I had read many times and at many places that the land journeys in Vietnam are among the best ones in the world and worth experiencing in a lifetime. This could be a big catch for a wanderer like me and it surely had ignited an urge in me to go and explore this land lying south of China.
Yes, the name Vietnam itself means the South Land, which boasts of beautiful landscapes, smiling people, and varied culture and lifestyles across its vast north-south expanse; it also boasts of the natural wonders and World Heritage sites such as Ha Long Bay in the north, and a vast network of underground tunnels in the south that speaks volumes about the courage and ingenuity of local peasants in the war against American indulgence in their country. And after letting all these fact brew in my mind for a considerable length of time, one fine day in September last I was flying to Hanoi via Bangkok.
As the pilot announced descent of aircraft into Vietnamese airspace, I tried to look out of window. It was cloudy outside, but soon the ground below started to become visible. What I could see below were green vistas everywhere. Hmmm…!! So, this was the country I was going to explore for the next 14 days. These green vistas must be the paddy fields, I thought, as in whole of Indo-China rice is the most widely cultivated crop. I was right in thinking so, but little I knew that Vietnam not only grows rice, but it is also home to some of the finest teas and coffees in the world; and not to forget the exotic fruits grown abundantly throughout the country.
My first destination
It was drizzling lightly when I touched down at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport. The airport is about 40-minute drive away from the old part of the city spread around a man-made lake named Hoan Kiem. It is Hoan Kiem only, which witnesses the main tourist action in Hanoi. My destination was Hanoi Light Hostel in this area, from where I was going to start my land journey for the next two weeks. I was put up there with another 10-12 young travellers in a big hall comprising of bunk beds. So far so good!!
Road trip to the Tea Country
My first destination from there on would have been Sa Pa, which is a culturally and scenically-rich mountainous area north-west of Hanoi, near the China border. It was an overnight train journey that had been planned, but it could never happen owing to a brief health issue with me. But before I could rue over my missed opportunity, my roommate Ahmed Khan from Afghanistan offered me to go with him to Tuyen Quang, a province in the north-west of Hanoi and famous for its tea production. He had some business interests there and it was about 3-hour car journey from Hanoi. And it actually proved to be a blessing in disguise. I could witness some real Vietnam during this tour and savour local wines and authentic Vietnamese food at one of the local families. Well, if one really wants to explore Vietnam’s countryside laden with unspoiled natural beauty and breathe in crispy clean air, then a trip to north of Hanoi can be a real shot.
A trip to Ha Long Bay
Another best experience around Hanoi is to go for an overnight cruise at Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay, located in the Gulf of Tonkin in northeast Vietnam, is known for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands that are topped by rainforests. The bay is around 180 kilometers east from Hanoi. Covering an area of about 44,000 hectares and including more than 1600 islands and islets, most of which are unaffected by humans, it forms a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. A 4-hour bus journey took me to Ha Long city where I boarded a cruise with lodging facility for 2 days for an unfathomable experience. Remembering my stay around those limestone towers make me fill with awe over and over again. Such is the grandeur and exquisiteness of the Ha Long bay, that nobody ever can suppress an urge to go back there and stay even longer.
The train journey
Vietnam has a long railway line that connects the North and the South, and between some stretches it is considered as one of the most spectacular rail journeys in the world. I had taken a night train from Hanoi for Da Nang, and my research told me that the stretch between Hue and Da Nang offers the best view one can ever have. So, a night train was the most suitable one, as I would be wide-awake by the time it starts from Hue. I was alighting at Da Nang for the sea-side town of Hoi An, which is engulfed with history of being a resting place for marine merchants from across the globe and has a unique blend of Vietnamese and Chinese cultures. Oh yes, at Hoi An one should never miss some delicious food items that are unique to this area. I didn’t either.
Coming back to my train journey, it offered me more than what I had expected. Ahmed had urged me repeatedly to take a flight to Da Nang in order to save time. But who cares when one has ample time and is out on a ground trip to soak in every minute detail as possible about the country one is visiting. And my decision to not buy his logic was paying richly while I was looking out of the glass window. I was in the mountains bordering the East Vietnam Sea, and while passing through the lush green high lands, I could see at a sheer drop of sight the beaches lined with pristine white sands and endless waters beyond that. So, it was the waters, the plains and the mountains at one place. Amazing it was!!
