Field notes
Vietnam
Get acquainted with the character and the corners of Vietnam.
The character
Vietnam moves. Breakfast is eaten on the sidewalk at dawn, the motorbike carries whatever needs carrying, and the country solves problems while other countries are still scheduling the meeting about them. The pace isn't stress. It's competence at speed.
The food alone justifies the flight. Pho at seven in the morning on a plastic stool, herbs by the basket, broth that someone's family has argued about for two generations. The lower the stool, the better the meal. This rule hasn't failed us yet.
Geography matters here. The country is long and thin, and the north and the south run on different weather and different temperaments, with the center keeping its own schedule. Hanoi isn't Saigon and both are proud of it.
When to go
There's no single good season for the whole country. The north is best roughly October to April, the center early in the year, and the south during its dry months from December to April. Pick your region first and the dates follow.
Tet, the lunar new year, usually falls in late January or February. It's the country's great homecoming, and for about a week transport sells out and many businesses close. Beautiful to witness, complicated to travel through.
Money
The currency is the dong and you'll be a millionaire by lunchtime, since the largest notes run to half a million. Street food costs around a dollar or two a meal, and the famous bowl of pho rarely crosses three.
Cash rules the street stalls and cards work in cities. The bill at a market stall is occasionally creative. Check it without ceremony. The correction is made without ceremony too, and everyone moves on.
Getting around
The Reunification Express runs the length of the country, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, in about 35 hours. Take one overnight segment with a berth and watch the country change out the window. It's slow and that's the point of choosing it.
In cities, the ride-hailing app Grab handles cars and motorbike taxis at posted prices, which removes the negotiation. Crossing the street works on one rule. Walk steadily and predictably, and the traffic flows around you. Hesitation is the only dangerous move.
Do this
Eat pho for breakfast like it's normal, because it is
Find the stall with the crowd and one pot. Sit low. Add herbs. Repeat tomorrow at a different stall and develop opinions you'll defend for years.
Drink egg coffee in Hanoi
Cà phê trứng, an egg yolk whipped with condensed milk over strong coffee, invented in Hanoi when milk was scarce. It's dessert impersonating coffee and it works.
Choose Lan Ha Bay over the famous cruise lanes
The limestone karst seascape continues south of Ha Long into Lan Ha, with the same towers and fewer boats. Book a one-night cruise from Cat Ba and skip the day-trip churn.
Get clothes made in Hoi An
The old town runs on tailoring. Bring a photo of what you want, allow time for two fittings, and pay a fraction of home prices for work that fits you specifically.
Skip this
The Ha Long day trip from Hanoi
Four hours of bus each way wrapped around a short, crowded cruise. Stay a night on the water or go to Lan Ha instead. The bay deserves better than a lunch break.
The cyclo tour at the quoted price
The bicycle rickshaws are picturesque and the fare has a way of growing during the ride. Agree the price and the currency before sitting down, or take the walk.
Worth knowing
- Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee exporter and the largest for robusta beans. The French brought the plant. Vietnam took it personally and never gave it back.
- Hanoi's Old Quarter streets are named for the goods their guilds sold, silk street, silver street, bamboo street. Some still sell exactly what the name says.
- Motorbikes outnumber cars overwhelmingly, with tens of millions registered nationwide. A family of four on one bike is commuting, not performing.
The notes end here, for now.
We're writing the books one country at a time. The Norway guide shows what the full treatment looks like, and the quiz doubles as our mailing list.