• Cheap flights
• Weather/season
• Insurance
• Immunizations
• Visas
• Money
• Credit cards
• Cheap Flights

Thankfully we manage to get cheap flights when we travel.  Check out several online resources and get the best fare on offer.  Don’t be afraid to do the bookings yourself rather than going through a travel agent who will only charge you a hefty commission for their services.

Weather & Seasons

Study the weather conditions and find out which season would be the best time to go. At the destination you may however find that the weather is not typical for the season, so be always prepared to change your plans.

Travel Insurance

It goes without saying that you can’t afford to leave home without it, but it is not something that should be left to the last minute.  As soon as you have purchased your tickets we (hopefully you got a cheap airfare ) recommend that you take out insurance cover.  That way if something happens that prevents you from travelling you will be able to get a refund.

 Tip:  If you would like a quote directly through this site and for details of the key features you should be looking for in a policy, then see our insurance page here.

Immunizations

If you are heading somewhere exotic you will of course need to head down to a clinic and get a variety of jabs before disappearing.  Most of the important ones will be boosters of shots you probably had as a child. There are several others, but it is worth thinking twice about being sold on having the ‘whole package’ – it all depends on where you are going and how you feel about the risk. For up to date advise on what you need for a particular country we suggest that check with your Travel Doctor or the World Heath Organisation (WHO)

Visas

Visas can be a pain – not only can their costs really add up in some countries, but you can end up stranded for days waiting for them (normally over weekends) and even have to back-track for days if your planning is off or your visa is incorrect or expired. Other times visas can be effortlessly hassle free, being not required or just a simple free stamp at the border like in Malaysia and Thailand.

Generally speaking, in countries that are most commonly visited by travellers, visas are available on the border or on arrival at a main airport for free or a fee – no advance planning is needed. More and more countries (i.e. Laos and Cambodia) are taking measures to make visas easier in order to encourage tourism. You should always seek the latest information available before travel to ensure a hassle free journey.

Money

Credit Cards

Stonehenge

Driving along the A303 motorway, Stonehenge suddenly appears almost from out of nowhere.  We drove slowly past and parked our car down a laneway and walked back to the main carpark. From there it was evident that we could get just as good a view from the fence, as those who had paid their £7.50 admission as sadly you can no longer get close to the structure.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge begun as a simple earthwork enclosure, it was built in several stages, with the unique lintelled stone circle being erected in the Neolithic period in around 2,500 BC. Stonehenge remained important into the early Bronze Age (2,200–1,500 BC), when many burial mounds were built nearby. Today, Stonehenge, together with Avebury and other associated sites, form the heart of a World Heritage Site with a unique and dense concentration of outstanding prehistoric monuments.

Stonehenge

Lake Garda, Italy

Lake Garda is the largest lake in all of Italy, covering 143 square miles. Its 90 miles of shoreline is sprinkled with just over 28 miles of beaches. Families who enjoy being on the water will find many places that offer boat rentals. Whether you want to cruise around the lake in a leisurely fashion or want to spend the afternoon fishing, there are boat rentals that have just what you are looking for. Rental facilities also offer paddle boats and kayaks for fitness oriented families.

Every summer, Lake Garda is also filled with people who love to swim. In Italy, the water is the perfect swimming temperature from May through October. The south end of Lake Garda remains warmer during this time, as the north end of the lake receives shelter from the sun because of its mountainous terrain. In this area, the water is clear and cooler for swimmers. There are many beaches around the lake that offer sugary white sand and an area to relax.

Lake Garda

One of the most popular family activities around Lake Garda is bicycling through the mountains. Beginners can simply ride around the lake, while more experienced bikers may want to tackle the steep mountains. Since Lake Garda is home to many bicycle races in Italy, families may spot teams training for competitions. Hiking is another popular activity around Lake Garda. Whether your family wants to take a short stroll after dinner or you prefer spending an entire day hiking through the gorgeous mountains surrounding the lake, nobody will be disappointed.

