By aussiematesvietnam 
Interview with a Local: Discovering Hidden Vietnamese Treasures
G’day, fellow adventurers! Aussie Mates here, coming to you from the bustling streets of Hanoi where I’ve been lucky enough to call home for nearly two decades now. My wife Tracy and I have spent countless weekends exploring the nooks and crannies of this fascinating country, but we’ve always found that the best adventures come from chatting with locals who know their homeland better than any guidebook ever could.
Today, I’m thrilled to share with you a ripper of a conversation I had with Minh, a third-generation Hanoian whose family has witnessed Vietnam’s remarkable transformation firsthand. Over steaming bowls of phở and several cups of cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk – bloody delicious!), Minh revealed some absolute gems that most tourists never get to experience.
[IMAGE:local-vietnamese-coffee-shop]
Meeting Minh: A Local’s Perspective on Vietnam
When Tracy and I first met Minh at a tiny street food stall near our apartment, we had no idea we’d struck gold. This bloke in his early 50s with laugh lines around his eyes and a contagious enthusiasm for his country’s heritage turned out to be one of our most valuable finds in Vietnam.
“My grandfather used to tell me stories of old Hanoi,” Minh shared, stirring his coffee thoughtfully. “Before the high-rises, before the motorbikes. When the French colonial buildings were new and the Old Quarter was the beating heart of all commerce.”
What makes Minh’s insights so valuable is his unique perspective spanning Vietnam’s complex history. His grandfather lived through French colonization, his father through the American War (what we call the Vietnam War), and Minh himself has witnessed the country’s incredible economic renaissance since the 1990s.
“Most visitors,” he told me with a knowing smile, “they see Vietnam of today, but they miss the layers underneath. Every street corner has a story if you know how to listen.”
[IMAGE:old-quarter-hanoi]
Beyond Halong Bay: Coastal Treasures for the Adventurous Traveller
When I asked Minh about alternatives to touristy Halong Bay, his eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Halong Bay is beautiful, of course,” he acknowledged, “but Aussies looking for something special should visit Bai Tu Long Bay instead. It’s the same stunning limestone karsts but with maybe 20% of the tourists.”
Tracy and I took his advice last month, mates, and crikey, what a difference! We booked a small junk boat through a local operator and spent three days navigating pristine waters, exploring caves that weren’t crowded with tour groups, and having entire beaches to ourselves. The seafood feasts prepared by our boat’s cook were next level—fresh squid, prawns the size of your palm, and fish caught that same morning.
Minh also tipped us off about Quy Nhon, a coastal city in central Vietnam that’s largely escaped the tourist radar. “Vietnamese families holiday there,” he explained. “The beaches are clean, the seafood is some of Vietnam’s best, and prices haven’t been inflated for foreigners.”
After visiting, I can confirm Quy Nhon is the genuine article—what Nha Trang might have been 20 years ago before mass tourism. Perfect for Aussie boomers who want beach time without the backpacker party scene.
[IMAGE:bai-tu-long-bay]
Rural Vietnam: Where Time Stands Still
“If you want to see the Vietnam of my grandfather’s stories,” Minh told us over our second coffee, “you must go to the countryside of the north.”
Following his recommendation, Tracy and I hired a car (you can get a driver for around $50-70 AUD per day) and headed to Bac Ha district in Lao Cai province. Just a few hours from the tourist hotspot of Sapa, Bac Ha offers similar stunning rice terraces and minority cultures but feels worlds away in terms of authenticity.
“Sunday market in Bac Ha,” Minh had instructed us. “Be there early, around 7 am, when the Flower Hmong people arrive in their traditional dress. Not for tourists—this is their weekly shopping trip.”
Strewth, was he right! The market was an explosion of color, with local hill tribe women in intricately embroidered outfits haggling over everything from water buffalo to medicinal herbs. We sampled thắng cố (a regional specialty stew that I’m told contained horse meat—not for the faint-hearted!) and rice wine that could strip paint but came with unmatchable local hospitality.
What struck us most was how the agricultural rhythms here haven’t changed for centuries. Farmers still use water buffalo to plow fields, rice is still harvested by hand, and each village specializes in specific crafts passed down through generations.
[IMAGE:northern-vietnamese-rice-terraces]
Culinary Secrets: Beyond Phở and Spring Rolls
If there’s one thing Tracy and I have learned in our two decades here, it’s that Vietnamese cuisine goes far deeper than the handful of dishes that have become international ambassadors.
Minh laughed when I mentioned this. “Most foreigners think they know Vietnamese food, but they’ve tried maybe 5% of our dishes. Each region, sometimes each village, has specialties you won’t find elsewhere.”
