Vietnam - The North

Over the years, I’ve learned that my travel bias is in favor of remote beauty. I am drawn towards areas or regions that are somewhat difficult to reach, resulting in a sparse tourist presence, perhaps lacking on luxuries, but making up for it in simple pleasures and views that make up the daily life of the local population. While Vietnam’s north does have its fair share of the antithesis of this type of travel locale, with bustling Hanoi and over touristed Ha Long Bay, there are a myriad of treasures waiting to be unearthed throughout the windy, mountainous roads on your way to China.

Before heading remote, we made plans for the obligatory sights, spending a couple days in Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. Hanoi was more enjoyable that I’d remembered, with its myriad of alleys and markets in the old quarter, and delicious dining options spread out either on the street or in tiny hole-in-the-wall type restaurants, or perhaps right on the train tracks. What might seem like chaos is actually a well-oiled machine, with the freshest of foods and variety of services all at your fingertips. I took some time to purposely get lost one afternoon, walking through alleys filled with birdcages (the Vietnamese love their birds), stopping for a quick bowl of pho while avoiding having my toes run over in the street, bargaining for the best Ha Long Bay tour I could find, and relaxing under an overpass on tiny chairs while I waited for my Bia Hoi (fresh brewed beer) and peanuts to be served. I was most definitely out of place everywhere I sat, but, as is the case anywhere in the world, sitting down over a beer brings people together. The streets of Hanoi are a wanderer’s dream, it really is a crapshoot as to what you might come across, be it frogs in a bucket or the best tasting soup you’ve ever had.

Cruise booked, we opted to spend a couple days in Lan Ha bay, the less-visited neighbor to the famous Ha Long Bay. With many reports of trash and murky waters in Ha Long Bay, we were hoping for a bit more serenity, away from the party boats and general abuse of the pristine nature that can be found in the waters off the northern coast of Vietnam. While the weather didn’t exactly cooperate, it felt like the misty fog and rain added to the ominousness of the waters and the thousands of limestone karst islands that make up the scene. So, while there was no sunbathing on the deck to be enjoyed, the environment was more than conducive to a little rest and reflection. We passed floating fishing villages and remote beaches, stopping for an afternoon on Cat Ba island, sampling some local snake whiskey and sticking our feet in the river for a fish-eating frenzy.

The cruise itself was a comedy of errors. With the Coronavirus fears in full effect, demand was down and staff was low, leaving us with one cruise manager (Eagle) who played the role of formal host, kayak guide, happy hour party starter, tableside slam poetry reader (in Vietnamese), and morning Kung-Fu instructor (the Tai Chi instructor was gone, so we got Kung Fu instead). Eagle wasn’t particularly good at any of those roles, and he must have changed outfits at least 5 times, but we were along for the ride and couldn’t help but laugh at how seriously he took himself. The next day at dinner, a failed flambe attempt left one cruise guest completely on fire as everyone swarmed to put her out. Thankfully, no serious injuries occurred, but the mishap seemed to fit right in with the rest of the experience. By the time late night squid fishing rolled around, we were certain somebody would be lost at sea, but surprisingly it all went off without a hitch. As was the case the last time around, Ha Long and the surrounding bays are stunning, and should not be missed, just remember to bring your sense of humor.

Bidding farewell to our temporary travel friend, we left the city and headed for the hills in the far north of the country, arriving to Ba Be Lake as the sun was setting behind the mountains and a blue haze began to settle on the lake. A small agricultural village sits at one end of the lake, with almost every family home turned into a homestay in the hopes of attracting the tourist dollar. Our basic homestay came equipped with a dining deck overlooking acres of bright green rice fields running right into the lake. The combination of the geometric shapes and lines of the rice fields, the calm waters of the lake, the backdrop of densely forested mountains, and the complete silence (save for the incessant rooster crowing), did nothing but reinforce my biases for this kind of travel. A family style home-cooked meal and some strong rice wine capped it all off.  We spent the following day in a boat exploring around the lake and, while no site in particular was anything to write home about, we enjoyed a relaxing ride in yet another idyllic setting tucked away in a remote corner of an underappreciated travel destination.

Leaving Ba Be, we moved closer to the Chinese border, grabbing a motorbike and making the journey to Ban Gioc waterfall, on the border of Vietnam and China. It’s a spectacular, multi-level set of falls, with turquoise waters tucked between more limestone mountain formations. The ride itself may have been even more beautiful than the waterfall. Rolling hills, rice fields, and mountains, an environment as rural as it gets, we took detour after detour to find beautiful vistas, friendly faces, and scenes you wouldn’t believe were real unless you were looking at them. I’ve run out of words to describe the scenery and experience at this point, I just know the feelings evoked: freedom, awe, excitement, appreciation, disbelief, and the desire for more. I will go back to this region of the world over and over again and never grow tired of it. Vietnam may not be the easiest place to travel, but the rewards are unmatched.

I can’t wait to go back.

Vietnam - Caves & Karsts

Continuing our adventurous transport in Laos, we found ourselves crossing another remote border in an iffy bus that may or may not have been smuggling dozens of sacks of illegal charcoal into Vietnam. After nervously waiting while our passports were taken away for inspection for just a bit too long for comfort, we were finally relieved to hear the clicking of another stamp press as we made our way into the last country on our Southeast Asian itinerary. While Cambodia and Laos contain pockets of serenity and natural beauty between plenty of dusty, arid, and bleak landscapes, Vietnam seemingly contains nothing but lush jungle covering striking mountain landscapes and endless coastline. Colors change from bland to bright seemingly at the border.

