Driving solo along the coast I came across one of the many Easy Riders. These local guys take tourists on the backseat of their motorbike for a one or multiple day tour around the mountain town Da Lat. Windy convinced me to go on a 2-day tour with him, but I had one condition; I…
Luckily Hoi An has a lot more to offer besides tailored suits. The ancient town is an UNESCO world heritage site full of colorful houses with a hint of both Chinese and French architecture. After walking around in the overly touristic center for one day, I was happy to rent a motorbike and see some…
With over 200 tailors in Hoi An and amazing reviews spread across the web, I was eager to have my own costume made here. Only I wasn’t thinking of a dress or leather jacket, but a black skin tight bodysuit. Since I’ve been cosplaying for the past 10 years, this could have been the perfect…
Ever since I arrived in Vietnam I’ve met countless of friendly locals. Every day I could share a heart warming story about the kindness I received. Today Hoa introduced me to her friend Thrang who also was eager to improve her English. In the morning we relaxed and chatted in a cute garden inside the…
Hoa is a nice Vietnamese girl I met who works as a waitress in Hue. While sitting at a table going through brochures and making a plan for the next day, she looks over my shoulder and tells me which of the sights are nice and which aren’t. When I tell her about my plans…
The less popular but still a pretty place in the North of Vietnam is Ninh Binh. From this uninteresting city you can take daytrips to various scenic places. To split the costs of a private driver, I hooked up with a friendly guy from Malaysia to do a boat ride through the Trang An Grottoes…
Halong Bay must be the most iconic and touristy spot in Vietnam. To get the same magnificent views but less people, go independently to Cat Ba Island where much cheaper tours are offered to both Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay. Asia Outdoors offers a one day kayaking trip through the beautiful karsts of Lan…
Bac Ha market must be one of the most colorful markets in the North of Vietnam. Every Sunday morning at least 8 ethnic groups come together to sell their homemade products such as purses, sugar canes, linen and livestock. Seeing the local women trade in their traditional garbs must be the most interesting sight of…
In the North of Vietnam, almost touching the Chinese border is the mountain town Sapa. You get to this place by taking the night train from Hanoi. And if you’re lucky like me, you share your hut with 3 Vietnamese men and 1 cockroach. After a lousy night of sleep on the train, you get…
From the first moment I set foot in Vietnam I’m already loving this country. You read a lot about scams and people trying to trick you, but so far I can only be more than positive about the Vietnamese. Maybe it helps being a solo traveler who doesn’t follow the touristy crowds? It started taking…
