Two Families Reunite for One Unforgettable Adventure

By Lillian Hudson, Selina Joyelise Hudson, and Melanie Elyse McDonald

Three now-tween girls met in 2017 in Frankfurt, Germany. Their families have made a point to keep in touch and see one another whenever they’re in the Washington, DC area at the same time, but with the Hudson family being stationed in Okinawa and the McDonald family nearby in Singapore, they had a unique opportunity to do what they did back in Germany – explore together. Both families love a good beach holiday but decided to intertwine many historical and cultural sites into their Vietnam Adventure. These are the reflections from the girls’ shared experiences during their long-overdue reunion.

Ho Chi Minh

SJH: The first place in Vietnam we visited was Ho Chi Minh. We arrived in the middle of the night, but it was still so hot! At the hotel, the staff gave us watermelons while we waited for our room to be ready. That was where we met the McDonald family, our friends we first met in Germany many years ago. This was one of my favorite hotels.

We did many things in Ho Chi Minh, but some of the things that were my favorite were getting manicures and pedicures in a nail salon and going on a journey for boba tea. We shopped in the Ben Thanh market and rode bicycles on the local streets. Throughout this trip, we saw lots of scooters, and it was like the game of Crossy Road [editor’s note: Crossy Road is like Frogger, for us old folks, but in real life!]

LH: The hotel was excellent. My sister and I had no problems with our room, but the shower in my parents’ room flooded. We had two separate rooms with one main door, making it like a small apartment just for us! The hotel’s restaurant had a pretty good selection of food. The hotel has a spa that my parents enjoyed, a gym, and a pool.

We got our nails done together at Jeng Nails. The place was tiny, but cozy and had massage chairs to sit on. They had many colors to choose from. My friend and I added some great designs to our nails. After getting our nails done, we enjoyed boba tea from Bros Tea Shop.

MEM: We flew directly from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon. When we landed, we went to a restaurant with fantastic food. They also had hookahs, so my dad tried one and let me try, too.

On our way to get manipedis, we went to the local market, and it was not my favorite experience. The smells of the fresh meat and entrails for sale, fish, and the number of people there were not my cup of tea. But there was good tea, so we bought some.

A Visit to the Delta

MEM: We spent one of our days in Ho Chi Minh exploring the life of the locals. We started off the day driving to the delta, then rode a tuktuk further. From there, we boarded a luxury boat, eating fresh mangoes, sipping on fresh coconuts, and more. We stopped at a small local brick factory where we saw how they make bricks by hand. We went to two family homes to learn how one family made and sold coconut-flavored rice paper, and another made and sold fresh honey and rice wine. We enjoyed delicious local food for lunch.

LH: We got off the boat at several places, including where coconuts are cleaned and cut up for different uses. We also stopped at a place to see how bricks were made. After that, we took a golf cart to see how rice paper is made and made some ourselves! It was pretty fun!

Cu Chi District

MEM: Another area we explored was the Cu Chi district. We first went to the Cu Chi tunnels, where we learned about the war that Americans call the Vietnam War, but the Vietnamese call the American War. Afterward, we went to a beautiful building called the

Independence Palace. It had a giant water fountain, an enormous bunker, and so much greenery. It was the White House of Vietnam, but the architecture was old-timey French/ Vietnamese influenced.

LH: With our tour guide, we saw how some traps at the Cu Chi tunnels work (some were brutal), what life was like underground, and more. Getting through the tunnels is tight and very hot. You might even need to get on your knees to reach the other side. I didn’t go in the tunnels because I have claustrophobia, but when my family came out, they were all sweating buckets.

Hoi An

SJH: In Hoi An, we stayed at a resort with a beach and a pool! We enjoyed both!

LH: We stayed at the Palm Garden Resort. The resort is huge! They had a giant pool, a game room, a small gym, and a kids’ area; the beach was nearby, too. They also have two different restaurants located in the area. The rooms themselves were nice. Every day we got little treats every time they cleaned the room like chocolate or a cookie.

MEM: We explored the hidden streets of Hoi An. We saw historical buildings and structures, saw and learned about Hoi An’s heritage, and more. We spent a half day exploring Old Town. We saw former merchants’ homes, too! For example, we visited one man’s home who was one of many generations to teach Vietnamese martial arts. We watched their multiple different acts and then tried some moves! We got pins at the end. We visited another man of many generations to make and sell tofu by hand. He let us try making some ourselves, too.

Cooking 101

SJH: One of the activities we did in Hoi An was a cooking class. It was a long way there, so we had to take a van, golf cart, and a tuk-tuk They welcomed us with delicious drinks when we arrived and led us to a farm. We put on work clothes and started farming. After that, we went fishing. They told us how to fish and demonstrated if we wanted to try it. My favorite dish that we made was a spring roll. It was hard for me to get the rice paper right, but I got it with the help of the staff. We also made a sauce for all dishes. I never like any sauces, but I enjoyed this one! Overall, the cooking class was enjoyable!

LH: Before we started cooking, they let us smell different plants and herbs, and we even tasted one. It was sour, but I like sour. I’ve never cooked anything but eggs at home, so this would be challenging. But it turned out that it wasn’t. We made spring rolls first which was the easy part. The second dish was shrimp and bacon wrapped with green onion. For the last course of the meal, we made shrimp with bacon and put eggs on top of that to make a sort of egg pancake.

Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge

MEM: We took a roughly two-hour drive to Ba Na Hills. We rode a cable car, taking in beautiful views of the hills on the way. The cable car ride ended, but we still weren’t at the top! So, we took another cable car to continue to the top. Once there, we checked out many stalls that went from food to souvenirs, drinks to rolled ice cream, and more.

LH: After getting off the cable car, I felt short of breath and tired because of the altitude. After grabbing something to eat, I felt much better. The change in weather felt great. It was pretty cool up there, not hot at all.

SJH: When we reached the top, we were inside a cloud! I inhaled as much air as I could to remember that moment. It was also cool up there. Everybody was shivering and saying, “It’s so cold!” Not me. I love the cold! The giant castle at the top reminds me of Sleeping Beauty’s castle. When we got inside, we saw a short 3D movie that showed different parts of the world.

MEM: We explored and played on the other side after the bridge. We saw statues, listened to live music, and looked at the garden maze. We took pictures there, too. Unlike the city, it was cool. Cold, even. We took another cable car to a newer Ba Na Hills attraction, the Louvre station. It was a giant castle!

Outside was a garden, and they called the place the Moon Palace, home of the Moon Kingdom. All of Ba Na Hills were literally in the clouds.

SJH: Overall, the Golden Bridge and the other activities on the mountain were super cool, wet, and fun! If you go, be prepared for the long ride back in the cable car. It was about 20 minutes straight down.

Final Thoughts

SJH: I thought Vietnam was fun, cool, very crowded with many people, but beautiful. I would give Vietnam an eight out of ten. I recommend visiting. But don’t just take it from me; I’m just a girl traveling the world. See for yourself!

LH: The trip was great. I enjoyed the place, but I mostly enjoyed spending time with my friends and family.