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Of all the trips I took during my year abroad, Vietnam became my favourite fast. Although a short-lived trip compared to my other visits, it still became my most memorable. When I went, I was unfortunately burdened with a constant and jarring storage full warning. Luckily, I didn’t face this trip alone and had lovely company with a more functional camera. Now that I have got a device with the storage needed to bear all these memories, I have been able to relive and finally share them with you.
Planning, I’ve never heard of her
I generally love planning, but when it comes to holidays, I always seem to leave it to the last minute. In some of the trips with my friends, I was somehow the planner, a role which I don’t readily try to fill; however, I still would try to put my best foot forward. Luckily for my position, I became the driving force for convincing my friend to add the Ha Giang loop to our trip.
This would be a huge sacrifice as we were only staying in Vietnam for five days, and the loop would take 3 of those. Good thing I’m very compelling, as that became our favourite activity from our whole year of travel. So, booking the excursion was what we got right on the planning end; the hotel and itinerary, on the other hand, were a beautiful mess.
cost
Flights
Vietnam is one of the most affordable places to travel in Asia. Luckily, my home base was Hong Kong, so my return flight with Hong Kong Express came up to £110. I have mixed reviews about HK Express, but hey, they got me there in one piece. It could have definitely been cheaper if I booked more in advance, but when do I ever?
Accommodation
The accommodation in Vietnam is very affordable and luckily not the size of a showbox compared to Hong Kong. My friend and I landed in Hanoi at 12 pm and booked our Airbnb as soon as we got off the plane. See, when I said I was a last-minute traveller, I really meant it. But, in my defence, the stakes weren’t that high, as we weren’t even planning on spending the night.
See, our coach was at 8 pm, and we wanted somewhere where we could take a shower and a quick nap. A liberty only available when travelling in Vietnam, where Airbnb’s are £20. So all together are total accommodation price per person was £38.
Excursion
Unsurprisingly, the biggest expense on our trip was the three-day expedition in Ha Giang with Cheers Hostel. This included transport from Hanoi (sleeper bus), accommodation for the three nights (a hostel, a hotel with the hardest bed I’ve ever slept on and finally, a homestay), food (but you should bring snacks) and a motorbike driver if you chose the easy rider.
This came up to £167, but on the website, it is listed at $175, which is around £130 now. Which was honestly so worth it, and I would definitely recommend doing the easy rider option, although some may say it’s not the full experience. Safety is important, and the trail isn’t always so smooth, even for experienced drivers. It also allows you to get great videos like this, and if you’re me, fall asleep because you had too much happy water the night before (be better than me).
Expedniture
Other expenses like transport and food were very affordable and would usually come up to £1-£2 per ride and meal. I only stayed two whole days in Hanoi, so it didn’t cost too much. For my 5-day trip to northern Vietnam, it came to just under £400, including flights, so not bad at all.
Things do and try
1 The Ha Giang loop, of course
It’s most definitely worth the hype, but knowing which company to go with is important. Each one has a different vibe and demographic, so it’s important to make sure it matches yours. I wanted one with a younger demographic, but the popular choice (Jasmine and Mama hostel), from what I remember, was around £200 and just didn’t seem worth it.
I was quite happy to go with Cheers, as it was a small group (12, excluding drivers), but we did join the other groups in the evening (36, excluding drivers). The demographic of travellers was still young, half of our group were young girls (18-21), and the other half were couples in their mid to late twenties. We all got along great, and the evenings would still end with happy water (Vietnamese rice wine, 35%–45% ABV) and lots of dancing.
Hanoi
Train Street – one of the biggest tourist attractions in Hanoi. Located in the old village.
Banh mi – We had it at Banh Mi 25, which was okay. The best we had was one we ordered on Grab.
Egg Coffee – We had this at Vie Coffee, which was a five-minute walk from Bahn Mi 25. It was really good and had a range of flavours.
Bun Cha Hanoi – this is only one of my favourite dishes EVER. I’m really sad I had it on my last day. Would fly back to Hanoi for it.
There were many things I wished I got to do, but there’s only so much you can do in five days. Overall, I loved this trip, even with the late planning and almost being struck by lightning; it has provided me with cherished memories and a desire to see the rest of the country. Hopefully, I will be able to do that soon and share that story with you also.
