A hotel owner’s life in Hanoi
We had been in this small hotel for a couple of days. I enjoy this area because it’s full of daily life in Hanoi, even if that means it’s also really noisy. We came downstairs for breakfast and were greeted by the owner as usual, but this time I noticed his eyes appeared bloodshot. His movements lacked their usual energy, and the smile that was almost always on his face was noticeably absent. As we began eating, I asked if...
Should you choose to visit Bangkok or Hanoi?
Bangkok took a bit of time and multiple visits to grow on us. Our 1st trip was after a month on Koh Samui. I’m not a fan of big cities normally, so I just chalked it up to that. But our second time was definitely different, and we really enjoyed it. Now’ we’re in Vietnam which is a whole different world. So if you’ve ever wondered about visiting Bangkok or Hanoi, here’s my perspective. Noise Thailand has a calmer culture. You...
Transportation in Bangkok
Unless you’re fairly brave and love being in thick traffic, you’re probably not going to choose to drive around the “Venice of the East.” Thankfully, there are many options for transportation in Bangkok, and most of them are downright cheap. Taxis Bangkok taxi drivers have a well-earned reputation. It is law that they use the meter, but many of them will ignore that and refuse to take you if you insist on the meter. It is worth...
Our most fun and unusual holiday so far
We came back to Thailand specifically to participate in a Thai celebration that turned out to be the most fun and unusual holiday we’ve ever experienced. It was completely worth the return trip! In mid April, some of the southeast Asian countries celebrate their new year. In Thailand, it is referred to as songkran. What was once a humble Buddhist celebration that involved the ritual bathing of buddha statues with scented water has...
China’s Must-See Sights
The People’s Republic of China is famous for its ancient civilisation and monuments, but the country is very much an emerging power of the 21st Century with much to offer travellers. Due to its sheer size, there are many attractions spread across some twenty-two provinces. Beijing is the capital city of China and tends to be first on the list for visitors. Of immediate interest is the Forbidden City, which is a city in itself....
Going from Koh Samui to Bangkok
For whatever reason you’ve found yourself on this popular Thai island. Now you want to get from Koh Samui to Bangkok. Well, you have a couple of options, and one of them is quite the adventure. Quicker but more expensive If you have less time or just don’t like the idea of spending 20+ hours traveling, your only viable option is to fly. Depending when you fly, you can easily find fares from $46 USD to around $150. Of course, that’s...
