Step into Vietnam, where every corner sparks adventure

The astonishment rings like a fire alarm when I tell friends I am travelling to Vietnam for a vacation. “Vietnam? Why would you want to go there?” everyone asks, some unaware that the Vietnam War ended many decades ago. Vietnam is a destination of unparalleled beauty in Southeast Asia, a land rich in history and anchored in a cultural heritage of kings, emperors, temples, and pagodas. This tropical, virtually crime-free country, home to about 100 million citizens and more than 70 million registered motorbikes, serves up some of the most delicious cuisine on the planet

Vietnam offers an exciting range of attractions for thrill-seekers, and one of its standout features is its affordability. Airline-recommended accommodations start as low as US$4 per night, while for just $40 per night, you can indulge in luxury at a prime location. This includes daily scrumptious breakfast, toiletries, a safe, a refrigerator, a tour desk, a 24-hour front desk, and stunning views of Hanoi’s bustling old city. For a little extra, grand deluxe hotels are also within reach.

My journey from New York to Hanoi, the capital, was long and included a quick flight change in Tokyo, Japan. A driver met me at the airport with a name sign and in less than an hour I had checked in at the Hanoi Plaza Suite Hotel.

Millions of tourists go there each year from Europe, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and India, with a growing number coming in from South Africa, the UK and the United States. On my early morning walk, there was no shortage of restaurants doing brisk business, and sidewalk food vendors were cooking up a storm on the streets–from crab and live lobsters to shrimp wraps, noodle soups, egg coffee, stew turtle and, to my amazement, a popular crunchy pancake made from fresh water worms!

I steered clear of the worms, but enjoyed a massive breakfast in the mornings that included beef or chicken noodle soup, ribs, curried chicken, yams, and other provisions, plus the usual omelette, sausage, porridge, breads, and an array of fruits. Lunch is usually included on day tours as a buffet, and for dinner, one can sit down in one of hundreds of restaurants in the old city for as low as US$4.

Fruit vendors with push carts are everywhere peddling mangoes as big as breadfruits, sweetsop, soursop, passion fruit, jackfruit, pineapple, water melon, cashew fruit, lychee, dragon fruit and star apple.

The old city with mostly narrow streets and very few traffic lights is the heartbeat of Hanoi, boasting hundreds of thousands of motorbikes zipping all over town at high speeds. The motorbikes are the main form of transportation and I was mystified to see how stately and agile old ladies were in their mastery of the motorbikes, in high heels and all.

Walking along the narrow streets, and especially crossing at intersections is high science. I got hit by motorbikes twice in one week while waiting on the sidewalk to cross. No injuries though. It all becomes part of the thrill of Hanoi.

Vietnamese people love to party and all-night sessions rock the blocks in the old city where strip clubs and spas coexist next to diners and cookshops.

SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP

Shopping is a treat. US$50 gives you nearly a million and a half Vietnamese dollars, which go a long way. Clothing, electronics, art and craft, confectionery, textiles, coffee, teas, fine bamboo products, spa treatments, and stay-young-forever serums are popular buys. Vietnam is renowned for fine tailoring, where men and women can select fabrics and order suits for a two-day pickup from local establishments around town.

Although fresh flowers abound, Vietnam lacks a real fragrance industry. However, I met a local designer named Dream, who created a personalised, alluring eau de toilette with the most eye-popping packaging I have ever seen for fragrances in just 40 minutes.

Interesting and affordable tours abound. For US$10 per hour, you can hire a safe bicycle chariot rider to visit landmark attractions, including the popular Train Street, which features a shopping arcade around a railway track. Other highlights include the Ninh Binh day tour, which stops at the Bai Dinh Temple Complex, the Water Puppet Show, and concludes with a relaxing boat ride through the Trang An rivers.

Tour operators offer a range of exciting packages to Vietnam, with some longer tours including Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Choices are plentiful, but Vietnam stands out with its kaleidoscope of engaging attractions for adventurous travellers.

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com