For Vietnam, the entry requirements are very straightforward. You don’t have to show any covid certificates, or fill in any pre-departure forms. You do need a visa if you’re staying longer than 15 days, and we completed ours before we arrived. Advice online says to have a printed copy of the visa, however we were not asked to show it at immigration. We assume it’s connected to the passport and so the information was displayed on their screens when the passport was scanned.

So, despite a grumpy immigration officer, it was nice and easy to get through.

On our first day we noticed straightaway how cheap everything is. Like Bali, the currency is done as thousands and it’s roughly 25,000 Vietnamese Dong to £1. After the expense of travelling around the Philippines, it was great to know Vietnam will be better for our remaining bank accounts…

Another thing to note about in Vietnam is the language barrier. It’s certainly a lot bigger than the other countries we’ve been too. Often we have been able to get by okay, however it can be confusing for everyone at times.

📍 Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 🇻🇳

We started our stay by visiting the War Remnants Museum. The museum is really well put together, and the translations were perfect. However, we were not prepared for some of the graphic pictures or descriptions on display. We decided to skip part of the Agent Orange photographs as they were very difficult to stomach.

Agent Orange is a chemical that was used by the U.S. military to clear areas of land. Exposure can cause a variety of health problems in humans, including Parkinson’s Disease, nerve disorders and some cancers.

Following the museum, we continued to walk around Ho Chi Minh, passing the Independence Palace and the Notre Dame cathedral. After stopping in the Buu Dien post office, we went to Ben Thanh Market which is packed with stalls that sell absolutely everything. In the evening we walked through Bui Vien Walking Street, which was insane. Think of an Ibiza club strip and you get the idea.

We spent the second day of our time in Ho Chi Minh at the Cù Chi Tunnels. The tunnels were used by Vietnamese soldiers as hiding spots during the fighting, as well as places they lived and to transport supplies.

On our way to the tunnels we stopped by an art gallery – Quang Minh Lacquerware. We saw some of the pieces being created with egg shells, and all of the artists are disabled due to Agent Orange. It has affected 5 generations of Vietnamese people, which shows just how devastating Agent Orange is.

At the site of the tunnels we were told to stick to the paths as there are still landmines undiscovered, and we stopped at various points to view the tunnels. The original tunnels are absolutely tiny, it was mind blowing to think that people would live in these spaces.

The tunnels we did get to go down were made 35% bigger for tourists, and even that was hardwork. You can only admire the Vietnamese for their bravery and the sacrifices they made in order to live in those tiny spaces. Our tour guide, Cong, shared with us that his parents had lived in the tunnels.

It was an incredible day, one we won’t ever forget, but was dampened slightly when we returned to the hostel and my sliders had been stolen. They were returned to me the morning after however, when an English guy admitted to having taken them thinking they were his. Very weird situation, especially when his feet were spilling over the shoes and were definitely not his…

📍 Mui Né, Vietnam 🇻🇳

We took a train from Ho Chi Minh to Mui Né. The route was scenic and the train was clean so we had a pleasant journey. Moving on to our accommodation was more stressful however, but we made it eventually. Problems with directions and ATMs not working were the biggest issues.

The main attraction in Mui Né is the Red Sand Dunes. You can surf the sand there, however we had a lot of rainfall during our stay so we think it was unavailable due to the weather. That being said, the Dunes are very impressive and the colour of the sand is one of a kind. At the top there are impressive views of the coastline too, and it was a really peaceful spot to sit and take it all in.

Due to the town being a quiet area, we decided to rent a moped for one of our days and went along the coastline. We were concerned about potentially bumping into the police though, so kept to routes away from main roads. Our stay in Mui Ne was 3 nights, which was longer than we probably needed. Due to the typhoon hitting Vietnam, we thought it would be a good idea to stay for a bit longer in order to allow for it to pass through.

📍 Da Lat, Vietnam 🇻🇳

To get to Da Lat, we took a sleeper bus. Our bus was at 12:40pm and the ticket advised to be at collection point 30 minutes before departure. We were collected by a van at 12:30pm and were then driven to an office by the side of the road. The bus eventually left at 13:35pm. No one explains what’s going on, so you just have to sit and be patient.

Overall though, the experience was surprisingly comfortable. Your seat is reclined about 80% and your legs go underneath the bed in front of you. There are three rows of beds and two levels, and you have to take your shoes off and keep them in a little plastic bag that’s provided when you get on. The bed itself was a lot comfier than the mattresses in Vietnam, which are rock solid.

When we arrived in Da Lat we were transported to our hostel via a mini van. The driver dropped us off in a random street so we had to walk in the rain trying to find the place. Thankfully, a man appeared asking if we were looking for the Dalat Family Hostel, and he took us on his moped to the front door. We were given pancakes on arrival, which was a pretty good welcome!

Da Lat is a great city in the mountains. It is far less busy than Ho Chi Minh and not as hot, and just has a lovely vibe in general.

Whilst in Da Lat, we went to the Maze Bar which is a well known tourist attraction. You have to buy a drink on arrival, and you are then led to a flight of stairs that leads you into the maze. It has an under the sea theme, with sea animals and shells carved into the walls. It was also incredibly dark and makes you wonder how many drunk tourists have been stuck in the maze for hours. But, it was a really fun experience and the views of the city at the top were breathtaking.

On our last day in Da Lat we went on an incredible tour of the waterfalls, as well as some extra bonus stops along the way.

We visited flower and cricket farms, as well as the Mê Linh Coffee Plantation. At the plantation we were given a quick tour of the area, and Luke tried a cup of coffee. There were some beautiful panoramic views of the countryside, and we were given a chance to enjoy these views before moving on. Following these stops, we went to the Lady Buddha and the Elephant Waterfall. Lady Buddha is 70 metres high, and we could go up inside to again enjoy the scenery from above.

The second waterfall we stopped at was Pongour Waterfall, which is the biggest waterfall in Vietnam. There was barely any people there, but we did meet two Vietnamese men who ended up sharing some of their beer with us.

Then we moved on to Datanla Waterfall, which was only accessible by an Alpine Coaster. The Coaster is a rollercoaster through the forest, and is controlled by the person on the back. It was so fun, and was definitely better than having to walk up and down steps as we had been doing all day!

We had an incredible day and a fantastic tour guide called Titi. He was charismatic and friendly, and howled with laughter at all of his own jokes. He shared a story with us about his brother fighting in the Vietnam war. He said that he had got in a hammock to take a nap, when 4 of his commrades who were standing were shot. His brother made it out alive. There was an Australian guy named Gus who joined us on the tour, and our lunch was included in the price.

Instagram vs Reality

We’ve arrived in Da Nang after a 14 hour sleeper bus journey. We’re here for one night, and then we’ll be moving on again. In the next blog we’ll start by filling you in on the journey we’ve just done, but I’ll leave you with this for now! Lots of love,

Caitlin and Luke