Solo trip to Vietnam (Part 1)

As I uploaded a few stories and pictures on my Instagram account, I got several WH questions from my followers on my solo trip to Vietnam. 

I, then, thought of answering to all these questions through my blog post. 

Vietnam was always on my bucket list amongst all the Asian countries. And I was extremely happy to make a quick solo trip there! As I write about my solo trip, I cannot wait to plan another one. But before that, a few things you could keep in mind before planning a solo trip. 

1) Book your hotel/hostel/ Airbnb well in advance: 

During my trip, I met 2 travelers who were quite daredevils to reach the hotel and ask if there were any rooms available. However, as a first time traveler, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone! Its quite a risk when you are new to the solo trip concept and do not speak the language! 

Hence, always book your accommodation in advance. Check the reviews, ratings and comments on the site before booking. Try to choose 'pay-on-arrival' option. 

I would also recommend to live in a hostel or a home-stay as they are extremely cheap for a night and you meet so many travelers from different nations who may or may not share the same interests as you but discussions lead to discoveries.

I met these young, like-minded people on my trip and we shared some unforgettable moments. While we were about to leave and take different paths, I learnt, two of them were from my city!

                                                                               

                                                       

2) Change your currency before departing: 

Vietnam trades in Vietnamese dong (VND), however, at some touristic places it also accepts US dollars. Do not be shocked, as I was, if you pay in US dollars and you get your change in VND. You can also change it at the airport before stepping into the foreign land. Very few or no banks or tour agencies accept VND in my home country hence I had to get all my cash exchanged before coming back. Another advice, don't panic if you do not understand the local currency on the first two days of your travel. It takes time to understand and to get used to it. It took me three days to understand VND. 

3) Learn a few words in the local language: 

As I am a fluent French speaker, every time I have been to France or a Francophone nation, I never really realized what difference would it make to speak the local language until I was in Vietnam. 

I had read this recommendation somewhere, and I took it seriously. Learning a few greetings in the local language always helps. It does wonders, actually. I learnt, good morning, hello, thank you and good-bye in Vietnamese. It is a good ice-breaker. A dictionary should also work, though I haven't ever used one. 

4) Travel like a local:

The best way to sight-see is to walk or to take the local transport. Leave your luxuries behind of taxis and take a tuk-tuk or a cycle rickshaw or just walk. Google maps will take you places. Don't forget to always keep your phone on full battery before leaving for the day, if you are dependent on technology. Ask your receptionist to provide you the local map. And mark your hotel location on the map in bold.

Inadvertently, you are alert at all times. Be careful while asking directions. I made a note of asking directions to students and office goers. As they tell you the cheapest and fastest routes. 

Cycle rickshaw, a transport still in use. 

5) Eat local: 

Many prefer carrying their food while traveling. It is a big no-no. Well, a few tit-bits could be carried, eating local cuisine is another way to discover the region, country.  Here are a few pictures of what I tasted.

Pho- a vietnamese breakfast

                                            

6) Read the history of the nation:

Read a few Wikipedia pages before you leave for the trip. There are many films, web-series, documentaries on the internet that would help you understand more on the history of the nation and you wouldn't feel lost while visiting museums. I read a few articles on Vietnamese war which made my understanding easier and better on visiting the Remnants War museum. 

7) Off-beat destinations:

While you should tick-off 'top 10 places to visit' from your list, it is also advised to take a few unexplored paths. You may stumble-upon things that may be a local may not have discovered, observed while walking. Those by-lanes tell the best stories of the city.

8) Travel light: 

I barely carried two pair of jeans and 4 pair of tee-shirts and a dress on my trip. Wash and repeat would be my advice. Who knows you there anyway! Also, take the quote 'when in Rome...' seriously. Check on the weather conditions before leaving. It was extremely hot and humid in Vietnam while I was there. Hence, I carried all cottons. 

9) Uploading pictures: 

We all are connected to all premier social media channels and all accounts are linked to one another. We have a known and unknown followers. Uploading pictures of your live location might invite trouble. I chose to share pictures after I was back.

10) Confidence and independence: 

Solo-trip does make you confident and independent. On the first day, I had a mental break-down, I couldn't find my location. I was tired, sweating, in need of water. Neither the bus conductor nor the driver spoke English, I was struggling to my worse nightmares and I was about to give up when I just pushed myself and thought to give it a last try. A young student who spoke English helped me out and walked along with me and directed me to my location. We had a pleasant chat and he was surprised to know that I wasn't a student and that I was a teacher. Not just him, many were shocked to know that. Haha ! Boosts my confidence even higher.  

This was just the first part of my trip. I shall soon write about experiences, a few do's and don'ts in Vietnam and if anything else you want me to write about. Do comment and feel free to ask me questions.