Vietnam 2011

Much excitement for my first trip to Asia 5 years ago. Friends and colleagues thought I'd lost my mind to be taking off to tour Vietnam on my own. Where I come from it's more dangerous to stay at home, so what did I have to fear? I'm a solo traveller because I enjoy the freedom, and prefer not to be governed by groups and guides. My adventure started in Hanoi for a week, and then moved along to Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang and finally Ho Chi Min City. Along the route I visited a number of villages, and enjoyed cycling around a remote island village where we gave toothbrushes and other basic necessities to the children on the island. Of course I did some snorkeling and also spent a splendid evening on a sailing junk at Halong Bay after a long walk through the caves. The weather was stormy, but a fantastic evening with the a never-ending supply of scrumptious seafood. If I wasn't walking around the towns, I made good use of the cyclos and motor cycle taxis. Travelling from city to city was either by bus over the mountains, or by day and night trains. Vietnam was my introduction to Asia and it will always be my most talked about holiday. Living in Thailand now makes it easier for me to get to Vietnam - something I will surely do in the not too distant future. This is just a video of some of the highlights of my fabulous trip.