S6-E7 Is now a good time to travel to Vietnam < Back S6-E7 Is now a good time to travel to Vietnam S6-E7 Is now a good time to travel to Vietnam 00:00 / 18:17 Series 6 Question 7 Is now a good time to travel to Vietnam? As the world feels increasingly uncertain, it’s a question many travellers are quietly asking… Is now a good time to travel to Vietnam in 2026? Is Vietnam the best place to feel safe and still enjoy a holiday? In this episode, I’m coming to you from Vietnam itself — sharing what I’m seeing on the ground, how global events are really impacting travel (and how they’re not), and what you need to know if you’re planning a trip this year. Because here’s the truth… Vietnam isn’t slowing down. With over 4.7 million international visitors in the first two months of 2026 alone — up more than 18% year-on-year — travellers are still coming. In fact, many are leaning in. So maybe the better question isn’t if you should travel… It’s how to travel smartly in 2026. In this episode, I unpack: What’s really happening with airfares and flight routes Why disruption — not destination — is the real challenge right now The mindset shift travellers have without realising The three types of travellers — and how each types varies in their ability to control changes Five practical strategies to travelwith confidence this year I’m coming to you from Vietnam — sharing what I’m seeing on the ground, and why, for me, it still feels like the sweet spot… with just a few provisos. If you’ve been sitting on the fence, wondering whether to go now or wait… this episode should help you think about that question a little differently. Do you have a travel question or wish to give some feedback? You have 90 seconds. Click to read the voicemail recording policy Previous Next

The place where you get to discover amazing traveller experiences in Vietnam. Let us know how we can help you with your travel enquiry. WHAT ABOUT VIETNAM with Kerry Newsome Photo Credit - Gerard Gerhard Latest Episode S6 E7 Is now a good time to visit Vietnam? 00:00 / 18:17 Xin Chao and Welcome to Vietnam's Award winning Podcast and Travel Agency TRIP PLANNING SERIES 1 SERIES 2 SERIES 3 SERIES 4 SERIES 5 SERIES 6 Go to Visa info Welcome to WhatAboutVietnam.com (WAV) as we like to call it! The place where you get to discover amazing traveller experiences in Vietnam Listen - to the "What About Vietnam" - Traveller Insights Podcast here or on your favourite channel. Search - by name of the episode, destination or experience to find the best Podcast, Blog, Transcript or Video to match your enquiry. Read - The Travel Podcast Transcripts and blogs about many different experiences you can enjoy in Vietnam. Save as a PDF or download to print. Watch - Our Trailer Videos on our NEW- YOUTUBE channel Reach out - Send us an email and let us know how we can help you with your travel enquiry. Let me and my guests be your personal guides, mentors, tutors, and fun experts. We all have a story to tell about traveling about, living there or working in Vietnam. Each episode has something for everyone. I hope you will come to know, love, and share this page and my podcast with others to help them discover the true beauty and wonder that is Vietnam. Kerry Newsome Hi, my name is Kerry Newsome and I am your host on the What About Vietnam Podcast. If you have a subject, destination or experience you would like to know more about, why not drop me a quick message here and I will do my utmost to get you the information you have requested. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the next show. Kerry Subscribe to What About Vietnam through your favourite channel And many other channels What About Vietnam is a Vietnam Travel Podcast & Travel Agency 3rd Prize Winner 2025 Vietnam 1st National External Information Service Awards Submit Thanks for submitting!

