Exploring Vietnam: From Hanoi to the Tonkin Alps by Night Bus

It is for this reason that most travelers start exploring Vietnam from one end or the other, moving on with [nakts] trains, buses or airlines. Interestingly, some airlines, such as Vietjet Air, offer domestic flights in Vietnam that are sometimes cheaper than train or even bus travel to the same destination.

It was mid-November. The end of our Northern Thailand adventure and the start of our two week vacation. At first, we spent one week in Cambodia, which seemed to be the most diverse Asian country we have ever been to, but maybe I will describe that another time. Then – at the end of November – a flight from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. I had one more week of vacation left. When looking at what to see in the north of Vietnam in one free week (not including Hanoi), we understand that you will have to miss something from the most beautiful sights. The scenic northern route “Hi Giang” was “voted”, which takes four days on average to complete by motorcycle, riding near the Chinese border along fabulous mountain scenery. Instead, after arriving at Hanoi airport, we decided to take a direct night bus to Sapa in the Tonkin Alps to enjoy the magic of the northern mountains of Southeast Asia.

Night buses in Asia, including Vietnam, are worth an adventure in themselves. Sleeper bus where you can sleep lazily in your cabin. True, not very suitable for tall people.

It should also be taken into account that the pictures of the bus interior on the Internet may be outdated, and the equipment and seating condition shown in them, to put it mildly, worn out. We tested it on our own skin.

We entered Sapa around 4:00 in the morning and sleepy, we immediately went to the hotel to check in. Night “check-in” is a common practice here, so we left the key at the reception and had to go straight to bed.