Tag: vietnam

3 Month Southeast Asia Itinerary & Travel Planning Guide

Southeast Asia is the land of ancient temples, tropical beaches, metropolitan cities, mountain villages, and an endless supply of cultural experiences. This 3 month Southeast Asia itinerary allows you not only to see the highlights of this part of the world, but to also to fully immerse yourself in the local culture. On this Southeast […]

Hue, Vietnam in Photos

Hue, located in central Vietnam, was home to the Nguyen dynasty and it was the capital of Vietnam until 1945. The Imperial City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is what attracts visitors to the city of Hue. Scattered along the Perfume River sits the tombs of past emperors. We spent several days in Hue. We […]

Traveling from Hoi An to Hue in Vietnam

The best way to get from Hoi An to Hue is by hiring a private driver for the day. By having a driver, we were able to visit My Son Sanctuary, Da Nang, Marble Mountain, travel over Hai Van Pass, walk on Lang Co Beach, and have pit stops for lunch and photos.   Traveling […]

Taking the Bus from Hanoi to Nanning

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 […]

Three Days on Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

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 […]

Should I Travel to Vietnam During Tet?

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 […]

A Photojourney Through the Old Quarter of Hanoi

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, […]

Wishing We Had More Time in Hoi An

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 […]

Two Days in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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 […]

A Day on the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

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 […]

Our Experience on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

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 […]