The Open Road: How You Should Travel Across Vietnam

Do you want to find the ultimate feeling of freedom? Pack your bags and buy a plane ticket to Vietnam!

Freedom is an indescribable feeling; it takes root in your gut and crawls through your entire body. You know what freedom is to you when you feel it; there is no arrangement of letters in the alphabet to put it into words.

Vietnam is a recent hotspot for young travelers, from its bustling cities to its jaw-dropping nature, there is so much to see and do. In this article, I’ll outline for you the best areas to see, where to fly into, and what to do from there. So, open the Skyscanner app, which I think is the best way to find the cheapest flights for where you want to go and start searching because Vietnam waits for you!

Skyscanner is what I always use as a reference point for flights because it finds the best flight combinations and times based on price or convenience. Once you see the flights on Skyscanner, I recommend going to the airline website directly and booking to save yourself a little bit of third party hassle in the airport.

I found the ultimate feeling of freedom with my arms spread wide and my head tilted back, letting the wind rush past me as I rode on the back of a motorcycle through the northernmost mountains of Vietnam. It’s your turn to find that feeling!

Hanoi, Vietnam

The capital city, a must see! Discover its magic from trains to food to coffee, Hanoi offers the true Vietnamese experience.

Hanoi is the best city to fly to for many reasons. For starters, it’s such a lively place to see. All you need in Hanoi is some good walking shoes and a little Vietnamese dong, the local currency, and you can wander all your little heart desires.

However, as you’re immersing yourself you should try to stay culturally conscious when you explore the city. It’s an excellent spot for tourists, but remember to be mindful of the people whose home you’re in!

The 3 Best Spots in Hanoi

Stop by Train Street. This spot, shown above, is such a unique place to see. A railway runs directly through all the shops and cafes. If you time it right, you can watch a train go by close enough to touch as you enjoy a bowl of pho and a Vietnamese iced coffee.

Checking out Banh Mi 25 is a must! Vietnamese food is always so delicious, but if you’re a foodie like me, you’ll be dreaming about this place forever. There is only one type of item on the menu, the Bahn Mi sandwich. However, they offer endless variations of that well-loved classic. Come hungry, and maybe you can try a few kinds!

The Note Cafe! This place is ADORABLE. Aside from being a wonderful spot to grab a cup of coffee or an ice cream, The Note Cafe is famous for it’s decor: it’s full of post-it note messages written by each traveler that stops in. Buy a coffee, and you will receive a sticky note and a pen. You’re free to write whatever you wish to share with the world. I wrote “I WAS HERE” on mine, so if you pop by this cafe and see that one, me and you will both know who “I” is.

Besides being a wonderful city, Hanoi is the best area to fly into because it’s a good starting spot for other Vietnam destinations, which leads us to the next section of this article: Ha Giang! 

Ha Giang, the Loop

Ha Giang is arguably one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. From its rolling mountains to endless streams and waterfalls, it’s a place that you can hardly believe is real! And only a hop, skip, and a jump from Hanoi.

For some background, the Ha Giang Loop is a road that winds around the beautiful northernmost mountains of Vietnam. From Hanoi, they’re many travel companies to help you book a tour to either drive yourself or a bike ride to experience the views for three to four days, staying at hostels along the way.

My friends and I booked in advance, through Jasmine Tours and had a very helpful employee texting us throughout our planning. Jasmine Tours is definitely the best bet, they were very well organized and helpful. They organized a sleeper bus, where we could drive through the night and arrive in Hanoi rested and ready for Day 1 of the Loop.

What to bring

A tiny backpack

This is important because you have to carry what you have with you. If you have a big suitcase, it won’t be able to fit on the back of the bike. I recommend traveling as lightly as possible to make it easier for yourself and your driver (unless you drive yourself).

Good walking shoes

Although you spend a lot of time sitting on the back of a bike, there are a lot of driving intermissions where you’ll need to walk around. It’s important not to be in flip flops or anything open toed.

Rain ready clothes

This also means clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty! Our last day of the Loop, it rained the ENTIRE time and I was grateful for the rain pants I brought. With the rain came the upwards splashing of mud as well, so be warned!

A Closer Look on the Loop

My friend Benny was also on the Loop with me. He had the most wonderful time and highly recommends it to anyone considering going to Vietnam.

“I’ve never experienced anything like it!” Benny told me, “Each morning, I woke up so excited for the opportunities the day would bring. It was beautiful transitioning from mountains to river and back and speeding by it all.”

He expressed how nice it was not to have a care in the world on the back of the bike. It all felt so simple since his only thoughts were about the beauty around him and where to eat next.

Easy rider

When booking the tour, I recommend selecting the “easy rider” option. That way, you’ll be able to relax on the back of the bike. Now, let’s hear from one of the riders employed by Jasmine Tours, named Thǎng Bút. He spoke of his experience driving the loop with a tourist behind him, saying:

“As an easy rider, I feel that the Ha Giang Loop trips are wonderful, especially testing my driving skills with the mountain passes in Ha Giang, the beautiful green landscapes and the rocky mountains in the highlands have a natural beauty,”

Thǎng Bút grew up in Ha Giang and the travels outside his hometown made him realize he lives in the most beautiful place in the world. He encourages everyone to try out this awesome experience through Jasmine Tours. Maybe you’ll get him as your driver too! “Welcome everyone!” He exclaimed.

What I learned along the way

Each day, the Loop brings something entirely new, so here’s my experience to show you what your time will look like.

The first morning is about safety and learning how to navigate the roads if you’re driving yourself. For those who don’t know how to drive a motorcycle (most of us), you’ll meet your driver then, too! Once we commenced on the journey, the rest of the day was filled with amazing views and hikes!

Days 2 and 3 were full of more hikes and swimming with a boat ride. The stops and viewpoints included gorgeous mountains, the Chinese border, and, of course, delicious traditional food. Don’t forget to leave room in your tiny backpack for a suit for the water activities! Not only swimming in rivers, a few of the hostels had pools we swam in before partying with our drivers at night.

Go out and see the world (and, of course, Vietnam)!

Doesn’t that sound amazing? And that was just my experience, so much happens each day, every person has a different takeaway. Everything that I did over the course of those three days I think I can describe as the coolest things I have ever done!

Vietnam is one of the most beautiful countries to visit, and it has many destinations. Doing the Ha Giang Loop was something that I was incredibly grateful to experience in my 20s. Although, my butt hurt pretty bad by the end of the trip of it, despite my youth!

There is no better time to travel than now! Forge your own freedom, fellow travelers, throw back your head, spread those arms, and feel the wind. You are free.