We feel so fortunate to have taken a family vacation to the beautiful and amazing country of Vietnam from Dec. 19 to Jan. 6, before the coronavirus outbreak.  We posted iphone pics on instagram during the trip but now we have the time to edit and blog the rest of the images.  We hope you enjoy this virtual vacation while stuck at home!   We’ll be publishing several posts about our travels to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc island.

When we spoke with friends about our family trip to Vietnam, invariably they asked, “Why Vietnam?”  The short answer is that Vietnam is “accessible Asia”.  The country’s a manageable size with a pleasant climate (in December).  Additionally, there were so many opportunities for adventure—kayaking, motor bike rides (as a passenger), sleeping on a junk boat— that would appeal to our 14 and 16 year old boys.  The food was also a draw as we already loved pho, banh mi, bun, and summer rolls…savory,  a bit sweet, salty, fresh—it’s a tasty, dynamic and healthy cuisine.  And the Vietnamese like their bia hoi (fresh beer), which goes down so nice with all the food.  Additionally, of course, our sad shared history with Vietnam—what they call the American War—was a major reason to visit.

We opted to take a tour and are so glad we did.  Dealing with serious jet lag from the 12-hour time difference, a language barrier, and the amount of research required to do everything right would have been overwhelming.  So we signed up with G Adventures , a tour company affiliated with National Geographic with an emphasis on meeting the locals and giving back to the communities.  We were also drawn to them because they offered tours for families which involved less touring/lecturing (which the boys would hate) and more hands-on, fun activities.

We met the group in Hanoi…it included two other American families, an English couple and their son and daughter, and an Australian-South African family of four.  Eight kids, ranging from 6 to 16.  The adults and kids became fast friends and the sense of adventure bonded us all together…doing fun activities in the day and sharing a meal and a drink at night.  Our tour guide, Phi, was just perfect…enthusiastic and open…and expert at balancing the time spent as a group vs. free time.  We spent twelve days together and he joked that he actually spent two years with us..2019 and 2020!  A great guy…the eight kids just loved him.  We are all still in touch via What’s App – it has been so nice during this virus to connect with people around the world and hear what’s happening first hand and know that they are all doing okay.

Hanoi

We started the tour in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, an atmospheric dense area with people darting in every direction, huddled together on tiny plastic stools eating and drinking just off the curb, charcoal grills glowing on every corner.  The deluge of motorbikes made crossing the street quite a daring adventure…the good advice was to keep a steady pace and be predictable…the drivers will avoid hitting you that way!

Much of Hanoi’s French colonial architecture remains, making it feel much older than Ho Chi Minh City.  We visited the “Hanoi Hilton” prison where American POWs such as Senator John McCain were detained.  And we stood silent with the masses to shuffle by Ho Chi Minh in his Soviet-built mausoleum; no cameras allowed.

The Hanoi street scene is remarkable—the social distance of people is so much less and everywhere you look there are people communing–eating, talking, drinking, working—all together as a family or group of friends–a stark contrast to the culture in our cities. The night markets are particularly festive and we managed to go to several throughout the trip.

Here are 5 take-aways from Hanoi:

•  Coffee – We did not know there was such a big coffee culture.  But, like Paris, cafe society was alive and well with many cafes having all the chairs/tables facing the streets so you can people watch while enjoying the latest cuppa.

•  Ballroom dancing –  Walking home from dinner, we ended up joining a crowd gathered to watch an impromptu group of couples ballroom dancing to a boom box in the street – think Fanueil Hall buskers – yet ballroom dancers – it was truly magical.

•  Spas – At $20/massage, Jane had two in three days.  They were incredible – one Thai massage where a tiny woman jumped on her back and used her whole body to dig deep into her muscles.  The second was a hot stone massage which she’d never experienced before.  She tried and can recommend both Dzao Spa and Orchids Spa.

•  Christmas – While the majority of the country worships a combination of Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism (although there are millions of Catholics in the country, a legacy of French missionaries) they sure love Christmas!  There were many shops selling Christmas decorations and outfits and many adults wearing Santa costumes at the night markets…super festive!

•  Optimism – The Vietnamese people we met were warm, welcoming, optimistic and proud of their country.  Really a can-do culture.  With a growing economy for the last twenty some years, everyone has seen so much positive change they are truly optimistic and excited as their country grows their standard of living.

Check back soon as we continue on to Ha Long Bay!