Welcome to a new series where I break down some interesting points I found about countries into the good, the not so good, and the downright weird.

Starting with Vietnam: Being probably my favourite country in the world, this list is heavily weighted towards the good, simply because there’s so much more good!

The Good

• The people: Vietnamese people are super friendly and always down for a good time, especially if that good time includes karaoke!
• The landscapes in the north: Though the entire country is beautiful, the landscapes of the north are truly unbelievable! Take the Ha Giang Loop for example; Just when you think you’ve seen the best view of your lifetime, you round a precarious bend and Voila! A view to make a grown man cry. 
• The hostels and homestays: Of the 15 or so countries I’ve backpacked, I found Nam’s hostels to be the best in comparison to what you pay. In fact I’d go as far as saying that they were the best full stop, with Cambodia being the only competition (Onederz carries there). Check out my favourite hostels on my Hostel Log
• Sleeper Buses: Getting from one place to another without wasting a day, all while getting a semi-solid night’s sleep and saving money on accommodation for a night; sleeper buses can be an absolute gem. They can also be quite the opposite… (see below in “The Bad”). 
• The Ha Giang Loop: I feel bad even putting the loop in a list titled “the good”; it belongs in “the best”. Everything about the loop makes it one of the best travel experiences ever. The views that will continuously have you struggling to pick your jaw off the floor, the contagious optimism and energy of the local easy drivers, the people you’ll meet, the exhilarating games of Da Cau (Foot badminton) you’ll play on the cliffside, the karaoke… even the happy water; It’s all. Freaking. Awesome.
• The coffee!! Vietnamese coffee needs no introduction! Buuut… in case it does; Though there are many different Vietnamese coffees, here are the best:
  • Egg Coffee: The famous coffee of the north. You’ll either love it or hate it, but you have to try it.
  • Coconut Coffee: Simply the best thing in the world. It’s exactly how it sounds, but the coconut is turned into whipped cream and woowwwww.
  • Ginger Coffee: A sharp but soothing coffee usually served with the grated ginger left inside your cup.
  • Salt Coffee: A savoury coffee (I mean, obviously; it’s salty) which works surprisingly well.
  • Tiramisu Coffee: Super sweet but super delish!
• Karaoke: I got my first real six strinnnng, bouuuuught it at the five and diiiime!!

The Bad

• The pollution: The pollution in Vietnam’s larger cities is downright infamous. Though I didn’t feel it in Ho Chi Minh, it was definitely noticeable in Hanoi, though that might have been because I was there at the end of the notorious burning season. The burning season is usually from mid-January to April, with March and April being the peak. It affects the Northern region and the Central Highlands, though the south of the country is also slightly affected because of the rice paddies. 
• Transport stops: Though the intercity transport around Vietnam is generally comfortable and not too hectic, the same can’t be said about the rest stops you’ll use along the way. Though some are ok, the majority are a bit of a mess, with it being a chore to figure out where to buy food, use the bathroom… in short, everything is just hectic as hell. Also, remember to bring your own toilet paper/tissues.  
• Sleeper Buses: Yeah… I know I already mentioned sleeper buses as amazing, but it really can depend on the bus you take. There are three types of buses you can take, and your experience can change massively based on your choice of bus:
  •  There are the standard buses, where you won’t have much legroom and the bed/seats are quite narrow. You also won’t be able to lean them back much, making it really hard to sleep on, especially if you’re over 5’8 or so.
  • The “VIP buses” aren’t actually the best buses, but they’re a huge step up from the regular buses. The seats are more comfy, there’s more legroom, more space above your head, comfier arm rests, curtains for privacy, space to put your things… these buses are simply better all around. In fact, I’d actually recommend you choose these buses if you’re actually trying to get a full nights sleep, for a reason I’ll mention below.
  • The “Cabin buses” are the first class of the bus fleet. Instead of a seat, you’ll get a small bed in your own tiny cabin. I once took a cabin bus where the bed was also a massage chair! Though easily the comfiest while awake, the fact that you have so much space can become a problem when you’re trying to sleep and the winding road keeps sending you tumbling around your bed. It’s for this reason that I always choose the VIP buses when I’m on a bus overnight, and the cabin buses I use for longer trips that I choose to take by day. I only use the regular buses when the drive is only a couple of hours.

The Ugly

• Motorcycle traffic: Ooff. Well, it’s part of the experience, but the scooter traffic in the cities can be an absolute nightmare, whether you’re driving, on the back of a Grab driver’s bike, or simply trying to cross the street. In Ho Chi Minh, locals (and grab drivers with shrieking backpackers on the back) will often use the pavement as their own personal bike lane. Don’t even get me started on Hanoi! Hue can also be perilous, with many trucks in the area, but Hoi An and Da Nang are surprisingly manageable.
• Too much happy water: Yeahhh be careful with the happy water guys. They say it doesn’t give you a hangover but that’s only true if you don’t abuse the fact and down a full bottle of the stuff.
• The Rubbish: (Garbage in American) For such a beautiful country, it really is a shame how much litter em… litters the streets. Even worse, some of the best natural beauty is ruined too! Ha Long Bay, one of the New Natural Wonders of the World, is, in my opinion, completely ruined by the amount of grease and rubbish in the water. While kayaking there, it felt like I was picking up some miscellaneous piece of rubbish with every stroke of my paddle. A real shame.

And there you have my quick breakdown on some interesting things to know about Vietnam. Which point surprised you the most?