Vietnam · growing
The pot is always almost ready.
Hanoi mornings are a broth you can hear. Pick a corridor, not fourteen cities. Entry on government domains only — middlemen are a tax with a logo.
Money spine
E-visa first. Then one honest corridor.
Official portals: evisa.gov.vn · thithucdientu.gov.vn. Government fees on the Immigration apply page: USD $25 single · USD $50 multiple · ~3 working days (checked 16 Aug 2026). JP/KR and ten EU peers: 45-day exemption window per Resolution 44/NQ-CP through 14 Mar 2028 — re-read embassy text for your passport.
Entry + e-visa
Official .gov.vn portals · $25 / $50 fees.
Hoi An
Lantern town. Da Nang is the utility airport.
Top 10
Days that earn the overnight.
Seasons
North grey winters · south curtain rains.
Pick a shape
North focus, south focus, or a honest spine: Hanoi → water (Ha Long or Ninh Binh) → Hoi An / Da Nang → HCMC if the calendar is kind. Overnight buses sound like a story. The third one is a hostage situation.
Ha Long is mist and marketing. An overnight with a vetted boat beats a day-trip that treats the bay like a drive-through. Learn two phrases badly and use them anyway. Grab works in the big cities; cash still matters at the small ones.
Essays