IT HAS MANIC CITIES
Vietnam's capital city Hanoi,
in the North, is beautiful. It's
super leafy, with trees lining
the streets and a pretty lake
in the middle of the city.
There is so much to see, from
historical sites like the Ho
Chi Minh mausoleum – Hanoi
is a gateway to everywhere
in the north of the country,
and a lot of travellers use it
as a base to leave and return
to after visiting Sapa for
trekking or Halong bay on
the coast.
IT HAS ALL THE
NATURE
Get a bus to Sapa, the
greenest region in the
country with acres and acres
of mountainous rice paddies,
and pay a local lady to take
you trekking around the
stunning hilly rice terraces
for next to nothing. Or, take
a bus to the coast and visit
Halong Bay or Cat Ba Island
and spend 3 days on a boozy
boat trip, jumping off into
the clearest, bluest water
or kayaking through caves
and visiting an island run by
an army of monkeys (not
kidding).
If that sounds too relaxing,
bus it down to Phong Nha –
Vietnam's greatest national
park – where you can go
exploring in caves the size of
football stadiums.
VIETNAMESE PEOPLE
ARE SO, SO FRIENDLY
If you're sitting alone on
a bench in the middle of
a Vietnamese city and
suddenly get the feeling of
being watched, then don't
panic - you probably are. But
only because you look like
an alien to the Vietnamese.
Don't be surprised if random
people stop you in the street
for a selfie or if a student
asks to practice their English
on you for a 15-minute
segment. They are so
sweet and so curious about
Western culture that you will
feel incredibly welcome in
this country.
AND THE PRICE?!
Accommodation is £3/4 for
a decent hostel. While travel
comes to £8 – 10 for an
8-hour bus journey. Food is
40p for a Banh Mi (basically
a baguette).
GUESTLIST
2018 / ISSUE 107
19
TRAVEL
A lot of people think of Vietnam and associate it with the
tragic Vietnamese war. That war ended a whopping FORTY
years ago, however, and the country is now one of the most
beautiful – and safe – places in Southeast Asia. Here are
some reasons as to why you should add it to the top of your
must-see locations in 2018.
VIETNAM - EXCITING CITIES,
BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND
CHEAPER THAN YOU THINK!