Vietnam Study Abroad 2023

Our guide, Hoa, took us to the airport and made sure we were all checked in and all our travel paperwork was in order.

We leave with hearts filled with gratitude to have experienced Vietnamese culture and country, and memories of a lifetime.

We started the day with yoga at the Zen House. The rest of the day we explored Hoi An’s old town and packed for tomorrow’s departure.

In the evening, we had our farewell dinner. We enjoyed our last authentic Vietnamese dinner with our local guide, Hoa. Hoa gave us a delightful speech about our time together, and we surprised him with a song. It was an evening filled with laughter, smiles and great memories about our time together. It was truly a wonderful way to end our amazing Vietnam cultural experience. We all felt grateful to have shared this journey together.

Our Farewell Dinner

By: Shania

25, tháng 5

Our morning started off with a bus ride to My son Sanctuary. This is one of the 1,157 UNESCO world heritage sites throughout the world. My Son Sanctuary is a site of the ruins of an Indian Hinduism temple developed in Vietnam. When it was being utilized, it was mainly used for religion and the political capital of Champa Kingdom.

A link is attached if you’d like to read more about My Son Sanctuary. 

Once back from My Son Sanctuary we had a little break at the hotel. Some of us enjoyed the pool and some of us took a needed nap. We were back on our feet and started our night with the walking tour of Hoi An. We first stopped at a CaoDai Temple. It had an eye in the middle of the building which means it was welcoming of all religions. Once inside the building you could see the different religions represented. Next, we went to the assembly hall for the Chinese community. After this we headed to the Japanese Bridge. This bridge originally symbolized the divide between the Japanese and Chinese and they utilized this for trading. Then we headed to a Vietnamese Chapel. Inside they taught us about Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese architecture used within the building. We also learned about Yin and Yang and how they use two Yin and Yang coins to make wishes. You throw the coins into a bowl and if you get a yin and a yang your wish will come true. You have three chances to achieve this or your wish won’t come true.

We took a break from learning and stopped for a Banh Mi. Lastly, We stopped at a well known tailor shop “Blue Eye”. Five people from our group got things tailored from this shop. We ended the night shopping for last minute souvenirs in Hoi An.

Learning inside the Vietnamese Chapel

By: Shania

Chào buôi trua!

We started our day a lot like the others and packed our stuff and we were on the move. We left Hue city and started making our way down to Hoi An. Along the way we had a surprise pit stop. Our view overlooked the mountains of La pan lagoon. Here, about 600 locals had plots within the lagoon that they use to fish for oysters and prawns. Our group was able to get into the local’s boat and we were shown how to reel in their big nets and how they collect what they catch. We were then taught how they “farm” oysters and sell them to others. We thought we were heading back to land, but we made a stop at a family’s hut in the middle of the lagoon. We sat criss cross applesauce and were fed lunch. 

We feasted on fresh skewered grilled prawns, rice, fish soup, oysters, spring rolls, while vegetarians dined on eggplant, mushrooms, and tofu soup.

I think our group is getting a lot better at using chopsticks! After lunch we got back on the bus and spent the next two hours driving to Hoi An. We arrived to our hotel and had a little rest break. The clouds were getting dark and the wind started to pick up, but our guide told us not to worry. We headed back out for our evening boat sunset BBQ. We met the local family whose boat it was, and they were so warm and inviting. It started to rain, so we docked the boat, and we were fed what felt like a 10 course meal. We made the best of the situation, played music and danced. The rain let up, so we headed back out on the water. The boat family had lanterns for us. We all made a wish and watched our lanterns float down the water. Our day ended with us walking in Old Quarter Hoi An enjoying all the lanterns lit up on the streets. 

Dinner on the boat with a local family. Great hospitality by a Vietnamese family!

Sending lantern with a wish.

Lights of Hoi An.