Lake Garda is a great vacation spot for couples or families – there is so much to do that the time will fly by. The scenery is lovely, so be sure to take plenty of pictures to remember your time in Italy.

Chiang Rai to Chiang Klong bus - Note the torn seats LoL

Departing Thailand was a simple process and then quickly herded on to a longtail boat for the short trip across the Mekong River to Huay Xai. The fare is 40baht + 10baht for luggage and depart as soon as there are a few passengers aboard. Immigration were waiting for us as we got off the boat and after some formalities we arranged our visa on arrival (US$30 each).  It is then just a short walk up the main street to the guesthouses. Note that immigration closes at 6pm so if you arrive after that time you will need to stay overnight in Chiang Khong bef0re making the crossing.

Crossing the Mekong River into Laos

Huay Xai is a small dusty border town with not a lot on offer, so for us, Huay Xai was just a stop-over before heading further afield.

Approaching Huay Xai from Chiang Klong (Immigration building has a green roof)

That afternoon we took a stroll down the main street and booked our minibus for tomorrow’s journey to Luang Namptha.  We had read quite a few horror stories of Laos transport so made sure to check that our minivan would be in good condition.  The pictures in the brochure looked quite good and we were assured that our van was new… haha.

Not a lot happens in Huay Xai so we found a nice restaurant where we could watch the sunset and have dinner and a few drinks before an early night.

English and French are the main languages spoken, although all of the world’s ethnic groups are represented. French is the mother tongue of more than seven million people in Canada and their contribution to Canadian culture has been especially profound.

Many of Canada’s largest cities, such as Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Victoria, keep popping near the top of lists of the ‘world’s best cities to live in’, and Toronto especially has an enviable reputation as being the world’s most cosmopolitan city. The whole of Quebec City, founded back in the 1600s, has as much historical interest as many of the great European cities and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Quebec City

The Canadian natural landscape has been protected and nurtured for decades and here any nature lover will find a veritable heaven on earth. Canada has boundaries with three oceans and in its interior are to be found more than a thousand rivers, some of the world’s most extensive forests, majestic mountain ranges and no less than two million lakes.

The Canadian Government has for many years been pouring funding and resources into sustainable development of the country’s natural resources.  As a result, Canada now has 39 national parks as well as several designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. Canada clearly regards its natural heritage as its single most valuable asset and doesn’t stint when it comes to protecting it.

Visitors to places such as delightful Alberta have a wide variety of hotels to choose from whilst exploring the stunning natural beauties all around them. Jasper National Park in Alberta is just one of many, and in this area of outstanding natural beauty there are many organized tours and events to enjoy, to ensure that visitors get the most out of their time here. This is the largest mountain park in the country, but visitors also have easy access to tourist-oriented Banff and other urban centers when the great outdoors begins to tire them. Jasper itself resembles a sleepy little Swiss hamlet clinging to the snowy lower slopes of a mountain, so there’s plenty of variety in this stunning landscape.

Banff National Park

There are places to stay of every kind close to Canada’s lakes, mountains, prairies and coastline, from luxury venues to small, family-run bed and breakfast accommodations. Middle-range hotels which are ideal as a base for daytime excursions include the likes of Nature’s Inn in Ontario, in the Red Lake District, where guests are about as close as they can get to a great variety of outdoor activities. These include golfing, fishing, rafting, sailing and hiking, and the same can be said for the majority of other accommodation of all types across this uniquely stunning country.  

Hanoi

Our arrival booking at Hanoi went somewhat astray, but was quickly sorted after a few phone calls to our hotel. As it turned out they had lost our booking but made amends by finding us an alternate hotel for the night and then got us settled the next morning.

The next couple of days we spent seeing the sights of Hanoi and in particular the “Old Quarter” where we were staying. The narrow streets of Hanoi’s old quarter were always busy, with every street catering for a different product. Jan quickly got accustomed to referring to them as “shoe” street or “dress” street…even “zip” street as it seemed that the streets specialized in selling or making just one product.

