A new destination to experience within the neighborhood of the “starillage” of ceramics in Hanoi capital. Check-in now!
Bat Trang Ceramics Village (Làng gốm Bát Tràng) is long well-known for the defined craftsmanship of pottery in Hanoi as well as Vietnam, with the history back to the 14th century.
Nowadays, the local artisans are thriving to combine the traditional techniques with modern approaches to craft beautiful porcelain artworks.
The best experiences are not only to admire and purchase some of the finest handmade ceramic products in the S-shaped country, or immerse ourselves in century-long historical stories of the neighborhood, but also to participate in the do-it-yourself workshop to make own artworks with the helpful support of the local craftsman.
Now you have a new destination to experience, not in the village, but not too far to check-in!
Located in Van Giang district (Hung Yen province) but right next to the door to Bat Trang village in Gia Lam district (Hanoi), The Centre of Vietnamese Quintessential Craft Villages (Trung tâm Tinh hoa Làng nghề Việt) impresses the curious visitors with the artistic architecture inspired by potter’s wheel, which is a typical symbol of the craftsmanship of Bat Trang village.
Spanning an area of 3,300 square meter, the striking three-storey structure features 7 spiral columns like giant potter’s wheels by the Bac Hung Hai river (sông Bắc Hưng Hải).
Insides, the first floor is now set up to display and sell porcelain and ceramic (the price is surprisingly so affordable that we decided to buy some small souvenirs).
By the time this building come into full operation, the floor would also be a space for art exhibition, as well as other pottery experience for visitors.
The second floor would be used for displaying the typical products of the Crafts Village, a variety of handicrafts along with “family tree of ceramics craftsmanship”.
It is also expected to hold auctions of finest artworks. The top floor is an theater with outdoor space for events or celebrating traditional activities.
These floors are now in finishing stage and closed to public, so we only visited the store and some public area, but to be honest, that’s surprisingly a hidden gem more than our expectations.
This spectacular art space is expected to fully commence in June, 2021. For now, you can drop by for a while to pick up lovely souvenirs.
A pleasure hiking for a spectacular panorama and camping overnight in the pristine “paradise island”.
Compared to Ma Thien Lanh mountain (Núi Ma Thiên Lãnh), Ông Rồng is definitely less challenging with just 250m high above sea level. The entrance to the trail is just less than one kilometer in distance from Bac Beach (Bãi Bấc) and marked with a small guide signboard.
The name “Ông Rồng” (the Dragon) is actually derived from the ancient cycad at the top, whose shape looks like an aggressive dragon, grandly lying on the giant rock and watching all over the island.
The life span of this best-known cycad is estimatedly up to 300 years old, by counting the number of whorls on leaf scars on stems to determine how many annual or biennial leaf productions have occurred.
Just a stone’s throw away is a couple of “fairy” rock tables. The rumour has it that on calm nights, this is where fairies gather and play chess and have entertaining drinks together. Indeed, the gentle flat surface of the grand rock at the mountain top allows hikers to pitch camps overnight.
The hiking only takes one hour for a leisure roundtrip, which makes it surprisingly ideal for common females. It doesn’t require a good stamina base and the trail is also as clearly guided as Ma Thien Lanh routes. It is such an excitingly immersive experience! However, it is advised not to trek after early sunset (5:00 pm) as some guide signs drawn on rocks may be rarely visible in pitch dark.
The hiking goes through a primeval forest with a dense canopy and little open spaces (mostly near the top, which is located on giant rocks requiring hiker’s maneuvers) so it is pretty chill even at noon and the echo of insects and birds would awaken your ears. From time to time, hikers may come into a wild jackfruit tree or java apple.
Somewhere on the trail, there would be signs of heavy erosion on slope, which exposes the enormous roots of ancient trees and interestingly creates natural staircases for easy access, but I bet it is still rough and slippery on rainy days.
However, there has been no rest stop yet, even a refreshment vendor, coffees or a pagoda (Indeed, there was only one rest stop that had been under construction in April 2021).
So hikers had better prepare adequately beforehand, at least a few refreshments and several bottles of water for vital needs during the hike, as well as sporty dressing with “breathing” clothes for more comfortable experience.
For the sign boards guiding throughout the trail, instead of the words of encouragement like those in Ma Thien Lanh mountain, they are often reminders to protect the local environment through discouraging litter as well as raising the community awareness with some concerning facts of harmful impact of plastic to nature. Most of the messages are written on decorated wooden badges, beside some acrylic sheets.
The local hosts usually offer a guided tour for only 200,000 vnd but now it is indeed possible to hike on your own. So it’s your call to support the local economy or travel on a budget.
