When I’m asked to summarise my trip to Vietnam, there is only so much justice words can do to it. Although conscious of not conveying my experience right, I often make do with Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World. Vietnam caught my fancy when I watched Robin Williams essay the role of DJ Adrian Cronauer in Good Morning Vietnam. And when I finally decided to make my trip to the country, I landed in Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport in barely nine hours. A short taxi ride across the Red River got us to the Old Quarter district of Hanoi. Our time there was all about exploring the sights, the sounds (literally) and most importantly, the food and coffee culture. The food, like most things in Vietnam, has a strong French influence, but deep-rooted traditional flavours. The national dish, pho (pronounced “fuh”), is an indulgent noodle soup and is best savoured at the many street carts found in the labyrinth of the Old Quarters.
Fresh fish market
Next up, we visited the very touristy Hanoi Citadel (Imperial Citadel), witnessed the Water Puppet Show and, in the evening, dined overlooking the Hoan Kiem Lake. The night concluded on a chill note by strolling along this beautiful lake. Our itinerary took us to Hoi An next, which is a short flight distance from Hanoi. We landed at the Danang International Airport, which serves as the base for Danang, Hoi An and the other neighboring areas. As we made our way to Hoi An, it suddenly dawned on me how its moniker — China Beach — came into being. The road is winding and the only view one gets is the ocean and the mountains.
Bridge in Hoi An
Leaving Danang and the rolling hills behind us, we entered Hoi An — a sleepy town by day and a luminous spectacle by night. Every inch of the old town is steeped in historic tales. Our home in Hoi An was the Hoi An Ancient House Village Resort and Spa located in Cam Thanh village. The panorama from the infinity pool included acres of paddy fields. The old town has some of the best restaurants, handicraft stores, cultural shows, culinary classes, homemade beer, small coffee shops serving the finest variations of Vietnamese coffee including the Ca phê dá (ice coffee) and Ca phê trung (egg coffee). The next day, we decided to go on a road trip armed with a Lonely Planet and Google Maps. Though the distance is only about 30 km, it seemed more like 60 km as the maps were adamant on taking us through a far more scenic route than China Beach.
Temple in Hoi An market
After about an hour, with sore bottoms, we reached Danang and the magnificent Dragon Bridge on the river Han. Hoi An is also known to have some of the finest tailors and cordwainers in the whole of Vietnam. Clothes and shoes is a lethal combination that cuts across all genders. I succumbed to the dark side and three hours later, US $150 lighter, got myself four pair of shoes, two waistcoats, two trousers and three shirts. I decided to spend my last night in Hoi An by walking around the cobbled streets of Old Town — haggling at the night market for traditional Vietnamese handicrafts, a rigorous foot massage and pho.
The writer is a Director of Operations, Bellona Hospitality
