To enter China from Vietnam, we chose to travel overland by taking the bus from Hanoi to Nanning. By traveling overland we saved the huge expense of airplane travel and we got to see parts of Vietnam and China that many travelers miss. Taking the Bus from Hanoi to Nanning Hanoi to the Border There are two buses that take …
The grand finale of our tour of Vietnam was a three day cruise on Ha Long Bay with Galaxy Cruise Lines. Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most famous sights…thousands of small limestone mountains filling the bay, not far from the South China Sea. This is a popular tourist sight and another UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting thousands of …
Our family spent almost one month in Vietnam, giving us plenty of time to watch as the Vietnamese people celebrated their most important holiday, Tet. Tet is the Lunar New Year for Vietnam and falls on the same day as the Chinese New Year. For the Vietnamese, Tet is like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve all rolled up in one. …
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 …
Six months…I can’t believe that we are at the halfway point already. I can still remember stepping onto to the airplane at JKF Airport, that first airplane that would fly us away from the US and out into the big, wide world. We were bursting with excitement and anticipation, and maybe even with a little fear. In these six months, …