Vietnam. Wow.

There is something to be said for ending with a "bang" and Vietnam was certainly quite the close out of the trip. I did not have a lot of knowledge about Vietnam and was not sure what to expect, but everything I had heard from people who had been there had said it was amazing. Luckily I have some friends to thank for having a bit of insight on the country, my friend Emily (again) was able to offer some suggestions and also our dear friend Frankie who had visited Vietnam some years ago. They both put up with my endless questions and musings on what to do in the short time we had, and I am so thankful for their insider information. Both parties said the Ha Long Bay/Bai Tu Long Bay region was a MUST, which is a UNESCO world heritage site that is a top destination in Vietnam. Frankie also mentioned the Tam Coc/Ninh Binh region, which is an area with lush green rice paddies, towering limestone rock formations and a river running through it all. It seemed in the time we had we could visit both those sites, and have a couple days in Hanoi to relax and prepare for the journey home.

Bai Tu Long Bay at sunset

Tam Coc region

Ha Long Bay, meaning "Bay of the Descending Dragon", is an amazing region comprised of nearly two thousand small islands (1,969 at last count) scattered in the ocean. This area is probably the most visited place in Vietnam, with millions coming each year to take in the beauty with a boat trip around the bay. Frankie had the insider scoop telling us that Bai Tu Long Bay is a better option, being a bit further north then Ha Long Bay it is far less touristy and you are able to enjoy the area without thousands of boats/kayakers surrounding you. Emily had also done a lot of research on boat trips in the area (she is traveling to Vietnam in a few months) and found a company called Indochine Junk that has overnight trips into Bai Tu Long Bay on traditional Vietnamese Junk Boats. We decided to book an overnight trip on their boat the Dragon Pearl and I am so glad we did. The package includes pick up in Hanoi and transfer to Ha Long Bay Harbor in a "luxury van" which ended up having a party bus from the 70's/80's vibe which was pretty funny. 

Our super stylish luxury van

When we got onboard we were greeted by our guide, a nice Vietnamese man with the nickname "Handsome Duc" (he felt his name was too difficult to pronounce). Duc worked freelance jobs for different boats in the bay and was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. One of the highlights of this trip for me was hearing Duc talk about local life, his experiences growing up, his knowledge about the history of the rock formations and his dreams of buying a farm and using permaculture to grow organic produce (he had recently learned about permaculture and organic farming and was so excited about it, which was really cool).  They took us to a private island where there were kayaks and a cave to explore, and Duc guided us all around sharing his knowledge and passion for the area. He told us all about the families living out in the bay, often all together on a single small boat. He had lived with one of these families for a period of time and it was fascinating to hear about this way of life. He told us most the kids get born on the boat and never leave, many don't know their birthdays, and they just live off the land. He said these people have very little, but they are happy as their life is simple and they have what they need. No internet or TV to show them any different. Hard to even imagine a life like that.

Traditional Junk Boat

Exploring around the area - luckily our HMB roots gave us excellent kayaking skills

View from the island

After the kayaking/cave excursion the boat took us to a sheltered cove surrounded by all the island formations where we enjoyed dinner on the deck. After dinner Jess and I just lounged on the top deck and just took in the surroundings, it was pretty magical. Apparently in 2020 the government is going to ban the boats spending the night in the bay so we felt incredibly lucky to be able to experience such a special evening. Duc told us they are building hotels and a shopping center so once that is completed boats will only be allowed to do day trips. It was a clear picture into what tourism can do to change an area, and I can only imagine what those hotels will do to the character of the Ha Long Bay region. I am glad we got to be there before that happened. It is an incredibly beautiful place and being on the boat overnight was a great way to see the area.

After our boat trip we headed down to the Tam Coc region for a couple nights to explore, which translated means three caves. This place is often described as being the Ha Long Bay of the land as it shares the same dramatic landscape of towering rock formations, surrounded by striking green rice paddies instead of water. We stayed at this adorable place called the Tam Coc Garden which was tucked away a few minutes from the town, it was French owned and had beautiful grounds with a pool and restaurant that used produce from their own garden. The staff was incredibly sweet and treated everyone like guests in their home, we really felt the locals in Vietnam were genuine and kind. The hotel had bikes available to use and we spent a lot of time riding around the area exploring and just being in awe of the beautiful landscape.

