVOURITE VIETNAM HIGHLIGHTS
Whether you’re navigating the narrow, steep, and twisty trails through the rice paddies around Sapa, or the mustard-coloured walls of Hoi An; sleeping in a stilted homestay, or absorbing the sobering (and at times, knee weakening) Cù Chi Tunnels, Vietnam is most definitely extraordinary.
Observing the local way of life is key. One day we came across a chap wandering through a Mekong canal plucking prawns from the riverbank for his lunch. At the same time an elderly lady joined in with a net and started scooping fish out of the water. My boys were delighted to watch local life in action. To take them out of their comfort zone and into a completely different culture was something quite remarkable.
The kids loved the nation’s revered dish, ‘Pho’. Broth with noodles, spring onions, chicken or beef, red chillies and lime, but at Pho Thin Restaurant (and our favourite in Hanoi) they sauté the meat with garlic first. Located in the French Quarter, pay 50,000 VND (approx. NZ$3.50) per bowl when you enter, pull up a wooden bench at a steel table and your garlicky hot Pho will arrive shortly after.
BEST TIME TO GO
In the north: November to April is cooler and dry. In the south: it's dry and hot from November to April, and warm but wet from May to October.
