Chapter 1: Vietnam

15 Mar, 2026

At 5pm on Monday evening, 12 hours before our flight to Hanoi, Will and Lucy still hadn't had their visas for Vietnam approved. An hour of chaos ensued, frantically researching different options, and they both reluctantly forked out an extortionate fee for expedited visas (through a third party we weren't even certain was legitimate).

Thankfully, all worked out alright, and we made it through customs to Hanoi the following day (with Lucy somehow being whisked away by customs officers and evading the two hour wait that Will and I endured). We eased into the adventure with a slow couple days in the Old Quarter, learning about the culture, history, and how to navigate the chaotic roads. Tash joined us from Japan, and the four of us went on an extravagant food tour with the charming (and handsome!) Tony, venturing through tiny alleyways and enjoying an exquisite array of the most delicious foods Hanoi has to offer.

From Hanoi we made our way to Ha Giang in the North of Vietnam, close to the Chinese border. We travelled for seven hours on these strange, two-story buses, with beds, rather than seats. The Ha Giang Loop - a 350km journey through the mountain pass - was the primary activity we were looking forward to, and the reason Will and Lucy were joining us in Vietnam.

The Loop has become a tourist hotspot in recent years, famous for the remarkable winding roads that carve through the verdant limestone mountains, like a giant python snaking through the countryside. Though it was shoulder season, the roads were buzzing with activity, with hundreds of motorcyclists on the road. We were part of an organised tour, with each person travelling on the back of a motorbike with a seasoned, local driver. Though some were daring (or stupid) enough to attempt the Loop on their own bike, the roads were so hectic - with trucks occasionally blaring past in the opposite direction on the narrow, twisting roads - I couldn't imagine doing it solo! Another perk of being a passenger was that we could be more absorbed in the dramatic landscape, rather than being focused on the road. We were surprised by the number of stops along the way; we typically pulled over at rest stops every 15 minutes for as long¹, where we enjoyed the views over warm, Vietnamese coffees, and joined in the local games of Đá cầu².

We travelled in a group of ten; the four of us were joined by three boys from Brisbane and three girls from the UK. We were one of twelve groups, with well over 100 people in our tour. Each night, we stayed at big "homestays", where our group would bunked together in big dorm rooms. On the first evening, the tour organisers inculcated everyone into their drinking tradition; before the meal, they poured everyone shots of "happy water"³, and taught us a chant that we would all bellow out together before taking the shot. We were happy to partake in the first couple, but they continued to refill our glasses and pressured everyone to continue. To avoid making a scene, Tash and I took to surreptitiously filling our glasses with water instead. The people in our tour were quite taken with it, and we heard various groups shouting out the chant every minute or so throughout dinner. We definitely felt our age showing - the average age was around 21, and it seemed everyone else was excited to get drunk and party! We enjoyed the nightly karaoke, though our strategy was to go hard early, smashing out some bangers (and learning some local, Vietnamese ones!) before retiring to bed early to read and journal. All up, we had a blast on the loop. The sights and the altitude were simultaneously breath-taking! It was a great way to meet new people, and it was the perfect way for Will to ease into his own travels, before going solo!

Will split off with the boys from our group, heading back to Hanoi, while Lucy, Tash and I caught an overnight bus from Ha Giang to Ninh Binh. We were scheduled to arrive at 6am the following day, and decided we didn't need to book a hotel for that night. However, we rudely arrived early, at 3am! Dreary and still half-asleep, we decided to wander through the nearby street, lined with homestays, in the hope of finding one that was still open. The first one we tried was down a small alleyway. We walked by a French girl having a cigarette, who mentioned her and her friend had just managed to snag the last private room available! However, she suggested they could share one of the double beds, and we could use the other one! We leant into the serendipitous encounter, and gratefully accepted. With only a bare mattress available, the three of us snuggled up and used Tash's packing cubes as makeshift pillows, draping ourselves in our towels and puffer jackets to keep warm.

We enjoyed a more relaxed pace in Ninh Binh. We marvelled at an ancient pagoda half-swallowed by the mountain, we soaked in the serenity along the Trang An River, and we summitted the 500 steps at Mua Cave (for an underwhelming sunset view!) We farewelled Lucy, and made our way to Cat Ba Island, through a series of buses, a ferry and another bus.

Cat Ba was a recommendation from various friends; somewhere similar to Ha Long Bay, but quieter and more authentic. However, that description has become somewhat outdated. Over the last few years it seems, the main cities have expanded the bay with giant slabs of concrete, paving the way for huge ongoing development.

We booked a day tour on a small cruise ship to Lan Ha Bay. We cruised past Cai Beo, a floating fishing village where hundreds of families live on interconnected wooden pontoons. Travelling by boat was a fantastic way to experience the archipelago; we sailed past hundreds of tiny, pristine islands. Giant pillars of limestone rose from the sea, their bases eroded by the changing tide. We kayaked through a beautiful lagoon, we cycled through Viet Hai, a small village where those of us daring enough had a "fish massage". We visited a small island where the guides fed monkeys, and we hiked up a small rocky outcrop with on obscured view of the sunset.

As we made our way home that evening, we turned down a small alleyway. Though many of the main streets felt deserted - many restaurants were closed, with locals visiting family elsewhere during Lunar New Year - the alleyway was alive! We could see into the living rooms of each house, which were all crammed like sardines, with young and old all sitting together on the floor, jubilantly sharing a meal together. We shouted "Chúc mừng năm mới!" as we passed by, and were joyfully greeted in return. Young children ran up to say hi, or to hug us, while their families watched on and waved. It was a special moment, to feel so warmly embraced, and in the last place we'd expect it! We found the local Vietnamese to be especially kind and friendly, but none moreso than in Cat Ba.

Making our way to Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) was quite the ordeal: bus, ferry, bus, taxi, plane, twenty-minute walk, and another bus! We capitalised on our one full day, exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels, where we learned about the Viet Cong, the complex tunnel systems they developed, and the gruesome traps they built. We ventured through one of the tunnels which has been widened 30% for tourists. It was claustrophobic enough as it was!

Tash was feeling exhausted after the tour, so I ventured by myself to the War Remnants Museum. It provided fascinating further insights into the history of the war and the effects of Agent Orange, though I found myself particularly drawn to the Requiem Exhibition, which illustrated the war through a tapestry of different perspectives, combining photographs and biographical information. Of everything I learned, the My Lai Massacre was the most incomprehensible. Whether war shapes one's character, reveals it, or a combination of both, it's frightening what people are capable of.

Vietnam was awesome, and we could easily have spent months longer; two weeks was far from enough. The people were friendly, the countryside was beautiful, the food was exquisite, and it was so affordable! One key lesson we reflected on - which I imagine we'll continue to revisit - was the importance of slowing down. We knew this going in, and it was difficult due to a few constraints, but we would have valued spending longer in fewer locations to make the most of them, and to trim time spent commuting. There will always be more amazing things to do, and places to see. Such is life!

Stats

Strangers' beds slept in: 1
Egg coffees: 10
Happy water shots: 20
Regular water shots: 50
Times "I Want It That Way" was requested at karaoke: 200
Mua Cave steps climbed for a cloudy view: 500
Rest stops on the Ha Giang Loop: 1000
Times "Một hai ba zô" was chanted at dinner: 1,000,000

Footnotes: