Roman and I went on a couple trip to Georgia Europe with the purpose of doing some hiking trails in the mountains and between villages, to enjoy the amazing nature of Georgia and also to be in authentic villages and eat local food.
We traveled there in October and luckily we had perfect weather without rain. It should be taken into account that the month of October can be rainy and then it is not possible to go on hiking trails. It is best to come to Georgia in the months of June to September.
We started our route in the capital city of Tbilisi where we arrived by direct flight from Israel.
Our trip was full of walking and in retrospect I would have added another day or two to rest.
In any case, this trip exceeded all our expectations and we are already waiting for our next trip there and this time it will be in a different lineup with our two daughters.

Tips before flying to Georgia

SIM abroad

I personally recommend using an ESIM, which is an electronic SIM, and recommend Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (simple tutorial videos for operating the SIM card) and everything worked without any special problems. I wrote more about them in an extended post on the subject of taking a SIM card abroad and also about other options such as buying a local SIM card.

Blog followers have a 15% discount code for the Airalo company to purchase an ESIM – to redeem the discount, click on this link. The discount code is already included in the link. See it at checkout.

The biggest drawback at the moment is that some devices do not support an electronic SIM. How can you know if your device supports the electronic card? Very simple: go to this link and you can see. Link to which devices support ESIM.

Car rental in Georgia

I do not recommend renting a car in Georgia, there are bumpy roads and the drivers there drive really fast. It is best to take local taxis and the train. In addition, it is also possible to go on organized trips in some places or on jeep trips.
If so, you decide to rent a car then you can search for a car in the search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through them because they save me time (instead of going to several websites) and they also have the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies.

Attractions in Georgia

There are two websites through which you can find various attractions in Cyprus such as wine tours, jeep tours and more. I recommend searching on the following sites: Get your guide and Viator.

Tbilisi, Georgia

How many days to be there? 1 day- 3 days

Lodging in Tbilisi

We booked a shared room in a hostel called Nest Hostel Tbilisi in advance, and coordinated with them to pick us from the airport because we landed in the middle of the night.

The room had 4 beds and a shared bathroom with other rooms as well. It cost us 40 Lari. There is also an option to request a private room and it cost 70 Lari (I guess the prices might have changed since we were there). We were pleased with this hostel, the workers there are super nice and the location is great.

Things to do in Tbilisi

Trips and tours from Tbilisi

Book tickets to Tbilisi: City Highlights Guided Walking Tour
Book tickets to Tbilisi: Cooking Class with a Local Family
Book tickets to trip from Tbilisi: Kazbegi, Gudauri & Zhinvali Guided Group Tour
Book tickets to a Day Trip to Kakheti Wine Region Including Seven Wine Tastings

Mestia, Georgia

How to arrive to Mestia from Tbilisi?

Train to Zugdidi and then a taxi or marshrutka (minivan shared taxi) to Mestia.
The train departs every day at 21:50 and arrives at 06:30.
We booked a private car in the train. The road was cool and we slept all the way.

In Zugdidi we decided to share a taxi with another couple instead of the marshrutka, it cost almost the same. The way to Mestia was pretty stiff, I had nausea from all the spinning but at least the road was so beautiful that it helped. Also the driver stopped twice, once near a big dam and later near an amazing lake view. We arrived to Mestia at around 11:30am

How many days to spend in Mestia?

3-6 days. The trek to Ushguli takes about 3-4 days and there are other treks that you can do like one day to the cross on the mountain. It is also very nice to wander around Mestia.

Lodging in Mestia

Things to do in Mestia

I recommend you to go to the tourist center in Mestia town center. You can take maps for the treks for free and also see which other treks you can do.

Kazbegi, Georgia

How to arrive to Kazbegi?

If you get there from Mestia you can take a marshrutka to Zugdidi (around 4p, you need to check the schedule with them). From Zugdidi you can take a night train back to Tbilisi. From the train station you go to the marshrutka station. We waited there about 2 hours until the marshrutka arrived and got full.

If you go there from Tbilisi go to the marshrutka station near the train station around 8am (it’s worth checking the schedule)
It’s a ride of about 3.5 hours with a few stops.

How many days to be in Kazbegi?

3-4 days

Lodging in Kazbegi

Things to do in Kazbegi

Signagi Kazbegi

How to arrive Signagi?

If you go from Kazbegi, you can take a marshrutka from the town center to Tbilisi and from Tbilisi take a taxi.If you arrive from Tbilisi take a taxi.
We found another couple to share the taxi. It’s about 2 hours of ride.

