Finally I found enough time to go to Vietnam again. I haven't seen my family since 4,5 years especially because of covid. So this time I was super excited again. This time it should be a more balanced trip with my girlfriend between family and traveling and with hindsight I think it worked out pretty well. After we arrived on two pretty empty flights with Qatar Airways in Ha Noi we spent the first days visiting family and that takes always a lot of time. Even though it is sometimes only seeing family members for one or two hours and eating all the time, I really enjoyed it this time. I was more eager to connect with relatives about their story and life. The weather was killing me and super humid but I think the good food and drinks made it endurable. I really do love eating back at home and always love the variety that the Vietnamese cuisine offers. I tried to eat the specialties of the cities in the central of Vietnam, Da Nang, Hoi An and Hue where we went to for a small trip inside Vietnam.

Mỳ Vằn Thắn (Thắn Sủi Cảo Huyền Thắng), Chè Thai (Chè Liên), Bún Bò Nam Bộ (Bách Phương)

Even though I have been to the central part 8 years ago already, it felt different this time, big shoutout to my girlfriend who is the best person I can imagine travel with. I enjoyed Da Nang last time a lot and it didn't disappoint me this time again. Such a lively city with the night markets, coast, mountains. Cruising with the scooter around this area makes life so much fun. And this time I couldn't miss out on the Ba Na Hills. I actually was really surprised how high in the mountain it is. The cable car ride to the top was really impressive as well but all in all it felt more like an amusement park similar to the ones in the western culture. So would I recommend it? Yes, I do, but more for the view from the top haha.

Ba Na Hills, Marble Mountains, Mỹ Quảng (Chợ Cồn)

Hoi An was good for a day trip. The city itself is dead during the day but when it gets dark all the people emerge and the old city gets super fancy with the lantern lights, candles and boats. What we did this time though is to visit the coconut village nearby to ride one of these big coconut shells and luckily we made it before dusk. People prefer to go earlier in the morning but actually I think before dusk was the right timing since you can enjoy the beautiful sky on a nice ride.

Cao Lầu & Cơm Gà (Cơm Gà Bà Buội), Cocunut Village, Bánh Bột Lọc (Chùa Thiên Mụ)

When it comes to Hue we spent only a short time of period there since we were not that interested in the Vietnamese history that much. Since we are not familiar with it and since everything is mostly in Vietnamese which requires an advanced level (shame on us) it is hard for us to follow and so we decided to only visit the most important attractions and food spots. Cruising with the scooter is how we moved around and we even made it to an abandoned water park which had a really nice coffee shop close by. In the evening I actually was surprised about the party area since I didn't know it existed but all in all Hue is really more about the ancient history of Vietnam and the citadel.

Bún Bò Huế (O Phượng), Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm (from the neighborhood), Bún Riêu (by my aunt), and my fav Bún Chả (Ngọc Xuân)

A visit to Vietnam wouldn't be a real visit without also enjoying the city Ha Noi as well. Honestly, I think Ha Noi didn't change that much in comparison to 4,5 years ago but the city gives such a vibe. I admit that there are cons like not even being able to do a small walk, or the noise, smell or traffic but I do feel connected with it which makes me miss Ha Noi every time when I leave the city. Probably family plays a big part there as well! Being able to spend time with my grandma, uncles, aunts and cousins is priceless. And meeting the new family members (Alô Cafe 👋) and kids who are growing up so fast (Mật, Gừng, Môc, Dế, Mía, Sâu, Mỳ) makes the visit even more lovely. So that was Vietnam this time. I am thankful for being part of this family and having roots from this beautiful country. Hope you enjoyed all the pictures with the food we ate. Till very soon!