Vietnam - our first impression
We’ll be honest, Vietnam has never been part of our plans.
However, while traveling, we met many people who told us how amazed they were by the beauty of this country, its food, and its culture. And who are we not to believe them and book a flight to Ho Chi Minh City? So that’s exactly what we did, and after Bali, we suddenly found ourselves in one of the most chaotic cities we’ve ever been to.
Imagine a city where scooters zip around in every direction; the biggest challenge is crossing the street safely! 🇻🇳🏍️
Of course, we were a bit overwhelmed by all this energy and, at first, almost regretted choosing this country over Cambodia. But then, we discovered its the breathtaking nature and fell in love with the lush green hills. 🌿
This chapter of our journey, as you can imagine, was not easy as we thought it’d be. On the contrary, it was a huge challenge that pushed us to our limits. We found ourselves in situations that we laugh about (a lot!), but at that time, between the heat and exhaustion, they almost made us give up.
Now, we have beautiful memories of Vietnam. We smile when we think back to certain moments and have plenty of stories to tell.
If you're even a little curious about what happened and want to experience Vietnam as we did, keep reading and discover what might be waiting for you in the land of lanterns and endless rice fields.
Our arrival
Traveling adventurously had started to become part of our daily routine, and we thought Vietnam wouldn’t be much different from the other places we had visited…how wrong we were.
Our arrival in Ho Chi Minh City was a real shock. The heat was suffocating, the city was immersed in darkness, and the traffic and building lights were blinding. Horns were loud, the air was thick with strong smells, and the narrow alleys made it easy to get lost. Crossing the street felt like a life-or-death challenge, and suddenly, finding our way around became a real struggle.
The street where our accommodation was located was small and slightly lit, with electrical wires dangling overhead. Men were sitting on the sidewalk, others were sleeping on their motorbikes, while shopkeepers, with just a few quick moves, were transforming their stores into homes for the night.
One of the funniest moments of our trip to Vietnam was, without a doubt, our first dinner. Hungry and disoriented, we were looking for a local place to eat. Without cash, we couldn’t dine in traditional restaurants, so, after nearly an hour of wandering, we finally gave in and walked into an unfamiliar Asian fast-food chain. The menu was entirely in Vietnamese, and, feeling completely lost, we decided to order based on the most "appetizing" photos. The result? We ended up with spaghetti in tomato sauce with würstel (which we had mistaken for carrots), spicy fried chicken, and overcooked pasta as a side dish.
A dinner full of laughter, misunderstandings, and curiosity from the locals, who were probably wondering what we were doing there. 🍝🍗
The stories you’ll find on our blog are a series of adventures, some smoother than others. We’ll take you along on a journey through a country that challenged us and pushed us beyond our limits.
By the end of our story, you might feel like booking a flight to Vietnam tomorrow, or maybe not. But one thing is certain: you’ll have a good laugh with us and understand why, even today, we look back at this trip with a big smile on our faces!
✈️🌍 Disclaimer!!! Many of the experiences we had were influenced by our low-budget travel style, so if you have a higher budget, you might be able to avoid some of them… or experience them in a much more comfortable way!