How many days to stay there?

2-4 days

Lodging in Signagi

David Zndarshvili– a beautiful guesthouse with an amazing view and great people and food.

For more detailed information about Signagi visit our post “Signagi a town from the 18th century”

Tips and comments about Georgia

Everybody knows that Georgia is the perfect place for trekking. And if you didn’t, now you know.
But there is so much to see in Georgia and so many places to visit

I want to recommend you visit Signagi in the region of Kakheti. This is a town that is surrounded by walls from the 18th century. It’s an incredibly romantic town. It’s surrounded by wineries and vineyards. Because the town is uphill there is an amazing view from it.
There are great restaurants there, as well as markets, and unique things to do and see.

Lodging in Signagi

We stayed in David Dzanashvili’s Guesthouse Sighnaghi. We took a room on the second floor where there is a balcony that overlooks an amazing view of the ancient walls.

The room itself was big and clean and had a private bathroom (it was a big and good change for us, after the other rooms we had while trekking)

When we arrived at the guesthouse the owner (David’s wife) showed us the room and afterwards brought us bread and cheeses to the balcony. We sat there to eat the tasty cheese and enjoyed the breathtaking view.
It’s such a peaceful and relaxing town.
We arrived there after 7 days of challenging treks and this was a fantastic way to finish our trip.

Restaurant that we really loved in Signagi

Pheasant’s Tears – in the first evening we went to eat at this restaurant; what attracted us there was the fact that they have a winery in the basement (and we love wine 🙂 )
We also read that they have a tasting menu for wines and dishes, it sounded good for us.

This was an amazing choice and we had the best time.
Each dish was served with a different wine.

The wines had really strong and unique flavors. We really loved them. One of them was a red wine that smelled like blue cheese and another was a white wine with flavors of apricot but a delicate taste that was not like a liquor. We loved them so much that afterwards we bought the bottles of the two of them in order to take back home with us.

The dishes themselves were very nice and combined great with the wine. We also took a short tour of the winery.
That was an excellent dinner.

There are other great local restaurants that you can try, as well as restaurants that have BBQ. And it’s really fun to eat in the guesthouse itself. They cook great local food and, because the guesthouse is pretty big, the dinners there are with many other travelers so the atmosphere is so fun.



Things to do in Signagi

Wineries tour

On the second day we did a winery tour with David the guesthouse owner and with a couple from Spain that stayed in the guesthouse as well. David drove us from place to place and waited for us at each point. He was so friendly and nice. He stopped for us in 2 wineries, a monastery, a wine museum, and a huge wine factory. In each winery we tasted wines and had a tour. In the big factory we also had a tour and we saw the modern way they make wine. We bought 2 more bottles to take with us back home 🙂 Not everyone loved the Georgian wines because their flavors are very strong and different from the regular wines that we are used to drinking but we liked the unique flavors.

Wandering around in Signagi

just go and explore it by foot. It’s a small and really beautiful town. The people are super nice and always smiling. The town is not flat so even though it’s small, walking there can be a little bit exhausting.

Local market

In the town you will find small markets and small stalls on the street. We bought the Georgian cheese also to take back home. It’s so delicious with delicate flavors and it reminded me of a salty white cheese with a soft texture. We also bought some spices that they have. One of them was the spicy spice. It’s so good. I added it to all the dishes every time we ate.

Do a walk to the walls

The walls are from the 18th century and you can do a nice walk there and observe the fantastic view.

Get a massage

On the first day when we arrived we decided to spoil ourselves after all the trekking and find a place for a massage. We went to the Kaboni hotel and booked two massages for the both of us. I booked the sports massage which was strong and good for my muscles. I felt really loosened afterwards and it was a good way to start the vacation in Signagi.

So why visit Signagi?

Because it’s a beautiful small town with a unique atmosphere, great view, friendly people, great wineries, and food.
I definitely recommend to add this place to your bucket list in Georgia. You will feel like you went back in time and once you are there you won’t want to be anywhere else.

Barcelona is a city that is full of attractions; with tapas, sangrias, bars, shopping, parks, museums, architecture, and whatnots.
It has everything from everything and people full of life and joy.
I have made a list with my favorite things in Barcelona. Some of them are more familiar and some of them less.

I stayed twice in Barcelona. One time in the Catalonia Plaza Hotel which was great, and the other time in an airbnb at a side street in La Rambla.

