A Vietnam Adventure: Traveling Through Cities, Caves and the Coast
Want to go dancing, spelunking, and beach bumming all in one trip? Vietnam has it all, as we discover on a cross-country jaunt all the way from Hanoi to Da Nang.
City Living
First stop: Hanoi. This historic northern capital has a little bit of everything: pretty French architecture, lively street vendors and a fantastic restaurant and nightlife scene. With only one night in town, we skipped right to the important stuff: food and bevvies.
We checked into the Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi (83A Ly Thuong Kiet St., Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, (+84) 4-3822-2800, www.moevenpick-hotels.com) which is in a fantastic location, bordering the city center and the old quarter. It’s more of a business hotel, but it’s a good value option and close to the action.
For a pre-dinner drink, check out recently revamped Bamboo Bar at the Sofitel’s Hotel Metropole Hanoi (15 Ngo Quyen St., Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, (+84) 4-3826-6919). A glass of crisp white wine or a signature martini poolside, and you’ll be feeling pretty amazing. For dinner, we tried popular open-air eatery Quan An Ngon (18 Phan Boi Chau St., Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, (+84) 04-3942-8162, www.ngonhanoi.com.vn) for traditional street food. We slightly over-ordered on the fresh and flavorful dishes at this lively restaurant, but everything just smelled so damn good.
And it’s not a night out in Hanoi without some dancing: The Bank (6/F, 41 Hai Ba Trung St., Capital Building, Hanoi, (+84) 9-4490-3232, www.facebook.com/thebankhanoi) is an energetic spot, with crazy beats, reasonably priced drinks and extremely attentive service.
The next morning, we headed to Hanoi Railway Station for the 10-hour trip from Hanoi to Dong Hoi. For aircon and a soft bed, prices start at US$45 ($348). Our destination: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Central Vietnam for some serious spelunking.