Good morning, Vietnam.

Golden Week is a time of many public holidays in Japan. However, this year was special. After 30 years on the throne, Emperor Akihito became the first emperor to abdicate since 1817, in place of his son Naruhito. Both the abdication and enthronement days, along with the regular work day sandwiched between them, became public holidays. This turned the usual Golden week into a special ten day holiday block, marking the imperial transition from the Heisei to Reiwa era.

Golden Week is insanely busy at the best of times, so we didn`t need more encouragement to get out of the country. Cue Olivia and I booking a lovely two week getaway to Vietnam, travelling northwards via night trains. They were an experience in themselves, with us having to take anti-sickness tablets and running the fine line between being rocked to sleep or jostled awake. Every place we visited varied so much, so here is a little snapshot of each.


Ho Chi Minh
My first taste of Vietnam began with the crazy downtown area filled with obnoxious clubs and scooters weaving their way through the tightest of spaces. This was the more historical filled part of the trip, with the day spent visiting the War Remnants museum, and visiting famous local markets for some local lunch experiences. Frankly, it was too bloody hot to do anything else, but it was a fleeting 24 hours in Saigon.


Nha Trang
What can only be described as a beach town where we really embraced the holiday vibes. We took a snorkelling boat tour through the islands, complete with a floating bar (aka our wacky tour guide floating a punch bowl on a life jacket in the water).

I also had my first ever Vietnamese coffee experience at a rainforest themed cafe. If you're going to do it, do it properly right? I was off my rocker for hours after and thus begun the daily obsession with a morning caffeine fix. We also headed to Thap Ba Spa, a famous mud bath area that was hilarious until you got some in your mouth. I can't say it did anything to my hair or skin, but I was washing mud out of places I never thought I'd have to for a long time after...


Hoi An
After taking a night train to nearby Danang, we got the bus staight to Hoi An, a world heritage site located in the centre of the country. I didn't sweat so much the entire trip as I did here, but the abundance of beautiful lanterns everywhere really made it worth while. Once the sun set, the city lit up with a warm glow, and the amount of lanterns doubled from the reflections in the river.

We cycled through the more 'inaka' parts of the area, through rice paddies before reaching some basket boats. Three of us in the boat, Olivia and I were gifted banana leaf rings and hairbands from our feisty little old lady driver, who was a woman of few words but a sweetheart all the same.

Top pick:
Streets Restaurant - a project providing disadvantaged youths with training and education in order to work in the booming tourist and hospitality industries. The restaurant was full of bright souls embracing the 18 month progamme, and the food was amazing too.


Hue
A change of pace and a much quieter city. We took a motorcycle tour through the areas surrounding the Citadel and Perfume river, met some locals who handcrafted traditional hats and incense, and even saw remants of Vietnam's past at the Empresses' tomb and an old arena used for tiger and elephant fights.



Halong Bay
After our third, final, and most rocky night train, we headed to Halong Bay for a day cruising through the world famous rock formations. We also got a chance to do some kayaking whilst there, which was pretty fun but did give me a slightly damp arse. That day was a little cloudier than it had been, but that just created a mysterious atmosphere, somewhat adding to the lore surrounding the bay.
If you don't know, local legend has it that during a battle, the Jade emperor sent a family of dragons from the heavens to defeat the enemies of the Vietnamese people. Halong means 'descending dragon'.

Hanoi
Full of life, days were spent exploring and evenings spent drinking. We visited Ho Chi Minh's mouseluem, and a loosely coined 'museum' about him that was more something you'd expect to see at the Tate. I'm not one to claim to understand obscure meanings within art, but the fruit sculptures were the last straw. Our final night was spent watching the traditional water puppet theatre, which was nothing like I expected but an experience all the same. Even the rain did't dampen our spirits wandering aroung the markets, and I'm proud to say my only purchase was a much needed fan.
One of my old teachers moved to Hanoi this spring, so we got to have a catch up over dinner. Him and his family were so welcoming to Olivia and I, and we got to eat at a very local cafeteria style restaurant , then enjoying coffee and dessert at his new home.

Top picks:
Omamori Spa - A massage shop that works exclusively with visually impaired youths to train them and give them jobs when otherwise they wouldn't be employed. It was the most fascinating experience to sense them feeling rather than just doing.
Lifted Coffee & Brunch - Pulled pork and feta cheese, says it all really. We ate here twice.
RailwayStation Coffee - A quaint cafe located on the tracks of the famous train line running through the main streets of Hanoi. Grab an egg coffee, wait until the 7pm train and flatten a bottle cap on the tracks as a souvenir.

All in all, we ate our body weight in cheap fruit and bougie brunches , and I had coffee withdrawal for about a week after. Egg coffee was my favourite, closely followed by the refreshing coconut cream versions which were to die for in the humidity. Thanks Vietnam for the pho, banh mi, ridiculously cheap massages and the most needed two week break.