Search for other accommodations

Things to do in Barcelona

Dinner at a fancy restaurant

In Barcelona you can find delicious, high-quality food and excellent service. If you are in the mood for a gourmet restaurant, then Barcelona is the city for that.
We deliberated between several restaurants and in the end we chose Montiel restaurant.

This was a perfect decision because it was undoubtedly one of the best meals we have ever had.
This restaurant has a fixed menu and the price is ~70 euro for a person for an 8 dishes meal.
The price is a little bit expensive but it’s worth it.

We ate dishes of: kobe beef, lobster, and special cheese, and each dish was served beautifully. There wasn’t one platter that was disappointing.
Everything tasted amazingly good and the service was 5+++.

If you want to eat a meal that you will remember all your life, this is the restaurant to go to.
Opening hours: every day 13:00-14:30 and 19:00-22:30
Address Calle Flassaders, 19, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Phone
+34 932 68 37 29 28

Gaudi tour

There are a lot of free tours (based on tips) that you can do in Barcelona. We decided to do the one through Gaudi’s eccentric life. During this tour you pass through structures that Gaudi designed. It is really interesting, usually we pass buildings without knowing anything about them,, and with this tour they tell you the story that stands behind each structure.

The tour duration is about 3 hours. I recommend you to go with comfortable shoes for walking. We took the tour of runnerbeantours company.


Going to a cool bar

In Barcelona there are plenty of nice bars. We’ve been in several of them, but the bar that we liked the most was Boca Chica cocktail bar.
It’s located in a building in which on the first floor there is a restaurant, on the second there is a bar, and on the last floor there is a club.

The bar is designed with high class and luxury. The service is very good and the cocktails were excellent.

The cool part of this building is that when you go down to the bathrooms it’s a full floor that has not only toilets but also a DJ. You can go there with your drinks and people are dancing there. It’s weird and cool.

A tour in a boat

When the weather is warm, one of the nicest things to do in Barcelona is a tour in a boat and see all the city from the sea.

There is a  40 minutes tour and another for an hour and a half. We did the 40 minutes one and I think it’s the exact time that we needed. You can book the tour in advance from the internet or to go to the harbour and to buy a ticket there.

Boat tour schedules:
October-November 12:50, 13:15, 15:15, 16:15
December 12:15, 13:15, 15:15
January 12:15, 13:15, 15:15
Fabuary 12:15, 13:15, 15:15, 16:15
April-June 12:15, 13:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:15
July-September 11:45-19:15 every half hour
Website to book a tour

La Boqeria tour

Two-thirds of the way up on the ramblas, on the lift you will see one of the largest and most famous markets in Europe.
This is one of the markets we liked visiting the most.

There you will see tourists and locals, and food from all around the world in the same plane. You can find bars and restaurants as well. You can buy their hard cheese and sausages. You can drink a fruit shake or fresh fruits. You can find their fresh breads, and more, and more. This is a culinary experience for all the senses.

Address
La Rambla, 91, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
Opening hours monday-saturday 08:00-20:30, on sunday it closed


Eating tapas and drinking sangria

I think that I drank sangria every day in Barcelona; it’s so tasty and cheap that every time I wanted to drink it.
In Barcelona there are a lot of tapas restaurants and if you like to taste a lot of dishes instead of only one big one, then the world of tapas in Barcelona is exactly what you need.

I really liked Cervecería Catalana. There is a big selection of tapas and a great atmosphere.
Address Carrer de Mallorca, 236, 08008 Barcelona, Spain

Another great place is the Ticket bar. But for this place you need to book a table in advance. It’s considered as one of the best tapas restaurants.
Address Av. del Paraŀlel, 164, 08015 Barcelona, Spain
And don’t forget to try the desert catalana cream. It’s so good.

Parc Guell

Parc guell is definitely one of the most famous sites in Barcelona that was designed by Gaudi.
It was ordered by Eusebi Guell, who wanted to create a styled park for the nobility of Barcelona.

The park has many entrances; the most impressive one is the main entrance, which is from Carrer d’Olot.
In this entrance you will see two houses and one of them is actually a museum. And at the beginning of the stairs you will see the statue of the famous dragon.

There is a lot what to see in the park, like rocks, and poles that look like they grow from the ground like tree trunks (Gaudi was very inspired by natural shapes and he used them in his work).
On the upper side of the park there is a wonderful view to observe the entire park and Barcelona. There is also a nice, small restaurant where you can buy something to eat and, of course, a sangria.

