So here I am writing my first blog where I don’t intend to use any fancy words but just share my experience and travel details to be able to reach out to as many people as possible in simple words and have everyone open their wings and feel the “life” in this life!!
While I had done mini/partial solo trips within India, Vietnam was my first complete solo trip – self sponsored, self planned, self researched etc 😉
It was my birthday and time for my yearly vacation. I was brainstorming for international destination and I still don’t recollect how I zeroed in on “Vietnam”.. and that’s how it happened. I first planned for the number of days for my trip based on the leaves I could get from work 😉 It was a trip of 9 days altogether including travel days covering 3 cities within Vietnam.
The best way to plan a trip to sit down with a pen and paper (I am an old soul and like to write) and research on the best places to visit. While many would want to go to the regular famous places, I like to keep a balance of both the worlds. Hence after researching on different cities in the country, I finalized on 3 cities – Ho Chi Minh -> Hoi An -> Hanoi (starting from South and ending with northern city).
Things I needed to plan:
1) Vietnam Visa
2) Air tickets
3) Book the stays
4) Mode of transport
5) Places to visit
6) Research on food – As I am a vegetarian
Vietnam Visa – I applied it online through “myvietnamvisa.com” which is one of the safest websites. It charges $18 for it and is a very simple procedure. In case of any query, they are very responsive and replies within 24 hours and are very helpful. You will receive the approval letter within 3-5 working days. It’s a visa on arrival and once you land at the airport, you have to show the approval letter and pay a stamping fee of $25.
Air tickets – I started with booking my round trip from Hyderabad, India to Ho chi Minh, Vietnam. We do not have direct flights and have a stopover. I booked an AirAsia flight from Hyd-Ho chi Minh city which had a stopover at Kuala Lumpur. I booked this through Goibibo.
Note: If you are travelling through same airlines then you don’t need a Malaysian visa. However, if you are changing airlines then please make sure you have a “multi entry” Malaysian visa.
Ho Chi Minh to Hoi An flight and Hoi an to Hanoi – I booked “Vietjet Air” for the air travel within Vietnam. Air travel within Vietnam can be little expensive however it’s the fastest and safest way to travel when you are going solo. Buses and Trains are cheaper but takes a very long time. Hence if you are travelling solo or want to save time, then travelling by air is the best option.
You can also book the flights within Vietnam through “Skyscanners” as they have good offers and have cheaper rates. I used this to book my flight from Hoi An (Da Nang airport) to Hanoi.
Hanoi to Hyderabad – I took a “Malindo Air” flight from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur and “AirAsia” from Kuala Lumpur to Hyderabad. You will need a “multi entry” Malaysian visa in this case. I booked this through Goibibo.
Currency – Vietnam currency is called Dong. You can carry dollars and get it exchanged at the Kuala Lumpur airport with a very nominal exchange rate. Vietnam accepts dong and dollars however dollars are not accepted everywhere and it would be safe option to get it exchanged into Dong.
Stays – As I was travelling solo and it was a budget trip, I opted for hostels except for last 2 days of my trip where I needed a space just for myself and opted for a hotel room. Here are my stay details.
Ho Chi Minh city – “The Like Hostel & Café”
Hoi An – Melody Boutique Villa
Hanoi – I changed my stays here to have more experiences :D and spent a day at “Little Charm Hanoi Hostel” and next 2 days at “Finnegans Hotel”
Mode of transport – Apart from the air travel, I also had to review the best mode of transport within cities and remind myself that I am travelling solo 😉 The best option to travel within city was on a bike/cab for which I downloaded the app “Grab”. Its very easy to use just like Uber. Its inexpensive, safe and professional. In fact I used it from airport towards my stay too. From Airport you can also use Vinasun cabs.
Places to visit – Apart from visiting few famous-must visit places, I also explored the cities on the go without any agenda as I pretty much wanted to soak into the feeling of the Vietnamese culture and wander around without anywhere to reach 😊 However, here are the places from the pre-planned list.
Ho Chi Minh city: Notre Dame Catherdral, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Mekong Delta, Ben Thanh Market, Bao Tang Thanh Pho museum, Ho Chi Minh Post office, War Remnants Museum.
Hoi An: Ancient town (A BIG MUST during day and night both), My Son Sanctuary, An Bang beach.
Hanoi – Old quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake (must at evenings), St. Jospeh’s Cathedral, Train street (another must visit), Ninh Binh tour of Hoa Lu Tam Coc & Mua Cave.
Food – Being a vegetarian or to be precise eggetarian was a challenge in a country like Vietnam. Most of my meals have been whole fruits, juices, bread, coffee, hot chocolate, eggs, pancakes and to be frank it wasn’t too tough to survive those 9 days. Apart from this you can still find few vegetarian or even Indian restaurants which you can explore too. If you want to taste the local delicacies in vegetarian then you can try Pho and Xoi Chay. Also be careful to be very specific while you place an order to let them know that the food should not contain any meat or fish oil. They use fish oil in the food. For this I would suggest you to learn few important Vietnamese words like chay (vegetarian), Khong (no), An Chay (I am vegetarian), thit (meat), Dong Y (Okay) and any other words that you feel you need to learn 😊
I would be sharing my experience and details of each city I travelled in Vietnam in a separate blog and provide the link here too.
