Vietnam Overview + Checking in, in real time

Disclaimer: I just spent the past 2 hours writing this blog post just for it to disappear into thin air as I went to publish it. This is the third time something like this has happened, but the first time I've lost an ENTIRE post. I’m close to tears, so I’m going to distract myself by trying to crank it out again. Okay here we go… *insert eye roll emoji* 

Current Update

Greetings from India! Since my last post about Cambodia, we have spent 25 days in Vietnam and the past 10 days in India. We are currently fighting a pretty serious case of food poisoning, especially poor Atticus. We believe we have been infected with E. coli bacteria based on our symptoms. Atticus hasn’t left bed in 2 days and his fever got up to 102 today. My fever hasn’t passed 99.9 and I’ve been able to leave bed, but it feels like someone is ringing out my intestines like a sponge. Ouch! We don’t know what caused this or why Atticus is struggling more than me. We’ve been really careful and have avoided all of the things the internet tells you to (street food, ice, raw foods, etc.) and we’ve been brushing our teeth with bottled water. Earlier this week, I had a respiratory infection that also caused a low-grade fever and towards the end of our trip in Vietnam, I had diarrhea for 9 days straight :-) I know you’re probably supposed to seek medical attention over this, but I have a history of digestive problems and my tolerance for gut issues is quite high, so I wasn’t concerned. Unfortunately, traveling in this part of the world can come with a lot of sickness. 

On the bright side, before we got sick with the latest bug, we had a lovely time in Mumbai and Varanasi! I’m really looking forward to sharing our experiences in India thus far. It’s been great for the most part, but also very intense. It’s a lot to unpack… I’ll dive into it soon! 

On top of various illnesses and continued chronic exhaustion, it’s been tough to keep up with these blog posts, especially when the internet decides to wipe out my hard work! I really want to give Vietnam the time and attention it deserves and reflect on each stop we made, so I plan on writing about this portion of the trip when I get home. The main purpose of this blog is for future elderly Meg to look back on one day, so I’ve made an effort to write detailed accounts of our travels. But this doubles as a way to keep my friends and family involved in our travels, so I want to go ahead and give a brief overview of our amazing experience in Vietnam!  

Vietnam Overview

We had the absolute BEST time in Vietnam! I have nothing but great things to say about this incredible country and its wonderful people! We started our journey in the south and worked our way north. The people are so friendly, the nature is beautiful, and the cuisine is delicious. We also felt very safe the entire time, except for one bus ride where we had a reckless driver. The only time a man ever made me uneasy was ironically an American man who approached me while I was walking alone on the beach with headphones on. I clearly wasn’t in the mood to engage with strangers, but he proceeded to call me sweetheart multiple times and eventually got the hint to leave me alone after I mentioned Atticus at least 5 times. But other than this, I felt very safe any time I was alone. I walked through the streets of Hanoi alone late one night and thought about how great it was to be in a city where I could comfortably do this! I would NEVER do this in a major US city. The one time I did, a car pulled up to me and a man aggressively told me to get in. This happened in Washington DC and I was so lucky to get away unharmed. Crime is extremely low in Vietnam, even in the major cities. I never once noticed the "male gaze" during our 25 days here. If you’re a female looking for somewhere to solo travel, I highly recommend Vietnam! 

Our journey through Vietnam from south (Ho Chi Minh) to the north (Hanoi)!

Here is a list of all the places we went:

1) Ho Chi Minh- Most populated city, commonly referred to as “Saigon”. Highlights:

  • Motorbike food tour 
  • Riding around the city on “Grab” motorbikes. Grab is Southeast Asia’s version of Uber and in some countries, motorbikes are an option! They even provide helmets for riders!


2) Da Lat- Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” due to its year round mild climate. Highlights:
  • Accomplishing the hardest hike I’ve ever been on- Lang Biang Mountain
  • The food! So much fresh produce available and we had a great hot plate experience (pictured below)
This man's expression is such a great depiction of Vietnamese hospitality

3) Hoi An- Ancient, charming town along the coast, full of lanterns and rice paddy fields. Highlights:

  • Riding bikes around the entire town
  • Spending time with a British couple I met on the bus


4) Da Nang- Coastal city located 17 miles north of Hoi An. Pacific Northwest vibes! Highlights:
  • Exploring the caves and shrines in Marble Mountain
  • Being driven around by Atticus on a motorbike in the rain

5) Hanoi- Vietnam’s 1000 year old capital, located in the north and the center to reach the 4 locations listed below. Highlights:

  • Walking food tour. We LOVE Vietnamese food and these food tours are such a great way to get introduced to new dishes
  • Exploring Old Quarter, home to many markets, restaurants, cafes
One of our food tour stops - this one was ~make your own summer roll~

6) Ninh Binh- A beautiful town with giant limestone cliffs, rivers, and rice paddy fields. We did a day trip here. Highlights:
  • Surviving the 3-hour journey to and from Hanoi. Atticus drove us here on a motorbike
  • Seeing wild goats and exotic birds on a boat tour through beautiful scenery 

7) Ha Giang- Stunning mountain region in northern Vietnam. The #1 highlight of our entire trip!! Highlights:

  • 3-day motorbike tour of the famous “Ha Giang loop”
  • Going from strangers to family with our tour group in just 3 days
The most dramatic, breathtaking landscapes we've ever seen! Feat. my emotional support Pikachu helmet that I eventually learned to remove for photos 

8) Sapa- Beautiful mountain town full of rice terraces and home to many hill tribes, including multiple Hmong ethnic groups. Disclaimer: We heard the term tribe being used to describe these groups and confirmed with a local Hmong woman that this term is appropriate and respectful :) Highlights:

  • Trekking through 500 year old rice terraces and bamboo forests alongside giant mountains
  • Spending 2 days and 1 night with a local Hmong family. An experience we will never forget! 
All dressed up in traditional "Black Hmong" attire, all completely handmade by Khu (pictured to my right) from materials from their land! 

9) Halong Bay- Bay full of 1,969 beautiful islands making it Vietnam’s #1 most visited destination. We did a day trip here from Hanoi. Highlights:

  • Our quirky tour guide who kept us laughing all day
  • Kayaking in a cove

I can’t wait to dive in more, but for now: Add Vietnam to your bucket list ;)

I want to end this post by thanking my best friend, Karli, for guiding our entire itinerary in Vietnam! She solo traveled there in 2022 and went again in 2023 with her boyfriend, and she gave us so many helpful recommendations. We based our entire trip off of her advice. This was a huge blessing because I get really overwhelmed with the research component of traveling. Thank you Karli! 

Update: In the time that I’ve written this (now twice), Atticus is feeling much better! His fever has broken and he ate a meal! Hooray! We are both still fighting stomach pains, but overall feeling much better. 

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