30-hour train marathon from Vietnam's north to south

Wow. It’s been a delightful couple of weeks in Vietnam. We’ve cycled around rice fields, watched many sunsets and zipped through limestone karsts on a motorbike. We also endured a testing 30-hour train marathon to reach southern Vietnam before making our way to Cambodia.

A brief Sapa stay

Our final stop in Vietnam’s true north was Sapa. We had planned to spend nearly a week here, but the weather had other plans. Unfortunately, the whole region was covered in a thick fog for the majority of our two days here. It was also raining and quite cold. The one walk we attempted was closed due to thick mud caused by the rainfall.

We did get some glimpses of the rice fields. They were beautiful, although similar to some of the other gorgeous areas we’d seen in Vietnam.

The other thing about Sapa that left us feeling disappointed, with a slightly bad taste in our mouths, was the overwhelming impact of overtourism on the town. I’d not seen it like this in other parts of Vietnam. The town had been transformed into a resort and cafe haven, and there were so many children out on the streets.

A scene that has stuck with me since visiting Sapa is this: Four young children sat shivering outside a glamorous restaurant advertising a meal of beef literally covered in gold flakes. The children, like many in Sapa, were sitting on the rain-sodden footpath, asking tourists for money instead of in a school classroom.

In my opinion, this is the image of tourism gone wrong.

I’m sure if the weather were nicer, we would have been able to explore the wonderful places on offer and even find some sustainable companies trying to do good in this community. But it is safe to say we were happy to jump on a bus to our next destination after a couple of days here.

Ninh Binh and surrounds

We next made our way to Ninh Binh, just south of Hanoi, and spent a couple of days exploring. It’s a popular destination with families and backpackers. We’d booked into a lovely spot with a pool underneath some limestone karsts. It was beautiful and relaxing. Locals spent the evenings in the main town, Tam Coc, singing karaoke and playing along the waterfront.

The days were spent cycling, hiking, swimming and on a motorbike. We were lucky to have wonderful weather, although it was also very hot. Some days reached 40 degrees.

We spent one day on a paddle boat heading up the Trang An river complex, just north of where we were staying in Tam Coc. This place was incredibly popular with local tourists, and we even spotted a couple doing a wedding photoshoot along the way. The mountain vistas were impressive. We also passed through several caves, including a 1,000m long one. It was breathtaking. Vibrant fish clung to the edges of the lakeside near temples and other pit stops.

Our final morning was spent with a 5am wake-up to enjoy a hike up to the Hang Mua viewpoint. It reached 35 degrees by 8am, so it was good to get up early. The walk gave us 360-degree views of the surrounding landscapes, including the immense lotus pond below. We spotted dozens of photographers capturing local girls dressed up for photos with the flowers, which were in full bloom.

We rode the motorbike back to our accommodation and enjoyed another swim before a dreaded 30-hour train ride to Nha Trang, in the south.

30-hour train to southern Vietnam

Vietnam's longest and most scenic train journey is from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh. It takes around 35-40 hours in total. We jumped on the train at Ninh Binh and got off at Nha Trang. And boy, oh boy, was I glad when this train journey ended. Vietnam Railways had mucked us around with tickets, so we were forced to take the longer 30-hour train to Nha Trang instead of the 26-hour one.

As you’d know by now, we haven’t stepped on a plane since arriving in Indonesia four months ago. This has led to some interesting and testing overland journeys. This train trip was no different. There were no cabins available, so we had to take our positions in the seated carriage. Yahooie!

The train departed after 4pm and was due to arrive in Nha Trang around 10pm the next day. We hadn’t downloaded any movies to watch (should have known better by now), so mostly just napped and stared out the window. The delightful views at least helped the time pass quickly. We were able to enjoy two sunsets while onboard. Luckily, our carriage wasn’t full, so we could spread out and try to sleep as the train rattled along the tracks.

After a couple of hours onboard, we explored the train and discovered we were the only Westerners around! Some carriages also appeared to be gendered. We passed through two that were filled with sweaty and mostly shirtless 18-year-old men, and another with young women doing their skincare routines. It was bizarre. Strangest of all though was a semi-rave cave vibe in the train's storage department. All the staff were in there having a great time. We sadly couldn’t get in.

There wasn’t any free water available onboard, so we had to ration it for a bit. A trolley sporadically came around offering simple meals. I was really ready to get off by 5pm the next day. By some miracle, the train arrived an hour earlier than scheduled, and we rejoiced! We’d spend the night in Nha Trang before taking a bus to Dalat, a cooler climate town in the central highlands.

Dalat

I’d visited Dalat as a child and mostly only remembered the famous crazy house.

I returned for an explore, and it was even crazier than I remembered. There are no words to describe the architecture here. It’s insanely abstract and has so many room styles (from under the sea to demonic hands and then mystical jungles). You can also stay here, which would be a wacky experience.

The city reminded me of Melbourne. It was filled with trendy bars and cafes. It's mostly popular with local tourists and honeymooners, which gives it a more authentic Vietnamese feel. However, we did spend one afternoon watching the AFL at an Aussie "Down Under" pub, which served delicious drinks and popcorn. So that was a novelty.

The rest of our time in Dalat was spent planning Europe (it’s coming up quickly) and enjoying some brief hikes around the surrounding pine forests and lakes.

The final stop in Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) before a six-hour bus journey to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city.

Overall Vietnam travel budget

Essentially: $3,560 for two people (30 days). I spent on average $445 each week.

Travel cost breakdown

Food

Dinners would normally cost between $3 to $10 per person. It was varied depending on the place we went to. Local joints were, of course, more affordable. We also splurged a bit in places such as Hoi An, so the costs were higher.

Transport

Grabs were readily available and cheap to use in most of the cities across Vietnam. The most expensive journey was our 30-hour train trip, which cost about $104 each. Buses were reasonable. Between $15-$30 for an 8-hour journey.

Accomodation

We spent between $5 to $25 per person for a night's accommodation in Vietnam. Hostels were crazy cheap! We treated ourselves to some fancier places that had pools, but that still only set us back around $50 a night (for two people).

Alcohol

Another crazy cheap country for alcohol! We probably drank the most in Vietnam, including a couple of nights on the cocktails. Despite this, we never went over budget. We found amazing cocktail bars in Hoi An that did superb drinks for only $4-$6 at happy hour. Beers, again, were crazy cheap. Paddy found one restaurant in Ninh Binh selling beers for 40 cents!

Activities

Our most expensive activity was the three-day motorbike tour in Cao Bang. It cost about $300 each for three days. Absolutely worth it! Other costs included a $70 snorkelling trip, motorbike hires and boat adventures.

In summary...

We love, love, loved Vietnam. We'd both been before but are already planning where we'll go on our next trip. The food is among the best on offer in Southeast Asia, and the country is blessed with some of the most stunning, diverse landscapes too. Can't wait to come back.