Our Itinerary

We have a total of 20 days from start to finish so we're making the best of our trip. My mother is a very excited traveler but not always the most practical, which is why we're flying into Ho Chi Minh City instead of Hanoi. This is what we've tentatively planned and booked so far with our agent and we've been told that the tour leaves everyday so there is a bit of flexibility. I've already been told not to expect the best accommodation since our entire 9 day tour is only costing us about $600 (including food/accommodation/guide). You can find similar tours through GeckosAdventures or GapAdventures but my mother insisted that we go to the Vietnamese travel agent for a better deal. I'll let you know how that turns out....

• Toronto to Ho Chi Minh City - travel time will be 27 hours!!! (10 hour stopover in Hong Kong)
• Spending a day in HCMC to rest and get used to the time difference
• Start the tour in HCMC
• HCMC > Hoi An
• Hoi An > Da Nang
• Da Nang > Hue
• Hue > Hanoi
• Hanoi > Ha Long Bay
• Ha Long Bay > Hanoi
• Hanoi > Sapa > Hanoi
• Hanoi > HCMC
• 8 Days in HCMC / Thu Duc

Wish me luck!

Welcome to my blog!

Last year, as I traveled to India for two weeks, many of you followed me throughout that journey. This year, I want you to come with me to Vietnam, the country of my birth.

My mother and I have talked about going to Vietnam for years, but only as a distant dream. We could never find the time and money between raising kids, school, work, and family circumstances. But this year, we found ourselves at a crossroads in life - she has been bitten by the travel bug and I am being hounded by my biological clock (more on both reasons later). Nevertheless, now is the time.

We booked our flight this weekend. We're flying in and out of Ho Chi Minh City (which I will sometimes refer to as Saigon), taking a 10 day tour from South to North and then spending the remaining 8 days or so in HCMC to visit family. It's going to be a culture shock for the both of us and I think the only thing we have going for us is that we can speak the language. My mother left in 1983 when she was 26 years old, pregnant with my little sister, and I was barely two.

This blog will be a tribute to her and to the beautiful country she left to give us a better future. To the country that I've been so curious about my entire life - the culture, the food, the people, the family, and whether or not I'll fit in. Can't wait for you to join me in a month's time when we embark on the journey halfway across the world again...