Vietnam Day 3-6

Vietnam Day 3: Hanoi

 

• ·         Two of my friends and I flew up to Hanoi from Ho Chi Minh city, the complete other side of the country leaving the ship at 4am. We had a tour of Ho Chi Minh Complex, which included the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, and House on Stilts. We also visited the outdoor flower market which was beautiful.

   

• ·         Next we went to the National Museum of Ethnology where we saw the different housing structures for the different cultures within Vietnam. Traditional Water Puppet Show – This was traditional… and a bit boring to be honest. But still interesting to see because of its cultural history.

   

• ·         We finished off our night with the best dinner I've had on the trip so far. Madame Hien restaurant a French and Vietnamese place. Highly recommended if you are ever in Vietnam!

   

 

 

Vietnam Day 4 & 5: Halong Bay à Valentine's Day

 

• ·         Halong bay was the highlight of the week! We boarded a wooden boat that was much bigger and fancier than we expected. We were given an itinerary for the two day trip and off we went.

   

• ·         The pouring rain had just stopped when we were hiking one of the islands to the top. Here we had a gorgeous view, and there were monkeys walking around us. We swam in Halong bay at the beach, we couldn't resist even though the temperature was now around 70 degrees F. We visited a bat cave and had a traditional ride on a small wooden rowing boat.

   

• ·         Then we went back to our larger boat where we had cocktails on the deck overlooking the other boats lit up with the beautiful scenery in the background. Then we had a 7 course dinner of traditional Vietnamese cuisine.

   

--Day 5 –

 

·         We woke up early to do a Tai Chi class on the deck. See the picture below for one of the poses we learned. This was so peaceful and relaxing.

 

·         Then we visited a large cave inside one of the islands that was huge! 


 

Vietnam Day 6: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

 

·         We visited an orphanage and brought them toothbrushes and snacks. I bonded with a girl around 3 years old, who put sticks on my cheeks and played tag with me. She was adorable and happy despite her situation.