You don’t have skydive out of a plane to be a daredevil. You don’t have to eat strange bugs or worms to be an adventurist. You don’t have to act all crazy and shout Whoo-Haa! like a Geronimo madman, to invite a little devilish thrill into your life. Sometimes, adventure and danger can fit into the simplest and most ordinary things; and if you’re a solo traveler, occasionally it’s the simplest things that can feel the most dangerous!
“Just how crazy is motorcycle culture in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)? It’s insane! In HCMC the two-wheeled chariot populates roughly 90% of the roadway (highways included). Thus, the Vietnamese are as comfortable on their motorbikes, the way L.A. drivers are in their sunglasses and cars! People hang out on their motorbikes, leisurely checking their cellphones, eating or reading their morning newspaper; lounge on them like sofa chairs and practice the art of balance by sleeping on them as nomadic beds. In addition, going to the park at night is (more…)
What more can you ask for? Trekking pristine mountains, streams and rivers, panoramic vistas, meeting hill tribe families and staying overnight in a village!(Northern Vietnam)
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After my Sapa trek, I decided to book another tour with Sinh Tourist– a day trip to Halong Bay. Price tag? $19. Vietnam may not have the friendliest service-oriented people, but they sure have the most affable budget tours!
Ass time.
The one drag about Vietnam are the long bus commute to major cities and attractions. You can get to feeling like you’re spending most of your vacation, sightseeing Vietnam from a sitting position. Nevertheless, as Halong Bay is a reknowned UNESCO World Heritage site, I wanted to see if it lived up to its hype! (more…)
While on my Sapa trek, I wanted to take a pee break before we entered the gulf of the valley and into bush squatting territory. Our guide Kuh, led us to this local roadside rest stop to relieve ourselves. There was a low-cost entry fee to use this bathroom- just 1,000 VDN inserted into the plastic tip jar on the side of the door. Totally worth it! I thought. I’ve used public restrooms which charged for usage before… (more…)
Photos & videos of My trek to Cat Cat Village & Sapa Market. I bet I’ll make your jaw drop…
Full Story »My train reached Lao Cai at 6A. A bunch of people from different trekking groups, boarded my mini-van bus and we spent an hour getting to Sapa. The road was winding and the driving was a bit rough. At one point, one of the passengers was sick and need to get off the bus to take a rest. ..
Full Story »My flight was only 20 minutes late, but the $8 Vietnam Airlines airport shuttle took over an hour. Here, reputable businesses are often replicated by scam businesses scouring ways to scoop clients by holding plagiarized signs. It was hard to trust I was boarding the correct shuttle van at the airport. Anyways, once in the Old Quarter in Hanoi, I’d board my trekking tour for Sapa! Night train to Sapa…oh, yeah! I was very excited.
Full Story »Found this in the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam at a rice paper factory.
Did I have to use this? Thank God, no and fortunately, the western toilet with bedee has been introduced to Vietnam. But this is what was once used in the community. You wonder why the biodiversity in the Mekong River is so rich and why the fish there are said to grow big…
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