“As I was preparing for my first trip to Vietnam, and my first trip to Asia, I bought a 32-GB memory card. I was determined to take as many photos as possible to make sure I’d remember my fabulous experience, and I surpassed 1,500 images. Of course, I still wish I could have seen more, but that just gives me an excuse to revisit this beautiful and culturally astounding country. Allow me to share with you my favorite moments:

#1:

Everyone always asks me, “What’s the strangest thing you saw someone carry on a motorbike?” This picture shows just one of the 12 locals I saw transporting TVs on their bikes. I think 40 inches was the largest TV I saw, but the biggest cargo I saw being transported via motorbike was a full-size mattress! Sadly, I did not capture this. Other extreme cargo included a stack of cages with chickens, a 6-foot-tall pane of glass, and a family of four.

I really enjoyed riding on the back of a vintage Vespa myself on our Vietnamese food tour. Taking pictures while holding on for dear life was a bit difficult, and they all turned out blurry. But the one thing that I’ll remember from the ride is that my face hurt from smiling so much. It was amazing!

#2: 

The outdoor markets of Vietnam are a sight to behold, and they have surprises tucked in every corner. Here, we visited one early in the morning in Ho Chi Minh. The selection was plentiful, including things I had never seen or heard of before. To the left of the man with the fan is a pile of durian fruit. If you didn’t read my last post about my experience trying durian-flavored ice cream, durians are the stinkiest fruit in the world. Even Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods doesn’t like them. But I of course had to be adventurous and try some.

I had a bite the size of a dime, and at first, I thought it wasn’t that bad. The fruit was creamy in consistency, but definitely tasted rotten, like mushrooms and bad breath. As the evening progressed, the aftertaste lingered and made me very sick. They say you either have a gene that makes you like durian or you don’t … I know which one I am now!

#3: 

One of my more memorable experiences was a visit to Paradise Cave outside of Hue. It’s the largest cave in Asia, and has the Guinness World Record for the longest bridge built underground. I learned that the cave has only been open to the public for the past two years, and only accepts 150 visitors per month.

You have to climb 527 steps to get to the entrance, and, boy was I tired when I got to the top! It was certainly worth it though.  As we made our decent into the cave, the temperature dropped to almost 60 degrees, which was a welcome relief from the constant heat and humidity.

#4: 

I knew a little bit about Buddhism before I went to Vietnam, but I was not familiar with the tradition of ancestor worship. Everywhere you go — including stores, homes, hotels, and restaurants — there is a shrine to protect the building and encourage good fortune. I noticed many shrines had cigarettes along with incense, like pictured above. I was curious about the cigarettes, so I asked our guide why they were there. He said that people leave them for their ancestors, and once the cigarette is spent, it means they are done smoking.

Tea, fruit, and other offerings are also left at the altar. I asked our guide if people are allowed to eat the food left at the altar, and he said they are allowed to only after the incense is burned.

#5: 

Halong Bay was one of my favorite places, not just in Vietnam, but in all the places I’ve seen around the world. I was most looking forward to seeing Halong Bay, and it was the last stop on our tour. Each day on the tour got better and better, and what a way to end it with this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We stayed on a beautiful ship, or “junk” as they are called locally, for one night. My room had its own balcony, and at sunrise, I took this picture of the bay and the limestone islands. The lens kept fogging up though, due to the climate change between the air conditioned cabin and the humidity outdoors. Here’s a tip I learned along the way: keep your camera in a plastic bag to prevent it from fogging up. I’ll have to remember that for next time! Either way, I took many photos of these enormous limestone islands. If you have the chance to visit Vietnam, Halong Bay is a must see!

Once again, thanks Liz for sharing your photos here on our blog.

If you want to see all the sights Liz has mentioned, plus more, be sure to read up on our current tour offerings to Vietnam. Have you ever been to Vietnam? What was your favorite sight to see there?

“The most interesting food I encountered in Vietnam was the infamous durian fruit. I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater, and after hearing many stories about the world’s stinkiest fruit, I decided I had to try it.

I thought I’d be clever and try durian-flavored ice cream, and found it at Fanny’s Ice Cream Parlor in Ho Chi Minh. As I scanned the pristine ice cream selections, I noticed that the durian ice cream was not in the glass case in the front of the store, but in the back freezer. I became apprehensive, so instead of getting an entire serving, I asked for a sample to taste only. I was alone in my adventure, as no one else in my group had any desire to try it.

