Sights and Activities - Our First World Trip

Below are the places we saw and activities completed while visiting the Vietnam:

Mekong Delta Tour: we took a one-day tour of the surrounding towns near the Mekong Delta. Unfortunately, the area was overcrowded with tour groups and did not get a feel for the real community, but we did enjoy meeting other people. We started our tour in the town of My Tho where we had a boat ride on the Upper Mekong River, the river splits into two when it reaches Vietnam. We were able to taste tea with local honey and then took a rowboat trip along a small canal that led us back to the Mekong River. We then tasted some local coconut candy and were able to see how they make it. We finally had lunch in Ben Tre and had the opportunity to listen to local music while having some fruit before heading back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Cu Chi Tunnels Tour: we took a more interesting one-day tour of the tunnels that were made during the Vietnam War. During the war, the Viet Congs used the tunnels to hide out and attack the opposition forces, US and South Vietnam Army. The Vietnamese got the idea of making the tunnels from rats that used to have underground tunnels in the rice fields. We were able to walk through a tunnel that was widened for tourists and get a feel for what it was like to live and hide out inside. We also saw many different traps that were used during the war, such as sharpened bamboo under a false floor so that the enemy can fall and injure themselves. We also learned about all the adversity Vietnam has gone though: French colonization, Japanese control during World War II, French second invasion, and then the US-Vietnam War.

War Remnant Museum: documenting the atrocities of war with heartbreaking stories and an array of photographs of the victims, including how the USA used Agent Orange to kill the ecosystem and poison the people for generations to come. These horrible stories motivated us to write an article on the sad history of Vietnam.

We only spent a day in this city, but got the chance to swim in Nha Trang Beach.

Long Thanh Gallery and Do Dien Khanh Gallery: great black and white photographs of the local people and events.

Hoi An Old Town: a Unesco World Heritage Site, because of the historical buildings and architecture. Situated along a river, the town makes for a pleasant stroll viewing all of the Chinese assembly halls, pagodas, temples, historic houses, and museums. We had the opportunity to view Hy Hoa Temple, Hoi An Art Gallery, Hoi An Museum of History and Culture, the Japanese Covered Bridge, Old House of Tan Ky, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall,Quan Cong Temple, and enjoyed a traditional music performance at the Hoi An Art Craft Manufacturing Workshop.

Traditional Music Performance

Phoung Nha Ke Bang National Park: a Unesco World Heritage Site, the National Park contains the oldest karst mountains in Asia, including the largest cave in the world, Hang Son Doong, which is still inaccessible to the public. We took a boat trip to visit Phong Nha Cave and Tien Son Cave, which were very impressive and by far the largest we have seen.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex and Museum: built contrary to his last will to be cremated, the Mausoleum Complex houses Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed corpse and was constructed between 1973 and 1975. Ho is honored for his role as the liberator of the Vietnamese people from colonialism, as much as for his communist ideology. The museum is a monument dedicated to Ho and the onward march of revolutionary socialism.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theater: we were entertained with this Northern Vietnam tradition, a delightful show of puppets gracefully moving through the water. It is very interesting how the puppets are controlled, see the video below.

Halong Bay Tour: we splurged on a well worth two-day cruise along Halong Bay. We passed along beautiful islands of limestone rock formations and then visited a cave in one of the islands. We had the opportunity to kayak in the bay, visit a Pearl Farm, and learn to make fried Vietnamese spring rolls. The cruise was a nice relaxing experience and a chance to meet other great tourists.

Thang Long Water Puppet Show