Built by French Army more than 100 years ago, the biggest cannon station of the region at the time now turns the National Historic Site, which is reminiscent of the colonial era and attracts dozen of curious travelers to explore.
Located 100m above sea level on the slope of Nui Lon (The Big Mountain, aka Tuong Ky – a 245m high mountain located in Vung Tau city, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province), the military complex was built in the late 19th century and completed in 1905, along with other “big gun” stations like Nui Nho (Small Mountain) and Cau Da. It is noted that the construction of the total 23 cannons ranging from 140mm to 300mm in Vung Tau was done entirely by manual methods.
Each cannon in Nui Lon is made out of three parts: the barrel, the bracket and the rotating wheel. The gun barrel is more than 4m in length, while the bracket and rotating wheel allows the guns to raise/ lower the range and rotate 360 degree on the concrete base, respectively.
This artillery site placed 6 cannons, arranged in an arc towards the East Sea, on the platform down from the ground.
Production information of model and weight is written on the barrel of the cannon. Accordingly, these 6 cannons were produced from 1872 – 1876, more than 15 tons in weight, with the inside diameter of 240mm.
Behind each gun base lies the ammunition cellar and the gunner tunnel, linked together by a trench system made out of concrete and monolithic. An artillery command cellar was built in the shape of a bunker floating on the ground closeby.
200m to the west of the artillery station is an artillery shell, also known as a mine shaft. These are two tunnels that are dug into the mountain bed. In 1944, the Japanese army used this tunnel to store mines to block Ganh Rai Bay and Vung Tau estuary.
During the anti-French period (1945 – 1954), Vung Tau army also secretly took dozens of mines here to fight back the enemy. The site now (2021) is accessible to public with paved road, starting on 444 street near beautiful Ben Da church.
Hot, rusty, not for everyone, but the Circle Line Train (officially known as the Yangon Circular Railway) offers a rare chance to truly get immersively into the essence of local (mostly poor) life of Yangon within 3 hours for less than one US dollar.
Myanmar has been in a terrible crisis since early February 2021, when Myanmar’s military staged a coup d’etat after the winning of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Senior members of the party were detained in the capital, Naypyidaw. It’s such a civil war: Tanks are rolling on the streets, and lines of communication across the country are down. Civilians – including protestors and humanitarian activists – are being shot down every day. The whole nation was drowned in bloody hell. That reality contrasts with the previous year, when I first put my feet on the Yangon International Airport to explore one of the most isolated countries of Southeast Asia. This situation has remained because of the seclusion policy of the army-dominated government from 1962 to 2011.
The country moved to democracy when Aung San Suu Kyi became the ‘de facto’ ruler in 2016. Since then, Myanmar initially conducted an open mindset in economic development and welcomed the flow of foreign investment along with, well, tourists – me included in my trip early 2020 to the country.
As few globetrotters dare travel to the countries under military dictatorships, like the infamous North Korea and dozens of Africa territories in decades. The running news of the coup d’etat in the country a year later once again raised opposing activities among peace-lovers in the world, and an enormous pity in the traveller’s heart, like me. How people whom I met and admired manage to live after a short-lived democracy. And how the poor commuters I encountered during the ride on the Yangon Circular Train previously survived.
Sweet memory back.
Circle Line trains possess a charm of history
A train of history
It was my last day in Myanmar, and I decided to spend the eventual hours in Yangon to hop on the ‘infamous’ train experience.
Like the world famous luxury-themed Orient Express, Circle Line trains possess a charm of history. Some of them are Hungarian imports from the 1960s while newer ones, Japan-made, were introduced in 2007. All connected cartridges move daily in a slow, 45-kilometer loop around Myanmar’s biggest city, on the railway built more than 60 years ago to connect rural suburbs and townships to the city’s commercial heart. These old and decommissioned trains do not hide their condition subtly. Everything clear to the passenger: seats are hard, whereas some fans are broken. Indeed, the picture reminds me of the old days of railway service in Vietnam when I was a little kid.
My journey started on the bustling Yangon Central Station, Myanmar’s largest train station, built by the British in 1877. Looking down on the overbridge, the train was look like a giant worm, crawling through rail depots and repair yards, material scattering around. The ticket booth only opened when the train almost arrived, selling tickets affordable even to the poorest. Under the heavy traffic of the Yangon downtown, the train might be obviously a less beaten ride, and promise a true picture of local living for curious travelers like me.
The train was look like a giant worm, crawling through rail depots and repair yards,
In the beautiful light of an early dawn or late afternoon, when trains roars and drifts slowly through the neighborhoods, you might get into a young girl, head out of the window to admire the moving view, yelling excitedly toward her mom, or an old man with a handful of sweeps taking a seat and rest for a while – back home or for business. Just like what made a deep impression on me when it comes to the first time boarding the Circle Line Train around Yangon.
