We spent a week in Hanoi during the middle of February, giving us plenty of time to get to know this city. Everyday we took a walk through the area, exploring the backstreets, watching people prepare and then celebrate Tet, the Lunar New Year. We walked on the train tracks, went shopping in the markets, and loved walking around Hoan …
We have now been traveling through Asia for over five months and still have several more to go. It has been quite the learning experience for our family…new foods, new cultures, lots of history to learn about. Most of it has been a wonderful experience although we have had a few difficulties along the way, just to keep things interesting. …
I had read that Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s best destinations, but I had no idea how much we all would love it here. There is something in Hoi An for everyone…a quaint, old town perfect for strolling, shopping, and dining, awesome beaches for the kids, and a perfect mix of countryside and villages to be explored by motorbike. …
Da Nang, this small city in Vietnam, is located at the midpoint of the country, right on the ocean. Tour books don’t highlight this city as a worthwhile place to visit so I was planning on skipping right over it while in Vietnam. During our time in Hoi An, we visited Da Nang more than once, and we quickly learned …
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s largest city. It is located in the southern portion of the country, not far from the Mekong Delta. This city was called Saigon until 1976, when the name was changed to Ho Chi Minh City after the conclusion of the Vietnam War. Many local people here prefer the name Saigon over Ho Chi Minh …
A trip to Vietnam would not be complete without a trip to the Mekong Delta. This is iconic Vietnam…flat fields of rice fields as far as the eye can see, wooden houses on stilts located along the river’s edge, men and women in small boats, selling their produce. I was so excited to get a glimpse of this Vietnamese way …
Our introduction to Vietnam was a quick visit to the tropical island of Phu Quoc. The four of us spent two days, three nights here, which would have been just enough time to enjoy the beaches and do a little sightseeing. Unfortunately, we hardly did anything here. I was just recovering from a nice case of food poisoning, a Cambodian …
Our two week tour through Cambodia ended with a brief stay in the very small riverside town of Kampot. Of the three places we have visited in Cambodia, Kampot was by far the most laid back. This town is located on the Preaek Tuek Chhu River (say that three times fast!) consisting of several blocks of small stores, restaurants, and …
While my family and I were visiting Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we wanted to learn more about Pol Pot and the Killing Fields. We learned that Pol Pot did terrible things to Cambodia, and it was one of the most tragic events in all of Cambodia. This post was written by Tyler in 2015. Who Was Pol Pot? Pol Pot was …
Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, was a very brief stop on our tour of Southeast Asia. It was really just a layover point for us while traveling from Siem Reap in the north to Kampot in the south. Phnom Penh contains many of the same things we have seen in other Southeast Asian cities…temples, night markets, and museums. Once …
People from around the world travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia to tour Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. We were no different. We had a week to explore Siem Reap and all it had to offer. Before traveling here, we were familiar with Angkor Wat, but we did not know much about the surrounding temples, of which there are …
Laos was a total surprise for us…unexpected beauty, exceptionally good food, incredibly friendly people. We only spent one week in this amazing country and it stole my heart. We arrived in Laos from Thailand, taking the slow boat down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang…a small town with a goofy name, is also one of the prettiest small …
The Mekong River is the lifeline of Laos. This river originates in the Yunnan Province of China, travels south, forming the boundary between Laos and other countries such as Myanmar and Thailand. The path of the Mekong crosses Cambodia and then ends in southern Vietnam, forming the famous Mekong Delta. One of the most popular things to do in Laos …
Chiang Rai was our final stop in Thailand. This very small town is located in the far northeast of Thailand, not far from Laos and Myanmar. Here the terrain was mountainous and very lush, with lots of palm trees, tea and rice plantations, and banana trees. Since it was January, it was the cool, dry season, but daytime temperatures still …
Chiang Mai, located in the northern part of Thailand, is a popular destination for jungle trekking, getting up close with elephants, visiting hill tribes, and so much more. Like Krabi, there are so many things to do here…tons of activities to keep an active family busy. Our family spent five very busy days here and we composed a list of …
As we traveled north from Bangkok to Chiang Mai we paid a visit to two of Thailand’s most popular historical sites, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are important places in Thai history. Tyler and Kara honestly weren’t thrilled about touring more ruins and temples, but here they got to explore by bicycle, one of our …
Krabi, Thailand is one of the world’s best places to learn how to rock climb. Our family has always had an interest in rock climbing but our only real experience so far was a few climbs up the rock wall at our local gym. While in Krabi, rock climbing was at the top of our list for things to do. …
Krabi, Thailand…paradise. We spent nine amazing, action-packed days here, swimming, kayaking, rock climbing, snorkeling, playing on the beach, and island hopping. Without a doubt this is our family’s new favorite spot in the world. This is such a beautiful place with so much to do…we could stay here a lot longer and never get bored. I took well over a …
Ahhh…we finally made it to the beautiful beaches of Thailand. Tyler and Kara have been looking forward to this for so long, our first real beach destination in almost six months of travel. Some pure fun in the sun has been long overdue for these two kiddos and we arrived just in time for Christmas. Tim and I wanted to …
Bangkok, Thailand…I have fallen in love with this city. I have always wanted to travel to Thailand. Thai food is my favorite in the world, the beaches look incredible, there are ancient ruins all over the place, and to top it off, you can get up close with elephants. Our introduction to Thailand came with a stay in Bangkok. This …