THE VIETNAM
WHETHER YOU’RE STAYING IN THE OLD CITY OF HANOI OR THE BUZZING CAPITAL HO CHI MINH, LOCAL RESIDENT NELL MCSHANE WULFHART PICKS OUT 10 EXPERIENCES THAT SUM UP THE CULTURE OF CEB’S NEWEST DESTINATION
NEW ROUTE
1 GETTING AROUND
They say it’s the journey, not the destination that counts and in Vietnam, as in the Philippines, the journey is more often than not made on the back of a motorbike, the country’s most popular form of transport. So to see the country from a local’s vantage point, rent your own from a café in the tourist areas of Ho Chi Minh City (commonly referred to as HCMC) and Hanoi and brave the traffic, or rely on one of the xe om drivers found on every street. They’ll take you anywhere in the city for between VND10,000 (PHP25.64/USD0.63) and VND20,000 (PHP51.28/USD1.25) – just hop on the back of the bike, pull on your helmet (the driver should have one for you), and close your eyes.
The less adventurous (or reckless) can pick up one of the cheap and air-conditioned taxis, plentiful in both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, by simply flagging one down on the street. Or, for a taste of tradition going all the way back to the days of the emperors, take one of the cyclos (a cycle rickshaw) for a slow cruise around the city.
2 FUSION FOOD AT RESTAURANT BOBBY CHINN
Vietnam’s premier celebrity chef, Bobby Chinn, opened up his eponymous restaurant in 2000 and it’s been pulling in diners ever since. Chinn’s combinations of local ingredients and Western techniques result in dishes like filet mignon spring rolls, green tea-smoked duck on black sticky rice and tamarind-glazed crab cake on chive flowers. In keeping with the Westernised amenities, the wine list is superlative and unusual touches like soundproofed walls and a Moroccan-themed bar have made this a consistently popular choice.
Chinn’s is at the forefront of a fusion food movement that’s been making the most of Vietnam’s extraordinary range of ingredients. Other great choices for fusion food include La Verticale (verticale-hanoi.com) in Hanoi and Xu (xusaigon.com) in HCMC, both of which have earned well-deserved plaudits for their skilled and innovative mingling of Eastern and Western flavors.
Bobby Chinn, 1 Ba Trieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, bobbychinn.com
3 LUSH NIGHTCLUB (HCMC)
For clubbers, Lush is the number one place in HCMC and the most Western in style. It’s usually full, with a mixed crowd of trendy expatriates and locals – both gay and straight. In deference to the HCMC climate and the range of clientele (from 20-year-old design students to middle-aged businessmen), the dress code is casual – avoid shorts and you’ll be fine. Its DJs play up-to-the-minute hip-hop (Fridays) and dance music (Saturdays).
Lush has a textured feel, with garden seating outside (they’ve also recently started serving food here), a dance floor indoors, and an upper balconied level, which is the best place to view what’s happening. The design is uniformly modern, the walls etched with anime drawings, and sofa seating encourages you to stay for hours. If you only go to one club on your trip, it should be Lush.
Lush, 2 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1, HCMC
4 CU CHI TUNNELS
The Cu Chi Tunnels are about an hour’s drive from HCMC and any hotel or tourist café can arrange a trip by bus or car. These tunnels were infamously home to the People’s Liberation Armed Forces (the Viet Cong) during the Vietnam War, and were an essential part of 1968’s Tet Offensive.
The size of the tunnels will amaze you – in most it’s impossible to stand upright and fighters lived in these for weeks at a time. One has been widened for tourists (still no air conditioning, though), so you can crawl for about 100 meters before emerging, with relief, into the open air. The tour includes displays of the numerous traps used by the Viet Cong to capture the enemy (some incorporate very grim bamboo spikes) and a film of contemporary propaganda.
5 VIETNAMESE COFFEE IN A SIDEWALK CAFE
One of the most ‘Vietnamese’ things you can do on your visit is also one of the easiest. The country has a significant coffee shop culture – this is where people go in the mornings before work, relax in the afternoons, and congregate in the evenings to play Chinese checkers and chat with friends. While air-conditioned chains like Highlands Coffee and Trung Nguyen are becoming more popular for the status-conscious (and moneyed) set, the best way to experience this integral part of Vietnam life is to sit down at one of the many, barebones outdoor cafes. You’ll find them on every street.
