u/justchikna

It had probably been just about a month since I visited Thailand, and somehow I was already missing travelling. It was my first international trip after all, and boy, didn't it make me want another one almost immediately. I kept looking around for destinations, watching random reels, randomly checking flight prices when I had absolutely no business doing so, and somehow Vietnam kept popping up in my head.

But maybe this time, I thought solo wasn't the way to go. Let me ask the boys once and see. I expected delays to confirm an answer, but these lads actually said yes, and I still don't know how that happened, but in a few days, we all were planning for a 2026 trip... in 2025.

Flights were done early, itineraries mapped felt like too much to cover sometimes, or way too little, using Klook for almost everything we possibly could, discussing budgets, and just like that, months left and hours started ticking. Not to forget the departure day traffic, adding to the tension, a tiny fear sitting in the back of my head that we'd actually miss our flight after planning it for almost a year. Somehow, we made it.

My 10-day itinerary looked like this: Hanoi - Da Nang - Sa Pa

(Photo Log (mixed up): 1 - The streets of Sa Pa, 2 - Sun World Ba Na Moon Castle, 3, 4 - Hanoi Ngoc Sun Temple, 5 - Ha Long Bay, 6 - Sung Sot Cave, 7 - Up I go!, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 - Golden Bridge and rest of Ba Na, 13 - Ninh Binh, 14 - Sa Pa at night, 15 - Glass Bridge, 16 - Sa Pa, 17 - Marble Mountains, 18 - Flight back home)

Hanoi was definitely the perfect place to begin, and tbh, the easiest among them all. I liked Old Quarter and the stay there the most. It was legit humid though, I found it hard to adjust to the heat. But the charm of the city was different for sure, and I loved how the mornings there started with the markets opening up and the streets slowly getting busier. It was fun just walking around with people everywhere, and cafes tucked into almost every corner were the best part and I had no trouble getting food because lots of small shops.

Before visiting the country, I wanted to taste every coffee I could find, it was a pretty big list. Egg coffee? Done. Coconut coffee? Done. Salt coffee? Done. Normal Vietnamese coffee? Obviously.

Talking about the stomach, if you're wondering why there are zero food photos, maybe I gulped it down before my camera could click it. So yes, you'll have to trust my word when I say the food was absolutely worth it.

Hạ Long Bay was one of those places that somehow looked exactly like the wallpapers you see online. Ninh Bình was another surprise altogether, but the scorching sun definitely drained every bit of hydration from our bodies. The views were absolutely worth it, though, would have loved it for a few extra hours if only we had enough bottles of water or if it rained, the photos would have been so much better.

In no time, I was on my flight to Da Nang. Oh yes, the beach! I had a not-so-beach-wear on awkwardly, so I wouldn't be the right person to tell you about the beach experience, but wow... Da Nang, you made me fall in love.

Everything about this city felt calming. Nights wrapped up faster here, I could only find restaurants and massage parlors open. The Airbnb we stayed at had a cafe downstairs, which introduced me to something I still think about randomly, egg cocoa.

Ba Na Hills is where I genuinely felt like a kid again. Cable cars, little attractions everywhere, games, rides, the Alpine Coaster, random corners to explore, but I felt my friends enjoyed it extra, thanks to the free beer coupons from my side, too. We went early and stayed too late ig, since we were on the last stretch of cable cars.

Due to the change in the itinerary after we booked flight tickets, we had to fly back to Hanoi and then explore Sa Pa. I'd say the weather wasn't exactly on our side; drenched in rain is a memory I'll recount every single time. I sneezed my way back to the room afterwards, though, so my suggestion is not to purchase those 80,000 VND raincoats because mine decided to split apart almost the moment I wore it.

It's been roughly a month and a half since we (I) came back, and as I'm writing this, I'm wearing the Argentina jersey I bought from a kind woman at Han Market. My wallet definitely has a few extra holes in it now, but I feel so happy about it. I joke around, going "a few more days to go, packed yet?" to my friends, and I could see that smile coming back, and then going, "Wasn't it an experience?" I guess that's how you know a trip was worth every penny.

We left out Phú Quốc and Hồ Chí Minh City from our plans, partly because ten days disappear much faster than you think, and partly because we knew we couldn't fit everything in. We know it is the perfect excuse to come back to this place, and hopefully, soon.

