In the middle of our semester, we have a long weekend where we, in addition to Saturday and
Sunday, get Friday and Monday off from school. The majority of us chose to travel during this
weekend. My friends and I visited Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and Ha Long Bay, an area of
beautiful mountain islands. Eight of us flew from Danang Airport, the closest airport to Hoi An,
to Hanoi on Thursday after school. We then took a taxi from the airport into the city. This drive
takes about an hour. The other eight in our group chose to take the train from Danang to Hanoi.
This journey takes about sixteen hours and they stayed in small cabin rooms with four to six beds
in each. The train ride took them through beautiful scenery and they were very happy that they´d
chosen this means of transport.

We all met up at our hostel on Friday morning and started exploring Hanoi. We walked around
all day, exploring the French Quarter, narrow allies, cute little stores selling anything from
clothing, shoes, and fabrics to thread, flowers, paper, and furniture. We passed tons of souvenir
shops and vendors selling old propaganda posters. For lunch, we visited the Note Coffee, a café
covered in post-it notes with messages written by people who have visited the café. Walls,
ceilings, floors, chairs, doors, and tables are covered in cute messages, hopes, and love letters.

 

We all wrote some notes ourselves and put them up! Moving on, we went vintage shopping.
Hanoi has tons of vintage markets lined up with vendors selling all types of clothing. We were
shocked when seeing the piles of clothes in some of these markets! People standing on top of or
inside of the piles trying to sort and categorize it all. For dinner, we found a fun Korean Hotpot
restaurant with All-You-Can-Eat options, and it was delicious! At night, we went to the famous
Bar Street to explore Hanoi´s nightlife, and it did not disappoint! We visited several different
bars and clubs, and even made some new friends. But, keep in mind, some clubs have a
maximum limit, so make sure to arrive at these early enough to get in. And for a night snack, of
course, our beloved Banh Mi!

On Saturday, we started by visited the Train Street – one of the most famous attractions in Hanoi.
This is where you sit right next to the train tracks as the train passes by. You cannot enter this
area by yourself though. You have to have someone working at one of the cafes or restaurants
there come and get you from outside the fences and give you a seat at their place. We then
ordered a smoothie and waited for the train to come.

When its closing in, they make everyone
stand up and remove the chairs. The train passed right by our nose, so this is a super fun
experience and an absolute must-do in Hanoi! After this, we went to the Hanoi Temple of
Literature and to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is in honor of Ho
Chi Minh, one of the most important people in Vietnam´s history. This is also where his corps is
usually kept, but when we visited, his remains were in Russia for “maintenance”, which was a
bummer! At night, we went back to the Bar Street for another night out. A very fun thing about
the Bar Street is that the police will drive through every now and then. When this happens, the
people working at the bars rush to pack everything outside together. Chairs and tables are stacked
together and us guest felt like we were being hidden. Another interesting experience there!

On Sunday, we went to Ha Long Bay, a beautiful place a few hours from Hanoi. We went on an
organized cruise tour, so we got picked up from our hostel in Hanoi and driven to the coast. It
was a private tour, so it was just the sixteen of us and we had the whole boat to ourselves! We got
served delicious lunch and got to enjoy the stunning views.

One thing to think about when going
there though, is that they don’t allow you to bring plastic bottles, and the water they sell is quite
expensive, so remember to bring enough water for the whole day – in reusable bottles. During
the cruise, we went to a beach for a little swim, we went on a hike inside a cave, and we went
kayaking under a rock and into a hidden gem. Absolutely stunning!

On our way back to shore,
we got to enjoy the sunset on the top deck. In the evening, we were transported back to our
hostel in Hanoi.

On Monday, we walked around Hanoi again, exploring its many shops, cafés, and bookstores. In
the afternoon, we taxied back to the airport, and flew back home to Hoi An.

– Nathalie