These signs should have tipped me off that I was in for an unpleasant experience. I had been warned that durian ice cream smelled like dirty gym socks or garbage, so I held my breath and just went for it. At first, it wasn’t that bad … different is the only way I can describe it. Afterwards however, oh boy! Every breath I took, every sip of water, every attempted bite of food, all I could do was relive that awful bite of ice cream. Sadly, I had to endure a night of illness and plain rice, as the dreaded durian got the best of me. I’m told that many Vietnamese people love it though, and the fruit is sold all over the country.  All I have to say is … consumer beware of this funky fruit.

I certainly did not, however, lose faith in Vietnamese cuisine after this incident. As they say, when one door closes, an open window with delicious smelling food wafts through it. Case in point was my amazing tour with food blogger, cookbook author, and restaurateur Daniel Hoyer, who owns a restaurant in Hanoi and knows all of the best places to eat in this fabulous city.

We got an early start and visited one of his favorite open-air markets where we learned about staples used in Vietnamese cuisine, and got to try some of the fresh ingredients like fish mint, lemon basil, and red and green coriander. After the market, we sat by the river and had a lovely break with our favorite drink of the trip, iced coffee with condensed milk. David talked to us about the food culture in Vietnam, and the diverse menus that are always prepared with the best ingredients.

At our next stop, we had Pho Cuon, a rice noodle roll with beef dipped in a spicy fish sauce. We knew that this dish would be a treat, but it was the side dishes that really blew my mind. As a starter, we had steamed clams with crispy shallots and chopped spring onion sprinkled on top; a sauce of lemongrass, chili, and shredded lime leaves; and of course, more fish sauce. This dish was heaven on a plate!

Then, for the more adventurous foodies, we had snails cooked in a crock pot with garlic and chilies. An equally delicious sauce was served with this too, and each bite melted in your mouth. The snails were smaller than traditional escargot, and had a different texture so I would encourage you to try these treats.

After we had our fill of these dishes, we went to Daniel’s favorite spot for Bun Cha, grilled pork noodle soup. This was my favorite dish of the trip, and for good reason. We sampled delicious grilled pork and beef meatballs that were served with vermicelli noodles, an amazing broth, and fresh herbs, lime, and chilies. I continued to eat well after I was full— it was that good!

Overall, I was incredibly impressed by the freshness, selection, and super reasonable pricing of Vietnamese cuisine. It’s no wonder that countless foodies and chefs consider Vietnam to be one of the best culinary destinations in the world. The best discovery I had though, was that even though I was eating more than I normally did at home, it was so fresh and healthy that I actually lost weight!

I highly recommend Vietnam for anyone looking for a great vacation, including wonderful and delicious treats and surprises!”

In this post, Liz mentions just a few of the wide array of foods that are locally available in Vietnam. What’s your favorite type of Vietnamese food?

We recently received the below email from Carol Schmidt, who recently returned from this 11-day tour. We wanted to share her email with you (verbatim).

“We just returned from the Wildlife Kenya Safari and one would have to say, “Hakuna Matata” about any concern I had after reading travel reviews that the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi was less than satisfactory! It is disconcerting that one could complain about the accommodations. While it is an older hotel, it is clean and in a great location, particularly given the short amount of free-time we had.

This location gave us a chance to go to the International Market and to see the Parliament and governmental buildings. I would rate our breakfasts at the Intercontinental as scrumptious and the presentation was incredible! Who could possibly complain about fresh squeezed orange juice, Kenyan coffee with hot milk, and a variety of over 50 feet of food choices? It was absolutely awesome and the service was superb.

Thanks to Vintage Africa we had an incredible driver, Dominic, who has an A+ personality, and is probably a mixture of human/animal/bird! Dominic could sense animals before they were visible and he knew their patterns along with having a vast knowledge of their behaviors and instincts. He astonished us with his mastery of the bird species. We learned so much from him and it was so obvious he loves his job!

This was the most spectacular Safari we could imagine and we cannot thank all the Friendly Planet staff and Vintage Africa for making it one we will never forget. Our accommodations, the food, everything was simply marvelous! Friendly Planet was recommended to us by an unfamiliar traveler we met in California; now we will recommend Friendly Planet to our friends and acquaintances and we will be back for another adventure with Friendly Planet in the future! Asante Sana and feel free to share the good words. While the leopard is often difficult to spot, thanks to Dominic, we were fortunate to see him up close and personal! We hope you will enjoy the photo.”

Thanks for sharing such kind words, Carol! We’re glad you enjoyed your safari vacation with us!

