Type in the trip

Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City

Boom Promphan

Jul 29, 2024 — 4 min read

Hand-lettering signage in Hoi An

In 2019, I visited Vietnam for the first time, exploring Ha Noi, Sapa, and Ha Giang during a jam-packed week-long trip. At that time, I wasn’t very familiar with being a “tourist” in Vietnam. I preferred to arrange everything on my own, trying out new apps and so on. As a result, I fell into several tourist traps and encountered various scams.

For instance, I once booked a bus from Sapa to Ha Giang through an app that offered different types of bus and van services. I was sure I selected the “Bus” option, not the “Van.” However, something went wrong during the booking process, and we ended up with a van. It wasn’t even a direct service but a local communal van that stopped whenever passengers requested.

Fast forward to 2024, I learned from my past experiences and managed the trip much better. This time, I booked a hotel with airport transfer services, which made traveling as a tourist much easier. In Hoi An, our homestay was centrally located, allowing us to explore the area on foot.

In Ho Chi Minh City, getting around was a breeze thanks to “Grab.” I quickly fell in love with the city—the snails, the seafood, the diverse cuisine, and the coffee made me feel right at home. The city’s vibe reminded me a lot of Bangkok.

During my first visit to Vietnam in 2019, I was overwhelmed by stress and uncertainty, which kept me from fully appreciating the beauty of the northern cities. However, during my second visit, the typefaces and signage really caught my eye.

This trip was much more organized, and I realized how much I adore the vibrancy of Vietnamese Latin script. Its informal style feels so full of life. This is when it really hit me that I was on the opposite side of the world, far from the rigid sans-serif norms I’m used to. Here are some snippets of signage from Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City.

The are so many expressive letterings I found during those three days strolling in town. I took most of the photos here in Hoi An, our first stop, and we spent two nights there.

While we were walking around, I found another fascinating signage. The image below shows both sides of that signage. They’re basically talking about the same café but in a different lettering style.

I can’t miss the house number carved into the stone.

Another area to spot amazing letters is on the boat!

I’m not sure if that phrase can apply everywhere, but at least in Thailand, Vietnam, and sometimes in the Netherlands, they are frequently spotted!

Lettering on the boat, even though they're sharing the same "blue" but they're not from the same commapy, assume from their lettering — of course. — Lettering on the boat, even though they're sharing the same "blue," they're not from the same company assuming from their lettering.

Our second stop was Ho Chi Minh City, we spent another a few night there. I spent most of my visit exploring Luu Chu, Vietnam's Graphic Design, and Type Archive, for already half a day! I plan to create a dedicated post featuring photos and stories from that visit. I didn't have a chance to take so many photos; it's a busy city, and we didn't walk around that much. But here are some:

Lettering in a circle! I love to see how people deal with their diacritics.

This bar was incredibly fascinating. I mean, everything about it, from the architecture and interior design to the random objects at the bar and the unique logos, was interesting. If you're curious about the place? It is here

In summary, apart from those lettering, I love Vietnamese coffee; salt coffee and coconut coffee are the best. If you are not a spicy type or can handle only a little spicy like me, Vietnamese foods will definitely be perfect! I will never be bored there. And that's about it from this trip!