Northern Vietnam

From cascading rice terraces to rippling mountain ranges, Northern Vietnam has a lot to offer when it comes to tourism and that is why it is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. At the heart of this amazing geographical region sits the capitol, Hanoi, which is also the starting point for many trips to Vietnam. So that's where we began.

Hanoi

Finally arriving in the capitol after a 26 hour overnight bus journey from Laos was a welcome relief and we quickly made our way to Flipside hostel. This hostel had some of the most comfortable beds we had stayed in with your very own curtains to avoid social interactions after a heavy night out or simply because you didn't like them. Each night there was a different event going on and above the bar was a tally of the amount of Irish Hand Grenades (A shot of tequila followed by a Jaegerbomb) each international representative had taken. We proudly represented Hungary, putting them into the top 5 on New Years Eve. For those who were wondering whether or not Vietnam offers buckets, fret not as we managed to stumble (literally) into a bar near our hostel that had them on offer.

After recovering from the previous night's frivolities we decided the best way to cure a hangover is with a traditional Vietnamese dish. What can be more traditional than an 11 course meal whose main ingredient is King Cobra? Nothing. We were picked up by some of our friends and taken to the Snake Village in the east of the city. Upon arrival you are seated and asked how big of a snake you would like after which the employee goes out to catch one of the slithery reptiles. The snake is killed in front of you and the blood is poured into shot glasses whilst the still beating heart is added to one of the shots for one lucky person to eat which in this case was Angus. (There is a video on our Instagram for those not faint of heart).

The meal itself was actually pretty tasty and we managed to stomach it all despite being particularly fragile that morning.

We also spent some time in prison...

Hoa Lò Prison, in the centre of Hanoi, used to serve as a prison for political prisoners by French colonists before being used for U.S. Prisoners of War (PoWs) during the Vietnam War. Ironically nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton by American soldiers, the prison housed some notable inmates the most famous of which was U.S. Senator John McCain. A walk through the remains of this complex shows just how tough life was inside these walls and serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed by European colonists overseas as well as an insight into the Northern perspective of the Vietnam War.

The last couple of days were spent looking for motorbikes to buy or rent in order to reach Ho Chi Minh in the South. After scouting through the streets and visiting a handful of motorbike shops we came across Styles Motorbikes. This outfit stuck out to us as it had competitive prices, a partner shop in Ho Chi Minh where we could leave the rental, a free service halfway down in Hue, free map, free motorbike lesson (which Hunter needed), and English-speaking staff. We settled with 200USD for the month and they even arranged our VISA extensions for us and sent them down to Ho Chi Minh for when we got there. Great service!!

Halong Bay

Our first motorbike ride was a cold, wet and miserable five hour slog from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay in which we questioned why on earth we were doing this. We finally arrived at the popular tourist town in the early evening, though it didn't seem that popular to us. Resembling a ghost town, probably due to the fact that it was freezing cold, the streets were empty, bars and restaurants had no customers and many hotels were closed down. Nevertheless we booked ourselves onto one of the tours that takes you into the bay which features thousands of limestone karsts and islands. Despite the weather not being optimal, the cool breeze and foggy visibility gave off an eerie look to the islands which reminded you of the early scenes from Peter Jackson's King Kong.

After meandering through the oddly shaped isles we reached one of the larger islands where we all disembarked and were led up a hill for a brief walk through the biggest cave in the bay. Next up on the itinerary was a pearl farm where we were shown how pearls were cultivated and how the different colours are acquired and we ended the day with a kayak around the farm and visiting some untouched karsts.

Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh came highly recommended to us by many people we met along the way so despite wanting to head South towards better weather we headed West to this small scenic town. From here we visited Cuc Phuong National Park. The drive from the hostel to the National Park was pretty, but we imagine that in the summer with the rice fields being green and the sun out it would be a lot prettier. Inside the park we visited the cave where the oldest prehistoric man was found in Vietnam, a couple of giant trees and the turtle and monkey sanctuaries.

Phong Nha

Finally fed up of being underdressed in a hostile environment we cut our losses and headed south and boy did it pay off. The drive through Phong Nha National Park was the first sunshine we'd seen in weeks and it was warmly welcomed (mind the pun). Don't let that take away from how completely and utterly stunning that drive was through the mountains and forests of this gorgeous national park home to the biggest cave in the world. (A video of this drive will be uploaded shortly, for now you just gotta trust us).

We stayed in a rustic backpackers which was basically like sleeping outside which we do not recommend in the winter months as we found out. Hiking tours to Phong Nha Cave can be done for $3,000 US and take seven days. But bitcoin wasn't doing thaaaaat great so we decided to take the one day boat tour which costs around $3 instead. The section of the cave that you can see by boat isn't all that impressive but the boat ride was pleasant enough and for that price it's worth it.

Hue

Marking the historical divide between the North and the South and setting the stage for one of the bloodiest battles in the Vietnam War, Hue is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We decided that the best way to see all the important attractions was to book onto one of the tours of the infamous Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). This tour took us to various war settings including; (1) The Rockpile, a relatively inaccessible US Army and Marine base used for observation and artillery; (2) Khe Sanh Combat Base, a famous USMC outpost; and (3) Vinh Moc Tunnels, where Vietnamese families built extensive networks of underground tunnels to shelter from intensive bombing. These cave systems included living quarters, a hospital, an infirmary, a school, kitchen and storage units.

Hue was also an important town before the Vietnam war. Not only did it used to be the capitol of Vietnam but it was also the seat of the Nguyen emperors. They built their palace within what is now known as the Imperial City which is a walled palace within a citadel.

Lastly, as the halfway point in our journey through Vietnam, we decided to get our bikes serviced before entering the South.

#Vietnam #North #Hue #NinhBinh #Hanoi #Snake #VietnamWar #America #USA #War #Tunnels #Nature #Monkeys #Turtles #Forest #Karsts #Islands #Beach #Jungle #Motorbikes #Motorcycle #RoadTrip #VietnamVietnam #Bus #Boat #Buckets #Warstuff #Helicopters #DMZ #KheSanh #USMC #VinhMoc #PhongNha #BiggestCave #Cave #Pearls