Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Hoi An, Vietnam, 2007-08-03 12:00 by Lærke
After an intense 5-week summer school in Singapore we needed a vacation – so we went to Vietnam, Mari-e, Greta, Becca and I! We traveled from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to Hanoi in the North, stopping at Nah Trang and Hoi An in between. The city of Hoi An with its quaint little streets and beautiful architecture was an absolute highlight. In 1999, the old town of Hoi An was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences. Today, Hoi An is still feels like a small city, but it attracts a fair number of tourists, as well as being an established place on the backpacker trail. There are numerous art and craft shops and especially tailors, who produce made-to-measure clothes for a fraction of the western price, and we had these gorgeous jackets made.
Another favorite was our Halong Bay cruise, were we kayaked, saw caves, ate yummy food and enjoyed life onboard the beautiful ship. Back in Hanoi we had a couple of really fun nights out at the Funky Monkey and The Lighthouse – dancing all night long.
We ended our trip in Bangkok where we shopped and partied some more before we parted ways… It was a great summer!