Hanoi; the city that comes alive in the evening

It was already pretty late in the evening when our train from Ninh Binh arrived in the capital of Vietnam; Hanoi. On our way from the train station to our hostel ‘Little Hanoi Hostel’, it already became clear that Hanoi was a bit different than Ho Chi Minh City. The first thing that struck us...

Peace and tranquility at Tam Coc, Ninh Binh

After experiencing the very busy Trang An on Sunday afternoon, we made sure we were completely prepared to beat the crowds at the supposedly more touristy Tam Coc.  Just as Trang An, Tam Coc is an area with beautiful limestone mountains but here you're also sailing through the the typical Vietnamese rice paddies. In the...

Treated like a VIP at Trang An, Ninh Binh

After a refreshing shower and lunch at our lovely hotel, we were ready to explore the beautiful region of Ninh Binh. Ninh Binh is often skipped by people travelling through Vietnam due to lack of time, but in my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful regions in the country. It's mostly known for its...

Three foodgasms that will make you want to go to Copenhagen

As someone who doesn't really like fish in any way or form, Scandinavia never really struck me as a place where I'd discover some culinary delights. So when I booked my solo trip to Copenhagen, I wasn't expecting to find a lot of typical dishes or places I'd be able to try and actually enjoy. But after some...

Worth the 450 stairs: View from the Lying Dragon Mountain

One of the best things about travelling is always discovering unexpected things. As an avid planner I don’t often come across this feeling, but in Ninh Binh, on top of the Lying  Dragon Mountain it hit me full force. We had planned to only visit Trang An and Tam Coc while in Ninh Binh, but...

Four reasons why ‘Hoa Bien Hotel’ is thé place to stay in Ninh Binh

Over the course of three weeks backpacking through Vietnam, we have stayed in many hostels and hotels, one more comfortable than the other. But when it comes to price-quality, there is one that's head and shoulders above all the rest; Hoa Bien Hotel in Ninh Binh. This hotel offered everything I'm always looking for in a good...

How I experienced my first time ever on a night train in Vietnam

Even though Vietnam wasn't my first trip far away from home, it was my first time actually backpacking and hence taking care of our own transportation to get places. For Cuba everything was done with buses and arranged by the agency we booked with, and in America we travelled everywhere by car. Since we would be...

On the hunt for Thomas Dambo’s Forgotten Giants in Copenhagen

Let's go back one week in time. I was busy preparing for my first solo trip to Copenhagen when my friend suddenly linked me this article on Thomas Dambo's Forgotten Giants. I was immediately sold. Even though my planning was already more than overflowing with things I wanted to do in the city, I couldn't stop...

The biggest disappointment of our Vietnam trip; Hue

Before departure, Hue wasn't one of the places that was very high on our do-to list. Of course there were things we wanted to see in the city since we were passing through anyway, but there was just so much more to see in Vietnam that Hue wasn't very much a priority. But since the Imperial...