Viet Nam was never on my list of countries to visit on this trip to SE Asia. I have other travelers to thank for strongly influencing me to go there, particularly Lauren and Natalie who invited me to travel with them there. I stayed for the entirety of my 30-day VISA and feel like I really got to know the country as well as one can in only a month. I don’t know if it was because I was there longer than the other countries I went to in SEA, or if it was the culture, the food, the people, the nature, the history… or most likely a combination of all those things… but Vietnam was definitely my favorite SE Asian country that I visited. Followed closely (very closely) by Indonesia. (If I had spent more than two weeks in Indonesia, it’s very possible that it would have been my favorite.)
Tag Central Vietnam
Easy Ridin’ in Viet Nam’s Central Highlands
I just finished five days of motorbiking around the Central Highlands with an Easy Rider tour (meaning I was riding pillion, not driving). They were five exhilarating, educational, and exhausting days. We started between 7-8:30am every day and rode anywhere from 165-240 kilometers a day. The days were full of stops to explore the region and its people. The nights were lazy and entailed big dinners, lots of rain, and going to bed early due to boredom and/or exhaustion. Some days were better than others. Some stops were more interesting than others. Sometimes we got rained on. Sometimes my butt hurt a lot and my legs went numb. But the overall experience was really rewarding and I’m glad I did it. I got to see parts of VietNam that most people never see. “Real VietNam” my driver called it. And it’s true… it was an authentic experience. Nothing I saw or did on the tour seemed set up or imitation. So, read on to get a slice of my real VietNam experience.
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Da Nang: A Day at the Beach
After doing the motorcycle day trip in Da Lat, I knew that I wanted to see more of Viet Nam from the seat of a bike. Touring Viet Nam by motorcycle is a “thing.” Lots of people (mostly guys) come here, buy a cheap bike from another traveler who has just finished his trip, and head on up (or down) the country on two wheels with their packs tightly strapped on the back or in saddle bags. One day, I will learn how to ride a motorcycle and do this trip myself. But for now, if I wanted to see the country by bike, I needed to hire a driver. Fortunately, this is easy to do, as there are dozens of companies (Easy Rider is the most well-known) that organize just this type of thing.
Hoi An Stole My Heart
Where do I begin with Hoi An? It is a city that makes your soul feel good. Historically a port town, the city’s architecture is a beautiful mix of French colonial buildings, Chinese temples, and an ancient Japanese covered bridge and pagodas. Then there are the Chinese lanterns that are illuminated each night and cast a romantic spell over the old town. I can’t imagine anyone strolling through the city at night, with the myriad of riverfront restaurants and cafes, street artists, floating candles, and bicycle rickshaws carting tourists up and down the street, and not falling at least a little bit in love with the place. Even when it is jam-packed with tourists, as I’m sure it always is. Vietnamese and foreign tourists alike seem to flock to Hoi An. It is like a precious gem set in the center of the country.
The World Is My Boyfriend 