A young girl, head out of the window to admire the moving view, yelling excitedly toward her momAn old man with a handful of sweeps taking a seat and rest for a while
You absolutely see the city as blocks of lego when up in the air on a plane, you may see the neat facades when you’re on a road, watching from a taxi, but I bet you rarely watch the back of Yangon without a tour on the city train.
It is ironic that people show off in front but they are truly “them” at the back, I mean, of their house. Children play among one anothers, enjoy their ideal childhood, while adults do washing, cleaning and chatting.
Say goodbye to the megamalls and skyscrapers in the downtown, you would really touch the other side of the urban – lower-income class. A family with a young father playing with his smiling child, or a group of youth playing mobile games together, a rushing office worker trying to learn some English,…
Seats are hard, whereas some fans are broken.
Street-life Photography Tips in Yangon Circular Train
The carriage is such an open space that you can do almost everything you want. You may take a seat and start photographing local people (those moment I love most during my trip), you may stand and look out of window for some moving landscape, and trigger at the right moment, and if you get a full tour (3 hours), I’m sure you get a lot of chances to take great daily-life pictures.
Hopping on the train, you would really touch the other side of the urban: lower-income class
Tough Experience for The First-time Train-hopper
The vendors also jump on and sell you some refreshment, fruits and you may wanna support them with a few kyats in exchange for the food.
You may spot some police armed with rifles, but it’s okay (Myanmar was still under strict control at the time, the checkpoint was set up at the entrances into public areas like City Conjunction Mall or Shwedagon masterpiece).
The old-man conductor will be checking the ticket sometimes, he uses a pen and marks on your paper piece.
Before the train arrives at the station, the platform is either on the right or left side, so watch out! I took the wrong side and had to jump high, which is kinda dangerous. The same for embark, get on the platform before getting on the train.
The machine-on-rail will stop by EVERY station, so stay seated and enjoy a true slow travel experience
The red Circle presents the train line, so you just check the google map to see if there is any train station by your location. The machine-on-rail will stop by EVERY station, so all you have to do is buy a ticket (200 kyat) and check the schedule and … wait (kinda long, the time may vary, but I count that every station might takes approximately 5 minutes,which mean, when the train starts at 14:55 (in my case) then it probably reaches the fourth station at 15:15. Hope the calculation may help you estimate time ETA.
Train is the cheapest option to get downtown
Getting from/ to airport by train in Yangon
Train is the cheapest option to get downtown, it is also rarely stuck in traffic jams (not many trains on the rail and it even has its own routes, different from the roads full of personal vehicles and taxis.
For the shortest trip (getting through fewer stations on the circle), it takes 1 hour to the airport (cheaper than taxi, less crowded route but dirtier, like a whole local market on train). On a lazy day, you may love to spend 2 hours more on the train following the longer journey to complete the entire circle.
This train trip is definitely a must for backpackers to get deep into local life. Though Myanamar now (2021) is still under the chaos, I hope the situation would be better soon to return and travel to further regions of this pristine country!
As a goodbye to coastal lines of Tuy Hoa city, you may turn head westward, take a ride to the Central highland, kingdom of majestic mountains and breathe-taking passes to Pleiku via Highway 19.
The road is not completely well-maintained as well as industrial tree plantations contribute significantly to the view en route.
You will ride through 2 major pass including An Khe and Mang Yang, the former is house to tremendous industrial tree plantations while the latter boasts charming pine forest.
Before that, you may be excited with the river bank in the picture above. As seen in the map, highway 19 is as a sneak embracing this river till Thuong Giang, a small town, and you won’t see then.
The very first moment I thought it was another hydro electric reservoir as the landscape was quite similar that. The pic was taken in Hoa Son, a countryside area of Tay Son district. You won’t probably miss this view as it is just by your right side when heading toward Gia Lai. There are several rest stops nearby as you can park your bike, order an local drink and enjoy the breeze from the river before back on road.
The second location caught me surprised is the rest of the abandoned Binh Dinh sugar mill plant. It looks like a perfect background for crime movies, where gangs usually settle at building occupied by no man. Scary but curious !
An Khe is not an typically magnificient mountain pass, the road is rough and it is not majestic as rain forest like Highway 20, it a green foliage of industrial plants, you would feel a sense of artificial there, leaving yourself an unsatisfied feelings.
Despite like of flower and too much green, the bud and fresh leaves put some red color contrast to the background.
At the end of the pass, there is a small stop offering hammock rest, where you will enjoy the “Sky Gate” – a panoramic vista toward the landscape of evergreen mountain.
I was knocked out by this view, though it was merely handmade forest, but I could feel spring spreading in each buds on top foliage, and it was fantastic!
