The Vside Journal
Vietnam, written down by the people who drive it.
Route notes, prices we actually pay, and the small stuff nobody tells you — from Hanoi’s Old Quarter to the Ha Giang passes. No sponsored lists, no recycled itineraries.
14 guides · updated
Central Vietnam · Hoi An
Hoi An Memories Show 2026: ticket prices, seat classes & the seats we actually book
Vietnam’s biggest outdoor night show has five seat classes and a price spread wide enough to matter. Here is what each tier really buys you, when the gates get busy, and the two rows we book for guests who want the whole stage in frame.
Latest from the road
Newest first
Hanoi7 min
Hanoi in 48 hours: the route we walk with first-timers
Old Quarter, West Lake, the pagodas worth the detour and the one museum we skip — ordered so you never cross the same junction twice.
Ninh Binh6 min
Tam Coc or Trang An? Picking your Ninh Binh boat ride
Three caves or nine, rowers who use their feet or their hands, film sets or rice fields. The honest difference — and which one suits the season you’re coming in.
Halong Bay8 min
Halong or Lan Ha? Choosing the bay before you choose the boat
Same limestone, very different traffic. What day trips can and can’t reach, why overnight changes the bay completely, and where the crowd actually is.
Northern Vietnam11 min
The Ha Giang loop, honestly: what four days on the passes feels like
Distances, road surface, homestay nights and the days that are genuinely long. Written for people deciding whether to ride it or be driven.
Food9 min
Eating Hanoi after dark: eight stops, in the order they work
Bun cha before the queue, snails at the hour they’re freshest, and where to stop so you finish hungry enough for the last plate.
Hanoi6 min
Train Street in 2026: what’s open, what’s closed, and the rules that stuck
The barricades moved more than once. Where you can still sit trackside, how the cafe entry works now, and what to pair it with when the timetable doesn’t cooperate.
Planning10 min
Best time to visit Vietnam: a month-by-month read of all three regions
The country runs three climates at once, so “dry season” means nothing on its own. Here is what each month actually does to the north, centre and south.
Outdoors7 min
Cuc Phuong: Vietnam’s oldest national park, and how to see it in a day
The primate centre opens early for a reason, the thousand-year tree is further in than the map suggests, and the butterfly season is shorter than you think.
Culture5 min
An áo dài shoot in Hanoi: where to shoot, what it costs, what to wear under it
Rental, hair, the three backdrops that photograph best before 9am, and the light window at Hoan Kiem that everyone else misses.
Food6 min
Market, kitchen, table: what a Vietnamese cooking class should include
A class worth the morning starts at the market stalls, not the chopping board. What to look for, what four dishes you can genuinely repeat at home.
Outdoors5 min
Ninety minutes west of the Old Quarter: quad tracks in Hoa Binh
What the trail is actually like after rain, whether you need a licence, and why the hotpot at the end is half the reason people go.
Ninh Binh8 min
Two days in Ninh Binh: the slow version, and why we prefer it
Everything the day trip has to cut — Mua Cave at first light, an evening with no coach parks, and the ride between karsts when the road empties.
Food5 min
Cooking in Ninh Binh: a village kitchen between the karsts
Herbs cut from the garden, a menu that changes with what the market had, and the drink each guest picks — how the afternoon actually runs.
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What travelers say
Trusted worldwide
“Just had the best day in Ninh Binh with Hieu and driver Hung. We saw so much and Hieu was very patient, friendly and knowledgeable. We would definitely recommend this trip with VSide Travel as you can customise and they will accommodate where they can. The duck feeding at the end was a great way to end the tour. Thank you Hieu for a great day! 😊”
“Our family absolutely loved Lana, she shared so many interesting background storys with us, which gave us a better understanding of the history and culture of Vietnam. Would definitely recommend spending the day with Lana.”
