Escaping the European winter brought us to travel to Vietnam for one and a half months. We touched down in Ho Chi Minh City to explore it for a few days. I got quite sick, though, so during my first days in Vietnam I had to stay in bed.

After finally getting back on track, we had almost two days left in Saigon, so we strolled around District 1 and had dinner at some of the coolest izakayas in the Japanese district.

We left Saigon and continued travelling to Mui Ne. Staying in a beautiful resort right by the beach, we enjoyed a few calm days in the sun after all the hectic energy of HCMC. With a rented scooter, we were also able to explore more of the surrounding area and enjoyed some of the best Vietnamese food.

Our next stop was Nha Trang, where we settled into a kind of everyday life for a few weeks. We were working, meeting family who live in Vietnam, taking dips in the ocean, and searching for the best vegan restaurants around town.

We also went to Hoi An to explore the old town, get pants tailored, celebrate New Year’s Eve, and enjoy amazing food. The best bánh mì I had during my whole time in Vietnam was definitely in Hoi An. Generally, the food in central Vietnam has the best balance of flavours — a perfect symbiosis of salty, spicy, and sweet.

Leaving for Bangkok for a few days to catch up with friends brought us back to Nha Trang afterwards, where we slipped back into our work routine.

Before returning to Germany, we spent a few more days in HCMC, went shopping, and met family. Unfortunately, there were a few boxes on our bucket list we didn’t manage to tick this time — but luckily, we’ll be back again soon.