Tens of us were seated on low plastic stools on the pavement for this iconic dish. I reunited with fellow backpackers from my hostel for lunch at the popular Bun Cha Dac Kim for the only thing that’s on the menu: bun cha. I had a map to guide me around the Old Quarter but I shoved that into my backpack and let my inquisitiveness lead the way, and wandered the busy streets for hours together. The best one I had was from Cong Caphe, a kitschy communist-themed cafe chain. I decided the best way to explore the Old Quarter was to start at the Hoan Kiem Lake with a coconut coffee, a delicious combination of coconut milk, coconut sorbet, condensed milk and coffee. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a maze of alleyways full of coffee shops, street vendors, temples, counterfeit DVD stalls, boutique stores, bars, eateries, and art galleries selling Communist propaganda posters. With a fine balance of nonchalance and awareness, just start walking at a regular pace and they will stop…okay I don’t promise that. It’s a miracle I didn’t get run over trying to cross the roads there. Hanoi, where I started my trip, is bustling, and the traffic, whew! In fact, they joke in Vietnam: ‘If the light’s green, I go. I rarely decline.īun cha at Bun Cha Dac Kim in Hanoi’s old quarter. You will be surprised how often people at the next table will strike up a conversation, or even invite you to join them. Other times, a solo (especially, female) traveler is an object of great curiosity. When you’re a woman holidaying alone, you’re subjected to the steady stream of “But you beautiful, why no husband?” from locals, but it’s their way of making small talk, and not a real concern. Don’t get me wrong it’s not because I fear loneliness, it’s because I want to try at least six things off the menu and there is no one to share those with. Of course, there’s the stress of having to look after everything yourself, but my greatest fear of all is eating every meal alone. You’ve got no responsibilities to anybody but yourself, you can do what you want and leave when you like, and the buzz you get from the sense of freedom is immense. Traveling solo can be liberating and stress-free. And I put my faith in a travel agency to book me on a cruise to Ha Long Bay. I know exactly what I want in my bowl of pho. I’m armed with an app to book motorbike taxis. But now I’ve become a boring, risk-free normal adult so I’ve taken up the offer of the first hostel to pick me up at the airport. The first time I backpacked solo, I had no guidebook, no map, no hostel/Airbnb booking, no money, nothing in the way of language skills and no idea what the hell I was doing. It’s a clash of cultures with a hectic urban pace and people who are very serious about eating good food. Turns out, Vietnam ticks just about every box for solo travelers – it’s safe, cheap and there’s plenty to see and do. I didn’t ask anyone whether or not it was a good idea. I’ve had my eyes set on South-East Asia for a while, and when I saw an airline deal to Vietnam last month (Rs24,000 for a return trip) I took it.
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