Some couples take a calm, sensible pre-wedding trip. We flew to Vietnam thirteen days before our wedding so I could have my gown custom made there. I had no backup plan and knew very little about wedding-gown logistics. I simply trusted fate and said, “We’ll sort it out in Vietnam.”
Hoi An is famous for 24–48-hour tailoring, so the dream sounded perfect: a one-week route through Hanoi, Hoi An, Ba Na Hills and Ho Chi Minh City, with a custom wedding dress at the end. Here’s how that actually went.
The route
Mumbai → Hanoi → Hoi An → Ba Na Hills → Ho Chi Minh City
Getting there
The worst start to any trip, ever
This was only our second trip as a couple. I flew from London to Mumbai, Dillon flew from Bangalore, and we met in the middle before taking a direct flight to Hanoi. The in-flight food was genuinely delicious — and then I developed the worst food poisoning of my life.
We landed around 5:30am. Our Airbnb hosts kindly let us check in early, but rainy-season power cuts meant no electricity until the afternoon. Dillon tried pharmacy charades and returned with water and coconut water while my body slowly recovered.
Lessons from day one
Coconut water can feel like your best friend. Basic medication and electrolyte sachets belong in your carry-on, especially when language makes a pharmacy visit difficult.
Hanoi
Coconut coffee, sticky notes and copper hair
Once I could stand upright again, we explored Hanoi’s old streets, beautiful buildings and coconut coffee. The famous Note Coffee by Hoan Kiem Lake was every bit as colourful as expected: four cosy floors covered in messages from travellers. Touristy, yes. Still worth it.
At the market, an initially awkward exchange with sellers softened once we actually talked. First impressions shifted on both sides and we left with a few wonderfully random treasures.
Then I went for a relaxing head massage and somehow emerged with freshly bleached, copper-brown hair two hours before our flight. Communication had been chaotic, the colour was gorgeous, and I was too exhausted to process any of it before heading straight to the airport for Hoi An.
Hoi An
The dress mission begins — and stalls
Hoi An won us over immediately: lanterns, a car-free old town, bicycles and a beautiful riverside hotel with a gorgeous pool. A huge thunderstorm turned one evening into a dramatic watch as the river rose, but the town never lost its magic.
The tailoring mission was less magical. Shop after shop told me the design needed specialist machinery or more time. The alternatives were not what I wanted, and custom work was more expensive than the internet had led me to expect.
What I wish I’d known
- The 24–48-hour promise works best for simple shirts, dresses and standard suits.
- Complex garments may need three to five days and several fittings.
- Research reputable shops and send reference photos from several angles before travelling.
- Never leave tailoring to your last day — and contact wedding boutiques weeks in advance.
Even without the dress, Hoi An delivered: cycling, coconut water, an excellent breakfast buffet, extraordinary fruit and the Cam Thanh basket boats through nipa palms. Go early if you want the waterways quieter.
Ba Na Hills
Two theme-park kids on top of a mountain
Ba Na Hills begins with a spectacular 15–20-minute cable-car climb through cloud forest. The Golden Bridge is the famous photograph, but we came alive for the rides. Theme parks are one of our biggest shared loves, so I walked around with a map, ticking off every attraction.
The self-driven alpine coaster through the pine forest was a highlight. Ba Na Hills works as a day trip from either Hoi An or Da Nang; choose a clearer day if the Golden Bridge view matters to you, and use Grab for easy local transfers.
Ho Chi Minh City
The dress that got away
Ho Chi Minh City felt modern, buzzing and full of energy. In a beautiful wedding boutique I finally tried on the kind of gown I had imagined. They could have made and shipped it to India — if I had contacted them 30–40 days earlier.
With less than two weeks before the wedding, customs delays made shipping impossible. The dress was beautiful and the craftsmanship real, but it was also more than I wanted to spend. I allowed myself one small “what if,” then walked away.
A plot twist
How the hotel pool made me accidentally blonde
The day after that impulsive Hanoi colour, I spent a glorious afternoon in the Hoi An pool. By date night the copper had quietly disappeared, leaving blonde-brown hair that stayed with me for months.
It took six to eight months to repair the damage. If you colour or bleach your hair while travelling, give it at least 48–72 hours before a chlorinated pool or the sea.
The verdict
No dress — but a very good story
Vietnam’s food was fresh and fragrant: bánh mì, phở and the small local places with plastic stools consistently won. The people were among the warmest we had met, the shopping was unexpectedly colourful, and the country offered extraordinary value.
I flew to Vietnam thirteen days before my wedding for a custom gown and came home without one. Instead, we got coconut coffee, sticky-note walls, thunderstorms, basket boats, mountain coasters and a boutique dress I would never own. We also realised how much we had missed. We’re going back — this time already married and with zero wedding stress.
Practical bits
What to know for your own Vietnam trip
- Use Grab. Scooter rides work well solo; cars are easy and affordable for groups across Hanoi, Hoi An, Da Nang and HCMC.
- Plan tailoring properly. Bring reference photos, allow fittings and contact wedding specialists one to two months ahead if shipping internationally.
- Carry a small medical kit. Bottled water, electrolytes and familiar stomach medication can make a difficult arrival easier.
- Go early. Cam Thanh’s basket boats are calmer before about 10:30am.
- Eat local. Coconut coffee, Note Coffee, bánh mì and phở from smaller local places were our standouts.