How Maanvi Gagroo Celebrated Her Birthday in Vietnam: Hanoi, Da Nang and a Slower Way to Travel

There are birthday trips that feel indulgent, and then there are ones that rewire how a person travels. For Four More Shots Please! actor Maanvi Gagroo, Vietnam did exactly that.

“I’ve realised that every birthday I want to take time out just to travel,” she says. “For the longest time, my trips were always connected to work… but I’d never travelled with the express purpose of holidaying.” 

Vietnam became the perfect balance of novelty, proximity and ease. “I didn’t want to travel too far — I’d rather go somewhere closer and spend more time there,” she says.

With most of Southeast Asia already ticked off, Vietnam sat high on her wish list. Her partner Kumar Varun, a self-declared Vietnam loyalist, nudged things along. “He said, ‘I can keep going back to Vietnam — let me plan it.’ But of course, I made my own list too.” 

Getting Lucky 

Their journey began in Hanoi, a city that immediately announced its presence with a stroke of serendipity. “We landed on 2 September — Vietnam’s Independence Day — completely unplanned!” Gagroo says. “Before even sitting down for breakfast, I bought a Vietnam-flag T-shirt because everyone was wearing them. It was festive and really lovely to be part of that.” 

Hanoi became their base: wandering the French Quarter, weaving through night markets, sampling Anthony Bourdain-approved restaurants and tackling what she calls her “coffee checklist”— egg coffee, salted coffee, condensed milk coffee. “All of it,” she emphasises. 

A day trip to Ninh Binh added a dose of nature. “After eating so much, I feel guilty if I don’t walk it off,” she says. “We trekked a small hill, went to a viewpoint, visited caves and a lotus field, and then had one of those huge local spreads — slightly touristy but still nice.” And then there was the famous Train Street. “You sit there waiting for the train, the chairs get moved, people take out their phones…it’s a whole vibe.” 

From Hanoi, the pair drove to Hạ Long Bay for a two-day cruise. “Stunning,” she says. “And we got very lucky — literally the day we returned, they cancelled all cruises because a typhoon was coming.” 

Onboard, the agenda was indulgent but optional: cooking workshops, live music, kayaking, prawn fishing, limestone caves, chatting with fellow travellers. The sort of unhurried escape that defines a good birthday. 

Da Nang It 

After one last evening in Hanoi, they flew to Da Nang. “Da Nang doesn’t come up as much in itineraries,” Gagroo notes. “Most people talk about Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. But I wanted to explore the whole country properly.” What she discovered was a revelation. 

“The history is intense,” she says. “During the American War, it was one of the worst-affected areas. Later, America funded rebuilding, so the city is completely transformed now.” Today, Da Nang is a sleek, welcoming riverfront city with clean streets, warm locals and an unexpectedly youthful vibe. 

For two days, they dipped in and out of beaches, sunset dance pop-ups, cafés and breezy boulevards. “Language wasn’t a problem either, which I honestly expected it would be,” she adds. 

From Da Nang, they took a day trip to Hoi An, a picture-book town where lantern-lit streets and old-world charm blend with an efficient modern tourism engine. “Absolutely stunning,” she says. “You just walk, eat, explore.” She made a stop at a Banh Mi shop loved by Bourdain and succumbed to Hoi An’s famous tailoring culture. “I got leather sandals made in two hours because they didn’t have my size. Two hours! People go there with design ideas for linen suits.” 

The final leg was Ho Chi Minh City, vibrant, modern, but less surprising. “It felt like any other metropolitan city — high-rises, malls, fancy dining, cars,” she says. The city still offered plenty: concerts, exhibitions, night markets and a stirring visit to the War Memorial. 

The Little Things 

There is one ritual she never skips: “I always get a fridge magnet. It becomes the biggest decision of my life, which one to pick.” For friends, she buys things the place is known for: coffee beans for the purists, crochet tops from night markets, pocketbooks of Ho Chi Minh’s quotes, and frankly scandalous amounts of Southeast Asian fruit. “Fruits there are unmatched,” she says. “I don’t think I enjoy eating fruit anywhere else as much.” 

There’s a very simple travel philosophy she follows. “I like staying in the heart of the city because it feels safer and you can walk everywhere,” she says. And walking, for her, is non-negotiable. “Walking is the best way to explore a place. And I try not to follow a strict list — I keep it flexible.” 

MAANVI GAGROO PICKS 

HO CHI MINH CITY 

· Propaganda Vietnamese Bistro 

· Lunch Lady of Saigon 

· Rex Hotel 

HOI AN 

·Bánh Mì Phượng 

HANOI 

· La Plaz Café 

· Giang Bún ốc 

· Bún chả Hương Liên 

MUST-HAVE FOODS IN VIETNAM 

· Pho 

· Bánh mì 

· Egg coffee 

· Salt coffee 

· Vietnamese iced coffee 

· Fish cake 

· Corn ice cream