Blogs from Southeast, Vietnam, Asia

Xing chao! Onwards to Hanoi!! We flew to Hanoi on the eve of independence day so the streets were absolutely heaving with people and scooters and the complete extreme from Luang Prabang! If I'm honest it was really quite overwhelming so we ducked into a rooftop restaurant and observed the chaos from behind a bowl of beef pho noodle soup! Deeelish! The next morning we set our alarm for 7 so we could pack in an entire day of sight seeing as we didn't have long in Hanoi. We started with muesli and Vietnamese drip coffee (the first decent coffee in a while) and took a cyclo (bicycle taxi) to the one pillar pagoda which is exactly what it sounds like - a pagoda build on a single column rather than 4 legs. We then walked ... read more

So, after leaving Kampot we took a bus to Saigon. The bus trip was okay and it didn't take as long as I thought, which is always good! When we got to the border they processed all of the locals first, leaving the tourists until last. I was the last person to go through and I thought I would be stood there for ages! We eventually arrived in Saigon, District one, made our way through the tiny alley ways with our bags and found a nice, cheap, family run Guesthouse. The following day we went out exploring. The motorbike cowboys tried to steal my bag, but I managed to hold on to it and almost pulled him off his bike! Win for me! We also went on a tour of the Co Chi tunnels just outside ... read more

So we have decided to head to Da Lat so are setting off tomorrow. I have loved Ho Chi Minh City. Lots to see and do (tourism) but that also means that you have to hold onto your bag tighter. Yestereday we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. Pretty clever, the underground system of tunnels that they dug out. I managed to climb in the tunnel entrance without getting stuck, much to my relief. Some guy thought i was trying to buy viagra today (god knows what they must think of the europeans) but to be fair i see many old 'western men' with a younger wife/gf. Im sure its all true love but you cant help but be a bit cynical.... read more

Leaving Saigon with my new bike I was a little nervous but mostly excited about what was to come. Making my way through the crazy traffic of bikes, cars, trucks and buses there seemed to be no rules other then size matters!! Surviving the day I was roughly 150kms out of Saigon with around 150kms left to Mui Ne when the sun started to go down at 5:30pm. Stopping for a coffee on the side of the road I asked the girl where a hotel was with my trusty piece of paper the receptionist in Saigon wrote out for me converting English to Vietnamese for questions like, how much is this? Where is the nearest ATM? Where is the nearest hotel? This piece of paper has been worth it's weight in gold. With it becoming dark ... read more

Everyone has large buckets here apparently.........fulll of alcohol. We are in Ho Chi Minh city and i love Vietnam already. Loads of the buildings seem to be small but tall (kinda like the building from batteries not included). Leanne narrowly missed getting her bag stolen. Guess it happens everywhere but those moped cowboys really are quite clever. I made my biggest purchased ever since beginning our travels, a pair of denim shorts. I have searched high and low for a pair that fit my (cough cough) curvy figure. Just a heads up for any ladies that may be reading this blog, everythings cheap but clothes are tiny. We are staying in a lovely little family run guest house in district 1. I always prefer staying in family run places as it feels a lot safer (and ... read more

Friday, 20th April 2012 After 6 days in Saigon and Vientiane, it was time for me to call it a day and head back to Singapore. My brand new work week would convene from 23rd April 2012. Effectively, I had only 2 days over the weekend to recuperate and prepare myself for the new challenges ahead. I'm thankful for this week-long holiday since it was considered "extravagant" at my previous job given the unreasonable demands at work. 13th May 2012 - I'm now 3 weeks into my new company where work life balance is celebrated rather than frowned upon. Happy that I made a correct decision to move on. Anyway, on my final day in Vientiane, I finished breakfast by 9am where I had enough time to hang around in my room before being transfered to ... read more