Tam Coc Garden Inn

Driveway to the hotel

Biking around the region

A big draw of the area is the Ngo Dong River and there are many places you can stop and hire a boat to take you on the water to enjoy the scenery. For $5-$8 you hire a boat with a driver for a two hour cruise, and most of them paddle the oars with their feet which was pretty strange and also quite amusing. Along the river there are various caves you travel through in the boat which was really cool, one cave called the laying Buddha cave was so deep and dark they give you flash lights to be able to see in the cave and check out all the bats living on the ceiling. We decided it was one of the coolest experience of the trip, being in this deep cave you have the sense of being inside the earth for a moment. Incredible. After we floated down the river we headed to the Mua viewpoint which is a 450 stair climb up to an incredible view point overlooking the river. The climb was so worth it, and it was fun to be looking down on the river we had just floated on. Sitting up on that cliff and taking in the view will definitely be a moment on the trip I will remember distinctly.

Paddling with his feet! This was the norm...

One of the caves

Bat hunting

Exiting the caves was always fun

Beginning of the stairs to the viewpoint

Worth the climb

We returned to Hanoi for the last few days of the trip and decided to treat ourselves with a fancy hotel and spa day to prepare for the homecoming. We both felt a bit grubby after all the travel, it can certainly take a toll on your body! The spa experience was INCREDIBLE. Asia is known for having cheap massages and treatments, and I have always been a fan of the Thai massage, but I have never really booked treatments at a proper spa before. I opted for their coconut package, and for less then $40 the treatment included a steam bath, 75 minute massage with coconut oil, a coconut body scrub and a facial with coconut mask at the end. At home you can't even get one of those treatments for that price, and on top of being cheap it was also amazing! The therapists were great, all the treatments were some of the best I have had and we came out of there feeling completely rejuvenated. We closed out the trip with some amazing street food including Bahn Mi, Pho and this other Vietnamese staple called Bun Cha which is a meal involving BBQ Pork, a broth, noodles and spring rolls that you mix together in whatever way you want and share among the table. 

I would highly recommend Vietnam to anyone looking to travel in the region, and would go back in a heartbeat. There is so much more to see and I felt I could easily spend a few weeks there traveling up the coast and enjoying the landscape and food along the way.

Little Luang Probang

One of the many temples in Luang Probang

When this trip started evolving into a tour of SE Asia, my dear friend Emily from UCLA (who has offered a WEALTH of advice for me on this trip - thanks Em!) mentioned a small town in Laos that she loved called Luang Probang (which translates to Royal Buddha Image). Being the well traveled rock star she is I knew it was worth looking into, so we decided to add it to our itinerary. Luang Probang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was listed in 1995 for unique and "remarkably" well preserved architectural, religious and cultural heritage, including the French colonial influences during the 19th and 20th centuries. There are basically 4 main roads and the city is nestled between the Mekong River and the Nam Khan River, and the area is filled with numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries that add to its character. We weren't really sure what to expect from Laos, it was kind of a wild card of the trip. I will admit it took us the first couple days to succumb to its charm, but overall I did enjoy this quaint little town with a French influence.

Monks walking the streets is a common site in the area

The town reminds me more of France/Europe then Asia

Taking in the mighty Mekong

Sunset over the Mekong

The fact that the temperature was over 100* from the moment we arrived did not help gain points, while it had been hot in Thailand this was a heat that was unbearable. It certainly made exploring the area during the middle of the day near impossible, so we had to focus our energy on morning excursions and evening outings. We were also surprised at the prices there, for some reason I had assumed Laos would be super cheap but it turns out this town has a cosmopolitan vibe to it and ended up being pricier then many of the places we had previously been. For example, we had been paying an average of $4-6 per day for motor bike rentals in Indonesia and Thailand and in Luang Probang it cost us $12 per day. We also felt overall the local people here were not quite as friendly or helpful as some of the other places we had been, and often I had the feeling of being taken advantage of which is never fun. Unfortunately the people working at our hotel were not super friendly as well, and that definitely left a bit of a bad taste in our mouths. Once we accepted this was more of a city atmosphere with higher prices it was easier to enjoy our time there.

