Vietnam & Story Sparks

Stories are everywhere. One great way to pick up new story ideas (or as I like to call them, Story Sparks) is by traveling. Below are a few photos of a trip my husband and I took to Vietnam. Enjoy!

Because a number of people have asked about our Vietnam itinerary, here it is in a nutshell. If you just want to see photos, scroll past all the text.

We landed in Hanoi and stayed two nights at the delightful Golden Rooster Hotel which is in the city’s old quarter. We spent a lot of time wandering around the old city, exploring small alleyways and sideroads, getting lost and found. The street food was wonderful, especially the soups.

We walked around Hoan Kiem Lake and also visited the Ethnology Museum and the Temple of Literature. There’s a lot to see and do in Hanoi, and I loved the old quarter. Definitely catch a water puppet show (you can also see a show in Ho Chi Minh).

Madeline Cruises then picked us up from our hotel and drove us to Ha Long Bay for our overnight cruise. The food was great, the staff amazing, and the ship was beautiful in a classic, romantic way. Our ship had a maximum capacity of 50 guests, making it very cozy and more of a boutique experience.

Waking up in the morning to the stunning view of the bay’s jungle-covered, hilly islands was magical. In hindsight, I would've gone for a 3-night cruise. The bay is incredible, and a longer cruise allows you to explore deeper and get away from the main crowd of tourists (and there’re lots of tourists!). 

We then went to Ninh Binh. We went on a full-day packaged tour which we arranged on arrival (it was remarkably easy to arrange tours at the last minute). The tour included a crazy hike up the small but steep Mua Mountain - the view was worth the blood, sweat and more sweat - and a boat ride in Trang An. We also visited Bich Dong Pagoda which is beautiful as it has a cave which feels like a chapel.

We also biked a lot around the area, exploring side roads and small village settings. We came across - quite by accident - a gem of a place that’s worth exploring but doesn’t get mentioned a lot on the typical tourist track: Thung Nham Bird Park (also called Thung Nham Ecotourism Zone). We biked to it, then biked around it, exploring its beautiful grounds. Mermaid Cave was one of the highlights, but the whole place was gorgeous. I could’ve easily spent the whole day at this park. Or even spent a night at the Thung Nham Resort. Maybe next time!

After that, we went to Hoi An for four nights and stayed at Blooms Boutique Village, a small hotel that I can't recommend enough. We did a lot of biking here as well. The old quarter of Hoi An is wonderful, and definitely worth spending a couple of days just exploring it and visiting the small museums. Definitely consider getting clothes made there, or buy ready-made clothes, but bargain hard! One evening, we saw a wonderful show called "Vietnam Memories Show" - I highly recommend it.

Finally, we went to Ho Chi Minh and stayed at the gorgeous Au Lac Charner Hotel (our most expensive hotel but still well priced considering its quality). We weren't very impressed with the city - it’s very big, very commercial, very (relatively) Western and not nearly as charming as Hanoi. We had an amazing visit to Cu Chi tunnels. But apart from that highlight, I would've either skipped the city entirely, or only stayed a night. Instead, I would’ve spent an extra day in Ninh Binh, and another day at a national park.

A few last points: Bargain hard though - assume the starting price is at least three times too high! If you’re interested in visiting national parks, you need to set aside a full day at least, and possibly a night. The parks are definitely off the beaten track. Vietnam is very easy and safe to travel around, the people are wonderful, and the food is delicious. I highly recommend visiting the country! And now… (some of) the photos.

Something sacred & ancient
within a swirl of modern life.

A ballerina lost in a meditative dance
among the relics of ghosts and ancestors.

Dragons are everywhere - art, history, myth and legend.
With all the waterways, caves and jungles, it's easy to imagine
that one might be hiding just around the corner.

Gliding past dramatic lairs of mythological dragons.
What sights has our rower seen?

Our Ha Long Bay ship had hints of another, more romantic age
with dramatic double staircases curling into the dining room.

Anyone watched the 2017 version of King Kong?
Parts of the movie were filmed here in Ha Long Bay.

Delicate lampshades like miniature hot air balloons
carrying our dreams and stories to the heavens.

A place of prayer dug out of the rocks,
a strong mountain fortress for the soul.

A temple inside a cave.
Prayers echo to the beat of a bat's wing.

Delicate little gems found in a cave temple, each with a story.
A seed survives among the hard rock to bloom.
A seed of inspiration creates beauty in the darkness.

We huddle in the shade of small structures tucked against sharp cliffs
jutting out from a landscape of flooded rice fields
filled with white ducks and golden fish. 

Imagine a really steep set of stone stairs.
Now make them steeper...
and add in heat and humidity.
500 steps up a mountain in Ninh Binh.

500 steps coil around a steep mini-mountain like the spine of a dragon
Stones slick with our exhaustion.
From on top, our gaze glides across centuries of stories.

A dragon stands guard at the top...

... and another at the bottom of the mountain.
What historical and mythological forces inspired a belief
that dragons are guardians rather than serpentine foes to be defeated?

Clay and water mingle, reflections brushing along a shared surface.
In the same way, our ancient past and modern future
intersect and influence each other.

Guarded by a dragon, she stands eternally by the well,
as if weighing two choices:
Plunge into the earth's depths to find water,
or rise up with the dragon's fire?

Larger bonsai are everywhere.
Whose hands first tweaked and pruned
this old tree's boughs and roots?
A work of living art, left casually outside.

Fields of lotus flowers tucked between dragon-guarded hills.
Roots in the mud, delicate petals praise the sun. 

Lanterns hang like swollen fruit,
cheerful blobs of color and light.

A pagoda seems to float on still water,
only the soft ripples of our oars disturbing its reflection.

Another pagoda huddles against a jungle mound,
waiting for worshippers to float by.

I post photos of more story sparks over on Instagram under @RealmSeekerStudio and also on Facebook. If you're on either of those platforms, join me there!