Just by Ha Tam farm, the curving road is surrounded by cane field in white of blossom, how charming it is !
I was lucky when cought the pass at its most picturesque moment, a red foliage in front of the green background with a sun ray flying through.
Surprisingly, Mang Yang Pass in internet world is depicted as a the bloodest battle and partly ending the First Indochina War in 1954.
History left behind, the scenery is stunning, untouched and due to the high altitude, it is cool down and very relaxing, some vans pass by, making some noise to a great silence.
Mang Yang say a adorable farewell with a pine forest, where you may take a break in rest stop, enjoy an energy drink and swinging on a hammock, as typical Vietnamese riding experience.
It was spring when I rode on the pass, when the pine turned brown, gorgeous painted in sunshine. It was stunning and jaw-dropping moment.
Beside historical stories and attractive souvenirs, Old Quarter in Hanoi is also the best area for food tours, too. Let’s explore now!
Food
Courtesy of Phát Nguyễn (Isaac)
Bat Dan hot beef noodle (Phở Bát Đàn)
Apart from Ly Quoc Su street, Bat Dan houses one of the most famous Phở bò store in Hanoi. My travel buddy is a big fan of this popular destination and eagerly introduced me this experience in the early morning (as phở is sold out very quickly here). And don’t I tell you that this store serve ONLY Phở bò? How concentrating they are, selling one dish only!
The very first rule to have a good bowl of phở here is to come early (6:00-7:00AM) as the store will likely to be aggressively crowded then. The second rule (which is quite interesting) is to stay spirit of “first come first served”, everyone queue to order at the counter and take bowls of phở themselves from there as well. Table setting and service do not exist here. The tradition interestingly reminds Vietnamese people (especially the old ones) of the Bao Cấp era long ago, when everybody had to queue for the daily essentials and other stuff.
Pho Bat Dan is one of the most famous Phở bò store in Hanoi
Fried dough (Quẩy) here is also a good addition to elevate Phở experience, but remember that the big bowl may get you full soon as the amount of beef and noodle is considerable compared to those in the South.
We all highly appreciate the rich clear broth as it is super tasty with original flavours like it was once introduced in the 1960s. Moreover, the broth is reduced goodness of bone marrow but not fatty at all, whereas the beef is tender and soft with a glowing pink hue (like a delicious rare beefsteak).
You’re also encouraged to finish quickly as the number of seats in the store is very limited while the queue is long by the time.
Where to find: 49 Bat Dan street, Hanoi Cost to pay: average 60,000 vnd/ bowl, with three options: rare (tái), well-done (chín) or both (tái nạm).
Bún đậu mắm tôm is a simple-yet-remarkable food
Goc Da Noodle with fried tofu & shrimp paste (Bún đậu mắm tôm Gốc Đa)
This original Hanoi food is undeniably one of my girlfriend’s favorites: she even highlights the dish as the best food ever in our trip across Northern Vietnam and admits this tasty choice saved her bad experiences in Hanoi magically after all, in very last minutes.
Every ingredient is well cooked: the deep-fried tofu and pig guts are so crispy and hot, while the tender rice noodles add a bland manner on the tongue. The richness rises to peak when your mouth welcomes all kinds of boiled pig belly/ leg slices, guts and Vietnamese blood sausage.
The main role of this show is no other than shrimp paste, which is made of original fermented shrimp paste, lemon or kumquat juice and sugar. You can add more lemon or kumquat juice and sliced chili at your wish. So only in a small bowl of the mixed paste, we taste up to 5 flavors: sweet, salty, sour, hot and umami (meaty of shrimp). Eventually the herb, with tender bitterness and cool, balances perfectly all the richness and fatty taste of the main part.
The original tradition of this simple-yet-remarkable food is also showcased via setting technique: decorated more attractively on a flat winnowing basket covered by green banana/ phrynium leaves.
For the price, it’s kinda reasonablerange compared to other foods like Bún Chả (~50,000 vnd), Phở Bát Đàn (~60,000 vnd), Chả cá Lã Vọng (~130,000 vnd/pax). Our super combojust cost 130,000 vnd for two, including 2 special portions (35,000 vnd), 1 additional fried rolls (30,000 vnd) and fried pig’s tripes (30,000 vnd).
There are actually 2 stores located opposite at the street and both aggressively claim their controversial originality with the big poster at front, but both are all worth your try due to their distinctive flavors.
