WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO SKIP THAT HOTEL

by Danique van Leeuwenstijn

And there I was. In the backyard of Mr. Huyen in the heart of Phong Nha National Park in Vietnam. Chickens were running around me, in the corner there were some pigs, and slowly five water buffaloes were walking out of the mud bath on their way to the river. My boyfriend was in the meantime standing with a fishing net in hand up to his shoulders in the sludge of the large pond. His white Calvin Klein underwear? We can throw that away afterwards. On the side of the pond, six Vietnamese men were shouting instructions to my friend. In Vietnamese. And me? I just stood with the rest of the women who were shouting just as enthusiastically as if it were a national sports match that my guy was losing. My goodness. How did I end up here? By skipping that luxury hotel just this once.
It all started in Hoi An. The hotel we stayed at was pure luxury; there was a swimming pool and a delicious breakfast buffet with pancakes and fruit. Something different from those noodles of the past three weeks. But we were going to Phong Nha. A beautiful national park where King Kong was filmed. And we had decided that we wanted a ‘local experience’, so we skipped that hotel via Booking.com and ended up at a lovely farm with small bungalows. Not in the middle of the city, no, on the edge of the jungle where it would be so dark at night that you could see the Milky Way.
Upon arrival, it was already different. Instead of the normally so boring and formal check-in, we were welcomed with two cold beers on the terrace next to the farm. We were bombarded with questions. Where did we come from? What did we want to do in Phong Nha? This we had to skip and this we really had to do. So we ended up chatting for two hours, writing down all the tips they gave us with a notebook and pen in hand. After a few too many beers, we all went to bed. The first evening was different, but certainly successful.
The next three days were the best we have had so far during our trip. Delicious food with freshly picked vegetables from the garden, every evening it was quiet and calm, and we could watch the Milky Way during dinner. We went out every day with the people who worked on the farm. One day that meant helping with fishing, after which we were invited to the big village barbecue where the fish that were caught were of course on the barbecue. And the other day meant swimming in the river with the same group. By the end of the three days, we knew the whole village. It was an experience I had never had before. But how wonderful it was. Skipping that hotel we will do more often. And I pass it on to you as the ultimate travel tip.

Written by: Danique van Leeuwenstijn