Things you need to know about travel to Vietnam with kids
*It seems ok
ay to talk about the 'American War.' Our last day in Vietnam was the day that the North celebrated forty years since America concluded their bombing campaign over Ha Noi. Not unlike our soldiers, fathers and uncles have suffered horrendous
PTSD as a result of war and people seem comfortable discussing how its legacy is captured in today's Vietnam.
* The term 'restaurant' is used loosely in Vietnam. It can be used to describe anything from a fine dining establishment to a room, decked with foot-high plastic stools (that you wouldn't trust with your weight if to didn't have to) and where you throw your rubbish onto the floor at your feet.
* In the towns and in the cities everything is done on the streets. Late into the night. Drinking at a bar (room and street consisting of plastic chairs); children are out late at night, families selling wares and produce, on every corner a vendor with her cart - selling pho, noodles or pork rolls. Houses are modest - unlike Australia where the houses are where most activity occurs
* A car is out of place in the streets of Vietnam especially from a cyclo. There is an abundance of motorbikes and bicycles are more common still than cars. Footpaths are not exclusive to pedestrians. If the quickest way from A to B is around the corner, on the footpath, then that's the way its done.
* Crossing the road takes confidence. Before we left for Vietnam a friend had remarked "you won't be able to cross the road in Vietnam," suggesting it wasn't advisable. Crossing the road came from necessity. Unlike our ordered (but congested) Sydney roads motorcyclists know to ride around you. I can't imagine slowly inching across Military Road in peak traffic. I'd probably be sent to prison but because this is how its done in Vietnam everyone has a regard for the way it works. People didn't seem to get frustrated by crossing pedestrians (or impatient) and they also seemed to be far more aware of their surrounds - not solely focused on their own need to get somewhere quickly!
* It is totally ok to pick your nose in public and not just a little 'pick around the edges' kind of pick. That's right- I'm talking the 'full finger pick.' Numerous times we'd be talking to someone when, in the middle of conversation, while still looking at you they'd start to forage in their nasal cavity. Don't be put-off. It's just how it is!
* If you know where you want to be at a certain time (we wanted our trip to be more planned than when we'd travelled in the past - kids do that) book accommodation ahead of time. Half the hotels we stayed in gave us a free upgrade because we'd given them plenty of notice of our arrival.
* Inspect your accommodation on arrival. Especially when travelling with children it is best to send one person (this was me!) to check the room before you agree to it. The space in rooms vary so much and twice we had to ask for a larger room to accommodate the four of us. The children slept together but most times they had placed a single bed in the room which wasn't enough space for the kids.
* You can barter for just about anything. Our guide advised us that, when visiting shops, the prices are inflated by about 60% so bargaining is expected. My best buy was a small Banh Xeo frying pan and a specialised grater for $2.50AUD. The seller was happy with the price as was I.
Other than the usual luggage we packed:
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An inexpensive stroller and our bushwalking Macpac backpack. The stroller worked a treat and handled a fair amount of rough n tumble on the domesic flights. It was good for me as I didn't want to carry a load. The Macpac backpack was ideal! It has a compartment for a lot of stuff (so we didn't need a daypack) and the children alternated between the two (and walking). In retrospect it would have been more practical taking another backpack or our
Ergo Baby carrier though I would have risked hurting my back.
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Lego! Truly- if you are travelling with children and wondering what lightweight 'toys' you can take I couldn't recommend Lego more. Each morning the children played Lego in our hotel room while we got ourselves organised for the day and when we had periods of waiting (in airports, hotels, restaurants) the children played too. The beauty of Lego is that it can be broken down, packed up and rebuilt.
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Antiseptic handwash (no washing required). We usually take this when we travel. It became a constant in our routine before meal times and I do think that this helped for the four of us to avoid getting sick.
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Snacks. Eating is as much about the smell and look as it is the taste. Our children tried most foods with little fuss but almost-four B was overwhelmed on occasions by the differences in meal times. We rarely sit in cafes on the street in Sydney and, in fact there's no comparison. Almost-two P ate like a champion. She loved the noodles but all she saw was 'food' not everything else that was going on around us. One night, when I was out at the tailor in Hoi An, B was tucking into his room service (cheese and ham toasties with chips - the most Western meal he'd had in five day) when he announced "this is the BEST dinner ever, Daddy!!!" We took snack food for the plane and for the rest of the trip. I figured if the children ate some food they recognised it would help them adapt to the traditional cuisine on offer.
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A well-equipped medical kit. This kit included Oral Rehydration Solution (should we have needed it) and hardcore anti-gastro medication, kids Panadol, kids Nurophen and insect repellent. The most comprehensive websites suggested that malaria is virtually non existent in the cities but you its always a good idea to apply insect repellent if you're visiting areas outside the city, like the Cu Chi tunnels which are hot, humid and the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. If you can avoid a trip to hospital it is always advisable. And you should always make an appointment to see your General Practioner before you go.
Pre-reading:
* Tours. There are a-bazillion tour companies in Vietnam. I met a friend who'd travelled to Vietnam with her sister the year after it was opened up to tourists and it was a very different story. The country thrives on its tourism quaities but it doesn't hurt to have an idea of what you'd like to see before you arrive. Remember to check the fine print. Whilst it might sound like a good idea to head to Halom Bay it is a six-hour round trip by car so it may not be all that practical with two little kids for a day trip. (We removed this from our itinerary). I'd say booking when you arrived in Vietnam is probably more economic. If you want a plan, though, it might be best to book ahead.
*
Songs of Sapa by Luke Nguyen
The book is a recipe book but also a log of one of Luke's trips to Vietnam. I began reading it before we left but ran out of time. It's FAR too heavy to take on the plane (not what I'd call
light reading) and I wished I had have. As well as recipes (for when you get home and are craving Vietnamese food) and descriptions of Vietnam the book includes recommendations for restaurants.
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Hanoi Street Food by Tom Vandenberghe (Author),
Luc Thuys (Photographer)
I took this book to the counter (in a bookshop in Book Street) in Ha Noi hoping to add it to my growing cookbook collection but it was about $25AUD (pricey for Vietnam but reasonable for Australia), they didn't have EFTPOS and I wasn't carrying that kind of cash with me so I left it behind. I did however, get to flick through its pages... recipes, pictures of food and more recommendations for places to eat in Ha Noi. You will find places to eat everywhere, on every street, but sometimes when you're travelling, it's good to know that someone has tried it before you and recommends it.
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An up-to-date travel guide. Beggars can't be choosers. We were given a guide for Vietnam. Published in 1999 it was out-of-date and I wouldn't say always accurate. I guess it pays to buy a new one (or a very recent op-shop one with neatly scribbled recommendations in it!) and have a good read before you leave. We really didn't have time (as we left just a day after J finished work for the year). It also pays to stick to a format you know. We've always used Lonely Planet Guides and because it's what we're used to we should have grabbed ourselves one.