The entrance from the main road costs money. You can enter from other entrances, but the arrival to them is more complicated and includes climbing many stairs. There is a bus station near the main entrance. It’s also possible to buy tickets online.


Ciutadella Park

A huge park and probably the greenest abode in Barcelona. It invites you to relax, to charge you energy, to walk, and to do picnicking.

In the park you can find many shaded areas so it’s fun to go there and just sit on the grass and relax. In the park you can find a Zoo which is one of the main attractions. There is also a beautiful lake and many visitors come there for a walk near the lake. There is an option to rent a pedal boat. There is also a zoological museum in the park,

The entrance doesn’t cost any money and it’s really recommended to visit there and to enjoy the beautiful sculptures and the calming atmosphere.
address
Passeig de Picasso, 21, 08003 Barcelona


Cable car and the magic fountains

I recommend going up the cable car while there is still light outside, this way you will have a great view of all Barcelona. After raising in the cable car, go visit the magic fountains. The fountains change their colors and move accordingly the music. The duration of the show is 15 minutes.

Fountains address
Pl Carles Buïgas, 1
Magic fountains schedule
Afterwards you can go back down with the cable car or by feet.


Go and watch a soccer game in camp Nou

If during your stays in Barcelona there is a soccer game, I recommend you to go and watch it. Even if you are not a soccer fan] and you never watch games on TV, the experience there is electric and special for everyone. In the stadium there are almost one hundred thousand sits.

And to see a game in a full or almost full stadium it’s something that’s hard to express in words. We booked our tickets from the official site of Barcelona. In the morning before the game we went there to take our tickets. The metro station is nearby so it’s very convenient.
address
Carrer d’Aristides Maillol, 12, 08028 Barcelona

Hoi An is a beautiful, magical city. I recommend to spend a minimum of 3 days, the more the better! If you’re ever in Vietnam, then you shouldn’t miss it, it combines both beauty and leisure and it just feels magical. We took a flight from Hanoi to Danang.

So, you are probably wondering what is there to do! Good thing I wrote you the top 10 things you can see, do, and eat! Enjoy!

Things to do in Hoi An

Sleep in a high standard hotel

Hoi An is the perfect place to stay at a good hotel. In most places in Vietnam we stayed in nice guesthouses that are really cheap, but in Hoi An we spent a little extra cash to stay at a luxurious hotel.

The perfect hotel for us was Truc Huy, and it had a value for money! We paid $25 per night including breakfast. It’s. That. Cheap. It’s not in the ancient city, but they offer free bikes that you can ride with to the city and be there by 10 minutes. Things we loved about this hotel: Great stuff, Awesome pool, beautiful room and good breakfast.

More reviews about Truc Huy

Another hotel that was excellent is La Residencia Hotel &Spa. Its location was in the ancient city, so that was a bit more convenient. The downside was that the pool was indoors!

They offer free shuttles to get to the beach, and it has a nice buffet breakfast. The rooms are nice, large, and clean.

More reviews about La Residencia Hotel & Spa


Go to a Cooking Class

If you’re into cooking classes, I highly recommend checking out Thuan Thun.
It combined going grocery shopping at the market with the instructor, sailing through coconut trees, a short tour that shows how to make rice milk, and lastly a fun and delicious cooking class!

We chose the noon class, and we were literally the only ones! It was a private class and course!
Sailing on the boat was really relaxing, and passing through the coconut trees was surreal. In the class we made 4 courses and each dish was really good and appetizing

 

Visit My Son

My Son is a historical place that has some Hindu temples, that is located in the village Doi Pho. In 1999 My Son was declared as an actual site. It is a beautiful place that is about 40km from Hoi An.

We rented a scooter from the hotel for $5 per day and spend the day there! It was a downhill ride and it was really lovely! Entrance is about $7. You can also take a full day tour, or get there by a taxi.

There are shuttles that take you from one temple to the other. We preferred walking, because the scenery was just beautiful



Relax on the beach

Hoi An is a leisure city, and it includes visiting its beautiful beaches.
You can get to the shore with a taxi, bikes, scooter, or choose walking. There are a few beaches and there are tanning beds in each of them.

If you buy food and drinks, you will most likely get the tanning bed for free. You can also bring a towel and just lay on the sand.
The beaches are not as impressive as they are in Thailand, but they are nice and clean. Besides, what can be so bad with just chilling in the sun?