Where to find: no 3 & 4, Ngo Gach, Hang Buom ward, Hoan Kiem district Cost to pay: three levels from 25,000 – 30,000 – 35,000 vnd. The additions include fried rolls (30,000 vnd) and crispy fried pig’s tripes (30,000 vnd)
Ngan cháy tỏi Hàng Lược is a new flavor in Old Quarter
Hang Luoc Siamese duck with fried garlic (Ngan cháy tỏi Hàng Lược)
The food store in Hang Luoc street is reportedly the creator of the famous dish, which does not own a long history but is an epitome of the creativity of the local cuisine. That’s exactly what sparked in my mind when I first saw the dish on a street in the Old Quarter. Quickly pushed by curiosity, we decided to give the dish a try (It is a pity that our first time was not in Hang Luoc but a store at the intersection of Hang Non & Hang Thiec, which claimed its originality of the dish, made us mistaken).
To be honest, the store at Hang Non is not a bad option compared to the original one as they also offer small portions in bowls with reasonable price, instead of insisting on a full or a half of duck, which often is over budget (and overwhelms) for a couple. But it is tricky, and if you are not insistent on demanding the menu with price, loud and clear, you might get frustrated since the waiters try to trick you with a super big menu without price tags. Only when you make a fuss and intentionally leave, they calmly reveal the price of a half duck portion (~250,000 vnd). Keep insisting to leave and eventually, a small menu with a full price list would be on your table.
This experience leaves me an impression on how to deal with the local vendors in Hanoi (and other Northern provinces): you should only choose a restaurant/ coffee with a menu price list. Otherwise, you have to ask clearly before making a decision. It is surprisingly noticed that more and more stores in the North now display price lists that significantly build trust and better experience for customers. It seems the rip-off tradition once famous for Northern tourism now turns a bygone.
Admittedly, except for the tricky price approach, we had a wonderful experience here, a free bowl of bamboo shoot soup, sour fermented sliced bamboo shoot, tasty yet distinctive sauces and a good balance by fresh herb. All the good things come after an insistent request on the price list. It merely cost us 90,000 vnd for all and we loved it!
Where to find: 51 Hang Luoc, Hanoi (original store), some at Hang Non street like the one mentioned above. Price to pay: bowls cost ~50,000 vnd, a half of a duck costs ~230,000 vnd, and a full duck costs ~450,000 vnd (The price may vary, depending on certain store, holiday and portion).
Drink
Sấu dầm is a specialty of Hanoi
Dracontomelon fruit juice (sấu dầm)
My favorite drink in Hanoi since I was a young boy. As a specialty of the capital, quả sấu is used for various dishes of the North like Vịt om sấu (braised duck with dracontomelon), Rau muống luộc dầm sấu (boiled water spinach with dracontomelon) or various versions of Canh thịt (meat soup) cooked with this ingredients. Still, the juice is the winner in my heart and I didn’t miss a chance to enjoy the tasty drink. The distinguished flavor along with the crisp of the skin, a little soft of the fresh, sourness and sweetness, all of which are mingled together perfectly in ice. A highly recommended cool solution for high-heated summertime.
Where to find: most of the street vendors on the pavement selling ice tea and pipe tobacco (trà đá-thuốc lào) and in several coffee stores (we had it in a lovely coffee at Ta Hien street). Price: 15,000~30,000 vnd.
Egg coffee is such a storied drink in the capital
Egg coffee
I’ve lived in Saigon for years, I love the coffee culture of this storied metropolis, which possibly outnumbers the coffee tradition in Hanoi (The North still remains at the throne of Trà đá culture, admittedly). But I honestly admire egg coffee, which is definitely a must in the capital.
This long-live drink was created in 1946 by Mr Giảng, a former mixologist of Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. During the Resistance war against French colonialism in the North those days, milk is a such luxurious good as it is extremely scarce domestically. To battle this terrible insufficiency, the talented barista found that egg was an ideal alternative for milk, as long as it created a thick texture above coffee like that on cappuccino. After that, he left the world-famous hotel to open his own coffee shop in the Old Quarter neighborhood – Giang cafe, which is now run by his successors.
Egg coffee now is a popular option in some styled coffee shop, as it requires a skillful barista. I have tasted cappuccino, a good drink by Italian, honestly, but still enjoy egg coffee as it produces a heavy loaded version that meets local goût: thick and sweet, not gender at all. You have to dig through the dense sweet foam to sip the bitter coffee taste. Time flies and this rich coffee opens to the cold version, but I still prefer a hot cup of egg coffee on an autumn evening in Hanoi. How beautiful it is!
You may like to enjoy the original formula of Mr Giảng at Giang cafe or pamper yourself with the creativity of other versions in the cafes located at the same street. During the holidays, Giang cafe may experience an aggressively crowded flock of customers, so the other cafes in the area turn into good alternative shelters.
