Once Upon a Vacay in Vietnam

In November 2019, Arno and I spent two weeks exploring Vietnam. The trip felt like a fever dream, during which we navigated from one meticulously decorated cafe to the next and ate our way through random food alleyways back to our hotel room. If I had to describe our trip in two words, they would be: sensory overload (in the best way).

The heat was as discombobulating as the traffic, and charming coconut street peddlers trailed us like the persistent scent of grilled chicken and barbecue smoke. Don’t get me started on the colours; everywhere I turned, I was besieged by vibrant tropical hues: buildings, houses, clothes. Vietnam is vibrant; its people, food, culture and history.

Throughout my stay, I was constantly hit by the realisation that the country had recovered from war only (at the time) 44 years ago. The perseverance, strength, entrepreneurial spirit, and creative expression of the Vietnamese people had me awestruck. They rebuild (and continue to rebuild) their nation despite the tragedies of the past. Here are some of my favourite moments from our trip.