On the farm Vietnam tours had been suspended since the beginning of covid. It has been a heck of a time.  After the passing of my Father, I returned to Canada in support of my mother. I returned to Vietnam in Feb 2020 to guide a tour of Vietnam including the Central highlands. We were having quite the adventure when Covid hit. Slowly over 2 weeks the Vietnamese people became more paranoid with foreigners and even though I told them I lived in Vietnam in their own language, it became more difficult to get services. The busses and all other means of transport shut down and it was only blind ..read more

Dealing with the Corona virus Having fun Covid 19 has literally shut down day to day activities worldwide. Vietnam so far is one of the least infected nations and for very good reason. Upon discovery of the virus, Vietnam immediately suspended all flights out of China. As infections spread, Korea followed, and then many more. Today, virtually every country has closed its borders to international flights, moreover, many airports and airlines are totally shut down with only a few carriers and main transfer hubs open. Who could predict it would go so far and what is the world doing about it? Here ..read more

Friends forever            This was to be a Facebook post but it is just too verbose to do there. Instead I will write this as a blog and link it. Sorry if my spelling or grammar goes a bit off track. That’s my style. Tonight I had dinner and drinks with my very good friend and business partner Hau@vexploretravel.com As we were sitting for dinner, the news announced that all international flights were suspended until 3nd of April and perhaps longer. This is a very big deal to my friends that live in Vietnam and the reason why I booked a rushed flight back to Canad ..read more

DIY Vietnam route maps continued. You can find photos of these routes here. In the last post I gave you 3 maps of southern routes and around Dalat and Nha Trang. The following DIY Vietnam route maps are from Dalat/Nha Trang area up to Phong Nha where the largest cave in the world can be found. I will also include what I consider to be the best budget accommodations and other advice.  The first map is going along coastal routes all the way from Nha Trang to the mainstream destinations Hoi An and Hue. There are sections of highway 1 which cannot be avoided. Try to time being on that road be ..read more

Vietnam by motorcycle part 3 Police OK…. So now you have a motorcycle and a list of destinations that you intend on visiting. Most foreigners that drive in Vietnam remark about there being no rules. This attitude can make you a hazard to the Vietnamese as your driving is unpredictable. There are a few important things to understand so you do not kill yourself or worse, a Vietnamese family out for a cooling evening ride. Most traffic law is similar to the west and common sense can keep you safe. Following are some of the most important things to understand and be aware of if touring Vietnam by ..read more

Vietnam by motorcycle. Part 2. Accident I addressed some of my concerns and opinions about seeing Vietnam by motorcycle and now will move on to giving some information on how to survive this insane traffic if you chose to ignore all common sense and drive yourself. Finding a bike There are inexpensive (around 5 dollars a day) motorcycles and scooters available everywhere for rent in Vietnam. Do not be surprised if you have to turn over your passport for the duration of the rental. Most rental bikes have some minimum maintenance and are fine for local trips. The safest option is to fly or take ..read more

Vietnam by motorcycle         Part 1 Bikes on tour You will read on the internet, many travelers’ tales that will say there are no rules. These people are mistaken and simply offer you bad advice and opinion. I will address some of the rules on the second part of this blog, however, first I will make the case why a person should consider not to experience by motorcycle unless riding pillion with an experienced rider (easyrider). Last moto tour In my capacity as a tour operator and Hotelier, Personally I have guided hundreds of motorcycle tours between th ..read more

resourceful What is going on in Vietnam? Travel in Vietnam has changed dramatically in the past 5 years. Rather than being a hot upcoming destination, I is now in full throttle as a major destination. Much information you will read in tour guides or read in travel forums might be discouraging to those wanting more off the beaten track adventures but hold on…… It is still very easy to enjoy a more local style holiday and I will address this issue in the following paragraphs. Adorable What has caused change is that Former American airbases with longer runways are now becoming international airpo ..read more

Visa on arrival is an easy and cost effective way to enter Vietnam. The process is simple and usually clearing customs is quick with little delay. A person also has the option in obtaining a visa from the Vietnam embassy in your home country if you prefer, however, the cost is usually much higher. The visa on arrival issued, is the same as one that would be issued in your home country. For your convenience, I have provided a link on this page to a reliable service. You can also simply do an internet search to find other companies that offer Visa on Arrival services. The Visa on arrival process ..read more

On the farm Vietnam tours had been suspended since the beginning of covid. It has been a heck of a time.  After the passing of my Father, I returned to Canada in support of my mother. I returned to Vietnam in Feb 2020 to guide a tour of Vietnam including the Central highlands. We were having quite the adventure when Covid hit. Slowly over 2 weeks the Vietnamese people became more paranoid with foreigners and even though I told them I lived in Vietnam in their own language, it became more difficult to get services. The busses and all other means of transport shut down and it was only blind ..read more