I have stated on numerous occasions that there are countless benefits to visiting friends when traveling. They have local knowledge that is immensely valuable in ways you could not imagine. In my case, my friend knows how much I enjoy…
Vietnam – DMZ Tour – Part 2: Highway 1 & Vinh Moc Tunnels
After the morning portion of the tour and a lackluster lunch our tour guide made sure that everyone was back on the van so that we could promptly leave at 2:15 p.m. for the afternoon portion of the tour. We…
Vietnam – DMZ Tour – Part 1: Ho Chi Minh Trail, Highway 9 & Khe Sanh Combat Base
A Brief History of the DMZ In 1954, the French military was defeated by the Vietnamese at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, resulting in their withdrawal from the region. Following the French War, the Geneva Accords temporarily divided Vietnam…
Vietnam – My Son Sanctuary – UNESCO Site
The first UNESCO site that I was able to visit in Vietnam in 2014 was the My Son Sanctuary. At approximately 5:00 a.m. I got picked up outside my hotel by a tour van that was already filled with people.…
Southeast Asia Travel Itinerary – Summer 2014
Southeast Asia Travel Itinerary – Summer 2014 Day 0 – July 3 & 4 – Flights from NYC,NY to Osaka, Japan; and the connecting flight to Taipei, Taiwan & Overnight Layover Day 1 – July 5 – Ho Chi Minh City…
Vietnam – Cao Dai Temple
The second destination of the Cu Chi Tunnels tour brought our group to the Cao Dai Temple in the Tay Ninh province. We spent over an hour walking around the property and also had the opportunity to observe the 12:00…
Vietnam – Disabled War Victims Crafts Cooperative
On the way to the Cu Chi Tunnels our tour group a number of stops before reaching  our final destination. Our first stop brought us to a disabled war victims crafts cooperative. Workers produce polished wooden artwork of all kinds that…
Dalat, Vietnam – Part 4 – Church Tour
Dalat – Church Hunting Against the Clock As Thanh and I were riding around Dalat I noticed that there were number of interesting looking Roman Catholic churches. If I had the time I would have liked to stop and take some photographs,…
Dalat, Vietnam – Part 3: Food & Nighttime Markets
Yann, Samira and I spent two nights in Dalat before making our way to Nha Trang. During our evenings we wandered the night markets and surrounding blocks looking for interesting foods to try. We found some winners and some losers…
Dalat, Vietnam – Part 2: Full Day Private Tour
History of Dalat During the 1890s, French colonial explorers in the area asked for permission to create luxury resorts in the Central Highland area. The governor agreed, and after some time was spent looking for the ideal location, construction began…