Asia

Osaka. It’s a city that thrives on contradictions—fast and pristine public transit shuttles the masses between modern towers that cast shadows over a rich and complex history that’s seen it all, from the Shogun’s siege to the city’s eventual rebirth.

But I’m not just here for the history. I’m on the hunt for some good eats.

And here, food isn’t just fuel; it’s an explosion of flavor. From crunchy takoyaki covered in a rich umami-driven sauce to the overloaded okonomiyaki underneath the neon glow of Dotonbori, Osaka demands you dig in and savor every chaotic, glorious moment.

And it’s here where I begin my two-and-a-half week trip around the country with stops in ‘Ninja City’ Iga where I learn about the region’s connection to historical ninjas before running in the Ninja Trail Run for my final ultra of the year, Kyoto to meet with an old friend and sample vegan Japanese food between temple treks, and Tokyo to continue the feast before ending with a week in Okinawa.

Few places are as brutally overwhelming for the uninitiated as Bangkok. The heat is otherworldly if you’re not from around here––a humid 95 (or 35 degrees here) with air as thick as gravy. Oppressive and demoralizing don’t even begin to cut it.

I thought diving into Hanoi was a cold shock to the system. But this… This is a whole ‘nother ball game.

I’m not going to lie to you. We weren’t in Vientiane, the Laotian capital, for more than 14 or so hours. That’s because we had to catch a flight to Bangkok and the trains from Vang Vieng didn’t line up nicely to leave the same day.

That said, I’m glad we got to see Vientiane. There’s plenty you can see in one night and one morning, but if you can do a whole day, I don’t think you’d regret it.

But like I said, I have a flight to catch to Bangkok. So let’s get moving!

Vang Vieng. Despite its reputation as a backpacker party hub, it’s a sleepy, dusty town during our short stay. The kind of place where the heat turns up a notch and time slows to a savory standstill. So it’s only sensible that you order another Beer Lao.

I never heard of Luang Prabang until a friend of mine ping me, telling me about this cool place with a waterfall you’ve gotta see to believe. I saved it on Google Maps and didn’t think about it for years until we started planning our trip to Hanoi and Ninh Binh, wondering where else we should go in Southeast Asia. That’s when I felt it in my gut. I had to go to Laos.

Laos is the perfect place for a traveler like me. Overall, lesser-traveled, a little harder to get to from the US and Europe, and history that, sadly, is greatly intertwined with that of my country. (At the same time, the horrors that befell the Laotian people during the US bombings does not define them, so don’t go here in search of tragedy porn.)

I was in Luang Prabang for about a day before I had the cliché thought of, “Yeah, I think I should move here.” Who knows if that’d be a good idea. All I can say is that more than any other place I visited in Southeast Asia, my soul misses Luang Prabang the most.

Ninh Binh is one of those places you’ve probably never heard of until you started planning your trip to Vietnam. As they say, better late than never. Luckily you’ve found it before setting off for the airport.

This is the polar opposite of Hanoi. Quiet, serene, enveloped by nature. If Hanoi is like taking five shots of espresso (of more unsavory drugs I won’t write about here), then Ninh Binh is morphine. Stress alleviates from your body as your heart settles into a simple rhythm.

Like most rural places, three days in Ninh Binh can feel like a week. Time just moves slower here. Nonetheless, you’ll be surprised when it’s time to leave.

Hanoi, like much of Vietnam, is a city that fires up the imagination. Narrow streets, hordes of motorbikes, and there’s always a plastic stool somewhere to grab a seat and have a bite.

It’s beautiful. But it can also be cacophonous to the uninitiated. And unless we’re born immersed in the synchronized chaos of Hanoi, we all enter the Vietnamese capital uninitiated. This includes Vietnamese travelers and transplants as well, as our street food guide later confirmed.

After a few days, I felt I got my Hanoian equivalent of sea legs and was able to confidently strut about the city. So in this guide, I’ll share some of the key details about travel in Hanoi that ought to cover you for three days. How to get there, how to travel around the city, the best time of year to visit, and some of the things to do in Hanoi.