“Great, well-organized day trip to Ninh Binh! We had a very nice day exploring beautiful Ninh Binh. The operator contacted us beforehand with a clear overview: no delays, hidden costs, or surprises. Pickup was perfectly on time, and the car was clean and comfortable. Our guide, Hieu, was friendly and knowledgeable, sharing history and fun facts. It was great that he joined us on all activities. Our thoughts on the itinerary (we chose ourself): Trang An boat ride: Absolutely amazing, the highlight of the day. Bai Dinh pagoda: A massive site, made easy with the electric shuttle. Waterfall restaurant: A scenic spot for lunch in Tam Coc. Thai Vi temple: A small, beautiful, and peaceful stop. Duck feeding: Different from Insta-reels but fun. The ducks roam free, meaning cyclists or traffic might pass between you. Overall, a well-spent day with a smooth schedule and great guidance. Recommended for a hassle-free trip!”
“Diamond was my tour guide. I found her to be very friendly, it really did feel more like hanging out with a new friend. She really personalized the tour for me and went above and beyond even taking my glasses shopping! 😆 food was such a great experience.”
“Absolutely brilliant tour! Diamond is a fab guide, very funny and witty, lots of knowledge about the food and culture to share with us all. She introduced us to foods we wouldn’t have tried usually and even pointed out some extra spots she recommends we try ourselves in our own time. All the food was great, highly appreciated the care and attention given to my dietary requirements (vegetarian) Ending the tour on train street was fantastic too, would highly recommend this tour if you’re in Hanoi!”
“What a fabulous tour! We loved the choice of food and drinks and also talking with Diamond. She had a lot of information for us and her English is impeccable, making the conversation really lively and fun. We absolutely recommend the tour. Even my daughter (12), who is a picky eater tried everything and enjoyed the food. The choices were more original than the usual Pho or Banh mi. The show at the temple of literature was also a nice ending of the evening. There are some workshops to do (calligraphy and ancient printing) which the kids enjoyed. The temple gardens and the architecture of the building is beautiful.”
“Our guides were very freindly and passionate about local agriculture and the community based farming model on which it runs. They both spoke fairly good English, and helped translate with a local farmer who helped us cook and showed us how to harvest the local vegetables they grow there. overall a great day out and would recommend to anyone visiting hanoi that would like to gain a deeper insight to local life.”
“We enjoyed every minute of the ATV trip! Our Guide Diamond did an amazing job entertaining us and telling us useful information about Hanoi. The following food tour was nice to get to try different and discover new dishes. Diamond did an extraordinary job and we felt comfortable with her from the start to the end! We wish Diamond the very best and can recommend her to everyone!”
“Sehr tolle Aktivität! Die Farm wird von einer super netten Familie betrieben und die einzelnen Aktivitäten waren richtig toll! Mir wurde super viel erklärt und gezeigt. Tatsächlich fand ich am besten den Reis zu ernten und die Körner von den Stämmen zu trennen. Der Snack war richtig lecker. Wie gesagt alle waren super super lieb! Wenn ihr euer eigenes Fahrrad bringt, seid euch sicher das es richtig funktioniert 🤍”
“This was the most amazing excursion we booked. Lana is a very bright and motivated woman who takes care of all the aspects of the tour by herself. The activity is very new as we were the third visitors, but everything went super smooth. We harvested our own food and prepared an amazing meal. We also learned how to weave a hammock, very interesting. This trip is perfect for people who want something else than all the touristic highlights of Hanoi and for those who want to experience the local life of Hanoi farmers. 100% would recommend!!”
“This tour was truly life changing. The beauty of the farm and the work the farmers do every single day is humbling. The care for seasonal, local product is inspiring and we will carry this experience with us forever. The tour guides and the local farmers were all very educating and passionate about what they were doing. From getting our hands dirty planting and harvesting vegetables, to working the fields and sweating underneath the beating Việt Nam sun. We were eating fruits straight off the vine and peeling and cooking fresh local corn. We couldn’t recommend this experience enough.”
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