Vietnam

After my Cambodia visit gave me my first taste of Southeast Asia I was keen and ready to go back for seconds. And thirds. Hell, I wanted the whole buffet. When I was deciding where to head off to next I was genuinely spoiled for choice. Much Like an actual buffet, Southeast Asia offers everything, with it all being totally different regardless off their close proximity. I ended up picking Vietnam, specifically Hanoi, the capital city. Great decision it turns out, as it changed my entire perspective on living. I have grown to love Hanoi and Vietnam and have been there twice now. Next time I visit, I'll probably stay a bit longer because there is just so much to do and so much to see that going for a week just isn't even close to long enough.

My first visit to Hanoi was in August of 2023 and if I thought I was escaping the heat of the Hong Kong summer, boy was I wrong. The heat was the first thing I noticed. And the humidity. Being from Durban I always thought I wouldn't be bothered by humidity anywhere else in the world but Southeast Asia truly humbled me in this regard. My flight was early, around 6AM, so I arrived in Hanoi at the perfect time to do some early morning coffee shop exploring. I had always heard about Vietnamese coffee and was dying to try some, specifically egg coffee or as the locals call it Cà Phê Trứng. This is a drink that originated in Hanoi sometime in the 1940's as a substitute for milk and is made by mixing egg yolk, condensed milk and sugar together before adding to some delicious black coffee. The taste is very similar to custard or, in some cases, tiramisu, and is an absolute must-drink for anyone visiting Hanoi. I found a little sidewalk coffee shop on the way to Hoàn Kiếm Lake and ordered a cup. Then another. Simply incredible.

A terribly grainy image of my first-ever egg coffee

Along the way to the lake I was absolutely amazed by how this city works. I was staying in a hotel in the old French Quarter which is full of coffee shops, apartment buildings with colonial French designs, embassies, busy streets, markets and bars. Around 70 000 people live in the area alone and you can tell. There are thousands of scooters in the city and this makes crossing roads terribly treacherous as, from what I can tell, traffic rules are followed quite loosely.

Old French Quarter architecture

I eventually arrived at Hoàn Kiếm Lake and was immediately entranced. Situated in the center of Hanoi it is also known as "Sword Lake" and draws in plenty of tourists and just as many locals who come to eat their meals or drink their coffee at the many sitting places alongside it while staring at Tháp Rùa or "Turtle Tower" in the center of the lake.

Turtle Tower in the distance as seen from Ngoc Son Temple

Turtle Tower

It is also very much worth walking along the beautiful Thê Húc Bridge on the northern edge of the lake. This easily recognizable red bridge is quite famous in Hanoi and a bit of a tourist hotspot but if you go early enough it is relatively quiet. This bridge leads to the Ngoc Son Temple, built in the 1800's, where I found out that Hoàn Kiếm Lake was once full of large soft-shell turtles. However, the last one in the lake died about 10 years ago and sadly only about 3 remain in the wild meaning they are practically extinct.

The next day was spent exploring more of the city. I had the greatest egg coffee of my life at Cafe Giảng, which was extremely busy and full of tourists from all over the world. Highly recommend though, take the time to go here and spend a bit extra. Have the egg beer and egg rum as well, different but great. I had a fantastic bowl of Bún chả at Bún Chả Đắc Kim. Bún chả is a deliciously delightful dish famous in Hanoi. It consists of pork, usually grilled, noodles, herbs and a delicious broth. Mine was served with chili, lime, garlic, lettuce and I ordered some crab cakes on the side along with a much-needed icy cold beer. This was one of the most incredible culinary experiences of my life. So many different flavors that just complement each other perfectly and the beer filled with ice cubes enhanced the experience that much more.

So much flavor

While we're here, let's talk about the food in Hanoi for a bit. I'm a massive foodie. Wherever I go I like to eat local and you'll never see me at a fast-food restaurant on my travels. One of my favorite food styles is street food and it is abundant in Hanoi. You can find a meal here every hour of every day. Any type of phở you can think of is available, and it is available everywhere. Walk into a shop that sells cameras and there will quite potentially be a lady in the back frying something up. Another popular dish is bánh mì, a baguette filled with pâté, pork (or any other protein, usually beef or chicken), cilantro, carrot, cucumber and an array of sauces. I got mine at a place called bánh mì 25 and it was worth every cent. I went to Bún chả Hương Liên where the late, great Anthony Bourdain famously sat down for a meal with U.S President Barack Obama. Here, the food is a bit more expensive, but do it for the experience. At night, go out at 10pm, walk down random alleyways where locals are sitting on low, plastic chairs eating a bowl of something. Sit down, order what they're having and have a beer, it will be one of the best experiences of your life, I know it was one of the best of mine.

Bún chả Hương Liên

You just know the food is going to be incredible when this is the kitchen

Finally, let's talk about Hạ Long Bay. This is a massive, natural bay in Northeastern Vietnam full of limestone karsts of all shapes and sizes. It is BEAUTIFUL. Truly one of the most stunning spectacles I have ever seen and truly deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. I really loved it the first time I was there and enjoyed taking my mother there a few months later, she loved it as well. I found the scenery so interesting, the sea is so peaceful and serene between these limestone behemoths as far as the eye can see. Our guide took us to Luồn Cave which offers the stunning sight of these massive stalagmites which just show how random and crazy nature can be. The tour offered food and drinks and was definitely worth it.

However, be careful. I found out very quickly that Hạ Long Bay is a tourist trap of massive proportions. Yes it's beautiful and absolutely something to see, but if you can spend a bit extra to go on a private tour or on a multi-day cruise, I highly suggest you do so. The experience is ruined slightly by the huge amounts of guide boats sailing between the karsts. There are just too many. It is almost impossible to look out over the water and not see another boat. So, go to Hạ Long Bay but be prepared to spend a little bit extra.

The rest of my time in Hanoi was spent exploring, checking out museums such as the Vietnam Military History Museum which you simply must visit. Incredible features here like airplanes, tanks, helicopters and many others which provide fantastic insight into the long history of war in the country. The National Museum of History is also well worth a visit if you're a fan of artifacts and archaeology. I also spent a few hours at Hỏa Lò Prison which was used during wartimes to house political prisoners, first by French Colonists and later by the North Vietnamese who held U.S. prisoners captive here. Another massive tourist trap I fell for was the Instagram famous "Train Street". Stay away from here. It isn't what you see on social media. The shop owners on the street are rude, it's full of tourists and you can spend up to an hour waiting for a train that may not even actually arrive.

My final night in Hanoi was spent on the infamous Bia Hoi Corner, Hanoi's party street where tourists from all over convene for night time shenanigans. My time here was spent drinking beer and whisky with two Australian brothers I met until the early hours of the morning. My trip to the airport was an unhappy one.

I miss Hanoi. I miss Vietnam. It is my favorite place in the world and not being there leaves a bit of me feeling quite empty. I miss the crazy streets, the bonkers traffic, the amazing food, the happy locals and the overall atmosphere. I will be back.