It was mid-October when I landed in Hanoi, ready to start my Vietnam trip with a bunch of strangers. There were three women travelling solo apart from me, all from very different walks of life, and a couple who were just as excited to be there as the rest of us.
None of us knew what the week would look like, but we all showed up for the same reasons: good food, new experiences, and a break from routine.
I’ve always believed that travel is shaped less by the places you visit and more by the people you experience them with. Although I’ve travelled to Vietnam before, I didn’t know this trip would become one of my most memorable ones.
Meeting in Hanoi and bonding over food
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We met in Hanoi and kicked things off with lunch at Bancông, one of my favourite spots in the city. There was that familiar first-day awkwardness at the table. Polite smiles, small talk, everyone quietly figuring each other out.
Food has a way of easing awkward beginnings. Over plates of bún chả, cold beers, and tentative smiles that slowly turned into laughter, the initial nerves began to fade. We started by sharing one thing we were most excited about on this trip, and every answer felt personal. One of us was eager to see places she had only admired through Instagram reels, while another simply wanted a break from her routine nine-to-five and to finally tick Vietnam off her bucket list. As the conversation flowed, we realised we all had one thing in common: an unapologetic excitement for good food.
With every shared story and joke, the table felt warmer, the silences shorter.
By the end of lunch, it already felt like we were travelling together, not just eating at the same place.
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around the city. We strolled by West Lake, stopped at Tran Quoc Pagoda, and later wandered through the Temple of Literature. It was calm, unhurried, and honestly, the perfect way to ease into the trip.
New friends, water puppets and the Hanoi buzz
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In the evening, we went for the Water Puppet Show. It’s one of those experiences people often skip, but I found it extremely fascinating. There’s something simple and charming about it, and seeing everyone enjoy it made it even better.
Dinner was at Banh Mi 25, followed by a walk through the night market. Lanterns overhead, crowded lanes, and that constant buzz that Hanoi carries so well. By the time we headed back to our acommodation, it didn’t feel like our first day together anymore.
Cruising Ha Long Bay
The next morning, we left early for Ha Long Bay. The drive was quiet at first, most of us half-asleep, until the excitement kicked in once we reached the port. Cruising through those emerald waters, surrounded by limestone cliffs, felt absolutely surreal.
Lunch on the boat quickly turned into a full-blown storytelling session, with plates forgotten as conversations flowed from travel mishaps to life back home. Every now and then, the limestone karsts would steal the spotlight, leaving us momentarily silent and wide-eyed.
We explored Sung Sot Cave later that day, which our guide proudly called the “Surprise Cave,” and for once, the name did not disappoint. As the sun dipped lower, the landscape quietly stole the show, leaving us content to simply take it in and let the moment linger.
Back in Hanoi that night, we squeezed ourselves onto tiny plastic stools along Train Street, cold beers in hand, waiting for the train to barrel through. It was loud, chaotic, and thrilling in a way that felt slightly absurd and completely unforgettable.
A night of good local food, live music, and deep conversation with my new friends, reminded me of a line by English writer and philosopher, Aldous Huxley: “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.”
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Finding ease and peace in Hoi An
After spending three nights in Hanoi and a visit to Trang An in Ninh Binh, we flew to Da Nang and drove straight to Hoi An.
Taking the chance to slow down, we wandered around the ancient town, shopped, stopped for coffee more times than planned, and later floated lanterns on the river as the sky turned dark.
A special moment from Hoi An was partaking in a coffee-making workshop. Learning how Vietnamese coffee is brewed, listening to stories from the local family, and whipping up five different kinds of coffee was just the right kind of high that the group needed!
It was also beautiful to witness how the coffee culture in Vietnam has become so popular, and the way the locals see coffee as something more than just another beverage. It’s more like a slow ritual for them, to pause and enjoy the moment. And somehow, we were also getting drawn into it, soaking in every bit of the moment that we were spending, while enjoying our cà phê sữa dá.
Evenings in Hoi An were relaxed. Long dinners, poolside conversations while sipping beer, and lazy walks through lantern-lit streets. At times, I caught myself wondering how a group of strangers had so effortlessly turned into friends in just a few days.
It reminded me how quietly beautiful adult friendships can be, unplanned, easy, and unexpectedly comforting.
Every night, my roommate and I would revisit the day’s highlights, swap photos, and laugh over moments that already felt like inside jokes. Conversations wandered from travel plans to life back home, from dreams we had paused to jokingly planning our next trip together, convinced we had somehow found our travel soulmates.
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The misty magic of Ba Na Hills and sad farewells
On the last leg of our journey, Ba Na Hills greeted us with rain and thick mist.
Our last night together was spent over dinner and drinks, talking about everything we had seen and done over the week. There was a strange mix of gratitude and sadness in the air, especially when we thought about how unfamiliar we all had been just days ago.
As we posted stories on Instagram and tagged each other, everyone began sharing their favourite moments from the trip. I talked about how much I loved the coffee-making session, while my roommate couldn’t stop raving about the beautiful custom-made clothes she had picked up in Hoi An. The couple shared how this trip had given them rare, much-needed quality time together after months of busy schedules, and listening to them speak so openly filled my heart in the quietest, warmest way.
What travelling with strangers in Vietnam taught me
Even though I’d been to Vietnam before, seeing it through new eyes made it feel different this time. Familiar places felt fresh again.
Saying goodbye wasn’t easy. Somewhere between shared meals, long drives, and quiet moments, strangers had turned into friends.
Travelling with strangers teaches you to show up as you are. No expectations, no pressure. Just people coming together for a short time, sharing moments that somehow end up meaning a lot.
Vietnam gave us incredible food, beautiful landscapes, and memories I’ll always hold close. But more than anything, it reminded me that some of the best travel stories begin with people you haven’t met yet.
