James' Travel Blog


My Favorite Beef Phở 

In Fact Coffee, Hanoi - A good cafe to study

Hanoi Itinerary


Hanoi Favorites on Google Maps


🏨 Where to Stay



🏛️ Things to do



🍜 Food (full list)



☕ Drinks



🚌 Places to visit nearby


Beef Pho - A must try!

Top 5 Takeaways in Hanoi


The food is delicious, the people are welcoming, and the cafes are a plenty. Hà Nội is the oldest city in Southeast Asia and it is reflected in the culture. Hà Nội is more traditional in comparison to the modern Saigon. Here's what has stood out:


🏍️  Chaotic Streets and Pollution: Vietnamese city life is a full attack on the senses. Scooters dominate the streets, moving in every direction and beeping their horns so you know where they are. Scooters hold more than you can imagine: a family of 4, home appliances, a small tree. Buses, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians fill up the rest of the road. Initially, it's maddening, overwhelming. The idea of walking across these loud, chaotic streets or even worse, driving through them is intimidating. But as you spend more time in Vietnam, the more you realize that this chaos somehow works. 


Tip: When walking or driving, go slowly and consistently with the flow of traffic. Don't get distracted by the chaos.


🍜   Breakfast Noodle Soup: I was surprised that many people eat Phở (noodle soup) for breakfast. So, I joined the locals and haven't looked back. Who needs coffee? Boiling hot Phở wakes you up with a delicious, well balanced broth. Phở is one of those foods where your belly feels happy after. After all, it is a hangover cure.


🥬  Local Markets (chợ): You can buy just about everything at the local markets: meats, fresh veggies & fruits, soy milk, tofu, noodles, bread and bao. Many local markets serve as department stores: cleaning supplies, kitchen utensils, etc. Theres a chợ in every neighborhood, making it convenient to go daily.


☕   Cafe Culture:  While most locals eat quickly at restaurants (small stools and simple menus) then leave, the many cafes are places to relax. At any time of day, locals are socializing, reading, or meeting at cafes. Half of the stores in Hanoi might be cafes. Vietnamese coffee is delicious and strong. The Robusta beans grown in Vietnam are much stronger than Arabica beans in the west. But have no fear, condensed milk is the antidote to the bitter strong coffee. Check out my coffee guide below.


😊  Safety and Hospitality:  I've been struck by the safety of Vietnam. It is a very family friendly environment with kids everywhere. A few times when I left a coat somewhere or dropped money, a kind stranger returned it to me. 

Lemon Coffee - Cheo Leo Cafe, Saigon

On the right is the Bonnie - Briefly on Earth Cafe

Vietnam Coffee Guide


Beware, the robusta coffee beans grown in Vietnam are stronger than Arabica coffee beans in the western world. But have no fear. The combination of fresh coffee beans with creative additives like condensed milk, lemon, eggs, and more, make coffee in Vietnam truly special. 


Standard Coffee Options


⚫  Black Coffee (Cà phê đen): straight coffee, only for the experts. You've been warned.

🟤  Brown Coffee (Cà phê nâu or Cà phê sữa đá): coffee with sweetened condensed milk

⚪  White Coffee (Bạc xỉu): coffee with milk and sweetened condensed milk


Coffee Specialties


🍳  Egg Coffee (Cà phê trứng) - Cafe Giang, Hà Nội

Sweet, smooth, and rich

Coffee, condensed milk, and egg yolks.... At first, I didn't know what to expect. The egg yolk was originally introduced as a replacement for milk. The original spot Cafe Giang is the place to get it. It tastes sweet, smooth, and rich.


🧂  Salty Coffee (Cà phê muối) - Hue

Salty and sweet, well balanced

I won't lie, I could down about five of these. In my defense, they are small. Half of the drink is foam and it is very light. But this delicious drink feels more like dessert than coffee. But it's not just sweet, it's salty and bitter to balance it out. A must try.