Busy streets in the quaint Hanoi old quarter

Our first visit to see Ho Chi Minh (Uncle Ho) was a failure as the Mausoleum was closed unbeknown to us on Mondays and Fridays. That gave us the opportunity to wander the streets and eventually get lost walking back to the old quarter, which is always an adventure in a city where no one can speak English or even read a map.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Hanoi

Next day we headed off early and lined up to see Uncle Ho lying in state. All very serene, no cameras allowed, no hats, no bags, no firearms, no talking, no sunglasses! Certainly an interesting experience.

That afternoon we toured the Hoa Lo prison which was built by the French in 1896 to house Vietnamese patriots and revolutionary fighters. During the Vietnam war, Hoa Lo Prison (aka the Hanoi Hilton) was used to house American Prisoners of war, mainly pilots who were shot down in the area.

Hoa Lo Prison - aka Hanoi Hilton

Before departing the North, we spent a relaxing 2 days cruising on Halong Bay, sailing amongst the limestone karsts in out traditional Junk. Unfortunately visibility was not the best while on the bay and temperatures a little too cool for swimming. We will return one day to this marvelous area, next time making sure that it is in the warmer months.

Exploring caves in Halong Bay

Ninh Binh

As we had an extra day or so up North due to our sleeper train being fully booked, we decided to take a side trip 2 hours South to Ninh Binh. What an experience when our bus arrived to pick us up. We were passengers number 59 & 60 to board the 60 seater bus. We thought great timing, fully loaded and off we go….NOPE. We stopped at another hotel where we loaded another 20 or so passengers and their luggage. The luggage was loaded in the aisle to waist height with passengers sitting on top. Only in Asia…..ya gotta love it!

We arrived in Ninh Binh an hour later than scheduled and were pleasantly surprised to find that our hotel driver was still waiting for us at 11pm to take us to our hotel.

Things move a little slower in Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is referred to as “Halong Bay on Land” and for obvious reasons. The limestone karsts and caves are just as spectacular as Halong Bay. We hired a motorbike (trust me, it is very interesting riding in Vietnam with all the traffic and on the RHS of the road) and headed out to visit Tam Coc. Here we hired a very small boat and were rowed up the river through all the karsts and through some very impressive caves.

Jan helps with the paddling

On our boat trip back we spotted a temple on top of a mountain and decided to try and find it. The back roads were very interesting and people along the way extremely friendly. We had to cross a flimsy bamboo bridge at one point and the locals nearby assured us that it was safe to cross. Just to be sure Jan dismounted and walked across leaving me to get the bike over. I now have the utmost faith in bamboo constructions.

We had several spectators watching us cross this bridge

The climb up to the temple was exhausting but worth the effort as the scenery was breathtaking. Ninh Binh area proved to be a real treasure and we were glad that we made the effort to explore the area. Once again half the fun was getting lost in the back blocks, seeing the farmers up close and having the kids greet us on the side of the road when we would stop for directions.

View from the top was spectacular making the climb worthwhile

This is yours truly having a shave on the footpath back in Ninh Binh town. Not something for the faint hearted and certainly not for anyone with a 4 day beard growth as there was no hot towel or hot water. I think I felt every whisker cut. Never mind, at least I helped contribute to the economy.

Getting a shave on the streets in not for the faint hearted

Hue

From Ninh Binh we caught the train back to Hanoi and then the overnight sleeper train to Hue. Our time in Hue was quite short but gave us enough time to see the sights. Day one we spent walking around the Citadel, exploring the ancient city. Unfortunately quite a bit of damage was done there during the various wars however there is an ongoing restoration project to restore many of the buildings and walls.

Citadel Hue Vietnam

That evening we decided to go to Y Thao Garden for dinner. They serve an 8 course meal, set in a beautiful Imperial villa. As they only have 6-7 tables so it is advisable to book early. Whole meal for the 2 of us…less than US$20.