Tuk-tuks here were quite festive

The morning market was filled with herbs and vegetables that would be served at the evening meal

Most of the area is flat so bicycles are a very common mode of transportation and once we obtained bikes it changed the game for us. We were able to get around easier, and at least as we were peddling we were rewarded with a bit of a breeze. The architecture is a blend of beautiful temples, developing country segments and quaint French style buildings that make it a hard place to describe as far as the feel of it. We loved the abundance of cute cafes and restaurants and enjoyed some great meals here, Jess said the Laotian food was some of her favorite of the trip. One cafe had hammocks to relax in all day, another had a book exchange program and one had a gallery upstairs. There were a lot of French speaking expats running businesses here so that was a bit of a surprise and made it different from all the other countries we had been in Asia so far. The food focuses on a lot of herbs and fresh vegetables, mixed with French dishes ever present on all the menus.

We loved this cafe, called Bouang, where the menu was on a big tin plate

Inside Bouang

The Silk Road Cafe was adorable and we enjoyed hanging in the hammocks one lazy afternoon

Our main highlights in Laos include: Motorbiking out to Kuang Si Falls and the Bear Sanctuary, climbing to the viewpoint Mount Phou Si (490 feet up above the city) to watch the sunset and release a pair of birds to freedom, watching the morning monk alms procession and strolling through the evening market (and doing some shopping, of course). The falls really stick out as the main highlight, the area was absolutely stunning and we spent the day swimming and hiking around the area enjoying the crystal blue waters created by calcium carbonate from the rocks of the area. We were able to hike up to the top of the falls and even found a swing up in the jungley area where the source of the falls is located. Seeing the bears in the sanctuary was a fun addition to the outing, apparently they get trapped and their bile gets poached for Asian medicine so the sanctuary is a way of protecting them. The bird release was really cool too, basically they have these little caged birds you can make an offering for and then release them for good luck. Sad they have to be caged in the first place, but at least we can free them. The alms procession happens every morning at sunrise and the community gathers along the sidewalks and makes offerings of food to the monks of the city, observing that was quite special as it is something rare you really would not get to witness many other places. The night market was the best we had been to and the layout made it welcoming and laid back, it is clear the people of Laos have some serious artistic talents and they have beautiful hand crafted items to sell for incredibly cheap compared to home.

One of the adorable rescue bears at the sanctuary - they were quite playful

The falls were gorgeous and the water was the most stunning blue color

Taking it in...

Coldest water we encountered on our trip but perfect for the 100* heat!

Stairs to the top of the falls

The top of the falls

Looking down from the source

Perhaps one of the funnier moments of the trip when this old dude decided I needed a push - Jess and I could barely contain ourselves

Steps to the Mount Phou Si

Contemplating our happy intentions to send with our bird release

Happy to let these birds fly free

Two less caged birds in the world

Sunset from Mount Phou Si

Monk Alms procession

Night market by the temple

By the time we left Luang Probang I think Jessie and I both appreciated it for all it had to offer, but still felt we had a hard time grasping the full depth of the area. It was quaint and had a lot of character, but also felt a bit less welcoming to us overall. I would be curious to spend some more time here to see if I felt a better integration into the area and its people as I felt five days was not really long enough to form a solid opinion of this place. It was certainly different in many ways from most the places we have been on this trip which makes it a bit more mysterious. Also, I truly believe the people in an area shape the feel of it, and depending on your interactions your experience may be completely different from another persons. Despite encountering some less then friendly locals here (compared to the other places we had been) we still enjoyed our time in this strange and unique place. I am glad I was able to go as it definitely felt like a road less travelled among tourists.

Tuk-tuk to the airport

Laos airlines even gives monks first priority for boarding :)

Off to Vietnam we go!