He proceeded to draw us a culinary map of Vietnam, highlighting regional specialties that rarely make it onto tourist menus:
- In Hue, the former imperial capital, he recommended we try cơm hến (rice with baby clams) from small family restaurants along the Perfume River.
- In the Mekong Delta, he insisted we look for canh chua cá (sour fish soup) made with fruits and vegetables that only grow in that fertile region.
- And in his hometown of Hanoi, he directed us to a specific alley where an 80-year-old woman makes the city’s best chả cá—fish cooked tableside with turmeric, dill, and other aromatics.
“The best food in Vietnam,” Minh confided, “is not in fancy restaurants. It’s in homes and in small street stalls where recipes have been perfected over generations.”
Following his recommendations has led Tracy and me to some of our most memorable meals in Vietnam. One particular evening stands out—we were invited to a local wedding in a village outside Hoi An, where the bride’s grandmother had prepared traditional central Vietnamese dishes. The feast included dozens of small plates, each representing a different aspect of the region’s culinary heritage. Absolutely magical.
[IMAGE:vietnamese-street-food]
Festivals and Traditions: Timing Your Visit
“When is the best time to visit Vietnam?” I asked Minh, expecting a seasonal weather answer.
Instead, he smiled and said, “It depends on what you want to experience. Vietnam follows the lunar calendar, and our most important celebrations rarely align with Western holidays.”
According to Minh, Tết (Lunar New Year) offers a fascinating but challenging time to visit. “Everything closes for at least three days, sometimes a week. Families gather, traditional games are played, and special foods are prepared. But transportation becomes difficult, and prices rise.”
For Aussie travellers seeking cultural experiences without the Tết complications, Minh recommended Mid-Autumn Festival (usually September or October). “Children carry lanterns, families exchange mooncakes, and there’s a sense of magic in the air without the country shutting down completely.”
He also highlighted regional festivals that few international tourists know about:
- Buffalo Fighting Festival in Do Son (July-August), a centuries-old tradition where carefully trained water buffalo compete in a tournament
- Kate Festival in Ninh Thuan Province (October), when the Cham people celebrate their New Year with traditional music and prayer ceremonies
- Lim Festival near Hanoi (February), featuring quan họ folk singing, a UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage
Tracy and I attended the Lim Festival last year, and I’ve never seen anything like it. Young women in traditional áo tứ thân (four-panel traditional dress) sang love songs across a lake to young men, who responded in kind. The music, dating back to the 13th century, has a haunting quality that stays with you long after the festival ends.
[IMAGE:vietnamese-mid-autumn-festival]
Practical Tips: Navigating Vietnam Like a Local
As our conversation with Minh wound down, I asked him for practical advice for my fellow Aussies visiting Vietnam. His eyes twinkled as he leaned in with conspiratorial charm.
“First,” he said, “learn the Vietnamese numbers from 1-10 and how to say ‘thank you’ (cảm ơn) and ‘delicious’ (ngon). This small effort will transform your experience.”
Minh also shared some pearls of wisdom about transportation. “In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, download the Grab app for reliable motorbike taxis and cars. For longer distances, domestic flights are affordable but book trains for the journey between Hanoi and Hue—the coastal views are spectacular.”
When it comes to shopping, his advice was gold: “Prices in Vietnam are flexible, but haggling should be respectful, not aggressive. Start at 50-60% of the initial price, and meet somewhere in the middle. And remember, an extra dollar means little to you but can make a difference to a local vendor.”
Based on our own experiences, Tracy and I would add: carry toilet paper everywhere, keep small denominations of Vietnamese dong for small purchases, and remember that a smile goes a long way when language fails.
Conclusion: The Vietnam Beyond the Guidebooks
As Tracy and I bid farewell to Minh, promising to meet again soon, I reflected on how fortunate we’ve been to glimpse Vietnam through the eyes of locals like him. The Vietnam we’ve come to love over nearly 20 years isn’t the one featured in glossy travel brochures—it’s a complex, layered country where tradition and modernity dance in fascinating harmony.
For my fellow Australian boomers planning a Vietnamese adventure, my advice is simple: make time to wander without an agenda, strike up conversations even through language barriers, and approach the country with curiosity and respect. Vietnam rewards those who dig beneath the surface with experiences that will stay with you long after you’ve returned to Australian shores.
As Minh told us, with the wisdom that comes from deep cultural understanding, “Vietnam doesn’t reveal all her secrets at once. She keeps some hidden, waiting for visitors patient enough to discover them.”
And isn’t that discovery what travel is all about?
[IMAGE:vietnamese-countryside-sunset]
Until next time, mates—hẹn gặp lại (see you again)!
Aussie Mates