Vietnam

Our trip to Vietnam in May 2019 did not start quite as planned. On our way to Hanoi, we had a long layover in Beijing and had hoped to leave the airport for a few hours to explore the city. Unfortunately, our short-term visa request was denied without explanation. Instead, we spent more than 20 hours inside the airport, with most shops closed and large parts of the internet inaccessible.

Once we arrived in Hanoi, however, the exhaustion quickly faded. After a few nights in the city, we continued north to Sa Pa, where we explored the famous rice terraces and rode a scooter through the mountains close to the Chinese border. Back in Hanoi, we were also lucky enough to walk along the well-known Train Street before access became more restricted. Along the way, we discovered some of the best food of the entire trip, from small local restaurants to busy street-food markets offering an incredible variety of dishes.

From Sa Pa, we took a night bus to Ha Long and explored the impressive landscapes and floating communities of Ha Long Bay. We then travelled south to Da Nang, where we joined a scooter tour along the Hai Van Pass and visited the atmospheric lantern town of Hoi An. From Da Nang, we flew on to Ho Chi Minh City, still widely known as Saigon, and took a tour through the Mekong Delta.

Afterwards, we flew to Phú Quốc, where we spent the final part of the trip slowing down, relaxing by the coast and watching some unforgettable sunsets.

The journey still had one final surprise in store for us. On our return trip to Germany, we had another stopover in Beijing. This time, with revised tourist visa documents, we were finally allowed to enter the city. At the arrivals gate, we simply approached other travellers and met Philipp from New York City and Marvin from Bochum (Germany). Together, we shared a taxi to spend around two hours at the Great Wall of China. It turned into a spontaneous and slightly wild adventure. Afterwards, we returned to central Beijing and visited Tiananmen Square before heading back to the airport.

It was a memorable three-week journey full of contrasts, unexpected encounters and unforgettable experiences. A truly special holiday and one of our favourite travel adventures.