A little fact about me, I was born in Vietnam from the Northern side. Got sponsored by my dad, who was residing in Canada at the time. I was just a year old and had come to Canada alongside my mom. This is my second time visiting, the first time around I was about 6 years old and a lot has changed since then. Well.. not sooo much but, it still is a developing country considering it's history.

 

The busy streets full of mopeds and never ending honking is something I had to get used to the first couple days! Although the food is something I will always crave for. And it's just not all about Pho! There's so many other home made dishes that isn't usually known on menus. So, if you're adventurous and have a diversified palette, definitely explore other options. Be mindful of where you are eating, because I've gotten food poisoning in the past. This time around I'm cautious of where I'm eating and tend to avoid street food. 

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Depending on the time of the year you're going, the North has chilly season and both parts have rain season but, it's on and off. I went during spring so it was quite nice and gets really really hot. For transportation I used Grab app, which is like Uber but in Asia. They're literally everywhere. Private luxury drivers can be arranged too, I preferred that for rides an hour away, which costed about $100 for half the day.

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As a solo female solo traveler, I'm pretty aware that thieves are quite common in Vietnam. I was even told on the street by a gentleman when I was taking a photo to keep my bag and phone close as riders on motorbikes will snatch your belongings. Although, I'm not too sure if it's because I speak the language or haven't had any incident anywhere but, I felt safe and did not find any of the locals there to be a threat. If anything, scammers - there's full of them.

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How to travel alone as a female