Of all the places I’ve visited in Southeast Asia, Hoi An, Vietnam is my favorite. Great swaths of hot pink bougainvillea blanket sunny yellow shop houses, which sit along dusty roads dotted with temples. The old town’s many coffee shops and chic boutiques hint at the bygone French colonial era. UNESCO has recognized the historic […]
Vietnam
Three Days in Saigon, Vietnam
I recently returned home from Saigon, Vietnam, and am excited by the changes I witnessed since my first visit in 2012. The city’s skyline has so many glitzy new additions as to be almost unrecognizable. The massive coils of electrical wires that once snaked overhead have been neatly buried, while pedestrian crosswalks (with lights!) have […]
A Luxurious Junk Boat Cruise of Halong Bay
Towards the end of our stay in Vietnam we took a 2 day/1 night cruise around the Bai Tu Long area of Halong Bay. While still part of the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, this north-eastern section is less visited by tourists and proved to be the enchanting hideaway that we’d hoped for. We cruised aboard the Indochina […]
The Breathtaking Beauty of Halong Bay, in Photos
Amazing, beautiful, gorgeous, incredible, magnificent, stunning – every superlative you can think of applies when describing the scenery of Halong Bay. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated along Vietnam’s northern coast, comprises an area of 1,553 square kilometers and is dotted with thousands of towering karst peaks. Rising majestically from the water, these limestone islets […]
The Best Meals We Ate in Hanoi
There is no shortage of places to eat in Hanoi. Outdoor cafes line the streets and restaurants are available in every price point. We had great luck with street food while in Ho Chi Minh City, but without in-the-know Hanoi locals to guide us, we felt more comfortable checking out the city’s restaurant scene. One […]