VIETNAM FUN

Happy six-year anniversary to us! We decided to celebrate over a long weekend in the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, followed by a journey through one of the country’s most sought-after destinations, Ha Long Bay. Upon arriving in Hanoi, starving, we taxied straight to Om Cafe with all of our luggage (you all know, when Linds is hungry, get the woman food ASAP). This vegetarian restaurant / yoga studio was to die for. Hummus pizza with all homemade ingredients, glass noodles with vegetables, and a large mandarin avocado salad sure put a smile on Linds’ face. This yoga/cafe spot is a must if you’re in town. Sit cross-legged at a small wooden table, order everything on the menu, indulge in a perfectly brewed coffee or nutritious smoothie, and just chill.

We cruised the streets that night to find a surprisingly beautiful and well-developed city-center. A calm lake surrounded by lush greenery, walking paths, tons of public seating, boutique restaurants, and hip rooftop bars. The street immediately surrounding the lake was closed to cars after a certain hour to enable pedestrians to truly enjoy this serene yet poppin’ area. Such a family-friendly place! Parents and their children swarmed the main area where mini-electric cars were available for rent. Watch where you walk – the kids drove these cars like thieves on a cop chase. Flying light up objects, fruit carts, jewelry, live music and dancing all contributed to the unique ambiance of this lively yet natural setting.

 Obviously since we’re old and washed we continued home for an early nights sleep. We were picked up from our hotel the next morning to head East for Ha Long Bay. When we arrived at the port we were thrown on a wooden boat along with the 20 other passengers on our mini-cruise to head off to our larger (but still somewhat small) cruise ship.

Given it was our anniversary treat, we booked the honeymoon suite complete with the most outrageous swan towel creations, a bottle of wine, and rose petals littered all over the bed – a thoughtful mess of random romantic stuff.

 The boat set off into the mystical bay on our two day / one night journey. We opened our bedroom window drapes to glistening waters and thousands of green mini-islands that make up this spectacular archipelago. The small land masses bolted up to the sky creating a surreal scene unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. The mythical story behind how this magical place was formed contributes to the bay’s fairy tale aura. We will briefly describe both the mythical and the logical stories. We prefer the mythical – especially while you are there.

The cruise provided all meals and a number of different activities including: kayaking, visiting a floating market, relaxing on hidden beaches, exploring caves, pearl-making demo, and learning how to make spring rolls. It was a small group and had an intimate feel so we were also able to wine, dine, and socialize with people from countries all over the world.

All in all, Hanoi surprised us with its natural beauty and how developed it was. It had a hipster, family-friendly vibe and much more nature and open space compared to its Ho Chi Minh City counterpart. According to Linds, our Senior Air Quality Control Correspondent, Hanoi’s air was far superior and much more breathable yet still below suburban Virginia standards. Ha Long Bay was mesmerizing and there are no pictures or words that could truly and accurately depict how fascinating this natural-wonder is. You don’t feel like you are on Earth and it’s one of those places that overwhelms all senses. Both Hanoi and Ha Long Bay are must visits when traveling to Southeast Asia. We didn’t have time to see the infamous rice-fields in Sapa or the Jurassic World film location of Ninh Binh, two spots we plan on returning to explore. Next stop: Singapore!