We are now safely back in Toronto, getting reacclimated to the brisk temperatures and snowstorms. I'm still trying to rework my circadian rhythm to get over this terrible jet lag, so am forcing myself to stay awake by writing this blog post, with a few more random thoughts on my recent journey through Cambodia and [...]
I thought that I had seen the most beautiful place in Vietnam when we visited Bai Tu Long Bay. That is, until I saw Ninh Binh. On our final full day in Vietnam, we went on a day trip to this province in the Red River Delta of North Vietnam. Ninh Binh is known as [...]
We are back in Hanoi for the last couple days of our trip, having returned from our overnight cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay. What a beautiful place that was! Choosing a Halong Bay cruise While preparing for this trip, I knew that a visit to the Halong Bay area was mandatory. The bay has [...]
We enjoyed a nice couple days in Hanoi prior to our departure for Bai Tu Long Bay. Our hotel was located in the Old Quarter, a lovely walkable area with lots to see and eat - and that we did! Searching for more banh mi We took our final domestic flight of the trip, transporting [...]
Today was mostly a travel day as we are leaving Hoi An and heading north to Hanoi. We booked our return trip to the airport again with Hura Cars, and arranged a stop at the Marble Mountains en route. The Marble Mountains in Da Nang are a cluster of five marble and limestone hills, each [...]
For our final day in Hoi An, we signed up for a cooking class with Coconut Fragrance, a home cooking school run by a young woman named Huynh and her chef husband Tuan. There are numerous options for cooking classes in town, but I was very happy with our selection and would wholeheartedly recommend it [...]
Our second day in Hoi An was a lot of fun. We spent the morning on a countryside bicycle tour and the afternoon doing some more exploring, including a visit to the beach. Cycling on Cam Kim Island We joined a half day cycle tour with Hoi An Cycling and coincidentally were accompanied by a [...]
We said our final farewell to south Vietnam yesterday morning. Although we have had absolutely amazing authentic Vietnamese food through our short time here so far, Mr. Chuckles suggested that we punctuate this with a breakfast at McDonald’s. Therefore, our last meal in Ho Chi Minh City took place at the Golden Arches. We actually [...]
We capped off our time in Ho Chi Minh City on a day trip to the Mekong Delta. This is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River empties into the sea via a network of distributaries. On our tour with Urban Adventures, we travelled to My Tho, a former naval base turned port [...]
Xin chao from Vietnam! After a short and uneventful flight via Cambodia Angkor Air, Mr. Chuckles and I have arrived safely in Ho Chi Minh City. Or is it Saigon? Originally known as Saigon, this southern Vietnamese city was renamed in 1975 after the Vietnam War and the communist party from the north took over [...]
