ONE – Explore Hanoi

Although we only really had one full day to explore Hanoi (unfortunately), the best thing we did was to walk. We stumbled into the old quarter, the Temple of Literature, the Hao Lo Prison museum, The Air Force Museum, Hoan Kiem Lake (home to Turtle Tower), and tons of cute and trendy cafés (where we were introduced to Vietnamese drip coffee!!). Hanoi was full of cultural wonders and tiny gems.

TWO – Cruise Halong Bay

Of course you have to visit the famed Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best way to experience Halong Bay is by cruise. Tour companies offer several different types of tours–everything to a party boat, to a casual one day tour, or even a five star luxury junk boat. Regardless of the way you do it, it is a must!!

THREE – Visit the countryside by motorbike

Do a motorbike tour from Hue to Hoi An. We went with Le Family Riders and it was an amazing way to see the country side of Vietnam. Not to mention, the abundance of delicious food and free beer was definitely a plus! This was a huge highlight of our trip.

FOUR – Get some custom tailored clothing

Get some clothes and accessories custom made in Hoi An. Jack got a fantastic deal ($540) and had about 14 pieces custom made, including shoes and shipping to Australia! Do your research or window shop around for a good tailors. I panicked and had no idea what I wanted to make. We went to Kimmy’s and Rubin’s and their services was fantastic. 1 year later and Jack has made great use of his shoes and suit!

FIVE – Visit Vietnamese Beaches

Stop and enjoy the beaches in Da Nang and Nha Trang. Nha Trang is also a hot spot for some good partying! Definitely check out the infamous Why Not bar…it will make you say “why” the next morning!

SIX – Go Canyoning

If you are looking for a new type of adventure, you have to go canyoning in Da Lat! Canyoning is an extreme sport where you repel down boulders and waterfalls. It really gives you a huge adrenalin rush! We booked through our hostel, Enjoy Da Lat, for $25 for a full day tour. It was the cheapest we found (yet still safe and included all safety gear and lunch!) and our tour guide was a legend! This was easily one of our coolest experiences while backpacking Vietnam!

SEVEN – Take a cooking class

Food is a huge part of Vietnamese culture, so why not take a cooking class! We took one in Hoi An called Pink’s Cooking Class for $15 each. The class included a market tour, a mixed fruit shake, 4 dishes of our own choosing to cook, all the ingredients, and a little notebook to write all the recipes.

The food was so delicious and filled us up! We will definitely be cooking some of these recipes at home, especially the spring rolls! Yum!