Vietnam
And what a country it is
Earlier last year, we spent 10 unforgettable days in this beautiful part of the world. 10 days of mouth watering
cuisine, epic countryside, a town full of lanterns, historic tombs of past Emperor’s,
beaches, custom fitted dresses and beaches. In this video, we’ll be taking you through
our time here, along with places we would recommend, trips that are worth checking out,
and how to make sure you return in one piece.
If you’re new here, then welcome. We make travel movies from around the world, hoping
you might just find your next holiday inspiration. This is Suitcase Monkey spending 10 full days
in Vietnam.
(Gentle Music)
We arrived early morning into Hanoi. Its location provides the perfect
starting point to travel the country north to south.
Hanoi is Vietnams capital and second largest city, where we would be spending our first
2 days. Still suffering jet lag, we stuffed our mouths with Pho, then started to explore
its buzzing streets.
(Upbeat, positive music)
Right in the middle of the city, is this Notre Dam inspired church. St Joseph’s Cathedral
was one of the first structures built by the French and is a reminder of the hostile takeover
in the 1850s. This would be the first of many time capsules we’d see on our trip. We actually
returned to this spot for our second evening, which allowed us to sample some of Hanoi’s
famous coffee culture scene.
Hanoi certainly lends itself to a walking city, that is, if you can avoid being run
over by a million motorbikes or in one instance, a train. This Instagram wonder sees homes,
bars and cafes packed along either side of a single train track. Even though this street
has become a little cliche to visit, it’s a really unique experience and the friendly
service from our mother and daughter hosts was both attentive and fun. The trains only
run a handful of times each day so consult a timetable if you want to see a train pass
through here first hand.
(Train Honks!)
(Dark Piano music with beat)
As night settled into the city, we mostly stayed around the Old Quarter and enjoyed
our first of many Vietnamese massages on this trip. But it was this street that we returned
to on both nights, not just for its vibrancy, but the sheer quantity of great smelling street
food restaurants. On our first night we rediscovered the magic of sitting in a chair made for 6
six year olds and our second night, 5 doors down, we loved this mini BBQ right on our
table.
By this point, we’d relaxed well Vietnams city life - beer, coffee, massages and feasts.
So we thought it was now about time to also relax into its nature.
(Gentle Piano music)
100 miles east of Hanoi, is Ha Long Bay. Spread over 600 square miles, this massive area forms
a fabulous seascape of limestone pillars pushing out of the waters. Mostly uninhabited, these
1,600 islands and islets, as they’re known, can be traced back 500 million years and are
themselves the main attraction. So of course what follows is the very human thing to do
and name these rocks after their obvious appearance. So be on the look out for the Fighting Cocks,
the Frog and of course...
...the chopstick.
The most popular way to enjoy Ha Long Bay is to spend a night here on one of its many
boats. For the most part, they all offer a similar experience but the crew we had were
really welcoming. For the next 24 hours we were looked after incredibly well, with all
food included. The boat itself was rather grand in scale whilst still feeling intimate
but it was the view from our room that was the most peaceful.
(Loud Intercom playing - "Would you please gather at the reception..."
Well, peaceful until it was time to disembark.
(Gentle Piano music plays)
The next morning, the early wake up, meant only one thing: A
group Thai Chi class to limber us all up, as our boat moved towards its final destination.
Although Ha Long Bay is most uninhabited, 4 fishing villages make up the majority of
its total population. For generations, around 1600 people called this part of Vietnam, home
with signs of humans doing so dating back 18,000 years.
(Gentle Guitar plays)
Living off the land and water,
the inhabitants built schools, shops, homes, and apparently even its own police force,
creating a beautiful self contained society. In recent years, due to a government directive,
most inhabitants of these villages have moved to the mainland, citing better education for
the young and environmental protection for this UNESCO World Heritage site.
Still, the fishing villages here are very real, with tourism now being their main source
of income. But travelling through this floating community is a breathtaking experience.
