Category Archives: Vietnam

Sunbathing and Climbing Dunes in Mui Ne

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Mui Ne Coastline, Vietnam

Seeking to escape from the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City and without much time left to spare in Vietnam, I headed to Mui Ne for a couple of days of relaxation by the beach.  Mui Ne does not offer the waves of Bali, nor the translucent blue water of the southern Thai islands – nonetheless, my experience there was decidedly peaceful and charmingly fulfilling.  I deeply appreciated the fact that, while appealing in its own right, Mui Ne lacks the stunning natural landscape that attracts tourists to the legendary coasts of Southeast Asia; though it means that the local economy has not prospered from tourism to the same degree that other locations throughout the region have, it also means that travelers seeking an off-the-beaten-path experience are still able to enjoy the quaint beauty that once characterized some of Southeast Asia’s more fabled destinations.

After tolerating a six-hour, fairly bumpy bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne, I checked into a budget guest house and dove head-first into a pirated copy of Henry Kissinger’s In Retrospect.  As a memoir of the former Secretary of State’s experiences in dealing with the Vietnam War and its devastating aftermath, I figured that there’s no better place to learn about the American war in Vietnam than Vietnam itself.  Needless to say, reading such a poignant and yet purposely disquieting reflection on the Vietnam War while sunbathing on the sands of Mui Ne proved memorable, if a bit unsettling.

The Vibrant Colors of the Vietnamese Desert, Mui Ne

After spending the night sipping Mai Tais by the beach and contemplating the travels that still lay ahead,  I awoke the next morning and set out to uncover the desert sands that lay not far from Mui Ne.  Seeing as I have spent a few weeks in the Peruvian capital, this was not my first time traveling to a coastal desert – nonetheless, the sands of Mui Ne turned out to be a far cry from those of Lima.  The deserts at Mui Ne comprise varying shades of gold, auburn, and copper, covering only a small area of land.  Because of their limited size and scope, there is not much to do at the dunes beyond admire their beauty.  That being said, the desert laying outside Mui Ne exists side-by-side with meandering rivers and patches of emerald grass; in that aspect, I have yet to see anything like it.

On the same day that I went dune hopping, I also seized the opportunity to spend a bit of time in a local fishing village.  Here are a few of my favorite photos from the occasion:

Old Fisherwoman, Mui Ne

Ox Cart Drivers, Mui Ne

Local Fishing Village, Mui Ne

All in all, it’s safe to say that my travels through Vietnam were beyond unforgettable.  Standing out in my memory as one of the most awe-inspiring and friendliest places I have ever visited, that more travelers don’t rank Vietnam among their top places to visit is both a shame and a blessing.  While they may never get the opportunity to revel in some of Asia’s most quintessential landscapes or marvel at the hospitality of its people, those who do journey to Vietnam can still find themselves capable of escaping the tourist hordes that have come to typify other locations throughout Southeast Asia.

Living the Fast-Paced Life: Ho Chi Minh City

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Concluding my journey through northern Vietnam, I next flew to Ho Chi Minh City to experience an entirely different face of Vietnamese society.  Lined with French boulevards and architecture just as it was during the colonial period and yet overgrown by skyscrapers all the same, the city is home to both the historic and the modern.  Fast-paced and hectic, it is a far reach from the countryside that characterizes much of the country – indeed, it is even quite unlike the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi.

When traveling to foreign places, I try to prevent myself from declaring favorites – favorite cities, favorite restaurants, favorite anything.  Nonetheless, while in Saigon I couldn’t help but feel that I simply enjoyed Hanoi a bit more.  It’s not that there was anything in particular wrong with Ho Chi Minh City – it’s just that, for one reason or another, it wasn’t quite as enjoyable as Hanoi had been.  The traffic was more congested, the people weren’t as friendly, the weather was inclement, and everything seemed to be more expensive.  Castigating myself for being a critical traveler and yet unable to ignore my initial impressions of the city, I simply found that it wasn’t all that I had hoped it would be.  If I hadn’t learned before to appreciate each place for what it’s worth, Saigon surely reminded me of how important it is to keep an open mind when traveling.

Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City

Nonetheless, Ho Chi Minh City does boast two sites which I feel to be of particular note.  The first of such places is the Reunification Palace.  Formerly known as the Independence Palace, the Reunification Palace marks the site where the Vietnam War ended – it was previously the home of the South Vietnamese president, and thus the headquarters of the South Vietnamese government.  It was eventually stormed in 1975, when Saigon finally fell to Northern Vietnamese forces, and is now simply a Ho Chi Minh City landmark.

American Tanks on Display at the War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City

The second site worth visiting while in Ho Chi Minh City is the War Remnants Museum, known varyingly since the Vietnam War as “The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government,” the Museum of American War Crimes and the War Crimes Museum.  Exhibits include graphic images of the effects of Agent Orange and napalm bombs on local populations, recreations of South Vietnamese and French torture techniques, and detailed illustrations of war atrocities committed against Vietnam by foreign occupying troops.  The most poignant exhibit on display at the War Remnants Museum is a requiem to native and international photographers killed during the violence of the Vietnam War, which showcases the war-related work they printed immediately prior to their deaths.

