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Exploring VIETNAM: The Land of the Ascending Dragon (A Primer)

Posted by Karl Olivier Jamandra on
HANOI’S MUST-TRAVEL SPOT. Here’s Ge while standing in front of Ho Chi Minh Museum at the heart of Hanoi.

It’s been years since I last visited Vietnam, and it’s still clear to me the places I got to visit with my college friends back then, as well as the activities we were able to do. It was in Ho Chi Minh where we stayed for several days, and what I remember was getting to Cu Chi Tunnels (where I experienced firing a gun for the first time), taking a peek of the Mekong Delta, as well as eating Vietnamese meals along the streets, which I may add was an extraordinary experience at the time.

Late last year, I got to revisit this beautiful country of the Vietnamese people, but this time in its northern side. Starting from Hanoi, we ventured to Sapa as well as Ninh Binh, two of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in this side of Asia. I must say I was more impressed this time compared before, as I was able to explore more of their countryside. My recent trip also opened my eyes about the other places in the future I could be traveling to when I get the chance!

VIETNAM

Vietnam is located at the eastern side of the mainland Southeast Asia. It’s a bit bigger than the Philippines in terms of land area (331,212 sq km vs 300,000 sq km), and it has just exceeded 100 million population this past year. It’s currently the world’s 15th most populous country, which is why it isn’t a wonder both cities of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi are brimming with people, and add to that the fact that there are also many visiting travelers, these two cities are definitely densely populated.

Highlighted in this map is the country of Vietnam as seen with other countries in Southeast Asia. (Map courtesy of https://vietnam-e-visas.com/)

The country of Vietnam is bordered by Laos and Cambodia in the west, which makes it very ideal to do a backpacking trip in these three countries (you can add Thailand and Myanmar here, too, if you have the time and resources, you know). It is bordered by China in the north, and the West Philippine Sea/ South China Sea in the east.

The primary language used in Vietnam is the Vietnamese language, though it is said that English has been increasingly used as a second language due to improved relations with Western countries and recent reforms in Vietnamese administration. Indeed, many of the Vietnamese people we talked to in our tours can speak English fluently. I guess one reason is that they would want to cater to the English-speaking travelers, which comprise many citizens from different countries of the world.

When is it best to visit the country of Vietnam? According to https://vietnamtrips.com/monsoon-season-in-vietnam, the country experiences the northeast monsoon from November to April. During this time, the weather is generally dry, which makes it suitable to tourists who want to wander around. Meanwhile, from May to October, it is said that Vietnam experiences a lot of rain due to the southwest monsoon. You may want to skip these months when planning to travel here.

Now, let me share with you snippets of the places you can visit when you go in Vietnam!!!

HANOI. As the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi is one of the country’s most important cities. It also serves as the gateway of the country to a lot of beautiful travel destinations found in its northern part.

Ho Chi Minh Museum

A GLIMPSE OF THE HO CHI MINH MUSEUM. There’s a lot of things to see in the Ho Chi Minh Museum, especially about the life and journey of their most influential leader during the past century, Ho Chi Minh. We also got to witness some great artworks, photographs, and paintings here not just of the Vietnamese, but also of the French (who colonized Vietnam for six decades).

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

This is the mausoleum where the body of “Uncle Ho” is laid. Apparently, it is open to the public but closes early. Visitors can go inside to look at the glass sarcophagus where his body lies. Constructed in early 1970s, the mausoleum is now a historical and cultural symbol of Hanoi.

One Pillar Pagoda

Originally built in the 11th century as a form of gratitude to the Goddess of Mercy named Quan The Am Bo Tat by the emperor at the time, this pagoda is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a symbol of purity, rising out of a sea of sorrow.

Streets of Hanoi!

SOMETHING TO REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE STREETS OF VIETNAM is their street food! We weren’t exactly sure what this was when we ordered it, but it turned out to be noodles mixed grilled pork sausages. Sobrang sarap, guys!!!

