Stories from Vietnam
Long-form writing on Vietnam — an evening of street food in Hanoi's Old Quarter, a night aboard a Ha Long Bay cruise, and the practicalities of riding the Ha Giang Loop.
More stories
Can You Drink Tap Water in Vietnam? What I Do Every Day
Do People Speak English in Vietnam? What I Actually Found
Do You Need Cash in Vietnam? Why I Never Leave Without Dong
Egg Coffee in Hanoi: A Local Specialty Worth Tasting, Not a National Drink
Meeting Northern Vietnam's Ethnic Minorities Without Making Them a Postcard
Getting a Suit Made in Hoi An: Worth It, and How to Avoid Regrets
Ha Long Bay Cruise Mistakes I See Travellers Make (and How to Avoid Them)
Hai Van Pass by Motorbike: Is It Really Doable, and on What Terms?
Hanoi Train Street: What to Know Before You Go
Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: Which One to Pick When You Can Only Choose One
Hoi An Lantern Festival at Full Moon: Is the Evening Worth Planning Around?
How Much to Tip in Vietnam: What I Actually Do
How to Cross the Street in Vietnam: Walk Slowly and Don't Stop
Is Ha Long Bay Worth It? An Honest Verdict on Vietnam's Famous Bay
Is Hoi An Worth Visiting? An Honest Take on the Crowds
Is Phu Quoc Worth Visiting? My Honest Take on Vietnam's Biggest Island
Is Sapa Worth Visiting? My Honest Take on the Town and the Valleys
Is the Ha Giang Loop Safe? An Honest Answer About the Road
Is the Mekong Delta Worth It? A Day Trip Shows You a Little, a Night Shows You More
Is Vietnam Expensive? What Actually Drives Your Budget
Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam: Lanterns, Mooncakes and Children
Pho vs Bun Bo Hue: Two Soups, Two Regions, Not One Recipe
Things to Know Before Visiting Vietnam: The Few That Really Matter
Typhoon Season in Central Vietnam: Should You Avoid It?
Vietnam Airports Explained: Which One to Choose and How to Get Out
Vietnam Border Crossings: Can You Enter or Leave by Land?
Vietnam on a Budget: Where I Actually Save Money
Vietnam Photography Spots: Where to Shoot, and When
Vietnam Reunification Express Review: Worth It, and Which Stretch?
Vietnam Souvenirs Worth Buying, Region by Region
Vietnam War Sites Worth Visiting, and in What Order
Vietnamese Dishes to Try: Three Regional Tables, One Journey
Vietnamese Festivals Calendar: Why the Dates Move and How to Plan
Is Vietnamese Street Food Safe? How I Eat on the Street Without Worry
What to Wear in Vietnam: Pack for the Region, Not the Country
Good to know about the Vietnam Authentique blog
The blog covers the seasonal and practical topics that don't fit neatly into a single evergreen guide. A recurring theme is timing trips around Vietnam's regional climates: articles addressing which months suit a Ha Long Bay cruise comfortably given the typhoon season, and how the golden rice season around Mu Cang Chai shifts slightly from year to year. Seasonal posts track specific windows worth planning around, such as the cooler, drier stretch in the north from October to April and the colder conditions that reach Sapa and the northern mountains in winter.
Practical posts address changes to train schedules, updates to airport procedures, and shifts in how the Ha Giang loop is typically arranged, whether self-driven or with an easy rider. Event-driven posts cover the Perfume Pagoda's spring festival season, changes at museums and heritage sites, and notable developments among boat routes such as Trang An and Tam Coc in Ninh Binh. Day trip posts revisit specific excursions with updated logistics and periodically address common misconceptions, such as travellers assuming every region is a quick day trip from the nearest city when travel times to Sapa, Ha Long Bay and Ha Giang vary considerably.
Because tourism infrastructure across the country continues to develop, particularly around transport and cruise operators, the blog is where updates and corrections to the more static guides get published first.
Frequently asked questions about the Vietnam Authentique blog
Why does the blog focus so much on seasonal timing for Ha Long Bay?
Because the typhoon season, roughly July to September, can disrupt or cancel cruises at short notice, so timing a visit around the more stable months matters more here than in many destinations.
Does the blog cover the golden rice season at Mu Cang Chai?
Yes, posts track roughly when the terraced fields turn golden each September and October, since the exact window shifts slightly from year to year.
How often is the blog updated with train or airport changes?
Posts are updated whenever a meaningful change occurs to train schedules or airport procedures, rather than on a fixed schedule.
Does the blog cover the Perfume Pagoda's festival season?
Yes, posts track when the spring festival is taking place and how it affects crowds on the boat ride and around the cave temple.
Will the blog tell me how far destinations actually are from each other?
Yes, and it directly addresses the assumption that every region is a quick day trip: travel times to Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay, Sapa and Ha Giang vary considerably.
Cruises and Boat Trips
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GetYourGuide does not provide a product photo for this activity — the image shows the meeting point, photographed by us.