By: Makayla and Shauna

We started off the day hopping on our bus to head over to the market. The markets open at about 4am and are open till 7pm 7 days a week. We walked around the market and looked at all of different vendors. We learned that the location of the lot determines how much you pay for rent and at the end of the day, a lot of vendors sleep in their lot. After we took a short bus ride to the ancient Hue garden houses to learn more about the Vietnamese cuisine. At first we watched the head chef make all the dishes while explaining them to us and then we all got to practice our cooking skills! First we made “Dau phu om nam hoang Gia” which translates to royal stewed tofu with mushrooms OR royal stewed red snapper fish with coconut, which was absolutely amazing! We then moved on to frying up some spring rolls and long life salad. After our cooking class we got to sit down relax and enjoy all of our dishes that we made as well as a dessert which was lotus seed and longan sweet soup. 

After our sweet cooking class we took the bus over to another coffee shop to sit and try some salted coffee…TO DIE FOR!!!! We then proceeded to walk to see the beautiful Hue citadel. This included many many structures where the king and queen used to live until 1945, a huge and gorgeous shrine of the king, shrine of the kings parents and a few living quarters. We got to see many beautiful landscapes while walking to each building. After soaking up the heat while learning about the past king and queens living arrangements we walked through the gift shop full of goodies! 

We then hopped on a 40 minute boat ride on the perfume river where we got to see beautiful scenery, locals swimming, kayaking and we had a chance to buy souvenirs. We got off the boat and walked up to the pagoda. We learned that the pagoda was built in 1811 and how about 10 monks live there at a time for educational purposes. We even got to see monks walking around, and watering the greenery.

Our last stop of the day was Trà thá’t where we got to enjoy their practice of meditation then royal tea. The tea we drank was lotus tea then we got a surprise tea from our insider, Hoa, he brought tea from his family in Hanoi for us to try. He also brought coconut sunflower seeds, lotus flower seeds, me xung(sesame, peanut, rice flour, and sugar), and dry Logan berries Some of our nights ended with a walk to the lake,  others went swimming, or just relaxed in bed after a long day. That’s all for day 8, we are so excited to see what the rest of the trip brings us! 

Royal tea experience!

By: Terry and Sue

We arrived in Hue following the night train ride from Hanoi. We left at 7:30pm and traveled 435 miles in about 14 hours arriving in Hue at 9:30am. Our accommodations were 2 to a cabin and some of us slept well being lulled to sleep by the clickety clack of the wheels on the track. As we were traveling south, the high temperatures continue. It was hot and sunny and eventually got up to 95 degrees, one of our coolest days yet!

Our first stop was at the Quan Hanh for breakfast. We ate traditional Hue specialties of spring rolls, pork and lemongrass skewers, and banh kaoah stuffed with shrimp, vegetables and a meat slice. The fresh juices and strong coffee rounded out our meal.

Next was a walk to the Perfume River as we waited for our rooms to be ready at the lovely Eldora Hotel. We were approached by locals who wanted to give us a short boat ride on the river. This seemed liked a great way to cool off and see some of the sights. The boat owners were kind and polite and also offered many local items for sale to us while we were their captive audience on the boat! Several purchases were made of beautifully crafted items and we commented later on the boat owners marketing skills.

Next, a return to the hotel for our group meeting and a short graduation ceremony for our Gateway Technical College graduates complete with hats, Global Scholar Stoles, and words of encouragement from Dean Simmons. The excitement of the trip, the completion of course work, and the anticipation of new careers for these graduates was truly inspiring.

The evening cultural experiences were viewed from the front seat of a cyclo powered by a pedaling local. Sights included The Royal Citadel, a traditional Hue food tour for dinner, and cruising through the streets experiencing the hustle and bustle of the street traffic.

By: Andrea

Day 6 began by getting centered and energized for the day with a guided Tai Chi session on the upper deck of the cruise ship. We enjoyed a light breakfast of coffee, tea, and pastries before exploring Hang Sửng Sốt, the largest and most beautiful cave in Ha Long Bay. Before checking out of our rooms on the cruise, we were offered a beautiful breakfast buffet, highlighting many fresh juice options. 

We then began our journey back to Hanoi by bus, and had a surprise stop at Hong Ngoc Humanitarian Center, where we got to see beautiful silk thread art being made. The premise of the shopping center is awesome. It is designed to offer training to victims of Agent Orange in order to provide them with a living. The center features art from Vietnamese affected by this harsh chemical used during the Vietnam War as a defoliant.