Where to find: Giang cafe, 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hanoi. You may find other coffee stores along the street with this specialty on the menu. Cost to pay: 25,000 – 45,000 vnd
Other best near the neighborhood
Never leave Hanoi without tasting a Trang Tien ice-cream, as it is like you’ve never been to
Trang Tien ice-cream (Kem Tràng Tiền)
Another legendary brand of Hanoi was created in1958 at No 35, Trang Tien street. Only after 1 month of training, Mr Khánh, who was in charge of the formula of this famous ice-cream during 1961 – 1993, showcased his talent in making the best ice-cream in town at that time: not too sweet, soft enough, balanced tastes of green rice, chocolate and milk kinds. Hanoi people loved them, and queued for the ice-cream, sometimes, occupied full of pavement at front. Having Trang Tien ice-creams in hands to deal with the super-hot summer of the capital is such a beloved memories of the local and tourists.
Courtesy of Trang Hình
In 2020, the brand was refitted thoroughly, especially the store at Trang Tien street. The walls was painted lovely picture of indigenous Hanoi culture like the domestic railway or calligraphy masters.
Courtesy of Trang Hình
Customers either take away ice-cream at the counter at front, or ride into a small alley to enjoy the centre inside. And we do love this atmosphere, the happy crowds, yummy ice-cream with cheap price (I even tried both popsicle and waffle cone with green rocroand durian flavors) colorful pictures on the walls for selfie – an amazing experience in Hanoi that you should not miss at all.
In spite of starting with an inspring dream “travel the world”, but recently you’ve been likely to be fed up with journeys, you rush on a bus to a new destination but your mind is away, your heart is not full and your thought is confusing “why I don’t feel satisfied, what’s wrong with me”.
I was.
Well, truth to be told, sometimes I just wanted to settle down, 9-5 jobs, earn for living, read books and enjoy my weekends on some coffee. But then I was confused and my heart was eager to be put on road again. I was stuck in that situation.
It is a circle of emotion.
Finally I come up with some ideas, hopefully they help you refresh and enjoy a travel again and again, as it does for me!
1. Travel slowly
One of the best mistakes I’ve ever made was to rush myself to check in as much as possible in very limited time and budget. I would just spend 1-2 days walking around a new city, then I hopped on a flight to the another, held a short visit and continue the hustle pace, as if I didn’t travel, I did work, tried to finish the KPI, and put an end to all my enthusiasm.
So this is how to fix it: Give your travel bug more time to bite you!
If you love a cathedral, extend 1-2 hours for it to enjoy every details, to have conversation, to get deeper knowledge, to feed your curiosity.
If you fall in love with a city, don’t be hustle, be gentle, take a walk with her as romantic as you can be. Make those moments everlasting as it should be, because, you know, you travel, not work!
Eventhough we are not interested in some destinations from time to time, just make sure that the reason you leave those places is not only do you have to transit to the other but also there’s nothing left for you to explore them!
2. Diverse your style (adventure, foodtour, photography,…)
We have our own guts, styles and interests, we focus on what we do really love, but too much a travel style will bore you, no more no less.
Now and then, we should also get out of comfort zone, try new kinds of travel that we’ve never done before. It should somehow fulfill you.
I recollect my pieces of memories when I was first time hitting road, just a late teenager, on my beloved bike, we rode to the countryside, to a beach not too far from my city, via a mangrove. How green and fresh it was. And I harbored a dream to cycle around the world as a solo traveler.
Then my friend joined me and we traveled together for years, on bikes, to virtually every destinations in my countries, and the neighbor countries. More friends, more fun!
When ride was enough for me, I went for flights, for the first time, and kept doing for a year. Amazing experiences! I learnt about budget travel and how to get cheap flights. It expanded my horizons.
Then I made several road trips, alone, on my bike. It was astonishing to see things I’d never seen before, completely free (maybe solitude for sometimes). Meeting local, getting into unbeaten tracks, adventures… by chance.
And this year, I would keep up working to new experiences, new skills to acquire, new countries to explore.
It’s worthy! Why not!
3. Solo to social and vice versa
Okay okay, this is getting more serious.
Indeed, I hear that there is even a war among solo travelers and social ones. The solo take pride in their freedom and inner discovery while the other believe that there’s no satisfactory trip without partners. Well, we all have our own thought, but it’s ourselves that we know what we really love. No one knows but you, trust me!
In my case, I was initially a solo backpacker, but after a deep depression, I changed a little bit. I open my mind and my plans with the other and invite them to take part in my trips, giving it more colors and voices.
And when in hostels, instead of lazily sipping coffee planning myself where to kill time, I ask other travelers what their plan is, and if they do new thing that sounds interesting, I would ask to join.
However, occasionally I know I need some fresh air. Or maybe, just simply no one would join my plan but I’m dying to make it come true. So I travel alone again.
