Would you believe me if I told you that Vietnam has far been my most beautiful traveling experience? I might not have marked a lot of destinations all my life and have never gone beyond Asia, but this country definitely sparks alluring winsomeness that meekly waits to be seen through its facade.
On my first trip ever to Vietnam, I somehow managed to delve into the southern and central Vietnam, specifically Ho Chi Minh/Saigon city, Da Nang and Hoi An. It was nothing near sufficient given the variety of traveling experiences the country offers from the northern to the southern part, but every city and attraction I visited was all gorgeous and splendid. For a fellow first-timer like I was, hopefully the short gist I was about to share may inspire you to pay a visit you didn’t know you need.
Day 1: Welcoming another blissful moments to reminisce
As a budget traveler, you might have guessed the airline from which I booked the flights. Undoubtedly money-saving AirAsia is the way *chef’s kiss. To kickstart my trip, I flew from my country and made a brief transit in KLIA2. The flight itself didn’t take long and it quickly brought me to Ho Chi Minh city, South Vietnam. As my first impression, nothing looked particularly striking to my eyes except its crowded traffic from every corner of the town.
Ho Chi Minh itself is divided into 24 districts (Quận) with each own’s distinctive characteristics and attraction. I booked a hotel located at Quận 1, prominent as the heart of Ho Chi Minh’s tourism and nightlife, namely Quý Hùng Hotel. With its good location, clean room, friendly hospitality and affordable budget rate, I would happily recommend this hotel to fellow tourists.
I spent the evening visiting Bến Thành Market nearby, an indoor night market that practically has everything a foreign tourist would need to buy as a souvenir. It kind of resembles Central Market in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia given the similar sky blue-colored building layout upon the entrance. However, I myself don’t really recommend purchasing stuffs there due to its marked-up prices. If you can bargain the price, that would be great, but keep it mind that in a place of tourist attraction, being ripped off by local sellers are just that common.
Day 2: In between the scorching heat and exhausting long walks
My adventure had really taken off on the second day as I began exploring farther parts of the city. My first stop was a breakfast at Bánh Mì Hòa Mã, Quận 3, which only took 2 kilometers from my hotel. Despite the literally adjacent distance, the walk still exhausted me given the scorching heat from early in the morning. It only costs around VND 60,000 for a big portion of bánh mì, Vietnamese baguette sandwich filled with a fusion of meats and veggies. Fair enough, I think it would taste even better if they heat the sandwich prior to serving it to the customers.
There are various tourist destinations you can visit around the town which are located close to one another, among which are as follows:
- The Independence Palace, Quận 1; entrance is free but you get charged VND 65,000 to enter the museum
- Notre-Dame Cathedral Saigon, Quận 1
- Nhà thờ Tân Định/Tân Định Church, Quận 3
- Saigon Central Post Office, Quận 1; you can buy postcards and send them directly
- Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, Quận 1
- Trần Hưng Đạo Statue, Quận 1
I strolled around Nguyễn Huệ Boulevard and stopped by the Apartment Cafe, famous for its aesthetic-looking cafes inside the apartment. As for the dinner, I tried Phở Miến gà Kỳ Đồng at Quận 3 for VND 60,000. The broth was refreshing and it soothed my throat instantly. Everything was good except for the fact that most staffs don’t speak English and I had a hard time ordering because they had to call a staff who could explain the menu. It was pretty embarrassing because we were literally glanced by everybody, but the food itself was great.
Before calling it a day, I walked down Bùi Viện street, a loud walking street for tourists and backpackers. Here you can find restaurants, coffee shops and karaokes to enjoy the night.
Day 3: If I say I couldn’t get more exhausted than yesterday, I was wrong
On the second day strolling around the city, I visited some churches as follows:
- Saint Francis Xavier Church, Quận 5
- Nhị Phủ Pagoda, Quận 5 (but turns out it isn’t a tourist attraction so I didn’t go inside the pagoda)
- Nhà thờ Thánh Jeanne d’Arc, Quận 5
I had bún thịt nướng at Nguyễn Trung Trực, Quận 1 for breakfast, cold glass noodles with pork and raw vegetables for VND 65,000. The pork meat was thick and juicy and it tasted okay, except for the fact that it contains nut (which I find so so due to personal preferences). As for the lunch, I went to An Duyên Chợ Lớn at Quận 5 to have some mouth-watering Chinese food.
As a dessert, I had a blissful time at JAPANIT Matcha & Coffee House and devour yummy sweets in the evening. The taste of matcha wasn’t overpowering and sufficient to my tongue and it felt heavenly for a matcha lover like I am.
Day 4: A not-so-idling day of transit
This day marked my transit from Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang, a city located in the eastern part of Vietnam. Before leaving, I visited the famous Little Hanoi Egg Coffee and got fascinated by the food and hospitality. Apart of its appetizing food and addicting creamy egg coffee/egg cocoa (that surprisingly tastes very pleasing and doesn’t smell foul despite the raw egg yolk ingredient), they provide a plastic tree where you can hang a personal message. On top of that, there are so many freebies!
- Free takeaway cafe-stamped Vietnamese postcards
- Free cookies and water refills
- Free raincoats if it happens to rain as you leave the cafe
For a quick breakfast, I had another pho at Phở Phú Vương, Quận 1 for VND 65,000. Quite similar to the one from the first day, but this time the broth was more savory since it’s topped with beef instead of chicken.
