“Traveling on an overnight sleeper train through Vietnam with 2 kids was an amazing experience,” said author Alexandra Karplus.
Karplus mentioned that taking the train was the right decision for her family. The cabin was impeccably clean, with white sheets and fluffy duvets. On the bedside table, there was a tray with four bananas, packs of Oreos, tea bags, wet wipes, toothbrushes, and bottles of water waiting for them.
The train facilities surpassed her expectations, as Karplus shared.
One of the memorable aspects of the journey was the challenges they faced along the way. Karplus mentioned that it was during moments like wading through rivers and ducking under trees that the kids were the happiest.
The children also had the opportunity to learn and try new things during a home-cooked dinner. They stopped at a woman’s house for lunch, where they were served a delicious feast. The dishes included slices of pork stir-fried with carrots, wild fern cooked with garlic, boiled pumpkin, and crispy spring rolls with a spicy dipping sauce. All of these dishes were cooked over an open fire in the neighboring room.
The next day, Karplus’s eight-year-old daughter eagerly shared the story with her grandma, focusing on the pets they encountered along the way.
After four days of exploring the region, trekking 28 miles, and spending a night on the creaky floor of a homestay, the group happily boarded the train again for another restful night’s sleep as they headed back to Hanoi.