Northern Vietnam Trip Report

Hi there, I’ve found so many tips and reviews on this forum, so it’s my turn to contribute a little. We spent just over two weeks with our family, with the following itinerary: - Hanoi: 5 days - Halong Bay: 3 days and 2 nights - Tam Coc: 3 days - Mai Chau: 2 days - Sapa: 3 days We got around by bike, scooter, Grab, and bus. Our main accommodations were homestays and hotels in Hanoi. We visited lots of museums, temples, and neighborhoods in Hanoi. We did a 2-day, 1-night trek in Sapa with May, a Hmong local, without going through an agency. A few small regrets: the weather was overcast, and we couldn’t make it to Fansipan, but nothing major 😅. We also couldn’t find transport to get from Sapa to Mu Cang Chai. Other than that, this trip will stay in our memories for the kindness of the Vietnamese people, the connections we made, the food (street food, homestays...), the coffee 😋, the landscapes, and how easy it was to get around... Our goal was to take our time and focus only on a small part of northern Vietnam. If you need any tips or recommendations, don’t hesitate to ask. Looking forward to hearing from you. Cédric.

Hi

Nice of you to share your experience! 🙂

True, Mu Cang Chai and Sapa are a matter of choice—it’s hard to do both 😉

What time of year was it?

Were you able to see the flooded rice paddies?

We got back last week. We’ve been soaked for a few days in Mai Chau and had over a month of rain in Sapa. Gorgeous!

Thanks for this info. It's great to have a trip report that includes the travel period, especially for northern Vietnam. The flooded rice terraces are stunning, just like when they're ripe for harvesting. After my first trip in November (dry rice terraces), I went back at the end of September and beginning of October for the harvest. Unforgettable!

Hey Quynhon, Just a quick question—are you planning to advertise your site in all your posts? A little reminder of VoyageForum’s rules to avoid this: "It is prohibited to post messages on the Site with the direct purpose of promoting or advertising a service, product, package or website."

Hi Chalembert,

First, this isn’t my site.

Second, it’s a travel blog. It doesn’t sell anything at all. It just offers a different perspective on travel.

I only have one question:

Is it wrong to give travelers a different angle?

Hey, What surprises me is that you're sharing a link to the same "blog" in all your posts. Using your own words, as a "different angle" goes, there’s room for improvement. Also, I don’t see any articles dated before this year—that is, the year you joined VoyageForum—but maybe I didn’t look closely enough. I’ll give you credit for no ads, even if the "Lit, table et zinc" page mentions a few hotels and such. But the blog is recent, as the © shows, so it might just be a way to drive views and monetize it later.

I’m only quoting this blog because it doesn’t peddle the same old sleep-inducing spiel.

With enough "what-ifs," we’ll end up bottling Vietnam in rice alcohol.

If you’ve got an interesting blog to share, go for it!

Hi,

proposer aux voyageurs un angle différent

?? "Proposer"? No, when in your first five posts you include a link to the same site five times, it’s no longer a suggestion—it’s touting. Whether that site is yours or not, or whether it’s commercial or not, it’s still touting, and all the excuses you’ve given above and below won’t change that. So stop treating people like idiots.

Solicitation? No. A source of inspiration.

Maybe it bothers you in your certainties to see there’s another way to view Vietnam.

Hadn’t you seen Hanoi rolling in Ladas?

Yes, Vietnam can be seen through a different lens. I’m convinced of it, which is why I share these articles that I find relevant.

Let’s keep using formal "vous." We haven’t raised pigs together, nor traveled together.

When it comes to travel, it’s clear we don’t read the same things.

Got any photos of Hanoi with Ladas on the streets on your blog?

I have to say, it seems you didn’t read it—or just didn’t get it at all!

You might wanna give it another look.

It's a simple question—if you have any, feel free to share one here. It’ll probably draw some traffic to your blog.

Re-read the article.

Take your time.

The Lada and the Citroën are just images. A parallel.

I can make you a reading sheet if you'd like. I do them for my 8-year-old daughter.

And there we go—another one arrives, thinking everyone else is an idiot. It’s funny how many people consider themselves smarter than others. But hey, it’s great that you’re making notes for your daughter, who probably can’t access this blog you have no connection to. What you could do is post some photos here with your perspective—people would probably find that interesting.