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Vietnam

January - May 2024
An open-ended adventure by Gemma Craig Read more
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  • Gemma Craig HVietnam
    Day 1

    Day 1 - Singapore

    January 27 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    After a hectic couple of hours at the airport trying to get our last bits of work finished & handed over, we were on our way to Singapore for the first part of our trip! The flight was super easy and before we knew it we were checking into our hotel The Mondrian.

    The first stop had to be the hotel's rooftop for our first drink, overlooking the city skyline and the infinity pool. The location was perfect - right by China town. We swiftly finished our £30 round and went straight to the Metro Hawker centre for some incredible dumplings and fish cakes. Then for a stroll around the lively streets of China town, stopping off for a few more expensive rounds en route.

    We had to head back up to the Mondrian rooftop to see the view at night and it didn't disappoint. Obviously the night was still young in our eyes so we tried to get into the club in the hotel but were very politely turned away due to a strict dress code (haha). It was a blessing in disguise as we decided to polish off one final drink in the bar and had a great chat with the barman Hacton, who was extremely generous with the servings of Veuve (couldn't turn it down!!)    Read more

  • Gemma Craig HVietnam
    Day 2

    Day 2 - Singapore/ Hanoi

    January 28 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We set an alarm and woke up at 7am to make the most of our morning at the amazing hotel. Straight to the gym for a quick 30 minute work out and then on to breakfast which was unsurprisingly incredible. I had a spicy crab omelette and Craig had smoked salmon. There was also a huge buffet with everything we could hope for.

    And soon enough our 16 hours in Singapore was over and we were on our way to Vietnam (after a slightly embarrassing run in with the automatic eye and face recognition gates in Singapore airport for Craig - although nice to know that the border security guy had a sense of humour).

    The flight to Vietnam was over before we knew it and we were met by a super excited Thao Nguyen at the airport. We went straight out for dinner at Tam Vi. The food was authentic, fresh, and really tasty. Craig loved the pork belly and the broths, tofu and veg were great for me!

    After dinner we went for a whistle stop tour of the old quarter, through the crazy beer street and then onto the quieter back roads, settling for a night cap and a speakeasy style basement bar. After an intense day of travelling and exploring we were definitely ready for a comfy night's sleep at our hotel Meritel.    Read more

  • Gemma Craig HVietnam
    Day 4

    Day 3 & 4 - Hanoi

    January 30 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    My first venture out into the bustling streets of Hanoi solo this morning, with Gem getting lashes done and our friend Thao Nguyen working, I set off tentitively... Basically waiting for any road to clear or for any driver/biker to stop at a pedestrian crossing is never going to happen... So to cross any street, you edge out (Frogger style...) and let the traffic avoid you - sounds mad but works surprisingly well..

    The sounds, smells and general craziness of Hanoi's Old Quarter are a sensory overload!! The availability of amazing food at ridiculously low pricea was a highlight for me. I had my first Bun Cha - which is essentially a pork filled broth with a side of crab spring rolls and big plate of noodle!! I found everything delicious and bared the cramping pains that come with sitting on the tiny plastic furniture, to finish every drop!!

    Wirh Gems lashes sorted we headed off to meet TN for another local delicacy Egg Coffee! Surprisingly alot nicer than it sounds for me, but one Gem wasnt a fan of - coffee for the non-coffee drinkers was our takeaway!

    Then on to train street - a cool, carnival styled street thats main attraction is its madly close proximity to the passing trains! We settled at a bar and quickly established nothing was happening untll later that evening - the lady kindly offered us a spot for the 820pm train passing and we set off for dinner to make it back in plenty of time.

    Dinner at Cha Ca Thang Long was a great experience! They provided a hot plate at your table and all the relevent ingredients to cook your Swamp Fish (we werent sure either....) and off you went!! Despite almost burning their pan, we got on ok and food turned out delicious!!

    Back to the train street - making sure not to miss the 820pm! It was a surreal experience to see the train wizz past so closely, and we were in a prime position thanks to our new friend to get some great videos! From they we headed to Beer Street (you really know what your getting from thier road names..) and we finished our night in a great bar called Purple Blues - they had live music with a great band doing covers of all the classics!!

    Day 4 was far more chilled - a nice relaxing morning followed by a stroll around the lake, some coffee with TN at a cool place that used old mopeds for furniture, some sightseeing at local temples and churches then some drinks on our lovely hotels rooftop!    Read more

  • Gemma Craig HVietnam
    Day 5

    Day 5 - Hanoi

    January 31 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    With me still struggling with jet lag and Craig up until 5am watching spurs, today was the perfect day for a 7am start for a day trip! Our first stop was Ninh Binh - the ha long bay on land and one of the set locations for King Kong Skull Island. Our incredibly sweet driver for the day was Dung (pronounced Zung) and although he didn't speak a word of English, we had great chats for the whole 2 hour journey via Google translate (it's hands free, don't worry mum).