After another 12+ hour day of travel, we arrived to my favorite of Vietnamese cities, Hoi An. Colorful walking streets filled with hanging lanterns, tea houses, coffee shops, restaurants, and, of course, the famous tailor shops, make Hoi An tough to top when it comes to charm. Meandering through the pastel alleys in search of homemade banana ice cream, coffee ice cubes, sweet herbal tonics, miniature snacking snails, local noodle and dumpling dishes, daily Banh Mi sandwiches, and historical shophouses, I was pleased to see Hoi An was just as enjoyable as I’d remembered. With the coast nearby, we spent a day lounging on white sands after exploring a few temples built into existing caves in the surrounding mountains. With some new found company from California, we rented bicycles and made our way across the river to a more rural island, with verdant rice fields and palm trees guiding our way through various villages, boat docks, and canals…leisurely exploration at its finest.

The country of Vietnam is much larger than you might imagine, with so many sights to see that one trip, even five trips for that matter, is not enough to enjoy all it has to offer. On my previous motorcycle adventure through the country, I’d skipped the region of Phong Nha, famous for its enormous cave systems, one of which is the largest known in the world. The train ride from the Hoi An area passed over the Hai Van pass, part of the old Demilitarized zone during the war. As if Vietnam hadn’t shown off enough already with its scenery, the slow train ride was nothing short of majestic, carving around and through the mountain range, revealing hidden beaches along the coast and rivers flowing from the mountains above, all with a backdrop of every shade of green you can imagine. The one-hour drive from the train station to our final destination was just as serene, with ominous limestone karsts in the distance and endless green rice fields lining the road and the rivers. Arriving in our bungalow for the evening, we made our way to a bench down by the river and enjoyed a refreshing beer while the fisherman came to shore and the smoke from small fires slowly billowed from the few houses along the opposite river bank. Idyllic to say the least.

We spent the next day in the hands of our trusty hotel owner turned chauffeur as he took us around to 3 of the most famous cave systems in the area. The first cave was the largest, with nearly a mile-long platform leading us deep into the earth. Massive formations growing from both the ceiling and floor, all lit up with different colors to accentuate the mineral rich contents, had us forgetting the reality that we were way further underground than we’d normally be comfortable with. Some ceilings looked as though they were painted in the Vatican, while small pools hidden from light sources looked so dark that I thought they might lead all the way to the center of the earth. It’s possible to follow the cave for 5 miles or so past the wooden platforms, but we opted to save that adventure for another day. The second cave required a zipline over the river to access, and more than our fair share of mud crawling to get through in some places. We were brought to a mud pool of sorts, with the softest mud you can imagine tickling our toes and making for a nice face scrub after months on the road. Overcoming a fear of small spaces, our crew squeezed through the darkness and made our way out of the cave, where an overwater obstacle course lay at our disposal. Rope swings, zip lines, American Ninja Warrior-type ropes courses, you name it. The views upstream and downstream were spectacular, with giant limestone karsts towering over the turquoise water of the river. Paradise found once again. The final stop of the day required a boat ride straight into another enormous cave, with more intricate formations and colorful walls waiting for us. Thinking about the random farmers that happened upon some of these caves had me daydreaming, as I often do, of discovering something which no eyes had ever been laid on until then. Throughout my life, the settings of these faux discoveries have changed from ruins in South America to some crater on the moon to an island on the high seas. Having not yet discovered any new frontier, I am resigned to accept that it’s all about the journey blah blah blah…

After enjoying another evening of smoky serenity on the shore, we decided 3 giant caves were enough and spent the following day back on motorbikes, two this time, to explore the countryside and visit the local hotspots, which did not disappoint. Our morning was spent at “The Duck Stop” where a local family has turned their Aflac white ducks into an obligatory stop for anybody looking to have a hundred ducks follow you around, give you a foot massage with their beaks, and ravenously eat from your hands while you hold them. Nearly the entirety of the 15 minutes with the ducks was spent laughing hysterically at their mannerisms and massaging skills. Further down the rocky dirt road, we found ourselves at another café overlooking the river below, this time fully equipped with a giant tree swing that was definitely safe. For a few dollars, we enjoyed a coffee, laid out on some hammocks, and braved the adventure swing out over the valley below. The ride back across narrow bridges, past a beautiful church, and through winding rice fields brought us to quaint little lunch spot, where a local family whips up everything from scratch (you can pick your chicken while it’s still walking around, if you’d like). The family spoke no English, but had a translated menu to choose from. The genuineness and welcoming environment were yet another reminder as to why I, and many others, are so drawn to this country. Here we were, sitting on low, open air tables next to a field of crops against a mountain backdrop, staring into a bare bones kitchen watching an entire family cook up our meal from items they’d just picked from their farm, smiling and gesturing with us as the sole means of communication between two groups full of gratitude for entirely different, yet intertwined, reasons.

We took a detour for the final leg home, passing along the riverbanks at dusk, waving to the young children outside on their porch, maneuvering our way between cows and water buffalo, catching glimpse after glimpse into homes right as dinner hour had come. By now I was used to seeing families sit down for dinner just inside their open front door, and no longer felt like I was intruding by letting my gaze linger. With each passing wave from families and children, we were invited further and further into a world that we knew was not ours, despite how graciously we were made to belong.