Hey travelers,
this is my review about the north part of Vietnam. After traveling through the north of Vietnam for about 3-4 weeks I decided to make a review including the best places I have been to. I recommend traveling per Motorbike, this is the best way to experience Vietnam. You can buy a second hand from another foreigner, there is a Facebook site for that and if you have to repair it there are tons of mechanics in every village in Vietnam.
Hanoi: The City is not very big and unfortunately there are not many interesting things to do. The ethnic minority museum, west lake, the Confucian university and old town are among the things that are worth a visit, but it can be visited in two days all together. Traffic in Hanoi is very bad especially during rush hour. It is quite a touristic city and has such aspects to it like many people are trying to trick foreigners into more expensive prices. For me personally it is my least favorite city in the world. I started with Hanoi because it was the first city I have been to when I arrived.
Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island: I decided to rate those two together since they are very close and similar. If you decide to visit one of them you should try the other as well. Both are a little touristic, but at the same time they have kept their originality which makes it perfect for travelers who want to experience authentic places and don't speak Vietnamese. Cat Ba is a beautiful little island which can be reached by a ferry. The scenery is wonderful and in the middle of it is a National Park that can be visited. There is also the possibility of taking a boat trip around to the small islands around it and and a floating market. There are also some beautiful beaches where you can just relax and enjoy the sun or take a dip in the water.
Ha Long is a nice city from where you can take different boat trips to explore Ha Long Bay. A lot of them include activities like going kayaking, visiting a cave, going swimming and having lunch or another meal in the boat or at a local place. The thing I didn't like about the two trips I took from Cat Ba and Ha Long, is that there was always a time pressure and I always had to keep an eye on the watch rather then being able to just relax and enjoy the moment.
The city of Ha Long has a small attraction park and a beautiful bridge.
Ba Vi Hill National Park: A beautiful completely non touristic place. It is very well kept. The streets are clean and seem new. The nature is blooming and wild and the temples are very beautiful. I spend a few hours there and only met a monk on a motorbike passing me a truck driver sleeping in his truck and a cab driver waiting for his passengers who walked up a mountain. I can not understand how this place is so well kept as there were no tourist that I have met and it is quite a big area. Definitely worth a visit, but I wouldn't expect anyone in that area speaking proper English since they don't have many tourists.
Mai Chau: You have to go up quite a long time on a steep road to reach this place, but as soon as you get there and also on the way, you are rewarded with an amazing view. In Mai Chau except for admiring the landscape you can go trekking, visit a few caves, stay with a ethnic minority family and learn a little about their culture, eat local food or just relax since it is an idyllic place. Mai Chau is still a little touristy but has not lost it's original character yet.
Moc Chao: Not far away from Mai Chau the landscape looks quite similar. There is a nice little cave, a beautiful waterfall, a really nice trekking path up a mountain and if you cross the mountain you can go to Laos and a place called Happyland which I haven't been, but that is the most touristic one. That being said Moc Chau is not a touristic place at all and everything from there to the West is even less traveled. If you are an explorer like me this is the perfect place to go. Only disadvantage: Very view people speak English and the signs are all in Vietnamese.
Pha Din Pass and west of it: The Pha Din Pass is quite steep and it was very foggy when I went there so I didn't see much, but from the picture on the Internet it looked really nice. The people who live in that area are very friendly and the kids on the street waved, smiled and greeted me. For them it is a rare occasion to see a foreign face.
Dien Bien Phu: An important former battle sight in the first Vietnam war against the french. I have been in the area where the french were bombarded by the Vietnamese, but the problem was that all the signs explaining there were in Vietnamese. There is no entry fee for the battle sight neither the places where the Vietnamese cannons where stationed, but without an explanation or being able to read the signs it makes little sence.
Sa Pa: Everybody who goes to the north of Vietnam is recommended to go to Sa Pa and most people go, that is the reason why it is so touristic and while trying to keep it's originality for touristic purposes the culture is destroyed. Young children about 12 years old with lifeless faces trying tourists to buy their bracelets handbags and other self made accecouires out of pity and older ladies who befriend you on a guided tour who befriend you out of the same reason are what tourism has done to this former probably happy culture. I have been and seen many children in areas where tourism didn't reach and the greed for money as well as the corruption that comes with it have not sunk their hands into the land and the people and from my experience I can tell that the people in those parts are much more fulfilled and happier. The scenery is nice as well as the places you can see on the way there, but don't take a guided tour. The experience is much better without a guide who tells you when to walk and when to stop.
Ha Giang district: The place with the best landscapes in Vietnam I have been so far. The road is going up and down and up and down and... But the trouble is worth it. There are many foreigners doing Motorbike tours, but it is not become touristy, at least doesn't have the downside of a touristic place. It takes at least a few days to see all of it and the best thing to do is to take it slow. On the way there are caves, trekking paths, ancient villages and many children who wave at you and want your attention if you look foreignish.
Ba Be National Park: A beautiful idyllic place to do trekking a boat tour or just relax around the lake. There are many home-stays and it is not overrun by tourists. I have not met one person while trekking for about 4 hours total. One of the few places where you have to buy an entry ticket, but it is definitely worth it.
Binh Son Tower: It was a red star on my map and it looked good on the picture, but when I got there it was kind of disappointing. The tower didn't seem very special and was only 16 meters high. The nuns were really nice.
Tam Dao Mountain: On the mountain there is a small village. Except for a view temples that you can visit, one of them is amazing, the village screams of money and decadence. Highly touristic for rich people from Hanoi since it is only 60 km away and couples who are getting married and want to take their wedding photos there.
This was my review of north Vietnam. I hope you enjoyed reading it and it helped you to make your decision where you want to travel and what you want to see.
Safe travel
Cosmin