4. Read more, travel deeper
I love reading books, if you can’t afford travel, you can travel through books.
Actually, I’m convinced that, along with no-planning travel style which you either get lost interestingly or waste your time wandering around and find nothing, reading and planning give us more eagerness.
Some books should give you inspiration like legendary “The alchemist”, “On the road”, “Eat, pray, love”,… and of course, motivational posts from bloggers and travel megazines.
Some books should feed your curiousity with detail information, pictures and facts such as Lonely Planet, or online resource as Wikitravel. I was surprised when I read about my incoming countries: the culture, the food, the meanings in every social gesture, where should be the best destinations to spot sunrise and sunset,…
One advice that most travelers will give you: Whenever you travel, bring along at least a book! Not only does kill time effectively, knowledge enrichs your experience in upcoming destinations.
alms giving ceremony in Luang Prabang
5. Helping people
When you help people, you help yourself more, you have motivation in the work you’re on. Because you know you’re of use to everyone, which makes your life meaningful as well as your travelling.
I establish Darejourney as a travel blog to note down interesting stories in my travel lifestyle, so that years later, looking back and I’m proud of what I’ve done, that I won’t forget people, lands, experiences, everythings I’ve been to.
But soon when I shared my stuff, people knocked my inbox and asked for advices. I found out how useful I could be, that my doings might help people to fulfill their dreams, that I was doing right things: sharing! That’s still my best purposes to keep up on the blog with happiness everyday.
Someones choose to combine charity activities and trips. It’s also a good start. You’re not only to enjoy the trip but also you help the miserable less miserable. You give them hope and it fuels your soul.
It’s great to do good thing every days, along with travelling!
6. Stop travelling, for a while
Last but not least, my suggestion is to settle down. It sounds destructive but it works, at least for some ones I know.
The stop needn’t to be long, maybe months so that you feel loving roads again, the smell of dusty backpack lures you to put on and the travel bug, well, transforms fully into a beautiful butterfly. And fly !
It comes naturally.
Instead of struggling with the confusion, just go with the flow, your heart always knows what you love, and if travel is your call, then it will ring the bell, no worry!
Many travelers miss to trek Ba Den mountain while it is a must-try experience when you’re in HCMc. Here is the reasons:
1. Location
Ba Den mountain is such a popular trekking site among Saigon citizens. The young usually spend the weekend climbing the peak. It’s very close to HCMc, only 90 km on highway. At average speed of 50 km/h, it takes 2 hours to reach the foot of the mountain.
Due to the short range, you can take your time to climb up and down within a day or join a night trek and get down day after. (It shares the same direction with Cu Chi tunnel so you might like to include it).
By the sun
2. Challenge
There are plenty of mountains in the South of Vietnam, but Ba Den mountain is famous for its brand as the highest peak among the other (986m). So it’s worthy conquering.
The trails are very difficult to pass if you’re a newbie, and even you are a veteran, they still challenge you at the beginning. There’s a way with hundreds of stairs, the another requires trekkers to use both hands and feet, sometimes you get lost, some paths are very dangerous and the leaders only accepted advanced players.
It’s not an easy trek, but the compensation is worthy.
Panorama
3. Landscape
Despite of a well-known trekking site, travelers still enjoy the natural flora and fauna, bamboo, orchids, sometime is orchards of the local with mango, banana, jackfruit,…
Camping and you watch the city at night with lines of lights following the roads, some lonely lights from houses and maybe, if you’re lucky, a full moon on a clear dark sky smiles you.
Waking up at dawn, with cold breezes outsides hitting the tent, bending trees guiding you to the “sky gate” and if you’re lucky (again), a sea of cloud that you can not take your eyes off.
The site provides the variety of routes to the peak that attracts such numerous travelers. There are generally 5 routes and it ranges from the easy to more difficult options.
As the beginners, you can choose “electricity pole” to follow due to it clear road mark and the popularity, but then “pagoda path” is also a good choice as it require a bit more stamina to climb up. The other is said to be more challenging so when you get used to the easy, try to conquer the harder.
Ba Den peak at dawn
5. Camping experience
I’ve done many times before and honestly recommend it to everyone. People usually travel to the foot of the mountain at night and start hiking up for 3-4 hours.
What makes it memorable is the feelings when you reach peak after so many fatigues, thoughts of quitting game but everyones encourage you to move on, and eventually you make it.
The campfire is also an opportunity to connect with people, share your stories, have meals in wilderness.
When you strive hard, the sleep becomes deeper, the food is exceptionally delicious and the landscape is wonderful.
I’ll note some quick information for travelers who wish to travel from Ho Chi Minh city to Vientiane by bus.
The bus will depart at Ho Chi Minh city, go through Hoa Lu border checkpoint (Vietnam) and spend a half day in Cambodia, until they reach Stung Treng border crossing station to Laos.
