We feel so fortunate to have taken a family vacation to the beautiful and amazing country of Vietnam from Dec. 19 to Jan. 6, before the coronavirus outbreak.\u00a0 We posted iphone pics on instagram during the trip but now we have the time to edit and blog the rest of the images.\u00a0 We hope you enjoy this virtual vacation while stuck at home! \u00a0 We’ll be publishing several posts about our travels to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc island.<\/p>\n

When we spoke with friends about our family trip to Vietnam, invariably they asked, \u201cWhy Vietnam?\u201d\u00a0 The short answer is that Vietnam is \u201caccessible Asia\u201d.\u00a0 The country\u2019s a manageable size with a pleasant climate (in December).\u00a0 Additionally, there were so many opportunities for adventure\u2014kayaking, motor bike rides (as a passenger), sleeping on a junk boat\u2014 that would appeal to our 14 and 16 year old boys.\u00a0 The food was also a draw as we already loved pho, banh mi, bun, and summer rolls…savory,\u00a0 a bit sweet, salty, fresh\u2014it\u2019s a tasty, dynamic and healthy cuisine.\u00a0 And the Vietnamese like their bia hoi (fresh beer), which goes down so nice with all the food.\u00a0 Additionally, of course, our sad shared history with Vietnam\u2014what they call the American War\u2014was a major reason to visit.<\/p>\n\n

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We opted to take a tour and are so glad we did.\u00a0 Dealing with serious jet lag from the 12-hour time difference, a language barrier, and the amount of research required to do everything right would have been overwhelming.\u00a0 So we signed up with G Adventures<\/a> , a tour company affiliated with National Geographic with an emphasis on meeting the locals and giving back to the communities.\u00a0 We were also drawn to them because they offered tours for families which involved less touring\/lecturing (which the boys would hate) and more hands-on, fun activities.<\/p>\n

We met the group in Hanoi\u2026it included two other American families, an English couple and their son and daughter, and an Australian-South African family of four.\u00a0 Eight kids, ranging from 6 to 16.\u00a0 The adults and kids became fast friends and the sense of adventure bonded us all together…doing fun activities in the day and sharing a meal and a drink at night.\u00a0 Our tour guide, Phi, was just perfect…enthusiastic and open…and expert at balancing the time spent as a group vs. free time.\u00a0 We spent twelve days together and he joked that he actually spent two years with us..2019 and 2020!\u00a0 A great guy\u2026the eight kids just loved him.\u00a0 We are all still in touch via What’s App – it has been so nice during this virus to connect with people around the world and hear what’s happening first hand and know that they are all doing okay.<\/p>\n\n

Hanoi<\/strong><\/p>\n

We started the tour in Hanoi\u2019s Old Quarter, an atmospheric dense area with people darting in every direction, huddled together on tiny plastic stools eating and drinking just off the curb, charcoal grills glowing on every corner.\u00a0 The deluge of motorbikes made crossing the street quite a daring adventure…the good advice was to keep a steady pace and be predictable…the drivers will avoid hitting you that way!<\/p>\n

Much of Hanoi\u2019s French colonial architecture remains, making it feel much older than Ho Chi Minh City.\u00a0 We visited the \u201cHanoi Hilton\u201d prison where American POWs such as Senator John McCain were detained.\u00a0 And we stood silent with the masses to shuffle by Ho Chi Minh in his Soviet-built mausoleum; no cameras allowed.<\/p>\n

The Hanoi street scene is remarkable\u2014the social distance of people is so much less and everywhere you look there are people communing–eating, talking, drinking, working\u2014all together as a family or group of friends–a stark contrast to the culture in our cities. The night markets are particularly festive and we managed to go to several throughout the trip.<\/p>\n\n

Here are 5 take-aways from Hanoi:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Coffee –<\/strong> We did not know there was such a big coffee culture.\u00a0 But, like Paris, cafe society was alive and well with many cafes having all the chairs\/tables facing the streets so you can people watch while enjoying the latest cuppa.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Ballroom dancing –\u00a0<\/strong> Walking home from dinner, we ended up joining a crowd gathered to watch an impromptu group of couples ballroom dancing to a boom box in the street – think Fanueil Hall buskers – yet ballroom dancers – it was truly magical.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Spas –<\/strong> At $20\/massage, Jane had two in three days.\u00a0 They were incredible – one Thai massage where a tiny woman jumped on her back and used her whole body to dig deep into her muscles.\u00a0 The second was a hot stone massage which she’d never experienced before.\u00a0 She tried and can recommend both Dzao Spa<\/a> and Orchids Spa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Christmas –<\/strong> While the majority of the country worships a combination of Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism (although there are millions of Catholics in the country, a legacy of French missionaries) they sure love Christmas!\u00a0 T<\/span><\/span>here were many shops selling Christmas decorations and outfits and many adults wearing Santa costumes at the night markets…super festive!<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Optimism<\/strong> – The Vietnamese people we met were warm, welcoming, optimistic and proud of their country.\u00a0 Really a can-do culture.\u00a0 With a growing economy for the last twenty some years, everyone has seen so much positive change they are truly optimistic and excited as their country grows their standard of living.<\/p>\n

Check back soon as we continue on to Ha Long Bay!<\/p>\n\n\n \u00a0\u00a0 \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We feel so fortunate to have taken a family vacation to the beautiful and amazing country of Vietnam from Dec. 19 to Jan. 6, before the coronavirus outbreak.\u00a0 We posted iphone pics on instagram during the trip but now we have the time to edit and blog the rest of the images.\u00a0 We hope you enjoy this virtual vacation while … <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[237,694,721,722,723,724,725,726,727,728],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n