Paradise on Earth at Ha Long Bay

One of the only things Esther and I had booked prior to arriving in Vietnam was our boat trip to Ha Long Bay. We knew we wanted to experience this UNESCO World Heritage site and we had read plenty of reviews online which pointed towards the fact that the quality of tours was mixed to say the least. So, we continued to research and read recommendations about tour companies, boats, tour duration, cost and so on.

The view from the top deck

In the end we actually booked via our hotel in Hanoi. We stayed at the Especen Hotel and they advertised a couple of tours with Galaxy Cruises on their website. I was apprehensive about booking through the hotel initially; everything in my gut told me that this relatively budget hotel would be trying to rip us off and we would end up on some dodgy boat having a slightly awful time in one of the most beautiful places in the world. However, Tripadvisor reviews were positive so we booked a two day, one night tour for $159 each which was a lot of money considering how cheap everything else in Vietnam was! I mean, we were staying in a hotel which would be maybe 3 star in the UK for $8 each per night..

Day one: Hanoi, my first taste of Vietnam

After a 12 hour flight where I had managed only an hour or two’s sleep, we walked down the stairs from the plane and whoosh; the humidity hit. I knew what to expect. I had done my research. I had tracked the weather in Hanoi for weeks prior to the trip and I thought I knew what 29°C and circa 80% humidity at 8am would feel like. I did not! It was kind of like stepping into a bathroom when the person before you has just had a hot shower, but maybe three times as warm! It was quite overwhelming, but a fitting introduction to the climatic conditions that Esther and I would be battling for the majority of our trip.

After minimal sleep and maximum visa scrutiny and luggage wait time, we walked out of the airport to find the bus which would take us into the heart of the old town. This was not straightforward. My Lonely Planet guide advised that for $3 we could get the Vietnam Airlines minibus to take us to their offices in the old town, which would be perfect as it was only a short walk from our hotel. After much gesticulating with a lovely lady at the information desk who did not speak English I managed to locate the correct bus stop. Although the bus driver did not. We waited over an hour for a bus which was supposed to run every 30 minutes before we gave up to source alternative transport. Along with another 3 tired travellers we sourced a minibus from another bus-stop and paid $5 to drop us at each of our hotels, which was a god-send.

Snap back to reality

“Oh there goes gravity…”

Wait, this blog post is detouring already (like my thoughts which are now streams of Eminem lyrics)! But, I am back after two wonderful weeks in Vietnam; country number 17 in my quest to visit 30 before I’m 30. I actually landed 6 days ago, but since then I’ve been recovering from the travel and sadly smashed straight back into work. So much so that it doesn’t feel like just a week ago I was in Saigon enjoying my last evening in Vietnam!

It’s frustrating how quickly “real life” can erode the feelings of relaxation, contentment and peace which come from two weeks of travelling. The usual work stresses return, the climate you are in changes back, and you realise your time is no longer 100% your own.

The good news is, that you get to relive that holiday, once you get past the mountain of washing! You get to wax lyrical about the scenery, the food, the people. You get to share photos and anecdotes. You get to give people a small taste of your journey by sharing the gifts you purchased.

Holidays become nostalgia all too quickly in the fast-paced world we live in. But they are totally worth it.

My mission this weekend (along with catching up on real life admin) is to curate the photos from my camera, and to write the first installment describing my journey through Vietnam. In the meantime, here’s a couple of pictures from my phone to tide you over and summarise my trip. Enjoy!

Where does the time go?

This time tomorrow I will be departing from London Heathrow on a plane headed for Vietnam. And boy am I excited! I booked the flights just over 3 months ago and now the two week trip down the country is almost upon me.

I’ve been pretty quiet on my preparations so far as work has been crazy; I’ve literally been doing the job of 3 people whilst we still recruit the two junior members of my team. Hence, I’ve not been able to document all of my pre-trip shopping; the minor hassle of deciding which bag to buy, how many layers do I need, coat or no coat, ugly walking sandles, booking some accommodation.

But, who cares? The holiday is almost here and I cannot wait. After an 11 hour flight tomorrow it will be “Good morning Vietnam!”. And I promise I’ll return to my blogging ways once I debrief on this trip!

Tough travel decisions

No matter how long you are travelling for there is never enough time to do it all. We all live our lives that are made up of a finite number of years, weeks, days, hours, minutes. In my opinion this is never more apparent that when planning a holiday where you plan to travel.

I’ve got just two weeks in Vietnam at the end of May. Two weeks. Nowhere near enough time and I knew that when I booked. But, I don’t have the luxury of taking more time off work to experience a longer trip. So two weeks is the limit. And it really is a restraint! There’s so many places I want to go that I know we don’t have time for, so many things I’ll miss out on during this visit: Sapa, Phong Nha-Ke Bang, Ca May, Mui Ne…

Let’s learn something new: Vietnamese street food

A few weeks ago I booked flights to Vietnam, which will become the 17th country I have visited and I’ll be well on my way to meeting my 30 countries before 30 target. I am so excited! My first time in Asia, my first real backpacking journey and so many things to experience! 

One of the things I am looking forward to the most is the food. Every single thing I read, every person I talk to that has been to Vietnam enthuses about the food. I can’t wait to eat pho every morning, banh mi from the street corners for lunch and whatever else I can find for dinner.

As part of my trip I want to participate in at least one traditional Vietnamese cooking course. Apparently Hoi An is a really good place to do this so I need to scope out a good half day course. Some minor preparation came this evening in Hanoi-esque humid Bristol (ha! Well it was raining and there was crazy traffic!) where I attended Little Kitchen‘s Vietnamese Street food cookery class.

Keeping my eyes on the prize

The past couple of weeks have been very tumultuous for me.

Last Monday the company I work for announced a restructure. This meant that two entire departments were made redundant as our roles did not exist any more. Wow, that was a shocker I can tell you! We were informed that we could apply for the new roles within the new structure. We had 4 days to apply, would be interviewed in the week just gone and then find out if we had one of the new positions or were officially redundant yesterday. The restructure was not a surprise, but the redundancy was.

My poor parents worried significantly more than I did. I was excited. There were at least a couple of positions I wanted to apply for; one which was a similar level to my redundant role and a new more senior opportunity that would be a great development. It was all about interviewing well and selling yourself. My interviews were short. I hoped it was because I was succinct, not because I had failed to showcase my skills or passion.

“If you believe in yourself, anything’s possible”