In a little over 3 weeks, I’m heading to Vietnam, for a trip I have spent years dreaming about, and never really believed would happen.

I plan to update my adventures and photos here, both so that everyone at home can have the real-time envy, but also in case it’s a useful resource for other travellers.

So… my plans. I’m a middle-aged British woman, and I plan to travel alone. I have been hugely helped in planning this trip by Paul at Rickshaw Travel who, frankly, I cannot recommend enough!  When I started researching this trip, back in October last year, I put together an itinerary based on Rickshaw’s offerings, and spoke to Paul about how to take it forward.  It turns out that single traveller premiums meant it was too expensive to do that way, and for a while there I thought it wouldn’t happen…

But.  I set to work with my trusty Lonely Planet guide, Air BnB, and Get Your Guide, and tried to replicate Rickshaw’s offering, but on my budget.  I didn’t want to make this an absolutely on-a-shoestring trip; but at the same time, I’m not made of money and I wanted to bring it home for no more than I’d thought Rickshaw would do (before single person supplements).  And I managed it!  And I suspect that, if I’d been a little bit braver and prepared to wing it on accommodation and book rooms when I arrived in towns, I’d have been able to do it even more cheaply.  Staying in rooms in small hotels or people’s houses, my most expensive night’s accommodation is £23.  There were a couple of things I was really reluctant to let go of, from the original trip.  One of them I was able to replicate through Handspan Travel (recommended in the Lonely Planet) and the other couple I stuck with Rickshaw and sucked up the single person supplement.  I also asked Paul to book my internal travel for me, which he was able to get cheaper than I could.  This means that I will also have access to Rickshaw’s in-country support, which is hugely reassuring, in case anything goes wrong!  But with what I’ve saved on accommodation and sorting out my own local activities, I can afford to keep those three big-ticket items and really make sure this is a trip I will never, ever forget!

So my adventure starts on 9 April, and I arrive in Hanoi on 10th.  I’ve got a couple of days of activity in Hanoi, before I go and do a three day tour of Halong Bay and Ninh Binh – that was one of the things I was reluctant to let go of, and any Google Image search of Halong Bay will tell you why!

From Hanoi, I move to Hue where I have found a room in the Imperial City, hosted by a wonderful sounding family.  He is a UN mine clearance specialist, and she works in education (if I’m remembering it right, which is by no means guaranteed).  I have two days in Hue, which was the imperial capital of Vietnam, although, the imperial citadel was pretty much bombed into non-existence during the Tet Offensive, so it’s in the process of reconstruction, currently.  I’m planning to spend some time looking around the imperial citadel and a boat ride down the gloriously named Perfume River.  But I have nothing booked, as Binh (my host) says he can organise most things for me… so I’m going to wing this stop!

From Hue I am taking a train over the Hai Van Pass, which is supposedly absolutely spectacular.  The train arrives in Danang, where I’ll be met by a driver who is going to take me to Hoi An, with a quick stop at the Marble Mountains to visit Thuy Son, a series of natural caves in which first Hindu and later Buddhist sanctuaries have been created.

Hoi An sees me (accidentally) staying in a small hotel recommended in the Lonely Planet guide.  I chose it on AirBnB because it looked like it has pretty views over the river.  I have no concrete plans for Hoi An, either.  It’s supposed to be an amazing place to get clothes made, although I’m not sure I’ll go for that.  The Old Town is meant to be very beautiful, and so no doubt I’ll wander around there.  I’m hoping that I might be there for the Full Moon festival which happens on the 14th day of each lunar month.  I’ll be there on 18th April, which I think might *just* be the right day…. if I’m lucky 🙂

From Hoi An (or rather, Danang) I’m flying down to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) where I spend one night in another hotel recommended by Lonely Planet, in District 1.  From there, I am taking the second of my original planned trips – a three day trip to Cat Tien National Park.  I am *super* excited for this one (although trying to forget about leaches. No leaches, OK? Mmm. Thanx!)

Once back in HCMC, I’ve booked into a different hotel (with en suite.  And laundry facilities.  I figured I might need both of these things by now!)  I have a clear day to explore the city which is patently Not Enough Time, and so reluctantly I’ve given up the idea of getting out to see the Cu Chin Tunnels… but the reason there isn’t enough time is because of the last of the Rickshaw trips… 3 days travelling by boat.  Down the Mekong Delta.  To Cambodia!!!

We arrive in Phnom Penh at about midday, once the visa niceties are all taken care of, and I have an afternoon to kill there.  I would like to go and visit the killing fields (I say “like”…) but I don’t think there’s any way I can squeeze it in.  At 6pm, I am boarding an overnight bus to Siem Reap, for my final three days… at Angkor Wat!!!  Again.  *so* excited.  I do have an exciting thing planned for the morning of my arrival in Siem Reap, but I’m going to leave that for a big reveal at the end!

Then, on the evening of 29 April (my biggest baby girl’s 30th birthday!!) I get on a plane to begin the long journey back to Heathrow (via Hanoi), arriving home sometime in the evening of 30th, I think.