(Guitar picking music continues)
Once on land, we drove back to Hanoi Airport where we took a brief 1 hour domestic flight
to Hoi An. Now, in a move that’s very unlike me, I’d done next to no research for this
part of the trip so upon checking in, had no idea what was waiting for us just around
the corner. After a spot of unpacking, we wondered into central Hoi An and were blown
away with what we saw. Over the next 3 nights, this would become my favourite place in all
our time here and somewhere you should definitely be adding to your list.
(Music builds with drums and positive intensity)
Once an important trading route for Chinese and Japanese merchants, Hoi An is fed by the
Thu Bon River. Despite its Old Town bursting with restaurants, markets and street food,
it still feels surprisingly laid back, thanks in part to its partial ban on motorbikes.
But despite its growing popularity, it still maintains some of its authenticity and traditions.
Influenced by those 16th Century Japanese traders, coloured lanterns would be placed
outside homes, in exchange for good luck. This has now become the calling card for Hoi
An, where glowing lanterns and flickering candles are placed on the river, with a wish
of happiness, luck and love.
(Final build of music until calms)
Situated along such a busy trading route, it’s no surprise that Hoi An built an industry
around silks, suits and Ssss Dresses. A staggering 400 tailors fit into this tiny town, each
offering a personalised outfit, unique to your design choices and style. And that’s
why we found ourselves on Chong Hung Dao, THE street for a one of a kind outfit. The
process was pretty simple: First, choose styles you like from literally thousands of photos.
Maybe you like the waist of this, the length of that, the neckline of the other. Stick
all of that together and you have your complete design. Now as I’m sure you can imagine,
this was all incredibly exciting for your narrator. Second, chose your cloth. This is
where we were levelled up and whisked away to the fabrics room where there is obviously
lots of talk about. And it was at this point that I questioned all decisions that had led
me to this moment. Fabrics, fabrics, fabrics, fabrics. Although brief, I did for a second
question that maybe, just maybe I myself wasn’t bringing my full sexy A game. Ha, but that
was of course, just a fleeting moment.
It was as quick as the next morning where Chiaki returned for a final fitting and we
picked it up, all finished, a day later.
Probably the most iconic landmark in Hoi An is the Japanese Bridge. Indeed, if you ever
look at the back of a 20,000 Dong note, you’ll see it for yourself. Built in the 15th Century,
it was constructed by those same Japanese merchants who settled here, seeking quick
access to the Chinese communities across the water. The bridge represents Namazu, a giant
underground catfish which was said to cause earthquakes and was therefore tied down at
both ends. Unable to move, Namazu could no longer cause the ground beneath it to shake.
(Upbeat music)
After some more aimless meandering, we wandered into this cafe and it was time to taste another
Vietnamese staple. The Egg Coffee or Cà Phê Trung is a bitter coffee, blended with the
sweetness of egg yolk, condensed milk and sugar. This necessity came about with milk
being in short supply during French colonisation. You can still actually visit the place where
the original egg coffee was invented in Hanoi.
Let’s just say we filmed this a few times and this was the most positive reaction I
had. It’s a really bitter coffee, albeit with a dense creamy layer on top. But, I’m
just a low life single shot Latte guy, so what do I know?
(Upbeat music continues)
(Music drains away, stops suddenly)
(Upbeat music continues)
Another walk, and more signature dishes, this time with great success. The Cao Lau is Hoi
An’s definitive dish, and is only available here since it’s cooked with water from local
wells. With barbecued pork slices sitting in fat udon type noodles, greens, and a pork
based gravy, this really hit the spot. We also tried a dish known as White Rose, named
to reflect the appearance of its pork wrapped up in light flattened dumplings. Both essential
dishes to taste.
For dinner, I have to highlight this restaurant here, since it was my absolute favourite in
all of Vietnam. These pork steamed buns were incredible with a delightful lingering aftertaste.
I also ordered the Bahn Mi which translates primarily to baked goods, so often referring
to a sandwich or baguette. The plate did have bread but it was more of a side dish to this
succulent juicy chicken, dripping in sauce. If you’re ever in Hoi An, I would 100% recommend
you check this place out, especially when this epic 3 course meal coming out to a total of £15.
(Sounds of cars)
Our last day in Hoi An was a relaxed one. Renting bikes from our hotel, we took a 30
minute cycle to the local beach and lounged around with some cocktails.