Upon arrival back to Hanoi, we visited the Hỏa Lò Prison historical site in the French Quarter, also known as the “Hanoi Hilton” to American POWs during the war. The Hỏa Lò was one site used by the North Vietnamese Army to house, torture and interrogate captured servicemen, mostly American pilots including John McCain, shot down during bombing raids. 

After a full day on the go, we got to clean up and relax at a hotel in Hanoi before boarding the night train at “Platform 9 ¾” – quite the experience! —

Getting an explanation about Hang Sung Sot Cave.

Hỏa Lò Prison map.

Inside Hỏa Lò Prison

By: Daneil

We started off our day by having breakfast for the last time at our hotel in Hanoi before we took off on the bus for the pearl farm. Our group was able to see the process that is used to produce the beautiful pearls seen most often worn as jewelry. They had stations set up that helped demonstrate how meticulous the procedure actually is while sharing how much training was required for these workers (a lot). The first part of the pearl making process involves removing the membrane of the oyster. They then add antibiotics to the membrane and later insert a part of that membrane into another oyster. This was to help the oysters produce better pearls more consistently. After months and years, the pearl would be extracted from the oyster. Depending upon the pearls quality, it would either be jewelry or smashed to be used in beauty products. After learning about the pearl process and all sorts of legends/symbolic meanings with pearls, we then jumped on the bus again and headed to Halong Bay. 

Upon boarding the cruise ship, the first thing I noticed was the hospitality. The employees were not only so nice, but they were hyper aware of the environment. They were always paying attention and looking for customers on the boat who might need something. The employees were very present in the moment, and I thought that was an important lesson to take from that. We enjoyed meals on the ship while we stopped at a local beach for a hike to an amazing view, went kayaking, saw another pearl farm, as well as a cave. As for the activities on the ship, we got to experience how locals fished for squid, tai chi ( a common practice), a cooking class, and music! All this while cruising through one of the natural wonders of the world.

We had locally sourced food for breakfast and checked out of the ecolodge. This lodge utilizes renewable energy to provide electricity and hot water. Everything in the lodge was eco-friendly.

Our next stop was NaChao Village. This is also a Thai ethnic community. We walked through the village met locals, and learned about their daily life. We learned about farming techniques and how they harvest “sticky” rice. The Thai community help each other build and repair their homes on stilts. The houses are on stilts because of flooding, mudslides, and venomous snakes. Homes on stilts also give them more space for the animals to live.

After our hike through the village, we visited a family and we were welcomed to their home. They taught us how to weave bamboo baskets. While we were weaving baskets, we learned about their marriage and family traditions. We successfully made baskets to bring home!

For lunch, the family so generously provided a buffet style local meal. We had two different types of pork, rice, tofu, peanuts, pineapple, green beans, chicken, eggs, and two types of vegetable salads.

It was a three hour drive back to Hanoi. We enjoyed the mountain views and local scenery. Our last evening in Hanoi was a special evening as people were celebrating the anniversary of Ho Chi Minh’s birthday. There were many street performances and vendors. It was a lively evening.

By: Andrea and Cora

Day three began with a bus ride to Mai Chau Village. On our way there, we stopped at a community of stilt houses on the side of a mountain. There, we had bamboo sticky rice and medicinal tea, conversation with locals, and a photo op in hammocks overlooking the mountains and valley.

We had lunch upon our arrival at Mai Chau Village, consisting of spring rolls, choyote squash, rice, puffed rice, fresh mango and dragonfruit, pan fried chicken and pork, and they even made us some homemade french fries.

After lunch, we checked into our rooms and rested before biking to a local farm village where we learned about daily life on the farm, watched fisherman catch some fish with a net, harvested grasses which we fed to the cows, and then made a traditional Thai wedding cake, which is a sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf. The woman we spent this time with was so generous with her time and resources to provide us with a great educational experience, and she event sent us off with handmade bracelets.

We enjoyed an evening meal at the Eco Lodge, and watched a traditional Thai music and dance performance where we were able to join in on the dancing at the end, along with a sip-sip of traditional fermented rice wine – a perfect way to end another eventful day here in Northern Vietnam.

Assisting villagers with fishing in the river.

Hammock view

Local villagers performance