A Vietnamese Story
Christmas 2024
For our 2024 annual family vacation, we decided to visit the trending destination of Vietnam. So plans were made, hotels booked and tours were arranged. The plethora of online travel resources like Booking.com, Agoda, Viator and others have made life easier for tourists on the go. All you have to do is to look at the reviews of hotels, restaurants, tours, and you have made a great start. So the whole Pillai family of Vasudevan and Daphne, Priam, Mabel, Logan and Athena, Minerva and Bram, Franav, Munawira and Zayne started off on our Vietnam adventure together.
December 23rd
We arrived at Ho Chi Minh City and stayed at the Eden Star Hotel where we started our stay with a traditional Vietnamese breakfast. Pho (soup noodles) is consumed at any time of the day. Salted duck eggs, congee, pork pate, crepes – we could see the Chinese and French influence in their cuisine.
Later, we were eager to try the famous ‘Pate Banh Mi’ (Vietnamese sandwich) at the ‘Huynh Hoa’ eatery near Ben Thanh. This was a bit of a controversial choice as the restaurant had no place to sit and looked like it had very long lines. Priam started to complain that it might not be appropriate for Vasu and me. But because of the very high rating on google, Minerva my daughter suggested that we at least get something to try out. So while Mabel kindly stood in line, the rest of us went to the adjacent coffee shop and ordered some drinks.
We soon realized that the coffee shop’s upper floor was the perfect spot to peacefully eat our sandwiches. We were apparently not the only ones who had that idea, as we saw others eating the same sandwiches in that lovely, cozy little coffee shop. The sandwiches were amazing and even at VND 80,000 ($3.15 USD) per sandwich, the gigantic sandwiches could easily by shared by two people. In fact, Mabel noticed that while waiting in line, the employee had cut many of the sandwiches in half for sharing upon customer request.
Next was a visit to the War Memorial museum where the audio tour narrative started off with Vietnam successfully gaining independence from France in 1945, only to be embroiled in a war between North Vietnam (communist), South Vietnam (anti-communist), and their allies until 1975.
We studied the exhibits on a somber note which delved into the distressing history of the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese perspective. However, as we immersed ourselves in the stories and exhibits, our emotions shifted from despair to admiration in discovering the remarkable resilience of the Vietnamese people in rebuilding their nation after the war.
Fifty years on, it’s astounding to see how their unwavering spirit has transformed the country into the thriving nation Ho Chi Minh envisioned. The Vietnamese people’s unrelenting determination is a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for hope, perseverance, and triumph.
December 24
Minerva organised the whole day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta. Our guide Lim was very informative, with thorough knowledge of the geography of the two places.
The Cu Chi Tunnel was the tunnel system that the Viet Cong used to avoid detection, move troops and supplies, and fight during the war. It is 70km northeast from the Ho Chi Minh city center. The grandkids enjoyed going through the tunnels more than the adults as they didn’t have to squat walk.
We then took a boat ride through the Mekong Delta, often referred to as the ‘rice bowl’ of the country due to its fertile agriculture production. This vast network of rivers, canals and islands is an economic and cultural hub. Our destination was the Unicorn Island, where we were shown the art of crafting local specialities of coconut candy and longan honey products.
The island adventure culminated with live Vietnamese music and a canoe ride through the verdant canals, making it an unforgettable experience.
December 25th
We attended Christmas mass in English at the Notre Dame Cathedral at Ho Chi Minh City. The Cathedral was packed to capacity with people from all over the world. The choir’s rendition of Christmas carols filled the air with the festive spirit. I had a sense of fulfilment because Christmas for me is participating in mass before the traditional festivities begin.
We then took off from Ho Chi Minh City by Vietnamese Airlines to Hanoi. Christmas lunch was at the airport. From the airport we booked a van and drove to the Sheraton Hotel at Hai Phong where we stayed overnight. The family Christmas dinner was at the Harbour restaurant at the Sheraton.
December 26th
We left Hai Phong to catch the ferry to Cat Ba Island, where we stayed at The May Legend Resort and Spa.
Cat Ba Island is the most beautiful, largest island in Lan Ha Bay. It is a world natural heritage site recognised by UNESCO, a leading beach tourism destination in Vietnam with majestic natural mountains, crystal clear blue seas, rich and varied flora, and landscape which attracts tourists from all over the globe.
We walked to the Main Street for dinner at ‘Three M’ Restaurant. We had a great seafood dinner with crabs, lobster et al.
December 27th
We took a cruise on Lan Ha Bay. The bay had towering limestone islands and rain forests sculpted by nature. The family and kids went on an adventurous kayaking excursion to a few caves. Lunch was served on the boat. We also visited a fish farm on one of the islands, where different species of fish are cultivated for research purposes.
Dinner was again at downtown Cat Ba.
December 28th
We hired a limousine bus service from Cat Ba Island to Hanoi, which proved to be a unique and exciting three-part journey. The experience began with a convenient hotel pickup, followed by a segment where the bus was transported by boat, and finally, we continued our journey by road, arriving in Hanoi. The sad part was that due to some miscommunication, the bus did not drop us off at our hotel but at the Old Quarter from where we had to grab three cabs to take us to the Gilson Hotel.
December 29th
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi
We took two Grabs (a ride-hailing service in Vietnam) and went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The mausoleum is the burial place of Ho Chi Minh, the former president of North Vietnam who established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in September 1945. It was closed to the public on that day, but we walked through its grounds and experienced its history.
Temple of Literature
We then took another Grab to the Temple of Literature in Hanoi. This is a great place to learn about Vietnamese education history. It’s a temple dedicated to Confucius and was the home of the prestigious Imperial Academy established in 1076, which was Vietnam’s first national university attracting scholars from far and wide. The Temple of Literature was Vietnam’s commitment to learning and education.
Dinner was at ‘A Ban Mountain Dew’, an ethnic restaurant in Hanoi where we enjoyed the ethnic foods of Vietnam and their delicious mountainous gastronomic flavours.
December 30th
We had a great lunch at a Korean barbeque place, which was walking distance from the Gilson Hotel before taking off for the airport to catch our flight back to Mumbai.
It was a family holiday to remember, delectable cuisines, wonderful experiences and mainly quality family time. We shared jokes, laughter and fully immersed ourselves in the Christmas festivities as a family.
I praise God for making this happen.