It had probably been just about a month since I visited Thailand, and somehow I was already missing travelling. It was my first international trip after all, and boy, didn't it make me want another one almost immediately. I kept looking around for destinations, watching random reels, randomly checking flight prices when I had absolutely no business doing so, and somehow Vietnam kept popping up in my head.

But maybe this time, I thought solo wasn't the way to go. Let me ask the boys once and see. I expected delays to confirm an answer, but these lads actually said yes, and I still don't know how that happened, but in a few days, we all were planning for a 2026 trip... in 2025.

Flights were done early, itineraries mapped felt like too much to cover sometimes, or way too little, using Klook for almost everything we possibly could, discussing budgets, and just like that, months left and hours started ticking. Not to forget the departure day traffic, adding to the tension, a tiny fear sitting in the back of my head that we'd actually miss our flight after planning it for almost a year. Somehow, we made it.

My 10-day itinerary looked like this: Hanoi - Da Nang - Sa Pa

(Photo Log (mixed up): 1 - The streets of Sa Pa, 2 - Sun World Ba Na Moon Castle, 3, 4 - Hanoi Ngoc Sun Temple, 5 - Ha Long Bay, 6 - Sung Sot Cave, 7 - Up I go!, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 - Golden Bridge and rest of Ba Na, 13 - Ninh Binh, 14 - Sa Pa at night, 15 - Glass Bridge, 16 - Sa Pa, 17 - Marble Mountains, 18 - Flight back home)

Hanoi was definitely the perfect place to begin, and tbh, the easiest among them all. I liked Old Quarter and the stay there the most. It was legit humid though, I found it hard to adjust to the heat. But the charm of the city was different for sure, and I loved how the mornings there started with the markets opening up and the streets slowly getting busier. It was fun just walking around with people everywhere, and cafes tucked into almost every corner were the best part and I had no trouble getting food because lots of small shops.

Before visiting the country, I wanted to taste every coffee I could find, it was a pretty big list. Egg coffee? Done. Coconut coffee? Done. Salt coffee? Done. Normal Vietnamese coffee? Obviously.

Talking about the stomach, if you're wondering why there are zero food photos, maybe I gulped it down before my camera could click it. So yes, you'll have to trust my word when I say the food was absolutely worth it.

Hạ Long Bay was one of those places that somehow looked exactly like the wallpapers you see online. Ninh Bình was another surprise altogether, but the scorching sun definitely drained every bit of hydration from our bodies. The views were absolutely worth it, though, would have loved it for a few extra hours if only we had enough bottles of water or if it rained, the photos would have been so much better.

In no time, I was on my flight to Da Nang. Oh yes, the beach! I had a not-so-beach-wear on awkwardly, so I wouldn't be the right person to tell you about the beach experience, but wow... Da Nang, you made me fall in love.

Everything about this city felt calming. Nights wrapped up faster here, I could only find restaurants and massage parlors open. The Airbnb we stayed at had a cafe downstairs, which introduced me to something I still think about randomly, egg cocoa.

Ba Na Hills is where I genuinely felt like a kid again. Cable cars, little attractions everywhere, games, rides, the Alpine Coaster, random corners to explore, but I felt my friends enjoyed it extra, thanks to the free beer coupons from my side, too. We went early and stayed too late ig, since we were on the last stretch of cable cars.

Due to the change in the itinerary after we booked flight tickets, we had to fly back to Hanoi and then explore Sa Pa. I'd say the weather wasn't exactly on our side; drenched in rain is a memory I'll recount every single time. I sneezed my way back to the room afterwards, though, so my suggestion is not to purchase those 80,000 VND raincoats because mine decided to split apart almost the moment I wore it.

It's been roughly a month and a half since we (I) came back, and as I'm writing this, I'm wearing the Argentina jersey I bought from a kind woman at Han Market. My wallet definitely has a few extra holes in it now, but I feel so happy about it. I joke around, going "a few more days to go, packed yet?" to my friends, and I could see that smile coming back, and then going, "Wasn't it an experience?" I guess that's how you know a trip was worth every penny.

We left out Phú Quốc and Hồ Chí Minh City from our plans, partly because ten days disappear much faster than you think, and partly because we knew we couldn't fit everything in. We know it is the perfect excuse to come back to this place, and hopefully, soon.