Japanese Bridge - Hue Vietnam

The following day we hired a tour guide who took us on a tour to the outlying areas. His knowledge of Hue and the wars gave us a good insight to the history of Hue. Our guide took us to a temple where the Buddhist Monk, Thich Quang Duc lived. You may remember the scenes on TV where in Saigon on June 1963 he sat in the middle of a Saigon street and set fire to himself (see insert of picture below). This was a protest against discrimination of Buddhist Monks and religious freedom.

This is the actual car that Thich Quang Duc drove to Saigon.

Hoi An

What a charming town. From moment we arrived in Hoi An we knew we would love the town. Hoi An is a quaint little town situated near the coast and is known for its glorious food and clothing shops. We spent a few days here walking the cobble stone streets, exploring the markets and one lazy afternoon soaking up the sun on the beach.

Quaint streets in Hoi An

The evenings we spent walking the streets looking for restaurants to try. Thankfully we had a few recommendations for Hoi An and they all lived up to their reputations. I think we both put on a few extra kilos here.

Nha Trang

Another lengthy train trip had us arriving in the seaside town of Nha Trang in time for New Year’s Eve. Quickly sorted we sussed out the best place in town to see the new year in……the Sailing Club. We met several fellow Aussies that night, drank way too much alcohol and danced on the beach in the rain.

As you can imagine, New Year’s day was a very quiet day for us. We manage to find our way back to the beach and spent the afternoon laying on deck chairs and eating BBQ lobsters which were cooked right on the beach. Not sure that it gets much better than that…Yum!

View from our hotel in Nha Trang

Our plan was to fly from Nha Trang to Saigon as we were starting to get a little “trained out”. Unfortunately all flights out of Nha Trang were booked for several days so we had to jump the day train down to Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

We were both glad to arrive in Saigon, hence ending our train journeys. Three days on Vietnamese trains and watching people eat fertilized duck embryos was starting to take its toll on us. * Duck embryos are fertilized eggs which are a just a few days short of hatching. They are eaten soft boiled, web feet and all.

Saigon was a lovely city and we spent several days here exploring the region and visiting the Cu Chi tunnel complex. I managed to get down one of the tunnels but was totally exhausted after traveling 50 meters underground. I can only imagine how the VC felt traveling up to 5 km underground at a time.

2 day Mekong Delta tour

Just before departing Vietnam we did a 2 day tour of the Mekong Delta. We met a great bunch of tourists on this trip and enjoyed seeing the region. The morning floating markets have to be seen to be believed.

If we had more time we would have crossed into *Cambodia, but that will have to wait till next time.

* Postscript: Our Cambodia Trip Report from the following year.

1 year  before departure

• Start a travel file to hold all documentation for your trip
• Start researching your destinations, study climate charts and work out a route.
• Check prices for major airfares / transport
• Establish your travel dates and itinerary.
• Determine mode of travel and shop for best prices.
• Top up your holiday savings

6 month before departure

• Book flights early to get the best prices. Use online resources to compare and get the best deals.
• Arrange travel insurance now in case an emergency changes your travel plans.

3 months before departure

• Renew your passport if will expire less than six months after your return date.
• Arrange bills, mail collection
• Check if you need special permission to import your medication

2 month before departure

• Get required visas if needed for countries being visited. Check dates and names are are correct when you receive them
• Book hotels or confirm lodging arrangements. Print out all confirmation numbers and communications.
• Check all your tickets and compare them against the name in your passport
• Make an appointment for a medical and dental check-up Arrange any necessary vaccinations or prescriptions.
• Buy trekking shoes now and and start breaking them in
• Arrange for house plant care/yard care while you are away.

1 month before departure

• Check on your destinations for travel or health warnings.
• Check the expiry date of your debit/credit cards
• Print details of local hostels / transport timetables if not booking
• Organise any tours / excursions you want booked

2 week before departure

• Notify credit card companies of the countries you will visit and your travel dates so your card doesn’t get blocked
• Arrange for pickup and drop-off at airports to avoid cab fares
• Ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your home. Leave contact information in case of emergency
• Set up timers on lights and TVs so your home looks lived in.
• Order travelers cheques or local currency
• Get passport photographs for visas en route
• Pay any bills that will come due while you are traveling

1 week before departure

• Make extra copies of your passport, vaccinations record and important travel documents. Carry separate from the originals.
• Leave a set of photocopies with a trusted friend at home
• Give a copy of your itinerary to family and friends
• Get together your clothing and travel equipment
• Return library books, movie rentals. Pick up dry cleaning, etc.

