Vietnam travel in broad brush strokes

We spent a hot afternoon sunning and swimming in San Marcos, Guatemala with some Irish backpackers.  As always, I picked their brain about travel.  They swapped stories & debated, but ultimately settled on Vietnam as their favorite destination.  We kept hearing that from other budget travelers.  Once home from Guatemala I ordered Lonely Planet books on Thailand, Cambodia, & Vietnam.  Over the summer I laid on the sand in Cape May & read the books like novels.  It's ridiculous, but when I start thinking about a trip I read the destination's Lonely Planet cover to cover.  Thailand sounds amazing and the landscape truly intriguing.  Cambodia is absolutely on the to-visit list mainly due to Ankgor Wat and other historic cites.  Vietnam was such an interesting blend-- of the region, it's cuisine is said to hold the most allure.  Some of the beaches are said to rival Thailand.  There are areas of historic and cultural significance.

Obviously, we could have tried to visit all three countries.  I would love to travel throughout Asia!  With 18 days to play with, I never want to waste time with border crossings.  I figured we'd devote the entirety of the trip to Vietnam.

I wish we'd have three times that amount of time.  Vietnam is one of my favorite places on earth.  In terms of food, my favorite destinations are now Vietnam, Italy, & France.  In terms of beaches, my favorite places are now Vietnam and Panama.  In terms of a strong cultural sense of self, my favorite places are now Vietnam, Guatemala, Argentina, Cuba... well, that list is a little longer.

The biggest obstacle to traveling in Southeast Asia is flight cost.  I've assembled some general travel tips on my website, but I also have thoughts on travel from Philly to Southeast Asia specifically.  When I travel to Europe or Latin America, I usually fly out of Newark.  Otherwise, I have to pay for a commuter flight to NYC, which is usually an unnecessary cost.  However, the east coast usually routes Asia-bound flights through NYC, Chicago, and LA.  Philly has plenty of direct flights to those domestic cities.  I wound up booking the cheapest flight directly out of Philly, having a layover in Chicago, a second brief layover in Tokyo, before arriving in Ho Chi Minh City.

The least amount of time it will usually take to get to Vietnam from the east coast of the US is about 24 hours.  I repeat: usually the best places to visit are not easy to reach.  You have to weigh what travel is feasible.  Kevin & I ate really well leading up to the flight.  Lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and water.  We made sure to wake up early enough to go out and get a long run so we'd be sore.  I can sit still much more easily when my muscles are sore from working out.  During our layovers we did yoga.  It was fine.

Once you've invested in the flight you've covered your biggest expense.  The costs of traveling within Vietnam are certainly rising, but as of February 2013 we could travel very comfortably for $50 a day & certainly pay far less if we were willing to forgo some luxuries.

US citizens are required to have a travel visa from the Vietnamese government.  Overland travelers can purchase visas at border crossings.  No American is admitted to Vietnam without a visa if they're flying in.  Due to this, I'd read online, repeatedly, that you had to travel with a tour group to cover logistics.  Not so.  Google Vietnam visa.  There are plenty of operators who will secure your visa on arrival for a fee.  This practice, like so many others I've encountered while traveling, seemed a little dicey.  Use sense, weigh your options, come to your own conclusions.  I chose the most highly ranked provider & applied for the visa.  I followed their instructions, arriving with color copies of my application and passport sized photos.  We had to wait at customs for some time upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh city, but we received our visa with no problem.

I wrote earlier about a few places on earth that have some energy, magic, or mojo that is truly soul-stirring.  For me, at least, Vietnam has that charge.  Go with gratitude.