Sew clothes

Hoi An is a city that is known for having a lot of tailors, and a lot of them can customize your clothes! I got really excited when I heard that idea.

You can sketch your own outfit, show them a picture of something you like, and they will sew the exact same thing and it would be a lot cheaper if you were to buy the original.
You can also pick the fabric and the colors that you like, and the quality is super good. I have clothes that were sewn 4 years ago and they are in perfect condition.

Roman actually got his wedding suit tailor made in Vietnam 🙂
Clothes is actually not the only thing you can get! You can also get shoes, sandals, bags, bathing suits, and belts! So basically you can customize an entire new wardrobe 🙂
I recommend a great tailor named Hien Nguyen, and her shop is called SU. Address:  48 trang hung dao.

Enjoy a Vietnamese buffet

In Vietnam you will find restaurants that also serve buffet.
The price is more expensive than that of a regular meal, but if you have an option of paying $22 for a buffet you shouldn’t think twice.

I recommend going there hungry. You will find all the amazing Vietnamese foods, and you won’t be able to have enough.

They serve soups and seafoods, dumplings and dim sum, and special Vietnamese beef dishes.
We really liked The Market restaurant.



Get a massage

We got a 90 minute massage and it was fantastic.
As amazing as the massage was, the service was excellent as well. They came to pick us up from the hotel and also gave us a ride back.

After the massage we got some delicious tea and cooking. I highly recommend checking out Pandanus Spa

Strolling Around the Ancient City

The ancient city in Hoi An is one of the nicest ones I’ve ever seen, and especially at night!  It is filled with lights, loads of bars, restaurant, fantastic scents of delicious foods, and there is ever a river in the middle of it! It is truly magical and you can spend an entire day.

There are great bars with happy hours. There is also a night market with souvenir and food stands

 

Ride Bikes

One of my favorite things in Hoi An is that you get to ride bikes all the time.

We rode our bikes to the beach, to the ancient city, and just explored with them.
In the area of the hotel Truc Huy there were a lot of beautiful rice fields with great biking or running trails

Eat Cau Lao

Cau Lao is the most famous dish in Hoi An. It is super delicious and also very cheap! .
It was good in every single place that I’ve tried it, so find a place that you like and go for it!

One of our favorite places in Vietnam was Tam Coc. And one of the main reasons for it was the place we stayed in.
Tam Coc is about 2 hours driving from Hanoi.

There is a more touristic part and a non-touristy part. We only visited the touristic area once, but our guesthouse was located 30 minutes walking from the touristic part and we loved it.
It was isolated, but it was easy to reach other places from it. It was peaceful and relaxing. The family who runs the guesthouse is so friendly and nice; though most of them don’t speak English, but we managed to communicate. And, leaving that aside, the view from this guesthouse is breathtaking.

How to arrive to Tam Coc from Hanoi

We took a local bus. There is also a tourist bus bit it’s more expensive and we prefer to experience the local life so we chose the local bus. First we took a bus to Giap bus station.
We navigated all the time using the Moovit app in order to search for a bus and to see where the stop that we needed to get off at was.

From the Giap bus station we took a bus (more like a mini bus) to Ninh Binh. When you arrive in Giap, go straight to the cashier and they will tell you where the bus to Ninh Binh is and you can buy the ticket there. The bus cost about 3usd.
We had to wait a little bit until the minibus was full and then we started our ride. The ride was fine and it was quick.

When we arrived at Ninh Binh we shared a taxi with two girls to our guesthouse. We booked this place in advance because it looked nice, was cheap, and had really good reviews. But when we arrived there we couldn’t imagine it would be so pastoral and incredible.

About Chez-Beo guesthouse in Tam Coc

This guesthouse is located between mountains and a rice field. There are several huts made of bamboo and a little river near them. There are free bikes for the guests to use. At dinner all the guests sit together with the family who runs the guesthouse and they serve great dishes at the center of each table so you can taste all the food. The price for dinner is very cheap; about 2 usd per person and every night they serve other delicious dishes. We met great people there that were from all around the world (Germany, France,England, Estonia Israel, USA ,and more).

When we booked the place we only did so for two nights but after a minute of being there, we told them that we would stay for 3 more nights (we actually wanted more but they were already full).
And aside from all I described, the price was very cheap for this kind of place.

The guesthouse’s name is Chez Beo homestay. I recommend to book it in advance because they are full most of the time. To read more reviews about Chez Beo

Things to do in Tam Coc



Comments about the guesthouse

Tam Coc is super beautiful and really special. I definitely recommend the Chez Beo guesthouse for a unique and local experience.

