scpotpourri

Summer of 2026

I write about places I visited not in order of preference but rather the tour schedule moving from central to North Vietnam.

The sights to see, the people, the smells in the streets and the food are fabulous.

Though you’re in Asia and the landscape and weather seem familiar, you know you’re in a foreign land, because of the people you see and language you hear. It’s common to see them with their families at restaurants  and shopping places. They also travel together. They are however, loud. Their choice of colors everywhere, from buildings to clothing are bright and loud too.

A street by the Han river in Da Nang

Our first stop was at Da Nang, a beautiful city, with history and character.

The drives along the East Sea and also along the Han river, lined with quaint little restaurants and shops is characteristic of this land. On a week night and a low tourist season, these streets were filled with people – locals and tourists – enjoying an evening meal

Our English speaking, well informed tour guide was 55 years old but didn’t look a day older than 30. He shared his family pictures and stories with us. Thats the closest we got to ‘seeing’ a Vietnamese family.

I didn’t care much for Ba Na Hills which with it’s cable cars, Golden Bridge and French village is built to showcase their French influence.

Hoi An with it’s quaint shops

The next day we drove into Hoi An. An interesting basket boat ride in the Bay Mau Coconut Forest followed by   visits to   old Japanese and Chinese towns linked by the Japanese Covered Bridge. The ancient homes put up by the generations-old families for tourism had exquisite dark wood work along walls, the ceilings, staircase and furniture. The shops lining the main drag sold cotton, silk and pearls. They were adorned with colorful lanterns.

Elderly rowers with their boats in Ninh Binh

My favorite place on the tour was Ninh Binh…..’Ha Long Bay on Land’. There are
rowing boats on Trang An river thru karst limestone formations (the locals call them Grottos and have names for each one) and caves. The elderly rowers, who can’t speak one word of English other than ‘Hello’, are impressive rowing continuously for 2 1/2 hours at their age and acting out instructions to the riders who dont know their tongue. They have sleek wooden blades for oars and the tourist riders can try their hands at rowing with ‘toy’ oars so as to not disrupt the elderly rowers.

This was my first time seeing ‘grottos’ rising out of the river. I had never seen anything like it. They’re solemn, quiet and majestic citadels echoing peace to tired traveller.

Ninh Binh and all of Vietnam, at this time of the year, is hot (around 38°C ) and humid (about 80%). Despite this, there’s lush greenery all around – even in big cities like Ha Noi. Rice fields mirroring the evening sky are a sight to behold.

Cruise ships lit at sun down on Ha Long Bay with the ‘Grottos’ standing eerily in the background.

Then came the visit to Ha Long Bay. Some of the wonder of seeing this was diminished because of the similar sights seen on our visit to Ninh Binh the previous day. Yet the overnight cruise was magical with it’s visits to the beach and caves on some of the ‘grottos’. The lit ships anchored in the bay was heavenly in the quiet that was all-consuming.

The only thing that was somewhat off was the crowds of ships and tourists in the Bay. Even in the month of June.

Another interlude into Vietnamese life happened on the cruise. The good looking, charming and   witty Cruise Supervisor with his friendly staff showcased their hospitality. I had some of the best food here. The excellent chef-curated Vietnamese cuisine especially seafood was to die for.

Ha Noi Train Street with it’s tourists waiting for the train to come by.

Ha Noi Train Street is whimsical at best. It’s existence threatened by the planned underground metro taking shape. The small shops dispensing alcohol, coconut water and soda, lining the tracks are unusual. We came across this no-nonsense waitress, curt as can be to the miserly tourist trying to save a buck. Yet it’s something you got to do once before the trains stop coming that way. It’s a memory that will stand out when you think Ha Noi, Vietnam.

The last thing I did on the trip was a visit to the Old Quarter in Ha Noi. I took the traditional cyclo rickshaw ride through it’s streets taking in it’s character, smells, shops and eateries.

I wish I had seen more of the people, lived a little like them and spent some more time doing it. I fell in love with the country all over again.  My long held yearning for the country satiated.