Though I came away from Ho Chi Minh City largely feeling that I hadn’t visited a place I would soon return to visit, I did take away some valuable learning experiences from it.  For one, I made sure to free myself of expectations before heading off to the rest of Southeast Asia.  When traveling, one of the simplest ways to restrict your mind and to disappoint yourself is to dream up preconceived expectations for any place that you plan to visit.  Second, I came away from Ho Chi Minh City having learned some valuable lessons about the Vietnam War and about my own feelings toward it.  While it’s popularly acknowledged that the Vietnam War ended in thousands of pointless casualties and untold amounts of suffering, my time spent in Ho Chi Minh City reminded me that the realities of war are often more complex than they seem.

Next, I travel to the desert coast of Mui Ne before heading to Thailand!  Join me as I climb the dunes and soak up the sun in southern Vietnam.

Paradise on Water: Cruising through Halong Bay

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Working my way past the sites of Tam Coc and Hoa Lu, I traveled next to the fabled Vietnamese tourist destination of Halong Bay for a chance to soak in the beauty of karst landscape once more, this time while seaside.  I spent the night of July 18 back in Hanoi, and woke up early the next morning to join an organized tour to the coast.  Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, Halong Bay comprises more than 3,000 islands and has earned the title of UNESCO World Heritage site.  Lucky for me, although travel to Halong Bay was suspended due to stormy weather the previous day, on the morning of July 19 I rose from bed to find that Mother Nature was feeling quite compliant – the sky could not have been any bluer, nor the sun any brighter. From Hanoi, the ride to Halong City takes about three hours; from the western side of the city, known as Bai Chay, it is possible to hop on one of many boat tours of the surrounding islands.  Most organized tours are all-inclusive and cost as low as US $15 – the trip I ultimately chose included bus and boat transportation, lunch, and admission to an impressively lit stalactite cave.

In a nutshell, here’s what you can expect from a day-long excursion to Halong Bay:

Karst Mountain Formations, Halong Bay

Tour Boats, Halong Bay

Roving Fruit Vendors, Halong Bay

Stalactites of Every Color, Halong Bay

My travels through northern Vietnam are officially over!  For some of my favorite memories from southern Vietnam and beyond, check back later this week!

Wandering Northern Vietnam: From Capital to Countryside

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After spending a day in Hanoi, on July 18 I headed for the nearby sites of Tam Coc and Hoa Lu, Vietnam.  Travel to minor northern Vietnamese tourist attractions is hindered by the lack of well-developed transportation networks – determined to visit the sites in a (relatively) short period of time, I hired a private driver for the day to show me around and recommend local points of interest.  Realistically, I could have taken a local bus to the nearby city of Ninh Binh, and from there attempted to find some mode of transportation to Tam Coc and Hoa Lu; when pressed for time, however, it’s not such a bad idea to avoid unnecessary travel complications, even if it costs a few extra bucks to do so.  This is especially true when your knowledge of the local language is beyond lacking!

Architectural Beauty at Hoa Lu, Vietnam

Needless to say, the natural scenery surrounding both Tam Coc and Hoa Lu is absolutely stunning.  Just like Guilin, Hanoi is encircled by countryside, and crowded city streets soon give way to shimmering rice paddies.  From 968 to 1009 AD, Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam, apparently due to the fact that it is protected by a sequence of karst mountain formations and lay not far from the Chinese border.  Though most of the ancient citadel that once stood there has been destroyed, Hoa Lu is nevertheless still home to a series of charming gardens and small temples.

Tam Coc provides an altogether unique view of the northern Vietnamese countryside, albeit a fairly touristy one.  Dubbed “Halong Bay on the Rice Paddies,” to me the mountain scenery to be witnessed at Tam Coc is not that far removed from what any traveler could expect when visiting southern China.  The Ngo Dong River flows through nearby rice fields, as well as a network of limestone caves – the recommended attraction at Tam Coc is, not surprisingly, to enjoy a boat ride down the river and soak in the surrounding natural landscape.

Streaming Down the Ngo Dong River, Tam Coc

Upon arriving at Tam Coc, I was quickly greeted by a middle-aged woman who offered to take me on my sightseeing journey downstream; soon after, her 80-something year-old father joined us for the ride, and soon began to row as well.  Much to my disbelief, he turned out to be much stronger than I have ever been, though I guess this shouldn’t have come as a surprise – after all, rowing tourists up and down the river has been his livelihood since who-knows-when.  Since I arrived at Tam Coc during the late afternoon, the sky had already begun to turn a shade of dusky yellow.  Not only that, but there were few tourists to be seen (which is, as far as I’m concerned, a delight in itself).

All in all, here are a few of my fondest memories from my trip to the northern Vietnamese countryside:

Rowboats for Hire, Tam Coc

Dragon Frescoe, Hoa Lu

Riverfront Abode, Tam Coc

Later this week, join me for the last leg of my journey through northern Vietnam!  As hard as it was to say goodbye, I soon found out that there was much, much more in southeast Asia simply waiting to be discovered.

