Vibrant Vietnam
Four Americans and three Australians landed in Hanoi, Vietnam in late July 2023 for 12 days of experiences, exploration, exhaustion and excitement.
From Hanoi to Ha Long Bay, Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh, it was a trip of new foods, new friends, new experiences, new landscapes and new ways of doing things. Lots of ‘new’. The big cities don’t sleep. At any time of day or night there is so much to see, so much to learn, so much to wonder about, so much going on. We found the Vietnamese to be kind, friendly, polite, generous, delightful to work with and fun to be with.
Hot, humid, historic Hanoi is a conglomeration of modern and old, trendy and traditional.
It’s busy and bustling and on the move, yet many people sit and enjoy. They enjoy; some company, a refreshing drink, an ice cream, a feed, a game on their phone, a chat with a friend, playing a musical instrument, calling to tourists, tending their salable items, and watching.
Our Montessori Experiences in each major city ranged from visiting a large school with four campuses and a farm that helps feed the children (we visited it all), to a house with two small groups of young children.
At each of the five Montessori schools we visited, we saw children engaged in work, beautiful environments, quiet and observing adults and peaceful and calm atmospheres. Materials were familiar, the work the children did with the materials was familiar (including a boy walking a maze made with the red rods). The concentration was familiar, the low noise level was familiar. We appreciated more deeply the universality of the Montessori Method and loved what we saw in Vietnam. Interacting with some of the children was a highlight. Some were very inquisitive and intrigued by us ‘foreigners’. At one school all the children were happy to show us their work as well as sing and dance with us.
Just a few hours drive from bustling Hanoi is the peaceful Ha Long Bay. Passing rice fields, flood plains, banana plantation, factories, villages, high-end car dealerships and extensive shops for tourists, we finally arrived at the boarding jetty for our one night on a boat on the bay. Ha Long means ‘descending dragon’ and the entire area is an UNESCO World Heritage Site with its thousands of limestone islands topped with rainforests.
There’s not much to do on a boat on Ha Long Bay as there’s no fixed timetable, except when a meal is available. You can swim, kayak with a friend, eat local foods, enjoy the beautiful scenery, watch the sun rise and set, embrace the peace and quiet.
Getting from one place to another can take time and Vietnam is not exception. Ha Long to Hanoi to Hoi An took about 10 hours, but what a fascinating time that was. Travelling by boat, vans and a plane provided variety, many experiences and numerous photo opportunities.
The influence of the French, Chinese, Japanese and Americans is evident in different parts of Vietnam. International tourists flock to Hoi An for its history. Local tourists flock to nearby Da Nang for big city offerings.
Cooking class, traditional foods… always food – fresh, tasty and lots of it at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We enjoyed a few local delights - ‘Salty Coffee’, Rambutan, Custard Apple, Mango Seed, Sweet Mango and an Aromatherapy Massage with Facia. In season were Jackfruit and Lang Nhan (also known as ‘dragon eye’) and were always on offer for dessert. We also found time for a bit of ‘retail therapy’. ‘Pack light’ we were told, and we were glad we did.
Toes were dipped in the South China Sea, lanterns were made using beautiful cloth, paths were trodden in the Old Quarter, sweaty brows were wiped during the hot and humid days, local beers drunk and appreciated….all in a day’s programme on the Vibrant Vietnam tour.
The mighty Mekong River Delta occupied most of one day.
Whilst travelling on the main part of the Mekong River in our small boat, I felt strong feelings of insignificance. The river is wide, it’s long, it’s vital to the people of Vietnam and it floods regularly, bringing important soil and nutrients to the farmers in the Delta. The Delta and surrounding areas produce an enormous amount of food for Vietnam and the world.
At the local markets we watched sweet treats being made, browsed stalls for souvenirs, tasted some of the yummies and even patted a python.
We visited a pot making factory and watched as local crafts persons worked the Mekong mud to produce pots of all shapes and sizes.
We wandered through local, bustling and busy markets where vegetables, fruits, raw and dried meats and fish, spices, eggs, plastics of numerous colours and sizes and shapes, fresh flowers, in fact anything you needed or wanted were all available.