Hanoi is so awesome. It’s a city of chaos that works somehow and that has all the Vietnamese street food you can imagine. You can spend days after days just wandering around and trying as many dishes as you can.
The nightlife there is awesome because you can drink cheap beer and enjoy the cool atmosphere of the city.

Where to sleep in Hanoi?

If you are looking for a place that will cost you about $14 per night, then I recommend Hanoi Home Hotel.

If you’re traveling with a larger budget and can afford $50 per night, I recommend Romance Hotel.

Free tour in the old quarter

Hanoi Free Tours is a company that offers free tours (based on tips). The guides there are Vietnamese students who work in this company in order to practice their English and to earn some money.

Our guide was an 18-year-old guy that speaker English really well. The tour was for about 3 hours. We were the only ones in this tour (just me and Roman) so it was like a private tour and it was awesome.

Our guide told us about the history of Hanoi and Vietnam in general, he knew a lot of stuff. He shared with us stories about the way he lives. We asked him many questions and he was so nice and answered everything. He even took us to his favorite place to eat sandwiches and to a hidden gem to drink coffee with a view to the lake. He also gave us tips and recommendations.
I really recommend this type of tour. The company offers other tours too, like in the French quarter or a food tour.

Water park inside a mall – Vinpearl Water Park

Update from 2024 : the waterpark closed permanently

A great option for a rainy day. It’s a great way to spend your day. I wrote more about it in the post “Water Park Inside a Mall in Hanoi, Vietnam”. Also, in the mall there are other activities, like 3d movies and ice skating so those are also great options

A Snake meal in the Snake Village

An amazing, exotic, and tasty experience. If you are looking for an adventurous meal this is something you have to try. The whole experience is unforgettable. We went there with an Austrian couple we met in Tam Coc and we had an amazing time. You can read more about it in the post “Exotic and Unforgettable Snake Meal in the Snake Village Hanoi Vietnam”

Wander around the old quarter and try local food

The streets in the Old Quarter of Hanoi are magical. They’re so crowded and with so much noise and everywhere you look there is street food and local restaurants which are the charm of Hanoi. I can’t describe it in words. You have to be there to understand. Some people hate it and think it’s too noisy, but I fell in love with this city the moment my feet stepped on it.

If you love street food you will get lost with all the profusion of options. Just explore the city and try everything you see 🙂

Help the locals practice their English

Another cool thing about Hoan Kiem Lake, is if you sit there, there is a big chance that a local student will approach you and ask if they can practice their English with you. I met a cute girl in high school and we talked for about 20 minutes. I asked her about her life and she asked me about Israel and it was awesome. We took selfies 🙂 She was so nice and very shy and I really liked this opportunity to talk with a local and also to help her with her English.

Vietnamese Women’s Museum

A really interesting museum about Vietnamese Women during the years. It’s about the women in the Vietnamese war, about the way they raised their kids, and much more. What we loved about this museum is that you get an audio headphone in the entrance and in each display you can hear in the headphones the story about it. It makes it more realistic and more detailed. Like with a tour guide.

Ticket price: about 2.5 usd including the audio headphones

Address: 36 Lý Thường Kiệt, Hang Bai ward, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Opening hours: every day 08:00-17:00

Phone: +84 4 3825 9129

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

The museum gives information about Vietnam and all its ethnic groups. It has really interesting displays including different houses and buildings in the gardens. The museum offers a real insight into the cultural and family aspects of the Vietnamese people.

Price ticket; about 2 usd

Address: Nguyễn Văn Huyên, Nghĩa Đô, Cầu Giấy, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 08:30-17:30. Closed on Monday

Phone: +84 4 3756 2192

Hoan Kiem Lake

This is the main lake in Hanoi. We really loved to buy cold coffee or a fruit shake for take-away and to go to sit near the lake. It’s so peaceful and beautiful. You can spend hours just sitting there

There are more things to do in Hanoi, many museums, many types of tours and many, many food options. I really recommend to come to this city with an open mind and to focus on the unique experience that you won’t have anywhere else in the world. Just one last tip, when you cross the road, walk fast, straight forward and don’t stop in the middle 🙂

Two years ago, when Roman was in Vietnam, someone that he met in Hanoi recommended him to go to a snake village to eat a snake. The village is about 10 km from Hanoi. Roman loves exotic food, so he decided to follow this recommendation.