🥛  White Coffee (Bạc xỉu) - Everywhere

Creamy, smooth, and light

Bạc xỉu is the lightest of the 3 main coffee options in Vietnam. Different regions and cafes do it differently. I prefer it not too sweet, but with the right amount of condensed milk. My favorite versions feel rich, yet light, and sweet, yet bitter. It's not hard to drink at least one a day.


☕  Bonnie - Briefly on Earth, Hà Nội

Creamy, smooth, and refined 

I've seen the idea of this drink a few times: a low caffeine drink with whipping cream to create a rich, smooth, iced coffee drink. Briefly on Earth has a dessert version of this drink dubbed the "Bonnie" with coffee, whipping cream, and condensed milk. To me, it's a more refined and less sugary version of a Frappuccino. 


🍋  Lemon Coffee - Cheo Leo Cafe, Saigon

Light and refreshing

Think of an Arnold Palmer, but with cold brew instead of iced tea. I was impressed. It's a perfect light refreshing coffee drink to enjoy in the Saigon heat. So damn good.



View from the Imperial Citadel in Huế

Cát Bà Island by boat

 Where to go in Vietnam 


 🏙️ Big Cities


Hà Nội: Charming traditional city with specialty foods and cultural sights

The charming capital of Vietnam is very traditional, offering delicious specialties like Phở, Bún chả, and Egg Coffee. Hanoi also has many cultural sights to visit. While busy, it has a slower pace than Saigon. Hanoi Recommendations


Saigon (Hồ Chí Minh City): Metropolitan big city vibes, economic powerhouse and international

The more international and populated city of Vietnam. Saigon has plenty of restaurants, nightlife, and things to do any time of day. Lots of neighborhoods to explore: D1 (downtown), Chinatown, D2 (Expat Area)


🏠  Small Cities


Huế: Beautiful, green city with regional food specialties and historic sites

The former capital of Vietnam has lots of historical sites to visit, including the citadel, a pagoda, and many mausoleums. Don't forget to try Bun Bo Hue, Banh Canh, Bánh bèo, and Bánh ram ít.


Đà Lạt: Temperate climate to escape tropical weather and big city life, & enjoy farm-grown produce

Đà Lạt has farms producing much of the coffee, avocados, bananas, artichoke, and much more. There are many farms, waterfalls, hikes, and beautiful views.


Đà Nẵng: Relaxing coastal city with beaches, mountains, and good vibes

Đà Nẵng is a great balance of city and nature. It's not a huge city, but there's still plenty of cafes, restaurants, and bars. To balance out the city life, you have warm water beaches, mountains to explore, and other sites to visit like Bach Ma National Park, Hai Van Pass, and a 40 minute drive to Hội An. 


🏖️  Tropical Vibes


Hội An: Charming tourist-friendly city on the coast to get tailored clothing

Hội An is a charming town with a Venice-like feel full of canals, delicious food and expert clothing tailors ready to customer make you any number of outfits.


Hạ Long Bay: Incredible sites that cannot be captured in photos

Hạ Long Bay is truly one of the wonders of the world that needs to be seen in person. It is a common tourist destination via bus from Hanoi and next to the city of Haiphong. Tours of the Bay offer kayaking and hiking. I recommend staying on the boat overnight.


Phú Quốc: coming soon...


Nha Trang: coming soon...


🌿 Nature Spots


Cát Bà Island: A beautiful island town with nature options on land and sea, plus seafood

Cát Bà is what I picture on an island vacation: adventurous hiking, clear waters for swimming and good seafood. I recommend hiking in the Kim Giao forest.


Măng Đen: Small town with relaxing cafes, and an appreciation for a slower pace of life

Măng Đen is a perfect escape from the busy city life in Vietnam. Fresh air, beautiful nature, and fresh food make this a relaxing town to visit. While it is building up a bit more, it is still small and charming.

Hải Vân Pass





Hủ tiếu kỳ kỳ

 Da Nang Itinerary 

Da Nang Favorites on Google Maps



🏖️   Things to do


My Khe Beach: Beautiful sandy beaches surrounded by skyscrapers and mountains make this a truly unique place. While the waves can be choppy, the waters are warm! They also offer surfing, parasailing, and more watersports.