Three days before departure

• Confirm late arrivals with hotels.
• Mark all luggage with personal identification inside and out.
• Research size and weight limits of carry-on luggage for each airline you are using.
• Book a taxi to your departure point

Departure day

Check that you’ve packed

• All paper tickets, e-tickets and confirmation documents
• Your passport with visas and insurance documents
• Traveler’s cheques, credit cards and foreign currency.
• Check through the entire list one more time

Before you walk out the door

• Unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment
• Dispose of perishable foods and garbage.
• Lock all doors and windows. Set security alarms.

Enjoy your holidays knowing that you got everything in order!

Falkirk Wheel Boat Lift

The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world, and is regarded as an engineering landmark for Scotland.

Falkirk Wheel Boat Lift Scotland

Falkirk Wheel quick facts:

•  The Falkirk Wheel is 35 mt tall, the equivalent of an eight storey building
• Cost £17.5 million to build
• 1,200 tonnes of steel was used to create The Wheel
• The structure contains over 14,000 bolts and 45,000 bolt holes
• Over 1,000 construction staff helped to build it
• The gondolas hold 500,000 lt of water, enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool
• The Falkirk Wheel only uses 1.5KWh of energy to turn through one rotation, the same amount as it would take to boil 8 household kettles 

Each gondola holds 300 tonnes of water

Note that trips on the Falkirk Wheel stop operating during November each year for maintenance, although the visitors centre remains open to the public.

Visits to the Wheel are free or you can take the “The Falkirk Wheel Experience” which is a one hour tour which includes travel on the wheel from the Forth & Clyde Canal, 35mt up to the Union Canal and then return.

Janette makes a new friend

 Cost of the tour is £7.95 for adults and  £4.95 for children aged 3–15.  Children under 3 are free.

Falkirk Wheel Official Website

One of the 22 watchtowers at Mutianyu

Built mainly of granite, the Mutianyu Great Wall is 8 mtrs high and at the top is 5 mtrs wide.  Another reason we chose Mutianyu is that there are 22 watchtowers to explore, all within a 3 klms distance.  If you can chose your time, try and not go on a weekend as the Great Wall of China can get crowded as the locals also like to visit the wall.

Mutianyu Great Wall

First built in the mid 6th century during the Northern Qi, the Great Wall at Mutianyu is older than the Badaling section of the Great Wall. In the Ming dynasty, under the supervision of General Xu Da, construction of the present wall began on the foundation of the wall of Northern Qi. In 1569, the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China was rebuilt and today most parts of it are well preserved. The Mutianyu Great Wall has the largest construction scale and best quality among all sections of Great Wall.

Mutianyu Great Wall

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is much harder to climb than Badaling as there are many steep sections, steep stairs and several areas where you need to use your hands to climb. Most areas do not have hand rails so you have to be careful and take your time. If you have any difficulties walking, the wall between tower 6 and tower 14 is quite level and this still gives you an excellent Great Wall experience, awesome views and avoids the more difficult areas.

Great Wall of China

To access the wall you can climb the 454 very steep stairs, or alternatively for an additional fee (above the admission price) you can ride a cable car up to the Great Wall. Very few climb the stairs and we were thankful that we did choose the cablecar as the views were awesome and there is plenty of walking to do once on top.

Entrance at Mutianyu - Cable car and Great Wall can be seen in the distance

Some parts of the Great Wall of China have a reputation of very pushy hawkers that follow you everywhere harassing you until you buy something from them. We had one hawker that followed us quite a distance along the wall and became quite annoying.

