Laura:

It honestly feels like we’ve been away for month, not 10 days. We’ve already seen so much and experienced a side to Vietnam I really didn’t think we would be able to. We’ve met quite a few people who seem to have been rushing from one place to another, eager to get to the next place but I’m glad we’ve taken it (the teeny bit of Vietnam we’ve seen) slowly because it’s allowed us time to take everything in and has made it much more enjoyable.

Although I enjoyed Ho Chi Minh, I’ve found the Mekong region to be much more interesting and would encourage anyone to come here, regardless of how much time they’ve got. The slow pace of life here really appeals to both of us and we have loved how relaxed it all is. All three places that we’ve been to have been well out of the towns that we were dropped in and it was definitely worth the extra time taken to reach them. Each one has required several transport swaps and trying to communicate to people who speak very little English by pointing to a map. No disasters so far though!

Yesterday we arrived in Chau Doc, on the border of Vietnam and Cambodia, and immediately left the town, which seems kind of so so, to travel up to the top of the sacred Sam Mountain (take a wild guess at who this place appealed to.) We are staying in a beautiful lodge, with amazing views stretching well into Cambodia.

This morning, we went on a fantastic bike ride down to the base of the mountain, around it and then back up to the lodge. We then walked upto a shrine at the very tip of the mountain and saw the most breathtaking views. Tomorrow we take the boat for 4 hours up the Mekong, across the border into Cambodia, to Phnom Penh. Very excited.

My highlights from Vietnam:

• Xe Om (literally translated means big hug)- motorbike taxis. So fun.
• Floating markets on the Mekong- if you have time, spend a few mornings doing them.
• Amazing food. Nom nom nom.
• Vietnamese coffee- despite giving up tea and coffee (or attempting to) in January, the sheer deliciousness of the coffee here has tempted me back. Who knew condensed milk could work so well?
• Stunning homestays and hotels tucked away out of towns and cities.
• Where we’ve been going, very few tourists.

The only downsides:

• Didn’t see enough. We could’ve easily done the whole 7 weeks here. We met an Irish family who adopted a Vietnamese baby 6 years ago and have come back every Summer since- each time they do 4 weeks in a different part of Vietnam. They think they’ve got another 2/3 trips before they see all they want to see- that’s how awesome this country is.
• Bloody mosquitos. Everywhere.