When he returned from there he told me that is was one of the best and most unique meals he had ever had.
When we traveled in Vietnam not too long ago, I decided that I wanted to go and try it by myself. Because if it’s so good there wasn’t a chance I was going to miss it.

We met a really awesome Austrian couple in our guesthouse in Tam Coc (Chez Beo guesthouse) and after returning to Hanoi from Tam Coc, we offered them to join us to try the meal.

They agreed 🙂

The four of us took a taxi together to the snake village. It’s called Snake Village because there are several restaurants there that offer a snake meal.
The village was pretty abandoned and we felt like we were in a ghost town. But maybe it was because it was pretty late.

We went to a different restaurant than the one that Roman visited last time, he couldn’t remember the restaurant’s name.
The restaurant that we went to was called Nguyen van duc snake restaurant

Choosing your own snake

When we arrived at the restaurant they first showed us several snakes (alive) and told us to choose the one that we wanted to eat.
We chose a Cobra snake, because it was pretty big and it would be enough for the four of us.

It costs 150 USD. Yes, for Vietnam it’s a lot of money but the price depends on the size of the snake, and also it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience (or twice, like for Roman)

The snake meal

Afterwards they took us to sit upstairs. The restaurant was almost full and everyone was dressed really nicely.
We were the only non-local people and we were dressed like a backpackers.

Everyone stared at us when we entered the room. Not sure if it was because of the clothes or if it was because they were not used to seeing non-local people there.
We received a menu that showed all the dishes that we were going to get. Each dish was made from another organ of the snake. There were nine different dishes.

We also got a wine snake. We drank a shot and the dishes started to arrive.

Snake’s heart still beating

The weirdest thing was that we received at the table was a shot with the snake’s heart still beating in its blood.

Roman drank it last time, so this time he told our friend to drink it. And he did. He said it was ok and I think that the snake wine also helped him.

The experience and the meal itself

Yes, I know, the whole experience sounds pretty gross, but I have to say that except for the beating heart, all the dishes looked appealing and the taste was incredible.

Each dish was cooked differently and each one was really delicious.
If I hadn’t seen the snake before that I wouldn’t have guessed that the meat was from a snake.

It tasted like a combination of beef and chicken.
The whole experience was really unique. We had a great time with our friends from Austria and also the snake wine helped us get into the atmosphere

If you are an exotic food lover or an adventurous person, I really recommend you to try it. It’s worth the money and it’s something you will never forget.
It’s unbelievable.

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Update in 2024 – the water park is permanently closed

During our stay in Hanoi, it rained for several days, so we searched for indoor things that we could do. After being in 2 museums we looked for something else.
After many searches online we found the perfect option.

An underground Water Park inside a mall
Sounds cool, doesn’t it?

We took a local bus (using the moovit app) because it’s really cheap, but you can also take a taxi if you prefer.

Water park in Hanoi

We went there in the middle of the week, because we read that it’s much less crowded and also the ticket price is cheaper.

The ticket costs 5 usd instead of 9 usd and we were about 10 people in the entire place!!! It was awesome.

There were two slides that were closed (because we were only 10 people), but all the other facilities worked and there were several really cool slides anyhow. Tube slide, slide with a mattress, and one very scary slide where you stand inside a capsule and suddenly it opens from the bottom and you fall into the slide. I was so scared that I started to shake in the capsule 🙂 But I did it anyhow and it was great. Roman did it about 10 times.
There‘s also a wave pool and more facilities.

More details about the waterpark in Hanoi

Water park name: Vinpearl Water Park Hanoi

Address

Street, Thuong Dinh Ward, District Floor B1 R3, Vincom Mega Mall Royal City, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam, 443/72 Nguyễn Trãi, Thanh Xuân, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Phone: +84 1900 6677

Opening hours: every day 09:30-18:30

Ticket price: weekend 9usd, weekday 5 usd

I recommend calling the park before going, because there have been times that it’s been closed for reconstruction.

Ayutthaya was the old capital of Thailand from 1350-1767. It’s located 80 km north from Bangkok.

The city was ruined in one night in 1767 and since then there have been ruins of palaces and temples. The ruins are beautiful and each place has its own magic. The atmosphere in this city is different than in any regular city because of the ruins.

If you are staying in Bangkok, you should consider a visit there and even spend a night or two.

Lodging in Ayutthaya

How to arrive to Ayutthaya from Bangkok

The minivan was the most convenient way for us but the way back by train was a unique local experience. I love to feel the same as the locals and to experience how they live. It’s not always comfortable, but I think it’s the way to experience the country you visit.

