Divanun Guide/ Vietnam

The Divanun Guide is a one pager of everything to eat, see, and do in Vietnam

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Historical

• Hanoi

  • Temple of Literature- hosts the first national university built in 1070

  • Tran Quoc Pagoda- The oldest buddhist temple in Hanoi

  • Old Quarter- a historic district

• Phong Nha

  • Caves- Phong Nha Cave and Paradise are the ones I explored but there are others here

• Ninh Binh

  • Hoa Lu- the ancient capital of Vietnam

  • BIch Dong Pagoda

• Hoi An

  • My Son- ancient temple complex

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Cultural

• Hanoi

  • Weekends in the Old Quarter- a great place to see how locals spend their time

• Phong Nha

  • Duck Stop- a duck farm where you can feeds ducks and make wishes.

• Hoi An

  • Museums- this city has tons of museums about history, art, and culture

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Food

• Hanoi

  • Bun Cha Ta Hanoi- bun cha is a dish comprised of grilled pork and noodles that is dipped in a soup with aromatic herbs

  • PIzaza 4P’s- amazing japanese pizza joint.

  • Pho Cuon Huong Mai- get the pho noodle wraps and other dishes using the pho rice noodles

  • Foodshop 45- a delicious Indian spot

  • Pasteur Street Brewing Company- amazing Vietnamese brewery make sure you try their passion fruit beer- its divine

  • The Hill Station- great cocktails made from Vietnamese rice liquor

• Phong Nha

  • D-Arts Zone- had some amazing bun cha here

• Hoi An

  • Madam Khanh The Bahn Mi Queen- the best Bahn Mi i had in Vietnam/ my entire life

  • Dong Au Restaurant Hoi An- really great noodle dishes

  • Lantern Town Restaurant- amazing dishes cooked in clay pots. I had this eggplant and beef dish that was phenomenal

  • Central Market- tons of little food stalls. Make sure you try the white rose dumplings

  • Boulevard Gelato & Coffee- really good place for an icy treat in the heat

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Miscellaneous

• Hanoi

  • Accomodation: Vietnam Backpackers Old Quarter- really easy place to meet people and its near all of the travel agencies for when you want to plan your trip.

• Phong Nha

  • Accomodation:

    • Gecko Hostel & Bar is where I stayed very clean and nice

    • Easy Tiger Hostel- this place was highly recommended and I would have stayed here if I was in town any longer

• Hoi An

  • Accomodation: Tribee Kinh Hostel- one of the best hostels I stayed at in all of SE Asia. The people were super friendly, they always have events, and they genuinely created a warm atmosphere

  • Tailoring

    • Bao Khanh Silk- this place is mid range price wise, however they have great quality and a really fast turn around. I would show them pictures of what I wanted and they would come out great. When it comes to alterations they really know their stuff.

    • Happy Day- this place is where you go for leather goods. I got a cute bag made and some shoes. My only advice is to ask them to stitch the soles instead of gluing them.

  • Really great night market across the bridge.

Hoi An

On the central coast of Vietnam lies the city of my dreams. It earned this title, not for its temples or lush green landscape but because it’s the center for tailoring in all of SE Asia. Hoi An is the city of a thousand mannequins where streets are lined with stores overflowing with fabrics ready to be crafted into whatever you want.

Hoi An is a tranquil town that used to be the site of a major trade port in Vietnam until Danang replaced it. Now the city is known for its well preserved downtown and its tailoring economy. On any street in Hoi An you will be able to spot at least 4 tailor shops. The outside are always packed with mannequins draped in dresses, pants, and shirts, beckoning you to come in and explore their offerings. Most stores offer most of the same but the real trick to Hoi An is getting them to make clothes custom for you. I scheduled myself a week and a half just to run around getting clothes made.

After I dropped off my luggage at my hostel I started walking around the city my peace was broken when a middle aged Vietnamese woman came up to me asking me where I was from. The point was to get me to come back to her shop and see her clothes, I politely declined but this was not the last time i had this interaction. In a city with so many options you really can’t just follow any old woman into a store. I looked up the best reviewed spots on Trip Advisor and then walked around them examining the fabric they had on offer, the prices for different outfits and the quality of their stitching. After gathering my info I whittled it down to three places and got custom outfits made to see what the process was like before I finally get all the rest of the pieces I wanted made. The entire process takes about 2-3 days for simple things like pants, skirts, dresses but it can take up to a week for complex items like suits.

When I wasn’t running back and forth between fittings I was exploring all that Hoi An has to offer. My favorite part of the city is the old town with its rustic yellow walls and paper lanterns strung across the street like ornaments. You could feel the history as you walked through the narrow alleys and along the banks of the river. Hoi An also had the best Banh Mi in Vietnam, with a stall aptly named the Bahn Mi Queen slinging some of the best ingredients between a french baguette i’ve ever had.

Sadly my days of getting clothes custom made and chowing down on Banh Mi had to come to an end. With a suitcase full of new clothes and a stomach full of food made with joy I headed back to Hanoi.

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