PREPPING FOR VIETNAM

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

Ha Long Bay

In all our travels together, we have never scheduled as ambitious a trip to Vietnam. This far flung southeast Asian country brimming with beauty and history will be our “office” for nearly a month starting in late April as we traverse the country from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. We will visit 7 different locations over the trip and an overnight sail through the picturesque Ha Long Bay. We will then have a “post-trip” and will travel to Cambodia for five days before finally returning stateside.

We will travel by rickshaw, by bus, by boat and 3 internal flights, exposing us to all the beauty and history Vietnam and Cambodia have to offer. We will also learn of the darker history of the area as we’ll have the opportunity to visit the dubious “Hanoi Hilton” POW prison and visit one of the extensive tunnel systems used by the Viet Cong during the war. We will stroll the cosmopolitan cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh and visit small villages in the country and a floating village in Ha Long Bay. We will visit the sprawling temple of Angkor Wat and the notorious Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge during our trip to Cambodia.

Hue rickshaws

Logistically, a trip like this is a lot harder than planning for a summer rental at Sea Isle City. We knew early on that such an excursion would be daunting if we did it on our own, and so we decided on a tour company that specializes in small group travel. With no more than 16 individuals allowed on their tours, Overseas Adventure Travel allows us the opportunity to visit smaller destinations where a large tour would simply not be able to go.

Meticulous in their planning, they have sent us a day-to-day itinerary of our Vietnam and Cambodia trips; where we will go, how we’ll get there and what we should expect to see as well as factoring plenty of down time for us to explore our destinations.

Hanoi

WHO KNEW?

This is a very complicated trip. O.A.T. sent us a separate travel planning guide that delves into many of the particulars necessary about this trip. Passports need to have four empty pages for visas, and they will send us a “visa packet” soon with instructions on how we need to obtain our visas before we travel.

It also discusses money matters like how to pay for things and with local currency or USD, when and who to tip.

It also discusses medical concerns. Although a COVID shot is all that’s required, our doctor has recommended us getting Hepatitis A and whooping cough vaccines and to update our tetanus coverage. O.A.T. also recommends getting a prescription for a antibiotic medication like Z-Pak for everything else!

Ho Chi Minh City

We will not be lazing about on this trip. The guide says we’ll be required to walk 2-3 miles unassisted and participate in 4-6 hours of physical activities each day, over 18 days and 7 locations. O.A.T. says they reserve the right to “restrict participation” or even send travelers home if their limitations impact the group’s experience. Yet another good reason to hit the gym.

The guide tells us what clothes to pack, how to pack, weight restrictions, etc. It talks about what electrical adaptors to bring. Both countries are 220 volts. In the United States we’re 110.

As part of our travels will be able to have a “home-hosted visit” for a meal, and they recommend we bring an appropriate gift to share with the family we visit. 

CHAU DOC MARKET

All travel is paid for including international and internal air travel, any coaches, an overnight trip on a traditional junk in Ha Long Bay and a sampan boat for a cruise along the Mekong Delta. Our international air travel will take us first to Minneapolis where we board a plane to Seoul, South Korea and then change planes for the last leg to Hanoi.

There is no way we could have done this on our own! This is money well spent.

OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL

All pictures courtesy of: VIETNAM TRAVEL

Thanks for reading.

Love Janet and greg

© 2024 by Gregory Dunaj