Map of Mutianyu Great Wall

Have you been to the Great Wall of China? Comment with your own favorites or insights below!

A Vietnamese Entry Visa is required for most foreigners.  It allows Vietnam visa holders to enter and exit Vietnam at Hanoi, Saigon and Danang air-ports or at any of its twelve land borders, three each with Cambodia and China, and six with Laos.

For those who required a visa for Vietnam, they need to arrange a Vietnam visa before their departure by applying for a visa approval letter online to get the visa stamp at Vietnam International Airports (visa on arrival)  or by  applying at a local Vietnam Embassy or Consulate.  Tourist visas for Vietnam are normally valid for a single entry 30-day stay.

Drinking water

Drinking water straight out of the tap in Vietnam is not advisable.  Most mid range and higher hotels provide one or two bottles of drinking water per day.  It is best to get in the habit of drinking bottled water especially if you will be visiting rural areas or other countries in the region. Always take bottled water with you when you are out touring.  If you have purchased bottled water, check that there is a proper seal or that the packaging is intact.  Some places have been known to sell recycled bottles that have merely been filled up with tap water.

First Aid Kit for Vietnam

It is strongly recommended that you carry a small first aid kit with you. Pack some adhesive bandages for minor injuries, scissors, tweezers, aspirin or Panadol for pain and fever, antiseptic for cuts and scrapes, antihistamines for allergies and insect bites, and medicine for stomach upsets.

Changing Money

Vietnamese Dong

The Vietnamese currency is called Vietnam Dong and abbreviated as VND.  Notes are available in paper denominations of 5.000VND, 10.000VND, 20.000VND, 50.000VND, 100.000 VND and 500.000VND.  The foreign currency of choice is the US Dollar.  Clean USD 100 notes receive the best rates.  You can change money at banks, authorized exchange bureaus and in hotels. Major hotels in the bigger cities act as agents for banks and offer the same rate as them, however smaller private hotels will charge a service fee. The Vietcombank in the popular tourist destinations will also be able to exchange Thai Baht ; Australian, Canadian, Hong Kong, and Singaporean Dollars ; Deutsche Marks ; French and Swiss Frances ; Pounds Sterling and Yen.

VISA, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted in most hotels and selected stores in major cities (HCMC, Da Nang, Hue, and Ha Noi).

Hotel requirements in Vietnam

Most hotels in Vietnam require that your passport be kept with the reception during your stay.  If you’re paranoid about leaving your passport with the hotel staff, bring a photocopy of the original with you and hand that over. Most hotels will accept photocopies as passport substitutes.

Bargaining in Vietnam

Bargaining is a way of life in much of South East Asia. In Vietnam shops don’t have fixed prices so the shop keeper will start with a high price which you are then expected to bargain down until you reach a fair price.  Bargaining should always be relaxed and can be a lot of fun but you should remember that it is considered disrespectful to agree a price but then walk away.

How to cross the roads in Vietnam

Seems simple ha ha. Trying to cross the street in Hanoi or HCMC is really an adventure.  The key is to walk slowly and steadily out into the traffic. As long as you keep a steady pace and make your movements clear, the traffic will flow round you. Problems will arise if you stop or move too quickly and the drivers/riders can’t anticipate your progress.

Best time to visit

Vietnam experiences a fair degree of diversity in climate. The north has distinct summer and winter seasons. Summer lasts from May until October, when the weather is hot and very humid with temperatures averaging about 30 degrees Celsius. November to April are the winter months when the weather is mainly dry and average temperatures are about 18-20 degrees Celsius.

In the centre of the country (e.g. Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An) the weather is very hot and dry from February to August with temperatures of around 33-36 degrees Celsius, but there can be heavy rainfall between September and January.

The south of Vietnam has a hot, dry season from December through until April with temperatures of around 28 degrees Celsius. May until November is the rainy season, although there are rarely long periods of rain  as they are usually short heavy showers.

If you have a tip for Vietnam that you think our readers might be interested in why not drop us a line via the Contact Us page.  We will review it and consider it’s inclusion.