    When we arrived at Ninh Binh we jumped in a rickety rowing boat with a tiny Vietnamese lady who seamlessly rowed us through caves and around breathtaking limestone structures for three whole hours. The longest cave was Dot cave and we were rowing through it for almost five minutes, having to duck down frequently to avoid being knocked out. Although it was really misty and a bit drizzly the views were still great.

    Dung picked us up for lunch and took us to his favourite goat restaurant (which had a pretty tourist friendly menu so I was fine too). Enough said about that!

    The next stop of the tour was viewpoint Đầm sen Hang múa. We climbed 400 stairs to get to the top and definitely aren't as young as we used to be (calves were killing the next day). The view from the top was incredible. Again the weather was pretty grey and misty but the views still well worth the climb!

    When we finally arrived back in Hanoi we headed straight out to grab the last bit of street food - Bun Cha for Craig and a Banh Mi for me. It was then straight back to pack to Meritel for one final drink on the rooftop with our favourite barman Harry who told us all about life in Vietnam in the COVID years and how he still managed to avoid the lockdowns to party with his friends!!

    A great final day in Hanoi. A crazy place but full of charm and excitement!    Read more

  • Gemma Craig HVietnam
    Day 6

    Day 6 - Lan Ha Bay

    February 1 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Our next day trip was out to Lan Ha Bay - a part of the iconic Ha Long Bay and a real bucket list visit for both of us! The 7am bus was a lowlight but beyond that the day was incredible!

    As soon as we arrived on the boat we were treated to a buffet lunch and drinks - all in their beautiful dining hall thats clear panoramic windows showcase the other worldy mountains seemingly popping out of the sea like giant wack'a'moles!

    Then onto our room for some relaxing - the balcony was perfect to sit and take in the sights as we headed towards our next stop for the canoing!

    The water was freezing but being able to canoe right next to one of the giant mountains was great - considering we had climbed to the top of one similair in Ninh Binh only the day before!! We then braved a quick dip in the cold see for a photo before heading off to freshen up!

    We then headed for some rooftop drinks and a spring roll making class (which we both done surprisingly well at!!) And got chatting with an Aussie couple and a nice couple from Fulham! After a few more drinks and another lovely buffet dinner - it was out squid fishing which seemed an impossible task until one of our new friends finally caught one after 45 minutes or so of struggling!

    We ended up back on the rooftop with our friends for more drinks and music before settling in for our early start the next day flying to Da Nang!    Read more

  • Gemma Craig HVietnam
    Day 8

    Day 7 - Hoi An

    February 3 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    After a pretty hectic first 6 days, and the hangover from HELL after Lan Ha Bay, Hoi An was EXACTLY what I needed. We stayed 3km away from the town in a gorgeous guest house called Nghe Garden resort. The hotel overlooked a beautiful rice field, the decor was gorgeous colonial vibes with beautiful tiled floors and rattan furniture and the staff couldn't do enough for us (and it only cost £40 per night!!!)

    We enjoyed a lie in and a lovely breakfast outside feeling very chilled and Zen. After catching our breath for a minute we were straight out to Hoi An old town to explore and enquire about getting suits made. Although it was slightly Chaotic, the tailor was a little insane and obviously Craig hated every minute of it, we were happy with the price and excited to see our creations unfold.

    Having underestimated the time it would take to get measured up etc, we rushed to our next activity, a bike tour around the rural islands surrounding Hoi An. Our tour guide was Lola and she was hilarious. The first stop was a traditional Vietnamese house, where we learned that the middle third of the house was entirely for the first 5 generations of ancestors and not used at all by the living family and thay King Cobras venom was great for Viagra. We also watched an old couple weave a traditional sleeping mat, which takes 4 hours and makes them £1 profit per mat! And that's why Lola works in tourism!

    The next stop was a rice wine distillery where as well as tasting 60% proof, we learned about the process from start to finish. From cooking the rice, to fermenting, to the pigs who eat the waste and provide methane gas for cooking! There were lots of fruit infused rice wines which were slightly easier on the oesophagus than the 60% one.

    Following this was lots of cycling, rice fields and my highlight - Craig clambering into a traditional coconut boat and actually being pretty good at sailing it. What a tour, Lola was brilliant and it was great to learn more about traditional Vietnamese life in Hoi An.

    I hadn't eaten since breakfast and the tour finished at 6 so I was ravenous and we went straight for an incredible Indian dinner (I know.. Indian in Vietnam but it was recommended to us by a couple on the Ha Long boat cruise). The night was spent watching the spurs match, although we met a great guy from Paraguay and had a few too many shots in the three dragon sports bar. But a great day and night nonetheless!    Read more

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