Everyone says Thailand for a first international with a baby. We said Thailand too. And then we went to Vietnam and quietly wondered why we hadn't done this sooner.
It was Akash's idea. He'd been reading about Hoi An for months, sending me articles at midnight, convinced it was the most baby-friendly town in Asia. I was nervous. New country, no Indian crowd, no familiar food, longer flight than Thailand. Everything that makes you second-guess yourself when you're trying to plan a trip with a three year old and an eighteen month old.
But we went. All four of us — Akash, me, Meera, and Shloka. And one very important fifth member — our Butt Baby hip seat carrier, which honestly deserves its own seat on the flight for everything it did for us.
Vietnam is calmer, cheaper, gentler on small stomachs, and warmer toward children than anywhere we'd been before. Here's exactly how we covered the whole country with two little ones.
First, the visa. Simpler than you think.
The official e-visa costs USD 25 (around ₹2,100) for single entry and USD 50 (around ₹4,200) for multiple entry, valid for up to 90 days. Apply on the official Vietnam government website, upload a passport scan and photo, pay online, and the visa arrives by email within 3 to 5 working days. I applied for all four of us on a Sunday evening while Shloka was napping. Done before she woke up.
The smart way to cover Vietnam with kids
Do not hop between too many cities in too few days. Packing and unpacking with a toddler is its own kind of exhausting. We used internal flights between cities which made everything so much smoother. Vietnam Airlines, VietJet, and Bamboo Airways all connect the major cities, with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang remaining the priority routes for all three carriers even during busier periods. That said, Vietnam's domestic airlines have seen some schedule and fare volatility recently, so book a little earlier than you normally would and check your flight status in the days before you fly. Book bassinets and kids meals in advance.
Our route was Ho Chi Minh City, then Da Nang, then Hoi An, then Hanoi, then Halong Bay. One activity per day. No rushing. This is the pace that makes family travel actually enjoyable.
Ho Chi Minh City, where the trip began
The moment we stepped out of the airport, Shloka went straight into the Butt Baby carrier and that was where she stayed for most of the trip. It's so lightweight that I genuinely forget I'm wearing it until someone stops me to ask what it is — which happened more times than I can count in Vietnam.
We spent a day doing a Mekong Delta boat trip — boat rides through rice fields, a coconut candy factory where Meera ate approximately her body weight in samples, and Shloka in the carrier the entire time, wide-eyed and completely content. The food surprised us completely. Meera, who can be deeply suspicious of anything that isn't dal chawal, ate a full bowl of vegetable fried rice on our very first evening and asked for more. Akash and I looked at each other like we'd won something.
Stay in District 1. Most walkable, best restaurants, Grab taxis everywhere.
Da Nang, our beach base
Da Nang was where we exhaled. My Khe Beach became our morning ritual — Meera running into the waves, Shloka sitting in the sand looking deeply serious about it, Akash and I taking turns actually sitting down like human beings.
Ba Na Hills was the unexpected highlight. We walked the entire Golden Bridge with Shloka in the Butt Baby carrier and I didn't feel it in my back even once. That lumbar belt is everything — it shifts all of Shloka's weight onto my hips and I can walk for hours without the familiar ache that used to hit after twenty minutes with any other carrier. Meera spent the whole walk looking for the rest of the giant whose hands were holding the bridge. We didn't correct her.
We stayed at a mid-range beachfront property with a kids pool and poolside dining. The kids pool meant Shloka slept like a dream every night, which meant Akash and I actually got to have dinner like adults.
Hoi An, the one that stays with you
Da Nang to Hoi An is approximately 30 kilometres and takes about 45 minutes to an hour by Grab. Close enough for a day trip, magical enough to deserve its own nights. We gave it three and it still wasn't enough.
Hoi An old town is everything everyone says it is. Lantern-lit streets, ancient merchant houses, the Thu Bon river glittering at night. But those streets are cobblestone, narrow, and absolutely packed by 6 PM. A stroller here is a battle you will lose. We'd already learned our stroller lesson the hard way at Howrah Station and we did not repeat that mistake.
This is where the Butt Baby carrier became our absolute hero of the trip. Every evening in Hoi An, Shloka was on my waist, secure and happy, at the perfect height to see everything around her. Both my hands were free for the camera, the food, and holding Meera's hand through the crowd. The built-in diaper pouch meant diapers, wipes, a snack, and Shloka's favourite toy were all right there without me needing a separate bag. That one feature alone changed how I moved through every single day of this trip. And when Shloka wanted to get down and walk, she hopped off the seat herself in seconds. No complicated buckles, no fuss. Just in and out and we keep moving.
