“Do the Nha Trang boat trip. Do the Nha Trang boat trip!!” There’s something that I’ve learned in my months on the Southeast Asia Backpacker Trail — if several people fervently tell you that you have to do an activity, you do it. No questions. So as soon as we rolled into Nha Trang, Vietnam’s […]
The Infamous Boat Trip of Nha Trang, Vietnam Read More »
Every now and then, I receive an email or a Facebook comment from one of my girlfriends that contains the following phrase: “You’re so lucky, Kate.” I appreciate their words, but I disagree wholeheartedly. I’m not lucky at all. I’m in the same boat as all of you — I just made travel a priority
Dear Ladies: This Can Be Your Life, Too. Read More »
Street food, as any Southeast Asia traveler knows, is one of the culinary highlights of the region! Street food in Thailand may be the most famous, but Vietnam has many delicious specialties worth trying, from Hanoi to Saigon. Here are some of my favorite dishes, shared by region from north to south: Pho, or noodle
Street Food in Vietnam Read More »
I knew Hoi An was famous for its abundance of custom clothing tailors, but I had no idea just how crazy fashion in Hoi An could get! It started with a girl I met in my dorm in Hanoi. She was wearing incredible Nike sneakers made out of beautifully patterned Asian satin. “Your shoes are
Designing AWESOME Custom Clothing in Hoi An Read More »
After four months on the road, I’ve learned which kinds of destinations I like the most: gritty cities, hippie beaches, small towns that have yet to be discovered by the masses. I’ve also learned what I don’t like: any place that caters to wealthy, upmarket tourists. By the time the upmarket tourists arrive, a place
Hoi An — The Prettiest Town in Vietnam Read More »
I didn’t grow up with brothers or boy cousins. My birthday parties were as girly as you can imagine, down to the all-female guestlists. And to this day, my closest friends are straight girls and gay guys and girls. I love my close straight male friends to pieces, but there aren’t a lot of them.
One of the Boys? For the First Time, Yes. Read More »
Halong Bay is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam. Thousands of giant limestone islands fill the bay, and when it’s misty, it gives off the feeling of a haunted Jurassic Park. I knew I had to visit Halong Bay, and there are plenty of tour operators offering different cruise packages.
Halong Bay: The Ultimate Party Cruise! Read More »
Show me someone who feels ambivalent about Hanoi, and I’ll show you a liar. Hanoi invokes strong feelings, and the people who visit the Vietnam capital tend to either love it to pieces or hate it bitterly. Into which category would I fall? The former. I absolutely loved Hanoi, and it was one of my
Hanoi: One Absolutely Amazing City. Read More »
If you thought my border crossing from Laos to Cambodia was problematic, it had NOTHING on my crossing from Laos to Vietnam! Vietnam is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that requires a visa in advance – you can’t get it at the border. So I ordered it from a travel agency in
How I Almost Got Banned From Vietnam Read More »
I may not have been a fan of Luang Prabang, but I did have one excellent experience: traditional Lao Barbecue at Lao Lao Garden restaurant in Luang Prabang. Lao Lao Garden claims to have the only traditional Lao barbecue place in the city. (Again, this is what bothers me about Luang Prabang – if it’s so traditional,
Traditional Lao Barbecue in Luang Prabang Read More »