Vietnam Highs – New Friends – I’ve clearly been going on about this for a while, but meeting up with Jemma and Leanne made all the difference for my Vietnam leg of the trip. As a solo traveler, it was nice to find a temporary group so there were the same people around for breakfast, … Continue reading
Vietnam’s large cities have a distinct street culture. During the day, and especially when it gets dark, the streets are filled with makeshift bars and restaurants, and patrons sit on sidewalks and in the streets on miniature plastic chairs and tables. These places serve $.50 beer and equally cheap street food, and street performers mingle … Continue reading
We had kind of had enough Saigon sightseeing after our one full day in the city, and since there was an abundance of super cheap day trips, we decided to take advantage and head out to the countryside. On every Vietnamese backpacker’s wish list there were two excursions – the Cu Chi Tunnels and the … Continue reading
Before meeting up with my new travel companions, I had planned to head south from Hoi An and hit a few additional towns in Vietnam, notably Dalat and Nha Trang. However, this was before I 1) looked at a map of Vietnam, and 2) spent a full night on a train getting between cities. Visiting … Continue reading
Besides its beaches and quaint old town, Hoi An is best known for one thing – tailors. Every other shop is has a big sign out front offering custom clothes. Best of all, they can make their designs in a day or two, and at super affordable prices. Clearly getting some custom clothes was therefore … Continue reading
Jemma was the only one of the three of us who had done any planning before arriving in Hoi An, and I was excited to learn that she had booked a cooking course. After an amazing class in Ubud, I was up for another food course and especially interested in learning how to make some … Continue reading
Jemma, Leanne and I quickly settled in to Hoi An. We all loved the town – it was even quieter than Hue, and there weren’t really any tourist attractions (or at least none that we went to), which was a nice break for us. It’s a sleepy beach town, so that’s where we headed for … Continue reading
After the unexpected booze cruise in Hue, I decided it was time to move on and signed up for a 5 hour, and $5, bus to Hoi An. The guidebooks describe Hoi An as quiet beach town, and since Hue wasn’t as relaxing as expected, I was eager for a bit of a break. I … Continue reading
Before this trip, I hadn’t realized that Vietnam was such a large country. It snakes down the coast of Southeast Asia, and a trip from Hanoi in the north to Saigon in the south takes about two hours by plane, or 30 hours by train (which doesn’t say much for the train network, but more … Continue reading
As one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World, Halong Bay was at the top of my list as a ‘must-do’ for Vietnam. The stunning scenery includes thousands of limestone cliffs soaring high into the air, covered in lush forest. Located about 80 miles outside of Hanoi, it’s usually done as an overnight trip … Continue reading