Vietnam

Things to do in Vietnam

  • Learning to drive like a local was an epic journey that I collected in my driving memoir, the Motorbike Diaries.
  • Finding local experiences amid all of the over touristed destinations is one of my favorite things about travel.  Hue was a great place to get a taste of Vietnam life.
  • The experience of riding a junk boat through Halong Bay has changed over the years, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the incredible scenery.
  • Teach!  I spent a year living and teaching ESL in Vietnam and it was a learning experience – for me AND for my students!!

Vietnam Food :

  • Ho Chi Minh City night market tour with Back of Bike Tours designed to get you introduced to the sometimes scary and confusing world of Vietnamese street food was great fun with my niece!
  • Yep.  I experienced the unique Vietnamese delicacy of hot vit lon. Translation = baby duck fetus.
  • Learning how to make Pho like a local was one of my goals before leaving Vietnam.

Vietnam Pictures:

After living in in Vietnam as an expat for a year, belonging to a photography club there – let’s just say that I have lots of Vietnam pictures!  Check out my Vietnam picture galleries here.

Vietnam Pictures

Read More About Vietnam Travel

Back to Destinations

Why You Should Travel to Vietnam in Rainy Season

July 5, 2016 51 Comments »

vietnam rainy season motorbike

It arrives in Vietnam with a vengeance; the rainy season. No rain for months and then it just starts; daily downpours that relieve you from the heat and make you run for cover. Most people hear the words “Vietnam rainy season” and immediately start looking at other vacation alternatives. But I say embrace the rainy […]

Panning for Photos In Vietnam

November 22, 2013 13 Comments »

I stood on the street corner early one morning in Saigon with my camera.  As the next wave of motorbike traffic sped by, I was ready – the camera viewfinder was up to my eye, and I was ready to get in sync with the traffic whizzing by me.  I’d catch a motorbike through my […]

Saigon Street Food

November 5, 2013 12 Comments »

Street food Saigon

There were three ‘rules’ to this Saigon street food tour: We recommend that you don’t drink too much water as it will fill you up too fast. You should pace yourself. Know that you don’t have to eat everything given to you. This is exactly what you want to hear when you take a food […]

The Incredible Edible Egg Embryo Hot Vit Lon

November 1, 2013 14 Comments »

hot vit lon vietnam

As I looked at the egg (hot vit lon) and I could vaguely hear people providing me encouragement and instructions, but in my mind I kept thinking – how do I get myself into these things? However I couldn’t take the blame for this situation – this was all Evie’s fault. Yes, I’m throwing my […]

How to be a Good First Time Traveler

October 24, 2013 18 Comments »

Cao Daii Saigon

If you want to know how to be a great first time international traveler – just ask my 17 year old niece Evie. She surprised me on so many different levels on our trip that she left me bursting with pride and reminded me of how important it is to see the world with fresh […]

Saigon Unseen

October 22, 2013 17 Comments »

Many travelers talk about wanting have more local experiences – but how far will you go to get access to those experiences? One of the main things locals do in Saigon is ride motorbikes – so would you get on the back of one to ride around like the locals do? Most people think that […]

Focusing on Ben Thanh Market

September 20, 2013 12 Comments »

lytro photos

How do you get people to stop bugging you to buy things in the busiest tourist spot in Saigon? You baffle them with technology. Ben Thanh Market is notoriously claustrophobic and aggressive. In fact – I have no idea why anyone would want to go there to shop. Yet somehow I found myself there walking […]

Hunting for Photos in Hoi An

September 19, 2013 16 Comments »

“May I take your picture?” I asked while I also mimed the action with my camera around my neck so that I could make sure I was understood. The baby duckling vendor who a few moments ago was smiling and laughing with her friends looked at me and said with a stone face “Yes – […]

Taking the High Road Hai Van Pass

September 17, 2013 11 Comments »

In today’s travel world where most people rush around trying to get from place to place, I love any opportunity to take the slow path. After all – the fun is in the journey for me – not necessarily the place. So when our Intrepid Vietnam Travel Itinerary called for overland transportation from Hue to […]

Local Experiences Along the Tourist Trail in Hue

September 12, 2013 11 Comments »

Citadel Hue Vietnam

There is a well worn tourist trail in Vietnam, and yes, the Vietnamese can be quite aggressive when it come to tourism and selling you things, but once you step out of those tourist districts – you can find a very different experience. Sure – you will still stick out and probably still pay higher […]