Wittering Travel Counsellor shares details of her adventure to Vietnam

They say that every year you should go somewhere you’ve never been before and as a keen traveller, I am always happy to oblige, writes Travel Counsellor Emma Savage.

So, it was with some excitement, that I jetted off to Vietnam in October, to explore as much of the country as I could, in 10 days.

I began my trip in Hanoi; a chaotic, bustling city and the capital of the country - book a tour to get your bearings (I took a vintage Jeep Tour which was great!) I saw the main areas of interest, but also was taken to see places a bit off the tourist trail, to learn about the difficult life some Vietnamese people have; unregistered and unrecognised by the country they live hand to mouth in the countryside or on a makeshift riverhouse, at the mercy of typhoons and earning a meagre living by growing vegetables or fish and selling them in the city. It certainly put things into perspective.

I took an overnight sleeper train from Hanoi up towards mountains and the Chinese border to a place called Sapa – lying in a bunk, listening to the train rumble along the tracks in the darkness was a great experience. Sapa is a lovely place to explore and from here you can trek paddy fields, visit traditional villages and meet local people.

I took a cable car up to Fransipan Mountain and at 3000m above sea level the views were spectacular; highly recommended. Make sure to see Halong Bay while you are in Vietnam. I hear they are doubling the number of boats allowed to be in the bay in the next couple of years, so it is likely to become quite a busy destination and might lose some of its shine in my opinion. As somewhere high on my wish list, with its iconic backdrop of limestone rock against the deep green water of the bay, I just had to do an overnight cruise there. In Nimh Binh I took a traditional boat to explore caves, relaxing to the rhythmic sound of the oars cutting through the water as my boat was skilfully steered by local women using just their feet!

If time permits, do visit Saigon, because there is so much to see from there; I took a day trip on the mighty Mekong (a true bucket list moment for me) and also visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. An unexpected highlight of my time in Saigon was an exhilarating street food tour on the back of a moped. We whizzed through the streets, in and out of the crazy traffic and I tried some fabulous dishes along the way.

My moped driver was a young Vietnamese woman who showed the independence of spirit and the drive which I think will change the shape of the culture in future – in a country which doesn’t currently offer equal rights and opportunities to women.

If you are thinking about a trip to Vietnam, I’d love to help you plan it.

Happy travels!