👆🏻7 things we wish we had known before our family trip to Vietnam

1️⃣ Vietnam is much more child-friendly than we thought

Children are welcome everywhere. Our kids were constantly smiled at, spoken to, and often even given preferential treatment - whether in restaurants, buses, or hotels.

2️⃣ The traffic looks worse than it is

Yes, it's chaotic. Especially in Hanoi. But it works. Scooters will avoid you if you walk slowly and predictably. With children by the hand, this works surprisingly well, even if a few days in Hanoi were enough for us.

3️⃣ Night buses are worth their weight in gold (even with kids)

You can cover long distances while the children sleep. This saves time, money, and nerves. Vietnam is really well organized for this. On the way to Cao Bang, we “slept through” the winding drive - on the way back, which we took on a regular bus, we all got car-sick.

4️⃣ Eating out with kids is super easy

Spring rolls, rice, noodles, banh mi - mild, fresh, and available everywhere. We never had any trouble finding something suitable for our kids.

5️⃣ Accommodations are cheaper & better than expected

Family rooms, clean hotels, friendly staff - often the best value for money of our entire trip.

6️⃣ Count your change

The Vietnamese are extremely friendly, especially if you have children. But sometimes we received too little change or heard excuses like “I don't have any change.” We often just left it at that. But it's easy to get confused with all the zeros - and the Vietnamese know that. ;)

7️⃣ Plan less, go with the flow more and Vietnam will touches your soul

Vietnam is intense. Heat, noise, smells. With children, it's worth planning breaks and not packing every day full. Looking back, we would have liked to stay longer in Tam Coc because the vibe there was just right. The encounters, the simplicity, the real life touched us. Our children learned so much here and we often think back on it.