It’s been 12-years since I explored Vietnam. This trip gave me an opportunity to explore Vietnam where few get the opportunity – beyond the cities.
Leaving Toronto my first port of call was Hong Kong. Since my childhood Hong Kong has been at the forefront of mind in terms of an exotic place to explore. I still remember reading an ancient issue of National Geographic (January 1962) in which it had a photo expose and story about Hong Kong.
Even as a boy the magazine story fired my imagination and I suddenly longed to be in Hong Kong, strangely I can still see the deep colours of that story in my mind’s eye…even today.
Hong Kong was my first stop in my visit to Vietnam and as such spend five days exploring, and albeit it wasn’t my first time in Hong Kong there are always new places to explore and experience.
Initially when I was booking my trip to Vietnam I wanted to fly into Da Nang as I’d chosen a place to stay midway between the Imperial city ot Huẽ and Da Nang on the coast at the Vedana Lagoon Resort that I’d come across in my research.
It sounded perfect – a bungalow over the water surrounded by thick jungle and mountains that towered overhead. Just the sort of place for a real adventure!
However, the price of a plane ticket to fly direct from Hong Kong to Da Nang was $800 USD which in my mind was incredibly expensive. So, I did what all good explorers do and sought an alternate route to my destination. I soon discovered that if I flew from Hong Kong to Hanoi, spent a couple of days I could fly to Da Nang from Hanoi for $99 USD return.
As you can imagine this option was perfect as it allowed me to explore Hanoi, especially the old city. This was truly a gift as it also allowed me to acclimatize to Vietnam’s humid climate before being thrust into the deep and mountainous coastal jungle but also allowed me to observe and capture with my camera some incredible images.
The additional bi-product was that also provided me with a canvas for a micro-fiction series about Vietnam and Hanoi. I’ve been working away slowly on this series since my visit and making some headway in terms of turning the story into a screenplay.
Anyway, back to the story!
My weeklong stay was punctuated with a series of adventures, some arranged by the resort others of my own volition.
As you know by now, I’m not one to sit in a hotel room in a big city and say that I have explored the country. After flying into Da Nang and being picked up by my driver (Duong), we set off on the drive to the resort which is 60 kms north.
Ideally, this trip should take about an hour, but given Hwy 1 (the main highway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city) is only a dual carriageway (one-lane each way) with traffic at a standstill my driver decided on an alternate route.
I find back roads are always a good idea, we even stopped off at his aunt’s house for tea as she was able to speak some English. It was a fabulous experience, and I hadn’t even arrived at the resort yet.
After arriving and settling in my personal concierge (Thanh) recommended a few options for day trips.
The first I chose was north to the Imperial city of Huẽ. Now this city had been at the top of my list to explore for quite some time, and I wasn’t disappointed. Duong dropped me at the Citadel entrance, and we agreed on a time for pick up, then I was on my own with a camera and a sense of adventure.
The Citadel itself was almost completely destroyed during the American War but is slowly being painstakingly restored. In addition, there is an incredible museum nearby which I ventured to.
At lunchtime Duong whisked me away to one of Thanh’s friends’ homes for a traditional Vietnamese lunch which was incredibly delicious. The friendliness and generosity of the Vietnamese people is incredible and although we had a language barrier we still were able to communicate through gestures and facial expressions quite easily.
After lunch we ventured outside the city to the Royal Tombs which is a UNESCO world heritage site, here I spent a couple of hours in this beautiful and tranquil spot with the place pretty much to myself.
I realize that travelling outside a tour group or without an interpreter can be daunting and a tad intimidating, but it can also be incredibly liberating in that you’re putting yourself out there and letting the experiences come to you in many ways.
This type of travel is not for everyone, as you’re often outside your comfort zone. That being said this was only my second day in Vietnam and I was completely immersed… and loving it!
Over the course of the next week I had so many different adventures that it’s difficult to write about in just one essay.
Stay tuned next week for a couple more of these stories.
Until then.
Ciao!
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