Blogs from Vietnam, Asia - page 5

Our flight from Da Nang to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) was quick and uneventful, and we soon arrived at our hotel for the next two nights, the Avanti, set on one of the main streets of Saigon, with the busy Ben Thanh market just across the road. On the front door of the hotel was a notice banning Durian in the building. Durian is the world’s smelliest fruit, and is very popular in South East Asia. I can concur that it is indeed a very unpleasantly smelling fruit, and having sampled a Durian sweet (candy) will not be doing so again! It’s also very obvious when one is nearby, and I seriously can’t understand the appeal. I read that it tastes like ice cream and is sweet, while others say it’s more like eating cheese. I ... read more

Well, now the rain has stopped and the water levels have dropped we are able to get to the family we are supporting with our trip. The volunteering part of the trip is important for Way To Travel, and of course for those on the trip! A percentage of our trip costs are put into the pot to pay for the supplies and local labourers. We provide the unskilled labour for as long as we are in the area. Unfortunately, because of the problems getting to Hue with the floods we’ll only have two days working rather than three, but as me ol’ ma would have said, it’s better than a slap in the belly with a wet kipper. The family we’re supporting have been chosen through what sounds like quite a complex procedure, involving village ... read more

Today was all about the weather. We woke to another hot and humid Hanoi morning. The plan was to drive to Ha Long Bay, about 3 hours away, spend the afternoon and night cruising around the bay and doing some kayaking, swimming and cocktail drinking – my idea of heaven! The only thing that would have improved it would be to throw in a geocache or two. Sadly as we got close to Ha Long the heavens had other ideas and opened up, throwing very heavy, yet surprisingly warm, rain down on the coach. We stopped for a quick leg-stretch and comfort break at a pearl outlet, and after a quick pee Susan and I went into the retail part of building. Susan had given me strict instructions before we travelled not to let her buy ... read more

I’ve arrived! First impressions? Heat and noise! But more about that in a bit... The first flight (LHR -> Singapore) was long – a little over 12 hours, but my seat was comfy, the food was good, the wine and my Singapore Sling were tasty, and I was very well looked after by Lou-Lou and her colleagues. It was my first experience with Singapore airlines, and it was excellent. I had a 3-hour layover in Singapore before my second flight, a mere 3 ¼ hours from Changi airport to Hanoi. Changi airport in Singapore is very clean and contemporary, with lots of shops and stuff to entertain one during the wait – a crystal garden, a fishpond covered in glass that you can walk on, a virtual waterfall... travel between T3 where we landed and T2 ... read more

9 May 2023 - I travelled on a day trip to Can Tho City to visit Vinh (13 years old) and his brother Bao (5 years old). I have been sponsoring them and teaching Vinh English since October 2021 after their father died of Covid-19. My friends donated them some money at that time and before this trip my cousin in Hanoi called her friends for donations. We received some cash, English books, toys and clothes which were second hand but still of good quality. I flew to Can Tho City on Vietjet Air in the morning and took the latest flight before midnight on Bamboo Airways to go back to Hanoi, so I had a half day with their family. When my plane was going to land, I saw an amazing view of the Mekong ... read more

Heute morgens entscheide ich mich, nicht länger hier zu bleiben, sondern nach Laos zu fahren. Zum einen wirkt es hier so, als würde ich hier kaum westliche Touristen finden können, mit denen ich mich anfreunden könnte - und ein bisschen vermisse ich es allmählich schon, mit Leuten zu sprechen die eine Sprache, die ich vernünftig sprechen kann, auch vernünftig können. Vermutlich würde ich den Tag hier also eh nicht so richtig genießen. Zum anderen macht mich der Grenzübertritt nach Laos etwas nervös, da ich hierzu bisher widersprüchliche Informationen bekommen habe. Also packe ich meine Sachen aufs Motorrad und mach mich auf. Der Anfang der Strecke führt durch dir wunderschöne Reisterrassen, zwischenzeitlich wird die Strecke etwas langweiliger, je näher ich aber zur Grenze komme, desto weniger ist los und schöner wird wieder die Landschaft. Ca. 80km vor ... read more