Photos: Hanoi, Vietnam

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Instead of bogging you down with another blog post about sightseeing in Hanoi, I’ve decided to share with you a few of my favorite photos from this summer’s travels to the Vietnamese capital:

Guarding Ho Chi Minh's Grave, Hanoi

While standing outside of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, I managed to snap this photo of a local Vietnamese policeman.  Much to my surprise, most of the security officials in charge of guarding the mausoleum didn’t mind having their pictures taken; indeed, they seemed to find the whole occasion quite flattering.

Hoa Lo Prison Guillotine, Hanoi

Taken at the Hoa Lo Prison (also known as the “Hanoi Hilton”), this image captures the brutality with which the French often governed those living under their jurisdiction during the colonial period.  Pictured above is one of many guillotines used by the local French government in Vietnam to execute political prisoners.  That being said, the Hoa Lo Prison was subsequently used by northern Vietnamese forces to hold POWs during the Vietnam War, many of whom were subjected to unbearable living conditions and torture.

The Streets of Northern Vietnam, Hanoi

My favorite travel photos to take are ones that capture the overall presence of a particular place and its people.  Modernized and yet distinctly Vietnamese, the pace of life in Hanoi is beyond frenetic – still, it has retained the down-to-earth, welcoming feel which has long characterized it in the hearts of world travelers.

Join me in my next post as I leave Hanoi and venture into the northern Vietnamese countryside!  Who ever said that traveling back in time isn’t possible?

The Road to Hanoi, Vietnam

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My first impression of Vietnam: while the Chinese are friendly, the Vietnamese are even friendlier.

On July 16, I left Guilin (桂林) for Nanning (南宁), the capital of China’s Guangxi province.  After a fairly comfortable bus ride to the Nanning bus station, I hopped on board another bus (this time not so comfortable) for an eight hour journey to the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.  I crossed the China-Vietnam border at Pingxiang (凭祥), and later cruised into a local rest stop somewhere in the northern Vietnamese countryside.  There, I had my first taste of what is perhaps Vietnam’s most famous dish, pho.

After arriving in Hanoi around 10:00 that night, I settled into a small but comfortable hotel in the Hoan Kiem district, adjacent to the Old Quarter and home to Vietnam’s famous Hoan Kiem Lake.  I quickly found out that Hanoi, which has been the capital of Vietnam for almost 1,000 years, is a city teeming with life.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

On the morning of July 17, I emerged onto the city streets to find hundreds of motorcycles zipping by me, locals sipping iced coffee with condensed milk on the sidewalks, and peddlers hawking every tourist good imaginable.  Following local custom, I sampled Vietnamese coffee (which I enjoyed every morning in Vietnam after that), and headed to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  Crafted with materials gathered from all over Vietnam, it’s just my luck to find out after arriving there that the mausoleum closes daily at 11:30am; nonetheless, seeing the building itself and the surrounding sites suited me just fine.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is encompassed by nearby parks, one of which features a large statue of Vladimir Lenin as its centerpiece.  Next to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which closes at midday but reopens after lunch, is a small but unique religious shrine.  Following a lunch of noodles and crushed peanuts, I toured the Temple of Literature and the St. Joseph Cathedral, a Catholic church that provides testament to the former French occupation of Vietnam.

St. Joseph Cathedral

Before ending my sightseeing tour of Hanoi, I explored the solemn Hoa Lo Prison, sarcastically dubbed the “Hanoi Hilton” by former American POWs once imprisoned there.  Originally used by the French to hold Vietnamese political prisoners during the colonial period, the Hoa Lo Prison was taken over by North Vietnamese forces and continuously employed as a detainment and torture center throughout the Vietnam War.  Home to 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain for over five years, the Hanoi Hilton is a testament to the brutality and violence that characterized much of Vietnamese history throughout sequential periods of foreign occupation.

On the night of July 17, following a recommendation by Lonely Planet, I went to Gambrinus, a Czech bar that brews its own in-house beer; empty save for a few locals and outrageously expensive in comparison to most Hanoi establishments, my visit there proves that travelers should refrain from accepting the advice of popular travel guides as gospel when visiting foreign countries.  Instead, their true value lies in that they provide subtle points of reference for those traveling to a particular place for the first time.

The Streets of Hanoi

Though I only spent one full day in Hanoi, I spent three nights there – the next two days were spent sightseeing outside of the city during daylight hours.  All in all, it’s safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Hanoi and all of the culture that it has to offer.  Strikingly different from southern China in terms of the overall sentiment of the city (Hanoi is much more internationalized than almost every Chinese city I have visited so far, save Hong Kong), traveling in Hanoi offers a unique insight into the cosmopolitanism that duly characterizes the Vietnamese capital.

To see more of my favorite photos from Hanoi, look out for my next entry – or, visit “Photos from the Road“!