Seven Days in Vietnam — Where's Naomi

Route: Ho Chi Minh to Cai Be to Ho Chi Minh

The decision to go via Vietnam was based on this logic: a direct flight to Vietnam, plus hotels, plus a flight to Sydney, only cost a bit more than flying London to Sydney in one go. I did spend several days on Sky Scanner with a spreadsheet working out flight routes that were viable and cost-effective, so it’s one to consider if you want more passport stamps and you aren’t trying to get somewhere in a hurry. It’s also worth me mentioning that this isn’t our first time in Vietnam, or I would recommend staying on longer. Vietnam is a magical place, and I have friends who have stayed for months at a time.

Ho Chi Minh:
Stayed: Saigon Boutique Hotel

Bad: Crossing the road is hard. If you’ve not seen videos, do have a google.
Mopeds are God. They don’t ever stop and pedestrian crossings aren’t a thing. Cue awkward tourist people standing by the roadside for 10 minutes before we took our lives in our hands and crossed. It’s a big mental unlearning. We’re taught from a young age not to walk into oncoming traffic, whereas here, you have to. Or you just never cross any roads. Ever.

For added context, I am still processing watching said travel partner be hit by a car weeks before the trip. So this was extra trauma-ish. (Sorry if you didn’t know this and are finding this out now - he’s totally fine, but still.)

Good: Food+Coffee is good. Really. Good.

Ho Chi Minh is a buzzing cosmopolitan city with fantastic food and coffee culture. It turns out jetlag wasn’t the reason for my terrible sleep, it was coffee shops at 8 pm. We love coffee, especially Vietnamese coffee. You know, with the condensed milk. Coffee probably keeps us together as a couple.

HCM will absorb you in bright, loud, neon Mega City. Eat and drink and explore as much as you can, then head to the Mekong or the quiet of the countryside, which is just what we did.

Cai Be
Stayed: Mekong Lodge

Good:
The Mekong is very beautiful. For two people who have been to Vietnam and are famously jaded humans, we were both melted by the sun setting over the river. Aided by strong cocktails being £2.50. We enjoyed a little row boat journey down the Mekong. The guide gave us the little straw hats to wear, which triggered a near panic attack in Matt. Something about cultural appropriation. I reminded him about how easily he burns and he shut up and accepted the hat. I will put the photos on the fridge when he least expects it. Overall, it’s a perfect little retreat. You can take bikes into Cai Be or arrange a boat trip on the river to explore the floating markets.

Bad:
I struggled with the food in the Mekong Lodge. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t a vegetarian the last time I was in Vietnam and a lot of the menu was beef, pork, or deep-fried. What’s unfortunate is, I’m figuring out what is probably IBS. Fried food doesn’t seem to be my friend. Safe to say, we had to cancel a tour one morning because… yeah, I wasn’t feeling awesome.

And back to Ho Chi Minh…

For our last night in Ho Chi Minh, we booked a 5-star hotel for £80ish. La Vela Saigon Hotel if you are ever passing through. It was everything you expect from a 5-Star hotel. The bed was as big as my living room. The gym was so beautiful I briefly considered crying, if I was capable. And lastly, the breakfast buffet could only be described as overwhelming. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you were at the end of a long trip. It’s nice to feel like a celebrity for a night.

Trip in a nutshell?

Enjoy 5-star accommodation on a 2-star budget.
Foodie paradise (Everything really is fresh).
Coffee lovers rejoice.
Veggie friendly? 2.5/5 (I feel bad marking it down as Pho is amazing, and there’s lots of tofu, but the options were 80% meat in most places!)