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Yay! I’m so glad you liked. I’d heard the same thing as you beforehand – loads of people really don’t like it, and as you say, India is about the only other place that seems to divide people the same way. I was so put off by this that when I did my RTW in 2010, I went to every country in South East Asia APART from Vietnam.
But curiosity got the better of me and I finally went last year and LOVED LOVED LOVED it. It was the food in particular that wowed me – every single meal I had, whether it was in a nice restaurant, bought off the street, or in a market was amazing. But i also loved the bustle of the cities, the people, the culture, everything really. I can’t wait to go back and see the other half of the country (the North) that i missed first time out.
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Aww Geoff it hurts to know you skipped it during your RTW. I honestly don’t know why people hate it so much… I honestly think it’s the most Asian country in SEA. Not even sure if that’s a possible claim…lol. I love that you did go back though woohoo for CURIOSITY. Oh & I agree with you on the food… it was the best part… everything was so damn good. Oh I know I wanna go back one day and see more of it… so much to see so lil time. I hate when that happens.
Those Vietnamese summer rolls are just the tastiest things. In my London neighbourhood there are a tonne of cheap Vietnamese restaurants, but I’m very much looking forward to experiencing the real thing on my trip.
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Oh David yes they are the best… you will love the real thing then. It’s an amazing place.
Oh! Vietnam. I miss her more and more every day. I am so glad you loved her; I get so sad when I hear backpackers/bloggers say that they hated it there.
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You are one of the one I remember telling me about how much you love it. I am so happy I went, because I honestly almost cut it off my itinerary… for lack of time. I know how it feels when you hear people not like a place you absolutely love… that happens with my Egypt all the time (mostly Cairo…lol).
I absolutely LOVE spring rolls. It’s one of my favorite Asian dishes. I was introduced to them by my significant other. I can’t wait to try out the Malaysian Chinese spring rolls as my significant other has told me they’re so much more awesome. I haven’t had Vietnamese food yet, but I’m very willing to try it.
I’m curious about Vietnam, and like you, heard good and bad things about it. I’m not sure if I’ll have a chance to go when I’m in Malaysia, but if I can, I will try 🙂
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Yes spring rolls are the best… & hmm I never heard of the Malaysian Chinese spring rolls. I hope you have a chance when you are in Malaysia if you have time. I flew from KL to Hanoi very cheap… through AirAsia… so be sure to check them out.
Hanoi is nice for a visit but Saigon is where the party’s at! Hanoi has the quaint Old Quarter and the ancient temples vs. the city that never sleeps aka Ho Chi Minh City where snappily dressed hipsters zip around and where food is even better and cheaper! Must be an East Coast West Coast thang… (Or in this case, North vs. South!)
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I’ve got to agree with James. Hanoi is ok, but the south of Vietnam is really exciting. And please oh please don’t miss Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s biggest island. A really great place to get a motorbike and explore!
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Yup I agree with you Dave too… I loved Hanoi, but Saigon is wayyyyy better!!! Thanks for the advice, but I’m back in Cairo and didn’t visit any islands in Vietnam… didn’t have much time. I have plenty more reasons to go back that is for sure.
Oh yes James… I must agree with you on this one. I know that’s what I will be writing about when I write about HCMC. I loved it so much and is why I spent so much longer than I planned while I was there…lol.
Well, that and my REALLY good negotiating skills to keep you in HCMC longer 😀 Great to read your insights on Hanoi as I just got back myself. Found it really lovely and though it’s cold now I can see how the lakes would be a wonderful place to people watch and munch on snacks in the warmer weather. Be safe in Cairo! x
Ah yes… I can only imagine how this city is in warmer weather. It must be quite the sight that is for sure. Glad you enjoyed it!!!
Can’t wait to visit one day! Those spring rolls look gooooood!!!
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I hope you do one day Andi… ah it’s amazing. Oh & the spring rolls are the best!
Wow Jame that looks amazing! and it’s true that either u love it or hate it…just today one of my ex colleagues was giving me some advice about places to visit in SEA, since she goes there every year , and i was surprised to discover that she was not very fond of Vietnam, whilst other people were absolutely amazed by it and even moved there permanently! i guess i need to wait and see…
Oh by the way…is the food spicy there? 🙂
Ja Kle, yes it’s one of those countries and I have no clue why. I hope you are able to visit during your trip… I think you will enjoy it. As for Spicy food yes it can be found there for sure. I loved it!!!
Totally agree! I loved Vietnam and will come back in a few weeks. I started in Saigon, visited the Mekong Delta and the incredible island phu Quoc and then Hanoi and the Halong bay. And I really loved Hanoi and the people!
Looking forward to come back.
Ah so glad you loved Vietnam too Anja… I also can’t wait to go back. I didn’t have enough time to go to the Mekong Delta or phu Quoc island so it’s a good excuse to go back… oh & for the food too!!!
Hi there! We live in Thailand at the moment and are planning to go to Vietnam soon. Thanks for this post. The information is helpful and the pictures look very inviting. 🙂 And oh my goodness, I can’t imagine living that close to train tracks. 😉
Let me know if you need anything. I’d be more than happy to help y’all out.
I happened to drop by your post here while searching something nice about my city. Yes I am a Hanoian and I love the fact that you LOVE IT.
Just wanna say thank you lots for such compliments about Hanoi, most of stuff I heard are complaints about its crazy traffic that could kill, or robbing or stealing from the foreign travelers.
Yeah the food here is the best, especially street-bought. You got those “spring rolls” randomly, right? And you think the dishes are best stuff? You are the nicest guy ever! I bet if you have a local friend then he/she will take you to much more delicious places because the locals know them all XD~
Btw the “spring rolls” you mentioned above was a special kind of the dish you post below, it’s called “NỘM BÒ KHÔ”. You can see it in the link:
http://www.vietnamfood.org/entry/nom-bo-kho-dried-beef-salad.html
or: http://nhatho.churchhotel.com.vn/street-food
for more suggestions.
Thank you again and hope you will come back and enjoy it 😀
You’re Welcome Phuong, I really liked Hanoi a lot. It’s a great city with so much to offer. I loved the food, I loved the people, I loved the streets, I loved everything.
Hope I can go back one day.
I just came across your post and since you love Hanoi so much, as a Hanoian, I have to second Phuong’s reply. Phuong got the dish correct and the next time in town, I insist you take some local friends to guide you. For the addiction of food, winter is the best time for tasting here, let’s say late october to mid december for perfect weather and avoidance of prolonging light rain. For a 5-day trip, at least 30 meals will be sufficent so you might have to work out each day to prepare for the next day.
Just FYI, my office is just few blocks away from the coffee in which you took the picture of the street, and I can tell you, there are tons of coffee shops nearby with greater view. It’s just that such places are so shy (lol) that only locals can find them.
Wish you luck in your next trip here. We will be welcoming you.