Vietnam was the perfect country to ring in the 2025 Lunar New Year. Our two months there started off slow by the beach but then it flew by as we headed north. Instead of hopping around to different countries in mainland Southeast Asia, Parker and I decided to focus our time in one country. We felt that would be a more positive and enjoyable experience for our kids as opposed to constantly moving.
We spent our two months in the top half of Vietnam, from central (Da Nang/Hoi An) to northern (Ninh Binh/Hanoi), spanning about 800 kilometers. I'm glad we got to see the contrast between the the modern city of Da Nang with its gorgeous beaches and the remoteness of the beautiful northern landscape.
After Ninh Binh, we headed to Hanoi for our last week. The nation's capital is over 1,000 years old. With a population of over eight million people and an estimation of over six million motor bikes, it is very loud and full of energy. A mix of old and modern: Ancient buildings are next to skyscrapers and street food vendors next to fancy French cafes. We loved both.
Our hotel was in the famous Old Quarter, right in the middle of the madness. I loved the chaos. The area is comprised of about forty narrow streets jam packed with hotels, cafes, restaurants, street vendors, street food stalls, and shops selling everything you could imagine.
One of the most interesting things about the old quarter is that most of the streets are named after what they sell: Clothing, shoes, fruit/vegetables, electronics, etc. I had a slight obsession with the bicycle venders selling flowers and took a photo of everyone I saw.
Vietnam is also known for its knock off luxury brands (Louis Vuitton, Dior, etc) and fake gear (North Face, Nike, etc). Many of these brands have factories here so maybe some of them are real. Most of the fakes look near perfect for the fraction of the price.
In less than 24 hours, we found our favorite breakfast cafe, pho restaurant, bahn mi stand, crepe stand, and our go-to bicycle fruit vendor. If we all decide we love a place, we kept going to the same spot. We do a mix of mostly local food and some international (usually when the kids or Parker are craving pizza, burgers, etc).
Hanoi is a food hub, if we saw locals eating somewhere it was a no brainer. The food was delicious, quick, and inexpensive. We saw the most "food tours" here. Usually a couple of foreigners (sometimes a group) with a guide that were bouncing from café to food stall or their favorite street vendor.
*****
The famous "train street" was an experience. It is a famous street in Hanoi known for the cafes right next to the tracks in the heart of the Old Quarter. It was hard to miss with tourists and vendors on and off the train tracks. Even though we were quite early, we were very lucky to find chairs for all of us. We had snacks and apps while we waited for the train.
It was entertaining to watch everyone take their photos on the tracks before the train came. The workers started blowing their whistle and started yelling at everyone to get off the track and back up when the train was approaching.
Some tourist were not listening until one worker said, "get off the track if you don't want to die"!
After much anticipation, the train finally came and it was really exciting! We were only a couple feet away. It was so loud and you could feel the train fly by. Kaia was understandably a bit hesitant and stayed back a little. Cruz was on the edge with us and took it all in. He said it was fun but crazy!
When the excitement died down, the workers started yelling and blowing their whistles again. Another train was coming through. It was fun to get to experience that twice. Sometimes, the "must-do" tourist things are worth the hype.
*****
Vietnam was a great choice for our family. We loved the culture, the food, and it was easy to navigate. We joined a world schooling group and met many families also doing long-term traveling. That was good for the kids to see. We all made great friends and wonderful memories.
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