Spectacular Landscape

Ha Long means descending dragon for the Vietnamese. According to a legend when Viet people faced invasion, a dragon flied down from heaven for their defense. The creature not only spread fire but emeralds & jewels that became the archipelago which we know as Ha Long Bay. My bucket list contains many countries but there are some genuine ones, which can satisfy a tourists travel appetite. Vietnam belongs to that category. 

We started with North Vietnam. I would say North Vietnam is the Jewel of entire southeast Asia. The mountains, islands, scenes which one gets in North Vietnam just outcasts the South. Don't be afraid to Spurge money on Halong Bay Cruise. We went for  5 star overnight Luxury cruise, thanks to Purva. Day Cruise is more like a school trip. When one goes for overnight cruise, he gets to see many unexplored islands. Also the sunset and sunrise views are out of the world. Using websites like Klook, Grab one can save money smartly. But don't compromise on Cruise.

 The night views from the Juliet balcony overlooking the archipelago are class apart. Every trip leaves behind some profound memories. I just had one here.

We took "VietJet Air" from Mumbai to Hanoi. I was initially skeptical after reading all negative reviews but went ahead based on experiences with RyanAir , EasyJet & Tiger Airways. It's easy to complain and criticize a budget airline, very often people don't understand that budget airline don't have priority and privileges like the big airlines at most airports. I got addicted to their energetic boarding song while landing & takeoff. The lyrics are like " We are flying for Love, flying for Love, around around the world".

There is a huge coffee community out here. During the day, people like to hid away from the sun & there are lot of caffes here in Vietnam. Vietnamese coffee is very strong & one should try the egg coffee. Its pretty addictive. There are invariably many things one learns when he is travelling. Vietnam is super superstitions. One should not play with his chopsticks because the Vietnamese consider that you are inviting ghosts. Also, don't dip your chopsticks into rice, since it reminds them of inserting candles on a funeral. I also realized Yum means "Horny" in Vietnamese language. I did a blunder when I said food was "Yum"😆 The Beer Street is also a blessing after a hectic day in Hanoi.

Ba Na Hills is a faux french Village perched on the hills above Da Nang. I believe it is the official birth place of the selfie stick & now a Mecca for selfie stick users from across South East Asia & beyond. Most activities here seem to involve taking pictures. 

My travel blogs are not travel iternary's. They are my movies made with my wife Purva & I love sharing first hand experiences. Honestly, we loved our 6 nights 7 days here in Vietnam. In my personal opinion, Vietnam is cheaper to Thailand and Indonesia in general and has the culture which is a blend of all three. I recollect a song sung by Usha Uthup ji -Desires never ending, life is too short to live, Love every moment, make your life worth living.

हरि ॐ हरि…हरि ॐ हरि…