The first question some people may ask is why Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos? There are a few reasons. It's mainly because they're out there, we've never been to any of them and they look interesting. Additionally, they are safe (a relative term anywhere in the world these days), affordable and we've heard glowing reviews from travelers we've met along the way.
As promised here's the first of what I hope to be three brief introductory blogs before we head out on October 13. I'm hoping to do one on each country.
Vietnam is the world's fifteenth most populous country, with a population of over 94.5 million people. Interestingly, even though it is the fifteenth largest country in the world it is only the eighth largest country in Asia, behind China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and the Philippines. Vietnam is bordered by three countries, China, Laos and Cambodia. It is separated from Thailand by the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest and the South China Sea borders the entire east coast.
The largest city in Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Siagon), with a metro area population of over 12 million people. Since the end of the war in 1975, (US involvement ended in 1973) Hanoi, with a population of just under 8 million has served as the capital city. The form of government is listed as "Unitary Marxist-Leninist One Party Socialist Republic". In my simple mind, that's a fancy way of saying "Communist" although I also read they are often considered "ardent capitalists". Like most governments, confusion reigns.
In addition to spending some time in the major urban areas of Ho Chi Min City and Hanoi, we'll also be visiting a number of small villages located both inland and along the coast. We're booked for a two night cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay as well as a few days in Puluong Nature Reserve. The trip is 29 days/28 nights. We'll be spending 20 of those nights in Vietnam, 5 in Cambodia and 3 in Laos.
As usual (except for India and Nepal) we will be traveling independently. We are using a travel service (Tonkin Travel) to make all the arrangements. We learned about them from a nice New Zealand couple that we met on a train in Peru. We (mainly Beth) checked numerous reviews and they were all really positive. So far the communication has been excellent. We simply tell them what we're interested in doing and they arrange all the details. Because of their buying power the prices are comparable and often lower than if we booked everything ourselves. I'll do a full review at the conclusion of the trip.
Bai Tu Long Bay
Tonkin Travel
One of the activities that we have planned is an all day cooking class. The Vietnamese cuisine is considered one of the healthiest in the world. It is known for it's fresh vegetables, herbs and spices. As we understand it, our class will start with us being given a list of fresh ingredients that we go to local markets and purchase. We then prepare a dish or dishes, not only for us but for the entire class! Oh my, this could get interesting!
Green Bamboo Cooking School