There are two kinds of coffee on offer – hot (nong) and iced (da). If you don’t order it with milk (sua), it will come black with lots of sugar. Individual filters are the norm and produce some of the strongest coffee you’ll ever drink. Hot tea comes with it and is free. Sit back, let your coffee filter slowly, and make yourself at home.
6 IND OUT MORE ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR…
…at the War Remnants Museum and Hoa Lo Prison.
The War Remnants Museum is a must-do, even for those whose curiosity about the Vietnam War extends only as far as picking up a souvenir Zippo lighter. For the most part, the museum functions as a viewing gallery for hundreds of incredibly moving photos. From images of napalmed jungles to heartbreaking photos of Agent Orange (weed-killing chemicals used by the Americans) victims, the photos tell the history of the war in a way that no text ever could.
Originally built by the French to house Vietnamese prisoners, the Hoa Lo prison was reclaimed by the Vietnamese during the most recent war, during which it became known as the Hanoi Hilton. It was given this name by the American prisoners held hostage here (US presidential hopeful John McCain was famously held here for five years), and remains an affecting place to see even decades later.
War Remnants Museum, 28 Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, HCMC; Hoa Lo Prison, 1 Hoa Lo Street, Hanoi
7 HOAN KIEM LAKE (HANOI)
The centre of Hanoi life, Hoan Kiem Lake is both the site of an important Vietnamese legend as well as being a modern day meeting point for exercise, entertainment and general leisure. Apocryphally, Emperor Le Loi was given a sword by the gods in order to defeat the Chinese invaders. After his success, during a boating trip on the lake, a giant tortoise rose from the waters and took the sword back – hence the name, which translates as Lake of the Reclaimed Sword. Supposedly, immense turtles still swim in the lake and a petrified specimen can be found in the northern pagoda. It’s on the small island reached by a long, red bridge.
A stroll around the lake is always pleasant and a great way to observe the day-to-day activities of Vietnamese life. There are also several restaurants along its banks, where you can relax with a drink or meal and scan the waters for signs of giant turtles.
8 TAILORED CLOTHING
Custom-made clothing is one of the great luxuries of Vietnam. Tailors are everywhere (just look for signs advertising Nha May), and can make beautiful clothing for a fraction of the price you’d pay in most other countries. While shops in well-visited areas can run you up a suit or dress overnight, or even by the end of the day, those with more time to spend would do well to look further afield for a tailor that will take a bit more care.
For a real one-of-a-kind garment, pick up your own fabric in one of the many markets around town (many tailors will have their own fabric selection to choose from), bring a photograph or an accurate description of what you’d like to have made and let the tailor do the rest. Don’t forget to leave enough time for alterations – you’ll want to make sure your fantastic new duds fit just right.
9 PAGODAS
Every neighbourhood has at least one. Pagodas are at the heart of traditional Vietnamese life, where people go to pray, celebrate, and remember their dead. It’s important to be respectful, but ambience is casual – most people come in, light some incense, say a few prayers and leave again. The Chinese influence is notable and the decoration, both inside and out, can be incredibly intricate and colourful. To pay homage to your own ancestors, buy some incense from the vendors outside, light it and bow three times facing the front of the pagoda while holding the incense over your head and thinking about your deceased family members. You might not be mistaken for a local, but you’ll feel like one.
Truong Dinh Street, District 1, at Ly Tu Trong Street, HCMC; 50 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hanoi (these are just two of the many, many pagodas scattered around these cities)
10 BIA HOI RESTAURANTS
Bia hoi means ‘fresh beer’, brewed without preservatives, and it’s the cheapest drink in town (VND2-3,000 [PHP5-8] per glass). Open-air restaurants can be found serving it up all over town. Snacks are readily available, from dishes of boiled peanuts to pickled vegetables and dried squid. Dishes such as roasted sparrows, locust and crickets could be on the menu and for men particularly are suppose to enhance virility.
Good bia hois are usually full of groups eating, drinking and making (very) merry, so you’ll be able to spot one from a distance. Traditionally, a toast should be made every time you drink, and if you hear ‘mot tram phan tram!’ (“100 per cent”), be sure to drain your glass.
HOW TO GET THERE
Fly to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh by Cebu Pacific Air.
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