In the evening, I checked in at Sweden Hotel & Apartment in Da Nang, located nearby the beach. One thing I noticed instantly was how swarmed the area is with Korean tourists, like literally almost everybody on the streets was Korean. They have convenience stores that sell Korean food, lots of Korean restaurants and even Korean real estate agent offices. Last year, South Korea was the largest source market for Vietnam tourism according to the data, and I believe it’s still the case in 2023. It might be due to the tropical weather and many tourist-friendly infrastructures, but I think it also lies in the mild spices of Vietnamese food and veggies which are easy to digest on the stomach. Compared to Ho Chi Minh city, I believe that the number of South Korean tourists that flock Da Nang is twice bigger.
But then, who wouldn’t fall in love with a California-like atmosphere like this? Sipping a cup of coffee with My Khe Beach view and soothing smooth asphalt road under the coconut trees might be a dreamy work-from-cafe routine you didn’t know you need.
Day 5: Ba Na Hills, the most gorgeous theme park to explore
Frankly speaking, I don’t think I have ever been to somewhere as whimsically gorgeous as Ba Na Hills. You might see me exaggerating due to my less experiences, but that doesn’t make my own perspective any less valid. It’s a magical theme park worth my every penny spent there. I purchased the entrance ticket through Klook app for VND 850,000 including the round trip cable car experience, excluding lunch buffet and shuttle bus from Da Nang. It takes approximately 1,5 hours to reach Ba Na Hills from the city by car. While the shuttle bus service may be more convenient for solo travelers, my friend and I went by Grab car with a quite good deal (VND 700,000 for round trip, so VND 350,000 each) for a more flexible visiting time.
With such a breathtaking view like this (among many other alluring spots), it’s hard not to get absorbed the beauty. There are plentiful indoor and outdoor rides to try, as well as tourist—rate good meals all over the park. It was an overall amusing adventure to spend a wholesome day at.
When you take the cable car back to the entrance building, you can stop by the Golden Hands Bridge that stretches 150 m long and 12,8 m wide. Below the bridge is French Village and above the landscape is the surreal landscape you don’t often see somewhere else.
Day 6: Hoi An, too breath-taking not to be captured in a postcard
Given my zero information about Vietnam before, I didn’t think much when it comes to my itinerary. My friend kept urging me to make a stop in Hoi An city despite its relatively long distance from the hotel I stayed at in Da Nang. It’s a decision I felt grateful for because had I missed it, I wouldn’t have been able to witness such a sublimely divine view of Hoi An old town and night market, especially when the sun is setting.
If you think those two pictures of Hoi An are beautiful, you will drop your jaw with a picture of it when the night has come. There are various activities and destinations to do when you are in Hoi An aside of stopping by at a restaurant/coffee shop such as:
- A pedicab ride circling around Hoi An old town (I noticed that lots of Korean tourists are fascinated by this attraction)
- Trying basket boat ride and jeep tour in the countryside
- Signing up a local cooking class
- Buying souvenirs at Hoi An Central Market
- Sơn Trà Peninsula
- Thanh Hà Terracotta Park & Pottery Village
- Hoi An River Cruise
- The Marble Mountains (situated halfway between Da Nang and Hoi An)
- and the list goes on
The trip from Da Nang to Hoi An by Grabcar costs VND 318,000. Fortunately, I managed to snatch a better deal offer with a grab driver from yesterday and bargained up to VND 530,000 for round trip directly to the hotel and flexible time, so VND 265,000 each.
Day 7: Bidding farewell for real to everything and Highlands Coffee
If I have to mention what I will miss the most from Vietnam, it’s the coffee, specifically from Highlands chain. I don’t like coffee that much, but every sip of it here was especially flavorful to my tastebud. I had been to the coffee chain three times during my visit and had tried different menus each time. I also bought the instant coffee pack and shared some to my family and friends, all of whom gave positive testimonies on the taste.
On the last day, I took a flight from Da Nang back to Ho Chi Minh in the morning, and then from Ho Chi Minh to Singapore in the evening as a transit flight before eventually return to my hometown the next morning. All those multiple flights didn’t allow me to get proper sleep or shower until I arrived home. I needed a bed rest afterwards, but it has far been an exquisite ride I would love to throwback from time to time. At the end of the day, time passes relentlessly and the only thing we can hold onto dearly is the memory of what makes our heart full and happy.
PRO-TIP I would love to suggest:
- An umbrella or a hat is supposedly inside your mandatory travel kit. In a tropical country as scorching as Vietnam, the heat was strong and unbending as long as the sky has sun. As a tourist, I usually spend more than half a day walking down the city streets and get directly exposed to the sun. I double-check stuffs inside my bag to ensure myself that I bring a hat with me or, even better, an umbrella too. Reapplying sunscreen is also another pivotal life-saver.
- Always bargain whenever possible and keep going. I used to think that language barrier is a hindrance to negotiation because I feel too embarrassed to bargain for a cheaper deal. Nonetheless, here I somehow gained the gut to challenge myself and ended up getting better deals to lessen my expenses. It might be due to my experience feeling betrayed after buying some souvenir on the first day, which turned out to be much cheaper than I paid at some other outlets. A deceiving memory, but also an experience needed to shape my own courage.
Total budget spent: around VND 12 millions
The Scorching Heaven 