    SAPA. Once a sleepy town in northern Vietnam, Sapa is gaining more and more popularity because of its scenic views and countryside charm.

    Fansipan

    GLOOMY WEATHER was what awaited us when we visited Fansipan in Sapa. But it didn’t deter us from roaming around the highest mountain of Vietnam!

    Cat Cat Village

    Cat Cat Village is a small mountainside village in Sapa. It is home to the H’mong people, an indigenous group in Southeast Asia. They are said to grow hemp and use its strong fibers to make their clothes, which they dye with indigo.
    CAT CAT VILLAGE’S WATERFALL. Were you surprised that they have a waterfall here, and also a beautiful one at that? Don’t be, because it’s one of the many reasons you should take the tour of the village.

    Sapa Town Center

    ROAMING AROUND THE CENTER OF SAPA made us stumble in this colorful part of town!
      SUN PLAZA. One of the landmarks of the town, Sun Plaza is home to the Sapa Station dedicated to Muong Hoa Hiking Train. It is also a department store where you can buy souvenirs from agricultural staples, ethnic clothing, and other memorabilia.

      NINH BINH. The location of Vietnam’s ancient capital, Ninh Binh prides itself with its beautiful natural scenery. Going here is a good alternative to the more popular destination of Halong Bay if you have limited time in your Vietnam trip.

      LOOK AT THAT VIEW! This is Hang Mua, one if the most sought after travel spots when visiting Ninh Binh, Make sure to go here when you’re in town!
      THE ANCIENT CITADEL. This is one of the places you must visit in Ninh Binh if you want to more of the Vietnamese history.

      HO CHI MINH. Also an economic and cultural hub of the country of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh or Saigon is the southern counterpart of Hanoi in the north. It serves as a gateway to a lot of travel destinations in the south part of the country.

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      What to consider and prepare when visiting Vietnam:

      1. If you’re a Filipino (or any Southeast Asian), you DON’T NEED a Vietnam visa to visit their country! This is one of the advantages of being a part of the ASEAN (or Association of Southeast Asian Nations), one may visit the region just with your passport (and money or card, of course) in hand! Meanwhile, Americans, Canadians, Australians, most of Europeans, and other nationalities are required to apply for visa in order to visit the country.
      2. As of May 2024, three of the country’s largest airlines, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia, have direct flights to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi from Manila. In addition, Cebu Pacific also now offers direct flight to Da Nang, one of Vietnam’s most important port cities.
      3. Which type of currency is best to bring when traveling to Vietnam? Let’s see. We shall compare three currencies here: Philippine Peso, Vietnam Dong, and US Dollar. As of May 2024, PhP1,000 is directly equivalent to 438,284 Dong, and US$17.21. Meanwhile, US$17.21 is equivalent to 438,248 Dong. Not that big of a difference, but still this shows that currency exchange to Dong is better when using your Philippine peso. Anyway, the best way in our opinion is actually not going to forex to exchange your hard-earned money, but to withdraw from the banks directly. What we did (along with other Filipino visitors) upon setting our foot at Hanoi was that we withdrew cash directly from the ATM of Agribank near the airport’s foreign exchange stalls. Even though our debit cards are of Philippine banks, the machine released Vietnamese Dong. Upon computing and comparing which way is better, we found out withdrawing from the bank is the smarter choice as long as you make sure you withdraw enough money only once, so the fee you would have to pay is kept at minimum.
      4. Going around Vietnam is relatively easy. While there are taxis that you can ride in right from the airport, they are quite expensive. An alternative is riding the Grab cars via their app, and we can honestly say they’re cheaper. In Hanoi, you can ride or even rent motorbike taxis to go around. Should you decided to travel to faraway towns or provinces (like Sapa and Ninh Binh), you can ride the bus. In our case, we availed tours from Klook to make our trip easier, and we used the bus to and from Hanoi.

      Are you ready to travel to Vietnam now? Did I forget something, or have I covered everything to help your prepare your visit there? Hit me up in the comment section if ever! Thank you for reading!

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