Hanoi
I went through Hanoi a few times, when going from Hue to Sapa, and from Sapa to Cat Ba Island. But every time I was trying to avoid the city. Hanoi doesn’t have a good reputation. It’s very polluted, noisy and getting around within the city is difficult as taxis are not reliable (their meters […]
Cat Ba Island
I came to Cat Ba island to see the limestone formations in the sea that have made Halong Bay so famous. Halong Bay is an icon of Vietnam and overcrowded with tourist cruise ships. However, just below Halong Bay is Lan Ha Bay. The limestone formations there are the same as in Halong Bay, however […]
Hue
It was hard for Hue to live up to my previous experience at Hoi An. On the surface, Hue is just yet another modern Asian city, which basically means rows of concrete buildings and neon signs, lots of pollution and motorbikes. There is absolutely nothing charming about it. However, the main reason to come to […]
Hoi An
I arrived in Hoi An a day after typhoon Nori had devastated the region. 200’000 people had been evacuated and about 10 people died. Many flights were cancelled and it wasn’t clear at all whether I would get there. Once I arrived, late in the evening, I was actually surprised that my flight had landed […]