Life is too short to do anything that you don’t love. At least, that’s how Scott Calafiore and Christy Woodrow see it. The couple met in 2006, and began traveling the world together to pursue their love of photography and surfing. They started their travel and photography blog, Ordinary Traveler, in 2010 to chronicle their adventures for their friends and family. The blog has since taken off and become one of the top blogs in its genre.

We wanted to hear more about why Scott and Christy got started traveling, how they balance travel with their home life in San Diego, and what tips they have for other travel dreamers looking to get started. Read below for their answers, written by Christy.

1) What sparked your decision to begin chronicling your travels in the form of a blog?

We wanted to have not only a record of our travels, but also an online portfolio for our photography. The two-month trip we took in early 2010 gave us the motivation to actually build the blog and start writing stories. I realized how much I love writing and sharing travel tips with others, so it has been a large focus of our lives ever since that trip.

2) You mention on your blog that you love your home in San Diego too much to be permanent nomads. How have you learned to juggle living a “normal” life at home, traveling the world, and running several online businesses?

It’s been a learning process for sure. I originally thought I wanted to be a permanent nomad, but after our two-month trip, I realized how much I value our community of friends in San Diego and neither of us want to give that up. Sometimes I feel like I’m traveling too much and sometimes I get the itch to travel more, but for the most part, we are pretty content. We use all of our vacation time wisely and it’s surprising how many trips Scott can fit in even while working a full-time job. I relish the days when we are home because it gives us time to reflect on our travels, hang out with friends, and get some work done.

3) What has been the most difficult adjustment to traveling the world, and also keeping your roots in San Diego?

Sometimes it’s tough to find a good balance between the two, especially if we have a lot of trips planned in a short amount of time. We will come home from a trip and immediately play catch-up on work. It can feel a bit like burning the candle at both ends. My suitcase is always out, still packed from a previous trip (much to Scott’s dismay). I figure I’ll just be packing it again soon, so I never really unpack, besides doing laundry.

4) You describe yourselves as avid surfers. Where was the most unique place you’ve surfed, and why?

Scott took a surf trip to Peru (I’m dying to go) and surfed some of the best waves of his life. It’s rare to find uncrowded, world class waves — although, I’m not sure how uncrowded it is anymore.

5) Can you pinpoint some of the most interesting destination(s) you’ve explored? Why do they stand out?

Vietnam, Laos and Nepal because there is so much culture — and at the time we visited, they were still relatively off the beaten path for many travelers.

6) Do you have a favorite place you’ve captured on film? Do you have an all-time favorite image you’d like to share with us?

We spent five days in Yellowstone a few years ago and captured some of its breathtaking beauty with timelapse, in addition to photos.
Another one of our favorite picture-perfect destinations is Havasu Falls in Arizona.

7) Have you ever been surprised, either good or bad, about a destination you’ve visited?

Yes, many times, actually. We recently booked a weekend trip to Oxnard, California — merely because we wanted to visit the Channel Islands. Oxnard itself is never a place we would have thought to visit if it wasn’t for the close proximity to the islands, but we ended up enjoying our time in the town even more than the time we spent on Anacapa Island. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that we experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event on our boat back from Anacapa.

8) Where is still on your bucket list of places to visit?

So many islands!! Fiji, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Cuba, to name a few.

9) What’s the best travel tip you’d like to offer our readers?

There will almost always be unexpected events while traveling and it will make your trip much more enjoyable if you just expect things not to go as planned.

10) What’s the best photography tip you’d like to offer our readers?

Don’t just take the first shot. Look for different angles or an interesting foreground to create a more unique photo of a destination.

11) Where in the world are you headed next?

I just got back from a two-week trip to France and Scotland. In June, we are headed to Toronto and New Jersey. In August we will spend one week in Alaska! This year is packed full of new travel adventures.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Christy! Keep up with Christy’s and Scott’s adventures on Ordinary Traveler.

As more Americans learn about the opportunity to travel to Cuba legally, we’ve begun fielding questions about what the island is like, what travelers need to do to prepare for a trip there, what is and isn’t allowed in Cuba, and how Americans are perceived after so many years of embargo-fueled shortages of just about everything.

I have written my latest contribution to Huffington Post with those questions in mind. Titled “What to know before you go to Cuba,” the article covers what the people of Cuba are like, what Americans need to do to comply with the People-to-People license, and why, if you truly love to travel, you really should visit Cuba. Visit the site to read my thoughts in full.

Do you have more questions about travel to Cuba? Leave them in a comment and I’ll be happy to answer.