We found a small restaurant near the river where Meera ate Cao Lau noodles without a single complaint, Akash had a vegetable Banh Mi and asked to come back the next day, and I had my first Vietnamese iced coffee. Cold, strong, sweet, with condensed milk. I had one every single day after that. Sometimes twice.
For hotels, La Siesta Hoi An Resort and Spa was wonderful — dedicated children's pool, free cribs, beautiful garden. The Sunrise Premium Resort is another great option with family villas, two pools, and a kids club.
Hanoi, more child-friendly than you'd expect
Hoan Kiem Lake in the morning is peaceful, walkable, and full of local families just existing and enjoying it. We took the girls to a water puppet show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Meera sat completely still for forty five minutes — something that has never happened in the history of Meera. Shloka clapped every time the puppets splashed. We counted. Eleven times.
The narrow lanes of the Old Quarter in the evening were packed and I was so grateful to have both hands free with Shloka in the carrier. Akash discovered crispy tofu with vermicelli noodles at a tiny plastic-stool restaurant and talked about it for the rest of the trip. Meera discovered fresh vegetable spring rolls. I discovered that Vietnamese food and I are going to have a very long and happy relationship.
Halong Bay, do not skip this with kids
Everyone told us not to do Halong Bay with little ones. We did it anyway and it was one of the best days of the entire trip.
We booked a family-friendly day cruise — spacious deck, life vests for the kids, and a crew that was so gentle with Shloka it made me a little emotional. Meera kayaked with Akash through a limestone cave and talked about it every single day after. Shloka and I stood on the deck together, her in the Butt Baby carrier, watching the limestone peaks rise out of the water. She kept pointing and saying something in her own little language. I'm fairly sure it meant she was as amazed as we were.
Halong Bay is roughly 170 kilometres from Hanoi, about 2.5 to 3.5 hours by road. Hire a private car. Worth every rupee with two kids and luggage.
The food, which deserves its own blog
Vietnam is genuinely one of the most vegetarian-accommodating countries we have ever traveled to. Vegetable pho, steamed rice, tofu stir fries, fresh fruit everywhere. Clean, gentle, less spice than Thai food, and both girls actually finished their meals. Most restaurants customised without us even having to ask much.
A few rules we followed:
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Bottled water only, even for brushing teeth
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Vegetable pho broth and steamed rice are always safe
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Fresh fruit, always peel it yourself
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Busy restaurants over empty ones every time
And the Vietnamese iced coffee. Every single day. Non-negotiable. I will not be taking questions.
Practical things Indian parents always want to know
The e-visa is USD 25 for single entry, arrives by email in 3 to 5 working days from the official Vietnam government website. Internal flights between Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang, and Hanoi are well served by all three domestic carriers, though it's worth booking a bit ahead and checking your flight status closer to the date given some recent schedule and fare changes in Vietnam's aviation sector. Use Grab for all local travel. Buy a SIM at the airport — Viettel or Vinaphone, around ₹200 for 10 GB. Exchange to VND at the airport. For vaccinations, standard kid vaccines plus Hepatitis A and typhoid — talk to your paediatrician at least 6 weeks before you fly.
The one thing I'd tell every traveling parent
The Butt Baby hip seat carrier was the single most useful thing we packed on this entire trip. Lightweight enough to fit in your day bag. A built-in diaper pouch so you're never hunting for wipes at the bottom of a tote. A lumbar belt that actually protects your back on long walking days. And a seat that Shloka genuinely loves climbing into and out of on her own — she treated it like her personal little throne the entire trip.
If you're traveling with a baby or toddler, this is the one thing I would not leave home without. Full stop.
Vietnam vs Thailand, the honest truth
Vietnam is calmer, more authentic, and gentler on little ones. As a vegetarian family we never once felt stuck or limited. The pace suits families in a way that busy resort towns simply don't.
We covered the whole country in ten days with a three year old and an eighteen month old. We didn't rush. We didn't stress. We ate incredibly well. We have approximately four thousand photos of Meera eating noodles and Shloka looking at the ocean like she owns it.
Go. You won't regret a single day.
— Ruchi