Vietnam: Exactly as Expected & Also Totally Surprising
Hanoi, Vietnam - December 2025
Before leaving for Vietnam, I watched Anthony Bourdain’s “Hanoi” episode on Parts Unknown. He raved about Vietnam. Of course, Anthony Bourdain could make anything look cool, but when I looked at the sidewalks crowded with small plastic chairs, food vendors, and trash, I wasn’t sure I would love it as much as he did. I lean toward, peace, quiet, charming architecture, and beautiful views. Lake Como. A Croatian hillside. A boat anchored near a small Greek island.
I thought of this trip as something that would be “good for me.” Japan was my only experience with Asia, and I thought I should see more. I probably wouldn’t have, however, if my brother hadn’t prompted the trip. When he asked for volunteers, I couldn’t resist. It could have been anywhere – Thailand, Korea, China – anywhere in Asia he hadn’t been yet. A 12-day trip popped up in my email for Vietnam and Cambodia. The timing worked perfectly with his holiday break, and it included New Year’s Eve. I like to usher in the year in new and exciting places.
I’m glad I went. Yes, there were crowded sidewalks, trash strewn around, and crazy traffic, but I was surprised by how much I liked it. There is so much to say about this trip I’ve had a hard time knowing where to start. I’ll write some posts about individual sites, such as the Cu Chi Tunnels, beautiful Halong Bay, the Mekong River Delta, and Hoi An, the lantern city. Then I’ll get to Cambodia, where I had zero expectations but was even more surprised and delighted.
But here are a few overall impressions from my first day in Hanoi.
Traffic: The busy streets were fascinating, not overwhelming. It’s hard to describe why, but it all felt friendly and energetic. Maybe it’s because the heavy traffic was made up of open faces on scooters, not faceless drivers closed up in cars. There is plenty of honking, but one of our guides said they use the horns to communicate: saying “hi,” letting someone know you’re there, asking for an opening. It’s not usually anger.
Prices: Prices were unbelievably low. For example, a heavy poster at the museum: $1.90; a can of Coca Cola: $.38; a huge bowl of chicken pho: $1.90; a dinner with a chicken hot pot, noodles, and a drink: less than $4.00. I paid $25 for a massage at a hotel, but my brother found one at a place down the street for $11. Vietnam is a communist country, but it feels capitalistic to a tourist. There were a lot of newer developments with pretty buildings outside of Old Town. Ancient pagodas and street vendors contrast with new office buildings and international fast-food places.
History: I grew up hearing about the Vietnam War, which is labeled “The American War” in Vietnam. I was 14 when it officially ended. Seeing the Vietnamese perspective was a reminder of two sides to every story. The displays at the famous “Hanoi Hilton” prison made it sound like a picnic rather than torture and isolation. Still, I didn’t sense any anti-American sentiment or bitterness. It was clear that Vietnam has been pushed this way and that by outside influences throughout its history. Our guide in Hanoi was very pro-Communist. He thinks it’s for the betterment of everyone. He said Buddhism is better than Christianity, and that the Catholicism brought in by the French led to moral decay.
Pollution: I was surprised at the smog. Arriving from the airport, we crossed the Red River in mid-afternoon. The Hanoi skyline looked like a black-and-white photo. The skies sometimes cleared in the afternoon, but they were gray most of the time.
Food: We didn’t have a bad meal. Even the simplest soups or noodle dishes were full of rich flavor. The hotel breakfast buffets were some of the largest I’ve experienced, and they win the prize for the most variety: custom omelets, breads, lots of fruit, yogurt, vegetable mixes, chicken dishes, beef, pork, and soups.
I’m looking forward to reliving this trip through the blog. More to come.
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Tips & Recommendations
Travel: If you are doing a tour, pay attention to arrival and departure airports. Our tour had us arriving in Hanoi and departing from Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was difficult to find good routes back to Tokyo (for my brother) or Houston (for me) from Siem Reap. On the way home, I spent 26 hours in the air – Siem Reap to Bangkok to Dubai to Houston. I spent days studying routes, but didn’t find a way to make it easier. I could have taken a short flight back to Hanoi or maybe spent a couple of days in Bangkok or Shanghai, but switching countries is stressful. And these countries require visas, adding cost and complexity. I knew Asia was far, but on this trip I felt it all the way to my bones.
Currency: I read conflicting recommendations about how much money to take with me. Here is what I experienced.
Since we were part of a tour, I needed very little cash. $100 lasted for 10 days for a few meals, small souvenirs, and tips. I used a credit card for a few other meals, massages and a facial at the hotels, and purchases at hotel gift shops. $100 can go a long way in Vietnam.
Take $100 and $50 bills in excellent condition for exchange. They prefer to exchange large bills and may reject wrinkled, dirty, or torn bills. In other travels, I’ve depended on ATMs, but I’d read a few warnings about ATMs with bad rates or malfunctions. It was easy in Hanoi to walk to the corner gold or jewelry shop to get a fair exchange. This link has a lot of good (and cautionary) information.
When you exchange, get small bills in Viet Dong. I was told to take small denominations of U.S. bills, but that was bad advice. I needed to change large U.S. bills into small Viet Dong bills (100,000 VD = $3.84 US). Viet Dong was not available from my U.S. bank or the Texas Currency Exchange before I left, so I had to wait until I was in country.
Cambodia took U.S. dollars. I had a stack of $10s, $5s, and $1s I thought I would need in Vietnam but didn’t. I was really happy to be able to use them and not have to exchange currency for the three days we were in Cambodia.
Tipping: Research tipping practices for each place you travel. This is the most comprehensive guide I could find. Even better, talk to a couple of locals and ask for advice. Our tour company recommended the equivalent of $5 per day for a tour guide and $2-3 per day for a driver. I left $1-2 for hotel housekeeping, porters, taxis, and servers. It’s so little from an American perspective, but overtipping can cause imbalances in the local economy.
Health: Take health precautions seriously. Check into immunizations. Be prepared with pain relievers, diarrhea medication, and probiotics. At least two of my friends got sick during their trips to Asia. I got all recommended immunizations before I went. I was very careful about water, only brushing my teeth with bottled water. I didn’t buy any street food and washed hands and used hand sanitizer religiously. Still, I caught a cold, fought off a UTI, and the last couple of days of the trip I didn’t feel right. Just a queasy stomach and a little rumbling in my digestion, but it was enough to make me limit what I was eating and make me worry about the flight home.