Hanoi Archives - Roaming Unbound

Vietnam

An Alien, Spaceman & Angry Pig on a Dancefloor

My sixty visa-free days in Thailand had come to an end, so I took the short flight across the border from Chiang Mai to Hanoi in Vietnam. My previous experience of Vietnam had always felt a little overwhelming compared to Thailand, but I was up for a dance after settling in.

Vietnam

Xin Chào! (Vietnam Travel Diary #1)

Despite winging my travels in many ways, I do like to be prepared. I held out until there were just 2 weeks left to apply for a Vietnam visa, as a big update was coming. It was worth the wait. They opened e-visa applications for all countries! And what a breeze.

Vietnam

Taken for a Ride (Vietnam Travel Diary #2)

I’ve taken some brief walks around the neighbourhood. It’s a very local vibe. I’m certainly the only bearded stand-out. I’m even living with the locals in the same apartment block. Love it, but very little English is spoken. I’m taking some YouTube classes, but I’m finding Vietnamese very difficult to

Vietnam

Hungry Ghosts (Vietnam Travel Diary #3)

I’m regretting not having done at least a little bit of research into the local area before booking a full week stay. My morning walk got blocked by a big construction gate. I was trying to get to a garden cafe but Google Maps wasn’t having any of that. It

Vietnam

What The Pho (Vietnam Travel Diary #4)

I’ve been eager to see a water puppet show. I got a response to my emailed inquiry and asked if I could please have a seat reserved for the Friday 8pm show. I grabbed a bike taxi straight after a post-work shower. I got there with two minutes to spare.

Vietnam

Is Marriage On? (Vietnam Travel Diary #5)

It was my first chance to do an extra-long walkabout since arriving in Vietnam. It totaled 16km doing a circuit of the two major lakes in Ha Noi, with various pitstops at a few interesting-looking places. The gates to all the temples and pagodas were locked up tight though. I

Vietnam

Peacock-Chickens (Vietnam Travel Diary #6)

I got a front row seat to see a water puppet show. This is performed by highly skilled puppeteers who can breathe underwater. This is accompanied by 8 musicians playing traditional instruments. The story went something like this: Fishing and boating in olden times was tough. There was one particular