Vietnam

Hello! My boyfriend and I have just scored teaching jobs at a primary school in Saigon. We are very excited and leaving really soon. We have three weeks before we start to familiarise ourselves with the country and take a much needed holiday.
We want to do it mostly on our own with day tours here and there. With 2-3 time frame we really need help from people who have done it with tips on where to go how to get there and tips on what to do! Basically we want a relaxing holiday as much as possible with mix of backpacker accom and luxury we want to go to the mountains the beaches wouldn’t mind a bit of cycling or motorbiking any help or if anyone can give us an itineray – anything – I’d be most grateful
Sharni

It’s been almost two years since I was in HCMC, but I can tell you that I still miss it—someone once said that everywhere in Asia smelled the same—like diesel and incense, and that’s what I remember best about Saigon. I lived there from 2004-2006, and there are so many stories that I can tell—from karaoke, to getting into a motorbike accident and driving from Cholon market to the hospital, to the rice paddy fields in Hoi An and the hotsprings in Nha Trang. Saigon is a wonderful place… Just keep your wits about you, your money in your bra, and negotiate as best you can in your best Vietnamese.

- Take the train from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi (at least a bit of the way…). It takes between 32 and 42h and costs 26 US$ (approx)...

YES, we have finally booked the tickets & I am heading back with my family for 2 weeks in December!

It will be the first time I have ever flown back to my parents’ home country, and I am so excited to go! While I am dreading the little things (ridiculously long flight, time differences, etc.), I am predicting this trip will be amazing & I will most likely come back with a whole new perspective on things.

I cannot wait to go, stay tuned for future entries! [:

Delicious food. I love how they use vegetables.

They have beautiful beaches like sapphire…

The constant honking of mopeds, the reality check from the Vietnam War Memorials (cu chi tunnels are a must see), the devotion to religion, smells of local cuisine, creeping of cockroaches…

I went there in April 2007. It was far better than what I had expected. (hot weather, traffic jam, etc…) I got to see only central and southern vietnam, but I’m looking forward to a chance to go back there and travel all over the country!

The nature there in the countrysides is so beautiful, although in big cities there are crazy motorbike drivers that you should be careful of when crossing the streets. And I’d suggest you to visit their historical places. Vietnam has one of the most interesting history and cultures ever. Vietnamese people are so nice too.

We just spent three days in Halong Bay. It was a great trip although I’ve kept saying my golden rule to myself over and over again.

When traveling, always expect the unexpected.

Nothing says it better than this. Our overnight train ride took us from beautiful Nha Trang to Hanoi in twenty-four hours. We made our way to Vicky and Jason’s hotel at 5am, dead-tired and travel-stained. We were able to check in for a few hours to shower and switch packs and then jumped on a bus at 8am, which took us directly to Halong City.

As usual, traveling in Asia always means traveling on a loose time frame. We interspersed our boat trip with a lot of extra waiting around. I’ve found that a pack of cards has become essential when traveling in Asia. Fifteen minutes can easily turn into an hour or two on an Asian timeclock.

Halong Bay is spectacalar. We explored some caves and then spent an evening on Cat Ba Island. We spent a day sea-kayaking and then boarded an old-fashioned junk boat for the night.

This morning brought a surprise. We were unceremoniously dumped off on the island with assurances that our guide would be along shortly to escort us back to Halong City. As we watched the other boats leave, we all became a little uneasy when we realised we were the only ones on the pier with no one else in sight.

A few minutes later, we were approached by a Vietnamese fisherman who informed us there were no other boats coming. They had left us behind and we were out in the middle of nowhere. After some quick thinking and some helpful advice from some locals and the police, we jumped on motorcycles with all our gear and sped the 30km back into the village. We were pretty angry, but the tour group rectified everything right away. They served us a huge meal free of charge and booked us on a high speed boat back to the port in Halong City. From there, we were ushered onto a deluxe bus for the rest of the journey.

In all honesty, we traveled back better than we traveled there. We arrived an hour or two later than we had planned, but we’re here and that’s all that counts.

I’ve suddenly fallen completely in love with Vietnam.
♥ _ ♥
I don’t know why it fascinates me so much, it’s just a lovely place. Oh I want to go there so badly~

Traveled to Ho Chi Minh City in 2006. It was my first time to travel abroad alone so it was scary and at that time felt like a very brave thing for me to do. After I got past the anxiety of being alone in a different country, I found myself enjoying the place and the people. The traffic was crazy so crossing the street was a challenge. It was fun though, and very cathartic (I was going through a rough patch in my life at that time). The xeom driver was nice and so was the lady who runs the inn where I stayed. I would love to go back to Ho Chi Minh, and hopefully explore more of Vietnam.