Our senses were stimulated. Our understanding of how others live and play was deepened. And there was more to come…
Riding pillion on a Vespa with some fella you’ve just met, zipping around the streets of Saigon amongst the ordered ‘chaos’ of the traffic, sounds like a crazy idea – which it is, however it was such a hoot and will go down as one of the best and most fun thing ever done on an MT&T tour.
Saigon was the name of the bustling city before the communist party renamed it as Ho Chi Minh City (or HCMC for short) after independence in the mid 1970s. The locals prefer to call their city ‘Sai Gon’ – they said it sounded gentler. The Saigon River runs through Ho Chi Minh and is a bustling river. There are 10 million people in Ho Chi Minh and 9 million scooters…and we believe it.
A morning’s drive out of Ho Chi Minh City took us to the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Historic relics and the Cu Chi Tunnel complex show the unique architecture of a system of tunnels deep in the ground. This system of tunnels, built over many years, shows the resilience, intelligence and pride of the Cu Chi people as they fought against the USA army to save their country. It was interesting to see and hear aspects of the American (Vietnam) war from the perspective of the people in Cu Chi.
A dining surprise with an amazing sensorial experience was at ‘NOIR Dining in the Dark’.
NOIR provides opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired to be up-skilled over a 3 month period and then employed. Of the 22 employees at ‘NOIR Dining in the Dark’, 11 are visually impaired. It’s a cool place to eat in a very different way.
It took some getting used to sitting with the group at small tables in pitch darkness. We were physically close yet felt disconnected. We were glad to support this social enterprise whilst enjoying a delicious yet unseen dinner. I was blessed with another lovely group of dedicated Montessorians who added to the overall experience of the Vibrant Vietnam Tour in such delightful ways.
Thank you Vietnam for the exceptional time, the great weather, fascinating history and culture, friendly and warm people, the beautiful Montessori environments, the knowledgeable guides and careful drivers and the joy you gave us all. We look forward to returning sometime soon.
For more information, contact us.
Four Americans and three Australians landed in Hanoi, Vietnam in late July 2023 for 12 days of experiences, exploration, exhaustion and excitement.
From Hanoi to Ha Long Bay, Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh, it was a trip of new foods, new friends, new experiences, new landscapes and new ways of doing things. Lots of ‘new’. The big cities don’t sleep. At any time of day or night there is so much to see, so much to learn, so much to wonder about, so much going on. We found the Vietnamese to be kind, friendly, polite, generous, delightful to work with and fun to be with.
Hot, humid, historic Hanoi is a conglomeration of modern and old, trendy and traditional.
It’s busy and bustling and on the move, yet many people sit and enjoy. They enjoy; some company, a refreshing drink, an ice cream, a feed, a game on their phone, a chat with a friend, playing a musical instrument, calling to tourists, tending their salable items, and watching.
Our Montessori Experiences in each major city ranged from visiting a large school with four campuses and a farm that helps feed the children (we visited it all), to a house with two small groups of young children.
At each of the five Montessori schools we visited, we saw children engaged in work, beautiful environments, quiet and observing adults and peaceful and calm atmospheres. Materials were familiar, the work the children did with the materials was familiar (including a boy walking a maze made with the red rods). The concentration was familiar, the low noise level was familiar. We appreciated more deeply the universality of the Montessori Method and loved what we saw in Vietnam. Interacting with some of the children was a highlight. Some were very inquisitive and intrigued by us ‘foreigners’. At one school all the children were happy to show us their work as well as sing and dance with us.
Just a few hours drive from bustling Hanoi is the peaceful Ha Long Bay. Passing rice fields, flood plains, banana plantation, factories, villages, high-end car dealerships and extensive shops for tourists, we finally arrived at the boarding jetty for our one night on a boat on the bay. Ha Long means ‘descending dragon’ and the entire area is an UNESCO World Heritage Site with its thousands of limestone islands topped with rainforests.
