All in all, we spent about three weeks in Vietnam, which I thought was perfect. Of course, as with any trip, there are places that I’d still like to visit, but I think that we had a memorable overview of the country. My favorite part, of course, was the people that we met: the little … Continue reading
We arrived in Hanoi in the late morning and successfully navigated our way to our hotel, located in the Old Quarter of the city, not far from Hoan Kiem Lake. This is definitely the place to be: the streets of the Old Quarter curve and tangle into delightful alleyways that invite exploration at every turn. … Continue reading
If you check out TravelFish’s description of Hue, the imperial capitol of Vietnam, you’ll see that the tagline reads, “Hue: Not as Fascinating as You Might Expect.” I have to admit, it left me a bit less than thrilled about our upcoming time in the city, but it did serve to lower my expectations for … Continue reading
Hoi An, a charming town located about an hour’s ride from Da Nang, is picturesque and evokes a sense of a sleepy village–an impression born of the colonial architecture that ranges from Japanese to French. The old town center is small, maybe three streets, but it’s packed with market stalls, shops and restaurants. Just walking … Continue reading
If you’re traveling in Vietnam, there’s a good chance that at some point in your journey you’ll ride the Reunification Express. A route that links Saigon to Hanoi, skirting the coastline (in some places much closer than others), the train is a fairly easy and comfortable way to see the country and, in many cases, … Continue reading
Vinh Long isn’t a major stop for tourists–during our three nights there, we saw only a handful of Westerners that weren’t on a package trip from Saigon. It is a good place for tours of the Mekong as you’re close to Cai Be floating market; tours from Saigon require a three hour bus ride to … Continue reading
While we were in Vinh Long, we took a tour of the Mekong Delta to Cai Be floating market and along the waterways and estuaries that are so common in this area. I noticed, as we boarded the boat and started the “cruise,” that the boats all had eyes painted on the prows. From the … Continue reading
