It’s no secret. Everybody knows that I am one of those people who will never return to Vietnam. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go. Just know that Vietnam is one of those countries which people either really love, or really hate — there is no in between.
The country is beautiful. The scenery is breathtaking. The food is delicious. The history, culture and architecture are all impressive. Motorcycling the Ho Chi Minh Trail is fun as shit. But the people…. well, let’s just put it this way: Vietnam will never be described as a “friendly” country.
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Vietnam is slowly but surely emerging as the preferred Southeast Asian destination for backpackers all over the globe. And why not? With so much to offer in terms of exotic street food, long pristine beaches with clear waters, ethnic people and lifestyles, ancient cities and monuments with rich history, breathtaking trekking locations, gorgeous landscapes and … Read more
We had a day in Hanoi before departing for Halong Bay, a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. Ha Long Bay is a center of a larger zone which includes Bái Tử Long bay to the northeast, and Cát Bà islands to … Read more
2014 has been a fun-filled and food-filled year but not one without it’s share of trials and tribulations (case in point getting locked up abroad for 16 days and eventually deported because of a tweet). But through it all I’ve kept on the hunt for more tasty foods to try, whether strange or taboo or … Read more
Tucked away in Quảng Bình province far removed from most tourists lies the Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, home to over 300 caves including the largest one in the world, Sơn Đoòng Cave. Back in 2003 the park earned itself a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List and tourism has been slowly increasing ever … Read more
When Thiên Đường “Paradise” Cave was discovered in 2005 within Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park it took the title of longest cave in Vietnam away from the name star of the park, Phong Nha Cave. At 31km in length Paradise Cave is more than four times longer than it’s nearby sister and has much more … Read more
Many people love Vietnam. Many others, particularly long-term travelers, don’t care for it and feel that one trip was more than enough. After all no matter how much or how little you travel, there is always that one place you like the least. Some countries just rub you the wrong way, for whatever arcane reason. … Read more
I am not someone who is on a quest to visit every country in the world, ticking them off a travel ‘to do’ list. I’m someone who is on a quest to explore as much of the world as I can, learn about and appreciate diverse cultures and meet and interact with different people. But … Read more
This magnificent piece of machinery is what has allowed me to travel the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It is also the main reason why I haven’t written much recently — kind of hard to open up a laptop when bouncing around on two wheels. However after realizing that this week’s FriFotos theme is technology I … Read more
New foods and traveling go hand in hand with each other. While meat lovers and vegans will never both agree on which foreign foods are delicious, everyone loves fruit. Plus it just so happens that the fruit you grew up eating are boring compared to the amazing, weird, exotic and delicious fruit in Asia that … Read more
After five years of on-and-off, back-and-forth travel in southeast Asia I have finally arrived in Vietnam, the Land of the Blue Dragon (whatever that means). Oh wait, turns out that’s a book and not based on a myth. How unexciting… Anyway, where was I… My plane landed in Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport just before 3am … Read more
Twelve hours ago I arrived in Hanoi for the start of my three months in Vietnam looking for a change of pace from life in Indonesia. Rather than travel the traditional south-north route — or vice versa — I will be using Hanoi as my home base for tons of short trips around the country. … Read more
Just as 2013 went far from expected, so too is the start of my 2014. After six weeks in Jakarta trying to focus on work but instead spending most of my time hanging out with friends or making new ones, I’ve decided to cut short my stay in Indonesia…for now. Why? I’m not making much … Read more