Son Tra: Beautiful mountains to explore by motorbike with many beaches nearby and monkeys roaming around. To explore past the whole island, you will need a manual transmission bike.


Dragon Bridge: Beautiful bridge worth a view from multiple angles. They have a fire show on weekends at 9pm.


 🏔️ Day Trips


Hải Vân Pass: This famous winding road goes up through the mountains north of the city, offering incredible views of the coastline and lush green landscapes. The best way to see is by motorbike, but get comfortable driving on flat ground before you explore. While the roads and be steep and windy, they are smooth and well made. There are also many coffeeshops on the roadside where you can relax and enjoy the views.


Hội An: This is a charming touristy town just over half an hour away easy for a day trip.


Hue: Come here for delicious food, beautiful greenery and old buildings, as well as history. There is an old imperial city, several mausoleums, and the unique Lebadang Memory Space. It is about 2 hours away.


Bach Ma National Park: Beautiful National Park about an hour away through the Hai Van Pass


Other Day Trips: Bana Hills, Golden Bridge


☕ Cafes


Dapen: Charming vintage cafe with good coffee and juice. Located in an alleyway, it is spacious with 3 floors, tables suitable for working as well as many places to relax and chat.


Dom Cafe: Small, hip local cafe with delicious coffee and juices. Cats and dogs roam around while classic 90s and 00s jams play. I recommend the white coffee (bac xiu).


Slow Breeze: Small coffee and kombucha cafe located in an alley. Peaceful vibes here.


Soncha Roastery: Beautiful cafe with high quality coffee located in an alley. Local vibes with indoor and outdoor seating. The ginger milk coffee here is delicious.


🍜 Food


Mì Quảng: Delicious dry noodle dish available all over town. I eat this on a regular basis. I like this one, but there are many good places.


Hủ tiếu kỳ kỳ: Noodle dish with different toppings that can be served dry with soup on the side or with broth and noodles together. Hủ tiếu kỳ kỳ is delicious and has good vibes, but there are many shops all over town.


Bánh canh: Delicious noodle soup with seafood and eggs. Order the quay (soft breadsticks) to dip in the broth and eat. I love this place Bánh canh cá lóc Huế


Ichiban Sushi: Delicious and affordable sushi place. I loved the salmon toro.



🏍️ Motorbike rental


Cho thuê xe máy Đà Nẵng Sơn Trà: Great service, affordable rates and high quality bikes. They delivered my bike to my hotel. I recommend an Airblade if you plan to explore outside the city. They offer both manual or automatic bikes. They also have affordable monthly rates. A one million ($40) deposit is required that you get back upon returning the bike. +84 0977000744


cơm tấm

 Saigon Itinerary (in progress)


 ☕ Cafes


Cheo Leo: Oldest cafe in Saigon. Great vibes and plenty of options from typical coffee, to lime juice and coffee.


Chinatown: TBD



🍜 Food


Cơm tấm: Classic Saigon dish of broken rice, with fatty delicious pork, egg, meatloaf, and pickled vegetables available all over town.


🏙️ Things to do


Nightlife: TBD



Yangmingshan National Park

Taipei Itinerary 



FOOD AND DRINK

🧋  Chun Shui Tang Taipei Station Branch: my favorite milk tea

🧋  Guud Tea & Company: great milk tea

🍞  Sunny Hills Bakery: delicious pineapple cakes

🥛  Yonghe Soy Milk King: great bao and milks

🍔  Hidden Burger (Tamsui): surprisingly good burgers all over Taipei


SITES

🥾 Jiantan Mountain: beautiful hike with city views, accessible by public transit

♨️ Beitou District: beautiful nature, Thermal Valley, onsens (Bath houses) and a train museum

🏛️ National Palace Museum: large musuem with a collection of Chinese artifacts

🌳  Yangmingshan National Park: beautiful national park with many hikes to explore

🏛  Taipei Performing Arts Center: modern architecture by the famous Ram Hoolhaus in 2022


 Vietnam Travel Tips




Coming Soon...