Centre of cultural confluence
Hoi An proved to be a real experience for me. A quaint town that is 30-minute away by a local bus from Da Nang was a major centre for business during the Indianised Champa empire in this part of the world. The influence of Chinese culture over the time has given this town a unique character and some unique recipes too. Here, short bicycle rides proved to be the best way to experience this place. The days were hot and nights pleasant, while the colourful lighting in the old city and on the island across the river where there was a daily night market transformed the town into something else.
Another Champa site
Hoi An is situated in the upper central part of Vietnam, and two days later I was heading to Nha Trang in the lower central part of the country. This time it was a night sleeper bus. The buses are quite modern and comfortable mode of transportation in Vietnam. Nha Trang is another important Champa site and once it served as a major town of the kingdom. The famous Po Nagar temples are found here only. Today it serves as a sea-side tourist destination as well as a port city. I found the city to be ultra clean and engaging because of its very alive night market. And this city is also home to some hot springs where Spas offering mud bath with therapeutic properties are a big catch for tourists.
The resort town of Da Lat
From Nha Trang, I boarded a bus to Da Lat the next morning. I had heard Da Lat was a beautiful and charming place, but I didn’t know that once a summer capital during French rule, it would surpass all my expectations. After a 3-hour journey, I was at a place which I could easily term as a ‘paradise’. A spotless town with big metallic roads and many lakes, it makes you feel as if you are standing inside a big resort. Yes, the town can boast of its beauty of such magnanimous proportions that the whole of it looks like a huge resort. Here I resorted to walks… the long evening walks to absorb as much as possible the details it had on offer. The summer place of the last king of Vietnam, numerous Buddhist temples and the magnificent waterfalls are the attractions around it that make this town an ideal destination for both travellers and tourists.
To my last destination
‘Why only two days?’ This was my question to myself when I was leaving Da Lat for Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City, my final destination in Vietnam. Well, that is how I had designed my itinerary and I had to stick to that. I had a flight back home after two days and HCM City requires at least two days to explore. This time, I boarded a local bus from Da Lat which was to take two hours more than the fast tourist buses. The idea was to experience the local behaviours from close quarters.
HCM City is the biggest city of Vietnam and the most crowded and least clean one. Still it is much cleaner by Indian standards. Here, I had two main agenda. One, to visit Cu Chi tunnels and another to visit local markets and bazaars for shopping and witness the famous night life of Vietnam. Cu Chi tunnels are about 45 kilometres outside HCM City and those may take up almost full day of yours. So, I preferred roaming about in the city the first night and having a first-hand experience of the night life. The Pham Ngu Lao street is the main backpackers area in the city which tends to be get more alive as the night falls and can be active till the wee hours of the morning. It is equal to the Khao San Road in Bangkok. Food, music, spas, bars, chatter-patter… all this can be witnessed at one place there in HCM City. And situated at a walking distance is the famous Ben Thanh market, where one can shop for the spices, coffee, tea, dry fruits, local handicraft and souvenirs among other things, at cheaper prices.
The Cu Chi tunnels
And then early morning the next day, I was headed to the historic tunnels situated in the Cu Chi district. And once I reached there, I could sense history unfolding before my eyes. This was the place where once ordinary peasants turned themselves into Gorilla soldiers in the night to fight against American oppression during Vietnam War. This immense network of connecting underground tunnels is part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of Vietnam. These tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War. Viet Cong soldiers used tunnels as hiding places during combat and served as communication, transportation and supply routes. It was amazing to know that the tunnels had areas where there were kitchens, hospitals, living areas, weapon rooms and food storage places, apart from booby traps to get the enemy killed without facing them. The real feel of these tunnels came when I got into one of those and exited some 200 metres away with an aching back. I wondered how those soldiers could walk for miles in these tunnels without getting hurt.
Well, by evening I was back in HCM City, with some everlasting memories of the dark pathways below the ground. I had a flight next day and it was the last day of my long land journeys through this beautiful country called Vietnam. My decision to avoid air connection at any cost had paid heavy dividends in form of some rich experiences that I will be sharing with many others like you in the coming times too.