There’s not much to do on a boat on Ha Long Bay as there’s no fixed timetable, except when a meal is available. You can swim, kayak with a friend, eat local foods, enjoy the beautiful scenery, watch the sun rise and set, embrace the peace and quiet.
Getting from one place to another can take time and Vietnam is not exception. Ha Long to Hanoi to Hoi An took about 10 hours, but what a fascinating time that was. Travelling by boat, vans and a plane provided variety, many experiences and numerous photo opportunities.
The influence of the French, Chinese, Japanese and Americans is evident in different parts of Vietnam. International tourists flock to Hoi An for its history. Local tourists flock to nearby Da Nang for big city offerings.
Cooking class, traditional foods… always food – fresh, tasty and lots of it at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We enjoyed a few local delights - ‘Salty Coffee’, Rambutan, Custard Apple, Mango Seed, Sweet Mango and an Aromatherapy Massage with Facia. In season were Jackfruit and Lang Nhan (also known as ‘dragon eye’) and were always on offer for dessert. We also found time for a bit of ‘retail therapy’. ‘Pack light’ we were told, and we were glad we did.
Toes were dipped in the South China Sea, lanterns were made using beautiful cloth, paths were trodden in the Old Quarter, sweaty brows were wiped during the hot and humid days, local beers drunk and appreciated….all in a day’s programme on the Vibrant Vietnam tour.
The mighty Mekong River Delta occupied most of one day.
Whilst travelling on the main part of the Mekong River in our small boat, I felt strong feelings of insignificance. The river is wide, it’s long, it’s vital to the people of Vietnam and it floods regularly, bringing important soil and nutrients to the farmers in the Delta. The Delta and surrounding areas produce an enormous amount of food for Vietnam and the world.
At the local markets we watched sweet treats being made, browsed stalls for souvenirs, tasted some of the yummies and even patted a python.
We visited a pot making factory and watched as local crafts persons worked the Mekong mud to produce pots of all shapes and sizes.
We wandered through local, bustling and busy markets where vegetables, fruits, raw and dried meats and fish, spices, eggs, plastics of numerous colours and sizes and shapes, fresh flowers, in fact anything you needed or wanted were all available.
Our senses were stimulated. Our understanding of how others live and play was deepened. And there was more to come…
Riding pillion on a Vespa with some fella you’ve just met, zipping around the streets of Saigon amongst the ordered ‘chaos’ of the traffic, sounds like a crazy idea – which it is, however it was such a hoot and will go down as one of the best and most fun thing ever done on an MT&T tour.
Saigon was the name of the bustling city before the communist party renamed it as Ho Chi Minh City (or HCMC for short) after independence in the mid 1970s. The locals prefer to call their city ‘Sai Gon’ – they said it sounded gentler. The Saigon River runs through Ho Chi Minh and is a bustling river. There are 10 million people in Ho Chi Minh and 9 million scooters…and we believe it.
A morning’s drive out of Ho Chi Minh City took us to the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Historic relics and the Cu Chi Tunnel complex show the unique architecture of a system of tunnels deep in the ground. This system of tunnels, built over many years, shows the resilience, intelligence and pride of the Cu Chi people as they fought against the USA army to save their country. It was interesting to see and hear aspects of the American (Vietnam) war from the perspective of the people in Cu Chi.
A dining surprise with an amazing sensorial experience was at ‘NOIR Dining in the Dark’.
NOIR provides opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired to be up-skilled over a 3 month period and then employed. Of the 22 employees at ‘NOIR Dining in the Dark’, 11 are visually impaired. It’s a cool place to eat in a very different way.
It took some getting used to sitting with the group at small tables in pitch darkness. We were physically close yet felt disconnected. We were glad to support this social enterprise whilst enjoying a delicious yet unseen dinner. I was blessed with another lovely group of dedicated Montessorians who added to the overall experience of the Vibrant Vietnam Tour in such delightful ways.
Thank you Vietnam for the exceptional time, the great weather, fascinating history and culture, friendly and warm people, the beautiful Montessori environments, the knowledgeable guides and careful drivers and the joy you gave us all. We look forward to returning sometime soon.
For more information, contact us.
