It’s not luxurious, but the Lotus Express beats flying in Vietnam

The manager of the Lotus Express from Hanoi to Da Nang in Vietnam, Mr Hieu, is refreshingly candid. Asked on WhatsApp in the lead-up to our trip whether we can buy food on the train, he suggests eating before boarding and sends a map of recommended restaurants.

The Lotus Express runs from Hanoi to Da Nang in Vietnam.

“There’s a dining car on the train,” Mr Hieu says. “But foods are not great.”

Does he mean not great quality or just not great for Western tastes?

“Both,” Mr Hieu responds with a sad face emoji. Five stars for honesty.

We take his advice and eat nearby before the 7.50pm departure. No one wants to start any kind of trip lasting almost 16 hours with a lousy meal.

An overnight train is not everyone’s cup of trà, especially when it’s only a short flight from Hanoi to Da Nang on the way to where we are headed, the historic city of Hoi An. But it seems like a chance for a different Vietnamese experience and there is always a certain romance to catching a sleeper train.

The Lotus Express turns out to be three carriages of the government-run Reunification Express that goes all the way to Ho Chi Minh City. The leg to Da Nang comes highly recommended.

A comfortable two-berth cabin on the Lotus Express.

In 2020, Monisha Rajesh, the British author of the book Around the World in 80 Trains, called it one of her five favourite train journeys, alongside Cannes to Ventimiglia in Europe, Xining to Lhasa in Asia, Jasper to Prince Rupert in Canada and Bangkok to Nam Tok in Thailand.

On Mr Hieu’s advice, we’ve booked a two-berth sleeper cabin.

After six days in buzzing and intensely fascinating Hanoi, we board the train at Hanoi Station and find the cabin is well presented. There are two beds decked out in red and yellow linen, with a table in between. On it are a flower in a vase, an ornate lamp, snacks, bottled water and two boxes containing breakfast.

The large window has gold curtains that can be closed when we want to sleep. We stash our bags in the not-overly-generous luggage space under the beds and above the door, appreciating the air conditioning after the oppressive heat outside.

With swing music playing through speakers, the train starts to move at 7.49pm, stops, then moves off again at precisely 7.50pm.

It heads almost immediately through the famous Train Street, where there is barely enough room to pass between the houses and cafes where people are dining. I realise why the train keeps so close to timetable – it’s so everyone on the street can move safely out of the way.

The Lotus Express passes through the astonishingly narrow Train Street.Credit: Getty Images

At level crossings out of the city, dozens of motor scooters – ubiquitous in Hanoi – queue, waiting for the train to pass. Once we’re out of the city, it’s dark outside the window.

An attendant arrives at our door offering free beer, wine or soft drinks.

Stopping by next is a young Indian student from the four-berth cabin next door, politely asking if the Indian music they are playing through a speaker is too loud. It’s fine, but we chat for a few minutes about cricket and Vietnamese food we’ve liked. He hasn’t been to Sydney but knows what he calls its Lotus Temple, which turns out to be the Opera House.

I go for a stroll along the carriage and see that most passengers have their cabin doors closed. An electronic sign says the train is travelling at 75 km/h.

A bustling party of passengers gets on when the train stops at Ninh Binh. I ask a young German woman why it’s so popular. “It’s Ha Long Bay on land,” she says. Googling tells me it would have been a terrific stopover. Maybe next trip.

As the new arrivals settle in their cabins, the gentle rocking of the train has a lulling effect. I read for a while then realise I can’t stay awake any longer. We turn out the light.

A staff member on the Lotus Express offers drinks to passengers.

It’s one of those rare nights when you sleep deeply despite unfamiliar surroundings, waking occasionally to feel the movement of the train, then falling back to sleep.

It’s light when we wake just after 6.30am and the view outside is a burst of colour – striking shades of green rice paddies, some dotted with water buffalos – against a vivid blue sky. An attendant brings around a welcome coffee, strong and sweet.

We open our breakfast boxes and enjoy bread with strawberry jam, juice and a banana as we watch the rural scenes outside - houses, an occasional village, temples, a motorcycle racing the train and an increasing number of workers in the fields. The train crosses bridges over wide rivers then stops at Hue, the former imperial capital. More Googling suggests it would have been another great stopover.

Da Nang’s Marble Mountains and coast.Credit: Getty Images

I feel I should check out the rest of the train, so walk forward through a series of sleeper carriages – some run by other private operators – then find very different sleeping conditions up front. Many passengers are still asleep in what seem like normal suburban train seats in a carriage sweltering without air conditioning.

Closer to Da Nang, fields turn into a stunning rainforest with glimpses of attractive beaches through the trees. It’s appealing, though not quite stunning enough to justify Rajesh’s rave review.

Other overnight trains are more exclusive. The Lotus Express – well-presented two and four-berth cabins with a clean toilet and bathroom for each carriage – is not luxurious.

But it has its own friendly charm and is a relaxed alternative to a flight. Next time, a stopover or two will make it even more rewarding.

The details

Ride
Tickets for the Lotus Express cost about $443 ($US280) for both two-person and four-person cabins. It takes almost 16 hours from Hanoi to Da Nang. See lotustrain.com, lotustrain.vn.

Fly
Cathay Pacific has multiple daily flights from Sydney to Hanoi via Hong Kong.

Stay
In Hanoi, Amira Hotel is a comfortable hotel in a buzzy area near Hanoi Old City Gate. From $82 a night, including breakfast. 1 Ngo Gạch, Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem. See amirahotelhanoi.com

In Hoi An, Little Hoi An is a stylish and friendly hotel overlooking the Hoai River and within easy walking distance of the historic old town. From $108 a night, including an excellent breakfast. 02 Thoai Ngoc Hau, Minh An, Hoi An. See littlehoian.com

The writer travelled at his own expense.