Tết…Vietnamese New Year…one of the most important celebrations in Vietnamese culture…COMPLETE LOCKDOWN!! This was the repetitive pattern of blog posts that I first encountered when googling this Vietnamese holiday, of which I had never even heard of. My flights in and out of the country were booked so I decided to prepare myself for this joyous occasion by researching what experiences I could encounter. My face dropped as I read blog after blog describing utter lockdown of the whole country, streets empty as everyone is celebrating for weeks inside with their families, buses barely running and those that are, are booked out weeks in advance, restaurants and shops closed, flights booked out…SHOITE!
On actual arrival into the magnificent country that is Vietnam, I had this niggling itch at the back of my mind how in the weeks to come I may end up totally stranded somewhere, sacrificing my precious time and as a result may miss my outbound flight onto China (in hindsight I completely laugh in the face of these so called “worries”!). The days exploring this wondrous country passed and Tết forever loomed. The adventure continued as I began to realise that my “worries” could not be any more wrong…
The weeks and days running up to this epic holiday are magical and such a privilege to experience first hand. The weeks before the holiday is preparation time and lucky enough I was staying in one my favourite places in Vietnam, Under the Coconut Tree, a little family run homestay nestled behind An Bang beach, near Hoi An. Sharing in the preparations with the wonderful families of An Bang was beyond special as I got to witness some unusual customs, offering beer and cigarettes to Buddha and best of all the amazing Tết parties that seemed to take places every 10 minutes – putting our sessions as we know them to shame! One of the best elements of Tết is getting to share your travels with all the Vietnamese who are on holiday too, out exploring their own country in full force. A venture out to the nearby Marble Mountains was enriched as we laughed, joked and sign languaged our way around the pitch black caves with a lovely Vietnamese couple, being led up the windy staircase around the shrines to the natural balcony above.
With luck on my side I managed to get a night bus as planned to Hanoi the following day (the day before Tết eve), albeit a bit hectic and YES I would advise booking a few days in advance and not the day before like me! Busy, yes, but there is such an incredible beauty in the organised chaos that takes place around you. People sitting along the aisles, transferring buses mid-journey, transferring back, bus drivers arguing amongst themselves and yet, somehow, locals and tourists alike, arriving as planned in the correct location eager to get home for New Year. Arriving in Hanoi, awash with red and gold bunting and walking through the hustle and bustle of the markets was truly enchanting.
I spent my Tết eve on board the White Pearl surrounded by the misty karst cliffs of Halong Bay. To ring in the new year we shared an incredible Vietnamese feast with the staff on board before some signature Vietnamese karaoke – amazing on their part, shaky on mine! The first tipsy few hours of Tết were spent listening to stories from the crew and tasting some Vietnamese delights, with the party continuing into the early hours. My first day of Tết was surreal. We disembarked our craft and were set to explore the magnificent Cat Ba island and it was quiet…incredibly quiet. The roads where empty, not a soul in the streets, I could of crossed the road with my eyes closed! This contrast from the insane honking and beeping and masses of people was just bizarre. It was the polar opposite to a normal day in Vietnam and honestly, such a privilege to experience – if not a little eerie! We explored the island some more, walked along our own “private” beach and witnessed some more unusual customs like the burning of money along the roadside (finding out later it was fake). The joyful look and giggles from the locals on hearing “Chuc mung nam moi!” emerging from my Irish mouth was worth it’s weight in gold!
The following day I got a taxi from Hanoi to the airport – zero problems and boarded my flight to Guangzhou, – zero problems. I reminisced on the last few weeks being immersed in the joy and celebrations of the Vietnamese New Year before mentally preparing myself for the Chinese New Year that was about to eat me up…
So Vietnam during Tết? DO IT!
this crow flies 
YES! Absolutely yes! It’s interesting to see a new culture during New Year. It’s for sure different. You see people burning ‘fake money’ everywhere. Before Tet, it’s always sooo crowded but after the New Year’s Eve, you find no one on the street. I’m talking about Hanoi btw. Only one disadvantage that shops are closed. You would only end up eating fast food though.
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