A good friend of mine spoke me into doing a series of Top 10 articles on South East Asia. I’ve been fortunate to go to almost all of the countries in the region now, so maybe a series of articles like this could be useful to someone out there. The first article will be on my Top 10 Islands in the region.
Vietnam
My Sapa homestay experience
I went trekking in Sapa and had my first truly authentic homestay experience. When I say ‘authentic’, I mean I stayed in a ramshackle house on a mountain side in a village shared with 3 large cows, a lot of chickens, 3 dogs (with 4 puppies) and god knows what other creatures. I felt like I was Farmer Brown!
The Halong/Cat Ba conundrum
If you’ve been to Vietnam, or are planning a trip there, you know how much of a headache it is trying to arrange that picture-perfect trip to either Halong or Lan Tho Bay. For me, deciding on what to do left me in a state of mental purgatory for at least 2 days! I hope this post helps you out a little.
The road north: Hue to Hanoi
There are two ways to see Vietnam, and both are pretty linear. You either go north to south, or the other way around. I chose south to north – heading from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. This post covers my journey from Hue to Hanoi, via Phong Nha. Regardless of how you decide to see Vietnam, you’re not going to be disappointed!
Hoi An – you beauty!
I’ve been hearing stories about how Hoi An is a place not to miss and that it may very well become one of my favourite spots in Vietnam. Being wary of hype, I take all of these claims with a pinch of salt, but I think they may have been right about Hoi An.
Phu Quoc Island and riding a scooter
I’m pretty sure my mom will be reading this post so let me start off with: I’m still alive, I didn’t break anything, I didn’t hurt anyone else and I wore a helmet all the time. That should prevent the near heart attack, right mom?
The Mekong Delta in photos
If you come to Vietnam, seeing the Mekong Delta is just as vital an attraction as seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I really wanted to see the floating markets in Cai Rang – where buyers and sellers meet on their boats and exchange money for a massive variety of fruit and vegetables. Here is a photo journal of my time there.
Ho Chi Minh City – scooter madness!
It’s refreshing to be out of China. Having spent 2 months there, it was time for a change, and Vietnam is just what the doctor ordered. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City from the order that is Shanghai is like being hit with an awesome, unforgiving culture stick. I spent a few days in the city formerly known as Saigon, and this is what I think about it.
Dinks in Transit 