After a snowy February 2015 we decided that we needed to get away somewhere warmer for a chunk of February 2016. We eventually settled on a trip back to southeast Asia, this time to Vietnam. Our...
Blog posts from Vietnam 2016
Vietnam 2016: hotel in Hoi An
Originally we planned to stay at the Goda Boutique Hotel, halfway between town and the beach. However, as we were packing for our trip we noticed the weather looked like it was going to be cloudy...
Vietnam 2016: custom clothing in Hoi An
Eric and I knew we wanted to get a few items of clothing made while staying in Hoi An, but the sheer number of available tailors was overwhelming. Given our three full days in town, it made sense to...
Vietnam 2016: My Grandma’s Home Cooking
I walked over to the meetup spot by 7:45am (!) to gather at the office along with three British women who were also taking the Market Tour portion of the class. After introducing ourselves, we took...
Vietnam 2016: food in Hoi An
Thursday Walking around town our first day, Leandra was ready for a snack and steered us toward Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen. Just up the street from a row of tailor shops we found the small cart...
Vietnam 2016: exploring Hoi An
Hoi An's Old Town is a UNESCO heritage site, and really quite beautiful and pleasant to walk around. It is clearly a tourist area, but in this case it doesn't diminish the charm as much as I might...
Vietnam 2016: scenic views between Hoi An and Phu Loc
We had a nice driver from Hue Private Cars, he drove quite slow and carefully, and was open to stopping for photos. Our first stop was My Khe Beach (aka China Beach), quite close to downtown Da Nang...
Vietnam 2016: overwater villa at the Vedana Lagoon Resort
Between Hoi An and Hue we spent two nights at the Vedana Lagoon Resort. Quiet and peaceful, it was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of the towns. Upon arrival our bags were whisked away and...
Vietnam 2016: living cheap in Hue
The Vedana Resort graciously allowed us to take their free shuttle into Hue, which was appreciated, but for some reason we stopped at a different hotel. It seemed like our driver wanted us to drop...
Vietnam 2016: Bai Tu Long Bay with Indochina Junk
Ha Long Bay is one of the most famous sights in Vietnam and there are hundreds of trip options available out of Hanoi - daytrips, overnights, large boats, small boats, routings, etc. Given our...
Vietnam 2016: Hanoi hotels
For the second half of our Vietnam trip we were in Hanoi twice, first for a single night, then for two nights. We carefully chose places based on quietness and breakfast options; unfortunately for...
Vietnam 2016: sights with Hanoi Kids
The last three days of our trip were spent in bustling Hanoi, so we had time to see quite a few sights. While researching the trip I came across Hanoi Kids, a college club that pairs students...
Vietnam 2016: shopping in Hanoi
Hanoi is a bustling city, and things are for sale wherever you look. Friday night our path from dinner to the hotel took us right past the Night Market. The crowds were fairly sizable, but not as...
Vietnam 2016: tasting Hanoi
After the snafu with our hotel, I was ready to get out and about and try some local beers (that potentially weren't yellow). Thankfully, I had read up on a place that had a variety of brews...
Our Itinerary
2024 Trips
San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Valencia, Spain (Mar)
Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Bari, Italy (Sept)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)
2023 Trips
San Diego (Jan)
Orlando (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Apr)
Northern Italy (Apr)
NC Mountains (May)
Long Island (Jul)
Wisconsin (Aug)
Chicago (Aug)
Oak Island, NC (Sept)
Brooklyn, NY (Sept)
Bordeaux + Rugby World Cup (Sep)
Castilla y León (Sep)
Seychelles (Nov)
Willamette Valley (Dec)
2022 Trips
Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)