The former capital city of Vietnam was directly on our path to Laos! We enjoyed our short stay by visiting the elaborate mausoleums of two former Emperors and eating vegetarian food with the locals.
An Afternoon in Hue
We Love Hoi An!
Of all the places we have visited in Vietnam, Hoi An has felt the most like home. The town has everything you want: picturesque landscape for biking, nice beaches, historic walk streets lit only by silk lanterns, and the best banh mi. Quite a few expats have settled here, and we can see why.
Boating and Biking in Tam Coc
Tam Coc is a quaint village near the city of Ninh Binh, 2.5 hours by bus from Hanoi. Famous for its newly classified UNESCO landscape it is certainly growing as a destination for both domestic and international tourists in Vietnam. Like in Ha Long bay, limestone towers fly out of an otherwise flat landscape, and slow rivers flow between the tiny mountains.
Trekking in Sapa, Vietnam
Sapa is a mountain town near the border with China that is home to several ethnic minority tribes in Vietnam. Most of the residents come from one of five tribes, which can be identified by beautiful handmade traditional clothing. The town is of French colonial origin, formerly a garrison, and distinctly contrasts with the basic villages in the adjacent valley. Trekking in the region offers a window into traditional life in this rice-growing community.
Cat Ba Island
Stepping off of the bus in Cat Ba town, we were relieved to be taking a break from big cities, and beyond excited to rock climb!