Peaceful Homestay Mai Chau We thought things were idyllic in Tam Coc, but arriving to Mai Chau four hours northwest, took things to a whole other level. Mai Chau might just be as bucolic as it can possibly get…a rolling blanket of emerald rice paddies sprinkled with walking/bike paths, chickens clucking, (or doing other obnoxious chicken things), stilted wooden homes…
We had a lot of possibilities for our last few weeks in north Vietnam, but to be honest, things had been a bit challenging since Mandy’s stomach issues for both of us. Greg also had a head cold, and overall, we were just feeling a bit burnt out. This was further compounded by a four day mistake because we made…
Our Apartment Accommodation(s) Yes, we finally had real apartments and oh, did we need this downtime more than we thought. It only took one night in our super quiet(!) and cozy apartment to know we were gonna like Hanoi. Our first of two apartments $26/night on Booking was on the south end of Tây Ho, or West Lake and we were…
Arriving to Da Lat From Cat Tien National Park, we boarded another local bus north four hours to the cooler mountain town of Da’Lat for a week. Da Lat is most famous for its wide variety of flowers, vegetables and fruit harvested from its surrounding farmlands. During the war, this town also became a resort destination far from the bombing…
We never expected to spend eight weeks in Phnom Penh, or for that matter, ten weeks in Cambodia, but COVID-19 gave us an opportunity. If we had to be “stuck” in a SE Asian country, we think we landed in a good spot, especially based on the more Draconian measures set forth in neighboring Thailand and Vietnam. The Cambodian government,…
One week in Bangkok. Although you might have already started humming Murray Head lyrics and are picturing us dodging lady boys in Patpong Distict, gallivanting gorgeous wats and meandering along floating markets, this wasn’t the Bangkok we experienced. We actually did many of those things last time we came so this time, we plopped ourselves in one neighborhood, vowing to…
Departing the island of Langkawi by ferry in Malaysia we set off for the only country we’d previously visited in SE Asia back in 2013 and a perennial favorite for many: Thailand! Land of the Smiley People. This may have been our second trip through Thailand. But this trip is very different. In 2013, our issue was time. Back then…
The historic UNESCO center of Georgetown is a wonderland that’s made for strolling, where maps are not required because it’s thrilling to get lost. You will find yourself saying either “wow, or yum” at every turn. It’s a jumble of striking colors, eclectic architecture, interactive street art, and tasty temptations. And unlike our experience in KL, there is little traffic…