The on-bus time is approximately 28 hours.
Bike transportation will very harsh, so it’d better take a bus to Vientiane and rent/buy a bike to travel across Laos. I saw many ads selling bike mostly everywhere in Laos, most of them are from Vietnam.
Okie, this is the main point: We only found ONE bus driving DIRECTLY (no-transit) to Laos. It’s VIETLAO bus, but it merely works at the weekend. However, there are many buses reaching Pakse, from there, you can transit to norther bus station to take another bus to the capital, more hassle!
We used two bus brand for back and forth:
1.HCMc –> Laos:
We used Minh Vu Bus (+84 989 96 1239/+84 918 181 797, 196 Tran Huy Lieu, ward 15, Phu Nhuan district, HCMc).
It costs 1,3 million dong/ person, including transit and ticket from Pakse to Vientiane. You have breakfast and lunch (Vietnamese delicious dishes), starts at 4 AM everyday, 5PM you reach Pakse, then they will help you transit to northern bus station, buy ticket for you. We were on King bus for 170,000 kip/ person, bunk bed, departing at 8:30PM, so you have mostly 3-hour transit, and reaching Vientiane at 5 AM the following day.
Note: You should take no more than 50,000 kip for tuk tuk to downtown.
Minh Vu bus doesn’t support slippers, so you should bring a pair to get in-and-out easily for custom border and meals. I wore shoes and it’s completely hell when I had to put it on and take it off many times, while my feet smelt terrible.
Note: the agency also offers changing money at good rate, so you can take advantage of it to save money and time. Just call them first and ask how much they can exchange (Lao kip is quite not popular in HCMc).
Note: Viet Lao bus also provide route HCMc-Laos, departs at 4 PM, on Monday and Thursday.
2. Laos-> HCMc:
Vietlao bus for 550,000 kip/ person (no transit). We departed at 5PM Friday (Southern bus station/ Km9 bus station, Vientiane) and reach HCMc at 6PM Saturday (Eastern bus station, HCMc). Indeed, VietLao bus offer regularly departure at 4PM on Tuesday and Friday.
It’s a sleeping bus, like Minh Vu. The bus does provide flippers, so no need to bring yours. The agency provides 3 meal totally, mostly are Vietnamese food.
Phone: 0985421028 (vietnam) và 02098717979 (laos).
Note: there’s no toilet room in both bus so besides restaurant stops, sometimes bus stop for “natural toilet”, be aware!
Biking with our own bike is the best but sometimes we have to rent bikes to travel around so these quick bike checking tips may help you enjoy the biketrip more safely.
1. Engine
The engine is heart of motorbike. So it deserves to check first. A good engine brings you a beautiful roadtrip experience. These below checks should be done:
– Good ignition from electronic starter and pedal ?
– The engine sound good, fume clear?
– Locate the spark plug and check it still good.
– Motor lubricant is fresh and enough?
*Let bike run in 2-5 minutes to check for any abnormalities.
2. Wheels
Good wheels keep your bike balanced and stick to the road, so:
– Is it balance, no broken strokes?
– Pressure is good, no leaks in air-lock, tread is fresh, not worn-out too much?
Note: check bike luggage rack durability if you intentionally attach stuff into it.
3. Handlebar
You can not speed up with a loose handling right? So you’d better check whether it is:
– turn left/ right well
– fixed position, not deviated
4. Breaks
I don’t think you would mount on a non-brake bike, it’s dangerous. Worn brakes also possibly cause deadly accidents when you can not stop in emergency cases.
– Try braking to feel whether it is well-adjusted, pads are worn, even the strings is strong.
– If using disk brake, check for fluid also.
5. Chain
A good chain should improve the traction, you will know it when your bike climbs slope and carry heavy objects.
So, the chain should be tensed appropriate (just a bit loose) and lubricated
6. Light
Imagine you drive in dim/ dark sky with no light: nightmare !! So it’s essential to check lighting system.
– Turn on light system, check high/low light button, the halogen bulbs/ LED, dashboard, signal lights, tail light, horn.
– Check battery by press horn button and listening to the sound, if the battery is exhausted, it sounds murmur
7. Mirror – Seat
We don’t have eyes at back, so mirrors are our eyes.
Your bike should have enough 2 mirror and it adjustable to fit your body pose on bike.
Your seat is comfort.
8. Helmet/ gear and licenses
Some country require wearing helmets so ask the agency whether they support you.
In some extreme biking experience (like my biketrip from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang), you should also put on protection gear to minimize all damage in case of accidents.
Licenses is merely impossible to ask agency for, but at least you can make copy. It aids you in some negotiations with REAL police.
