Travel Tuesday - Vietnam

We first visited Vietnam 20 years ago and loved it so much we decided we should take the kids back. It really, didn’t disappoint.

A selection of photos from north and central Vietnam

Ninh Binh and Tam Coc (our first stops) were quite frankly, insane.

Everywhere was so pretty at night, lanterns lighting the way and water everywhere to reflect that light. We spent a lot of time cycling around which the kids absolutely loved.

Boats resting after a hard days work at Tam Coc - Bich Dong

Our second boat trip was visiting the caves and mountain pagodas and I don’t know how we managed it, perhaps because it was quite late in the afternoon when we set off but we were alone almost everywhere, we had the river to ourselves it seemed, which was pretty cool and especially so when navigating the caves, the gap between the surface of the water and the ceiling was at times no more than a metre and half and it was incredible.

Due to the aforementioned late departure time, we actually got back in the dark (we were still quite a long way from home and it was getting so dark that I was mildly relieved to see the lights ahead) but it did make for some atmospheric photos. Apparently they filmed part of King Kong there and some of the mountains in the dark had some distinctly foreboding gorilla shapes to them!

The riverways and caves of Trang An

The old town of Ninh Binh

Unfortunately our beach plans were somewhat scuppered by bad weather but I the silver lining was to not have tremendously hot weather (being the vampire that I am). I do quite like moody tropical vegetation as well!

Texture of the trees.

Hoi An stole our hearts 20 years ago and it was just as wonderful this time around. A different scale for sure but the vibe was the same, if perhaps a little more hectic compared to the chilled out delightful discovery it felt like the first time. It’s grown exponentially it’s true but the unique atmosphere, the old buildings decorated with lanterns, the delicious food, the warmth of the people, we loved it.

Shops and streets of Hoi An

The old town is charming beyond belief, every corner you turn around is picture perfect.

Wooden puppets outside a shop

There was endless inspiration, in the pattern, relief work, tiles, I loved it all.

Colours, textures, motifs.

A sparse amount of sketchbook work, I always try to pack a minimal amount of art supplies, usually no colour and a very small sketchbook but still, I never manage to find the time. I’d like to blame it on mothering duties but in truth I should be more disciplined.

Sketchbook pages.

As much as I was expecting them, anticipating them, I was still surprised at how captivated I was by all the lanterns everywhere. I think the whole world should be decorated with Vietnamese lanterns. But then, would they be quite so special?

Lanterns, lanterns, lanterns.

On our eating style:Although we ate beautifully fresh and nutritious food, we also managed to squeeze in a delicious amount of milkshakes, these babies being the crowning glory…

Three oreo cheesecake milkshakes. Divine.

Hanoi, our last stop was a joyful explosion of colour. Every street felt like a celebration. It was new year’s eve so maybe that was it but we had a hectic two days walking, sometimes on the back of a grab bike, exploring the city.

Colour (but mostly reds)

So there you have it, a little window into how I see the world when travelling, an itch I’ll never want to stop scratching. We’ve no plans for any more far flung places on the horizon so I’ll share a few past trips next….

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