Later that evening, we thought we’d end our time in Hoi An, returning to the place
where we first fell for it. Albeit this time, we travelled the same path as they would have
done 500 years ago.
(Sentimental piano music)
3 hours north of Hoi An, lies the important city of Hue, Vietnams old imperial capital.
Since the 1800s, it’s had an illustrious history, primarily for being the home to the
city is a lively one with a busy nightlife, restaurants and cafes, all sitting very comfortable
amongst its historical roots which have not been forgotten.
Those roots are on no better display, than the Imperial City. This whole citadel, complete
with its vast landscape, palace grounds, and gateways took 27 years to complete, and is
one of the largest architectural complexes in all of Vietnam. On approach, the walls
of this massive fortress are striking. The insides tell stories of those who both lived
and died here, with only 10 major buildings remaining, out of the original 160.
Hue is surrounded by 7 royal tombs, all elaborate resting places for the Nguyen Dynasty, ruling
from 1802 to 1945. There are countless tours that visit these tombs, with 2 of the most
popular being Ming Manh and Khai Dinh .
Minh Mang was the second monarch of the Nguyen Dynesty and was generally a well liked Emperor
due to his policies expanding and stabilising Vietnam. Covering 15 hectares, it’s easy
to spend an hour here as the tomb and grounds still stand in great condition.
A short drive away is the tomb of Khai Dinh. This is a much smaller tomb, possibly reflecting
that he was largely an unpopular Emperor at the time. Reigning during French rule, he
was generally perceived as a puppet, with little actual power. Kie Dinh was the countries
second to last Emperor ever, with his successor ultimately abdicating, thus ending the Vietnamese
monarchy in 1945.
Unlike Hoi An, Hue felt much more lived in by its locals. When we weren’t peeking into
its history we were seeking out its hospitality. We rediscovered a Vietnamese coffee that didn’t
involve a chicken, and stuffed our mouths with some great food here. The hotel we were
staying in actually had its own spa which as you can see here, we enjoyed thoroughly.
These 2 days flew by and we were already packing for our final domestic flight which would
take us to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnams most populated and forward looking city.
(Slow hopeful piano music)
Especially after the relatively laid back Hoi An and Hue, Ho Chi Minh City was a bit
of a shock to the system. As we had been sinking south, the temperature had been climbing.
Now hovering at 30 degrees, this was double what we had in Hanoi. Previously known as
Saigon, the city was officially renamed after the Vietnamese revolutionary and politician,
Ho Chi Minh.
One thing we finally did get to witness here in all its glory, is what it really means
to cross a road, with over 7 million motorbikes in this city alone. So… Inspired by the
locals we semi confidently, put our lives into the hands, of the oncoming traffic.
(Fast drum music plays)
Not deterred, many a road here would be crossed and conquered as we strolled around the city.
(Upbeat electronic music)
After getting some high quality drone shots, dusk began to settle on the city, with the
neon signs energising the streets. It was here where the uniqueness of Ho Chi Minh really
became apparent. Walking into the main promenade that leads up to City Hall was one of THE
moments in this trip, and where the City truly comes alive.
(Electronic music builds)
Before arriving in Vietnam, I’d asked our followers if you had any dining suggestions
for the trip. In response, we’d been informed of the lovely sounding Secret Garden Restaurant.
We liked what we saw on Google Maps and thought we’d give it a go. Upon arrival to this
rather inauspicious entrance, this was either a genuinely secret restaurant or we were about to die!
(Scary, intense, dramatic music playing)
To everyones surprise there WAS actually a secret garden on the rooftop and we were sat
down, near the coffee machine. We were soon served up yet another lovely feast, and again,
with a bunch of courses falling under £15.
Vietnam in general certainly seems like a country that hasn’t forgotten its past,
but is clearly one that has already moved forward and will continue to do so, especially
for what it offers to travellers. I first visited Vietnam in 2009 and even since then,
I noticed a massive difference in infrastructure and preparation for the future. It just might
take me a little while to get used to an egg in my coffee.
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Until the next video, thanks for watching Suitcase Monkey.