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You’ve undoubtedly seen jaw-dropping photos of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam on social media. This UNESCO World Heritage Site features stunning limestone islands, dripping with greenery and jutting majestically out of the Gulf of Tonkin. It’s one of the most visited tourist attractions in Vietnam and rightfully so—it’s unbelievably beautiful. However, it’s also unfortunately known for being crowded, overpriced, and incredibly dirty. But, lucky for you, Lan Ha Bay, its neighbor to the southwest, is equally as gorgeous, with 400 limestone islands spread across its 30 square miles, and is more reasonably priced, cleaner and WAY less busy than its more popular sister. So if you want to experience those spectacular limestone karsts and spectacularly colored waters, without all the crowds, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Lan Ha Bay.

Hanoi, the sprawling, buzzing capital of Vietnam, is a city with frenetic streets, delicious street foods, and rich culture, just waiting to be explored. So if you have just four days in Hanoi, how do you make the most of it? Lucky for you, my husband, Justin, and I did all the legwork for you. Below are my recommendations of how to see all the best Hanoi has to offer in just 96 hours.

The sleepy beach town of Hoi An, Vietnam is one of the most charming cities in Southeast Asia- with its yellow-walled historic Old Town, Chinese lantern-strewn streets, and storybook canals, it’s the perfect central stopping point for a trip through Vietnam between Ho Chi Minh City to the South and Hanoi to the north…

Most visitors will arrive in Vietnam through Ho Chi Minh City (still called “Saigon” by the locals), a sprawling metropolis bursting at the seams with open-air pho stalls, street vendors peddling their wares, and approximately eight million scooters hurtling themselves at you from seemingly every direction. Many tourists overlook Ho Chi Minh City as a mere starting point for their other adventures around this beautiful country and don’t bother to get to know this fascinating city- which is simply a gross oversight…