Things to do in Ayutthaya

Wander around between the ruins

you can explore the area with bikes, by foot, or by taxi/tuk-tuk. We took the bikes and explored the area with them. We didn’t succeed to see all the ruins but we chose some that we thought would be interesting to see (we read a little bit about them in order to see what would interest us). The bikes were not in the best condition (we took them from our guesthouse), but they did the job. If it’s hot I recommend you to start the exploring as early as you can.

Ayutthaya is so different from Bangkok, the islands, and the north. It’s more relaxing, less touristic and with an ancient atmosphere. We enjoyed it very much. It was so nice to ride with the bikes there and visit the local markets. It felt authentic. The locals there are very friendly and welcoming.

Pai is a town in the Mae Hong Soon Province of northern Thailand. It’s about 3.5 hours ride from Chiang Mai. We highly recommend to visit there while traveling in North Thailand.

Land split and tubes in Pai Thailand

A place that used to be a farm, until one day in 2008 a huge crack in the land appeared which split it in two. The disaster ruined the farm’s crop and the owner decided not to cultivate his land again, but to turn this place into a touristic attraction. The crack itself is quite impressive, but this is not the only reason that we were excited about this place.

When we arrived, the girl who works there welcomed us with a smile and invited us to sit in a nice area. Once we sat, she brought us refreshments of banana chips, hibiscus jam, peanuts, and hibiscus juice. We sat there for quite a long time. The refreshments didn’t cost anything, but the place exists from donations. In the entrance there is a box of donations where you can leave as much as you want.

After the snacks we did something even more fun 🙂 we rented (for a really cheap price of about 2 euro) 2 tubes and took them to the lane nearby. There were about 5 people that were swimming there and we floated with the tubes. It was so relaxing and fun.

You definitely can spend half a day there. We arrived by scooter but you can also take a taxi there. It’s about 7km from Pai’s center.

Map



Hidden hot springs

In all the agencies of Pai they offer a visit to the hot springs, they are very touristic and the entrance price is pretty expensive for Thailand (300 baht). If you want to make a small effort and spend less (20 baht), you can go to the Sai Ngam hot springs

Indeed today they are less hidden than they used to be and more people go there, but they are still much less crowded than the other ones. Especially in the middle of the week.

They are located 16km from Pai’s center. The drive there is pretty twisted, with declines and increases, so if you drive there with a scooter you should be aware of this.

Fermentation workshop

If you are into health and love to learn new stuff about how to improve your wellbeing, this is a workshop that you might enjoy.

We discovered this class unintentionally while we sat in a restaurant called “Goodlife” and I saw a flyer about fermentation. It sounded interesting so we decided to go there.

The workshop is located in a chada. There are two guys that run it Lance and Costantin. The is workshop called Pai love fermentery. It’s designated to three people and more and the cost is around 600 baht per person for a 4 hour workshop.

We were the only ones that day so we paid 1600 baht for the both of us (still a very cheap price for what you get from it).

In the beginning of the workshop we learned about the fermentation process and why it’s good to eat fermented food. Afterwards we learned about kombucha (fermented tea) and Kefir (fermented milk). We learned how to make them and why they are healthy for our body.

During the workshop we snacked on some fermented food, we ate fermented lunch and drank the kombucha. The atmosphere there is the greatest and the guys are super nice.

We learned a lot from it and ever since that workshop we make Kefir in our home every day 🙂

Special workshop that’s very recommended. The workshop is Monday-Saturday 11:00-15:00. Sunday it’s closed. You don’t have to sign-in before; just arrive 10 minutes before it starts.

It’s about 1km from Pai’s center

Map


 Chinese village Viewpoint in Pai

My recommendation is to go to the Chinese village at noon for lunch and then during the sunset to go to the viewpoint to see the sunset. The entrance to the viewpoint costs 20 baht and you also get a green tea.

Drinking tea while watching the sunset is so fun and relaxing. The village is located 5km from Pai’s center.

Map


Recommendation for a guesthouse in Pai

We stayed at the Baan kanoon guesthouse for 7 days. We really liked it.

It’s a beautiful guesthouse. The rooms are cabins and there is a big yard. And in the entrance to each cabin there is a table and chairs. It’s a really relaxing and clean place.

The cost is around 400 baht a night. Located in a great location, about 2 minutes by foot to the night-walking street. There have free coffee and tea in the morning.

Map