What about Vietnam blog about travel tips and holidays in Vietnam S5-E27 – Discovering Catholic treasures in Vietnam Episode 27 Church hunting in Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh Go to Episode S5-E23 Caving and Trekking in Phong Nha’s Tu Lan Cave System Episode 23 Pushing the limits and finding the magic in Caving Go to Episode S5-E19-Facelift and Dental surgery Vietnam – A good news story Episode 19 Facelift and Dental surgery Vietnam – A good news story Go to Episode S5-E15 Yen Bai Luxury in the Heart of Nature Episode 15 Yen Bai Luxury in the Heart of Nature Go to Episode S5-E11 Out and About in Ho Tram Vietnam Episode 11 Out and About in Ho Tram at the beach Go to Episode S5-E7 - The Rise of Vietnam's Unique Dining Experiences Episode 7 The Rise of Unique Dining Experiences Go to Episode S5-E3 Heritage and Discovery in Saigon Mekong Delta & Dalat Episode 3 Rediscovering our guest's heritage Go to Episode S5-E26 Wellness Tourism in Vietnam Episode 26 Wellness Tourism in Vietnam – A Fresh Take from Hoi An Go to Episode S5-E22 10 things travellers may not know about Vietnam Episode 22 10 things Vietnam travellers may not know Go to Episode S5-E18 Hanoi Below the Surface Episode 18 Below the surface of vibrant Hanoi Go to Episode S5-E14 Phong Nha - The family fun destination Episode 14 Phong Nha - The family fun destination for everyone Go to Episode S5-E10 Out and About in Saigon - the Uncut Edition Episode 10 Out and about the Uncut Edition Go to Episode S5-E6 Explore the ‘Land of Lychees’ – Bac Giang Episode 6 Returning traveller explores Bac Giang Go to Episode S5-E2 Choosing Hoi An as a Digital Nomad Destination Episode 2 The Hub in Hoi An offers the digital needs of nomads Go to Episode S5-E25 Hoi An in Focus - ten things to love Episode 25 Hoi An in Focus - ten things to love Go to Episode S5-E21 Vietnam Tet Holiday - Preparation and Tips for Tourists Episode 21 Vietnam Tet Holiday - Preparation and Tips for Tourists Go to Episode S5-E17 Motorbike Riding in Vietnam tips and adventures Episode 17 Motorbike Riding safety, local tips and epic adventures Go to Episode S5-E13 Out and About in Nha Trang Episode 13 Out and About Nha Trang The city of 300 days of sunshine a year Go to Episode S5-E9 Out and about in Saigon with Kerry Newsome Episode 9 Out and about in Saigon with Kerry Newsome Go to Episode S5-E5 Hai Van Pass Experience from a seasoned traveller Episode 5 Hai Van Pass is an amazing scenic route near Denang Go to Episode S5-E1- Vietnam Visa Update and Land Travel Tips Episode 1 Taking in Phan Thiet, Hue and Quy Nhon Go to Episode S5-E24 Ha Giang Insider tips for an Unforgettable Adventure Episode 24 Uncover Ha Giang, Vietnam's last frontier Go to Episode S5-E20 Saigon Unseen The sights you might be missing Episode 20 Saigon's unseen sights you might be missing Go to Episode S5-E16 Smart phone apps and tech tip Episode 16 Smart phone apps and tech tips for Vietnam travellers Go to Episode S5-E12 Out and About in Mui Ne - Laying bare the winds of change Episode 12 Out and About in Mui Ne - The winds of change Go to Episode S5-E8 – Empowering the Traveller to fight Human Trafficking Episode 8 Human trafficking in Vietnam and how you can change it. Go to Episode S5-E4 Exploring Living and Working in Vietnam Episode 4 Looking at the world of expat life in Vietnam Go to Episode

What about Vietnam blog about travel tips and holidays in Vietnam S6-E8 Where should you go first in Vietnam Question 8 Go to Episode S6-E4 When is the best time of year to visit Vietnam Question 4 Go to Episode S6-E7 Is now a good time to travel to Vietnam Question 7 Go to Episode S6-E3 Do I need a Visa to enter Vietnam Question 3 Go to Episode S6-E6 Is tipping required in Vietnam - A practical guide for travellers Question 6 Go to Episode S6-E2 Is TET a good time to visit Vietnam Question 2 Go to Episode S6-E5 How to handle money in Vietnam Question 5 Go to Episode S6-E1 Is it safe to travel to Vietnam as a solo traveller Question 1 Go to Episode

Vietnam travel podcasts featuring stories and interviews about north Vietnam destinations North Vietnam S2-24 Explore Bac Ha Markets Go to Episode S2-14 Social Enterprise Travel Go to Episode S2-23 Vietnam Cooking Classes Go to Episode S2-05 Explore Mai Chau Go to Episode S2-21 Vietnamese Trail Marathons Go to Episode S2-07 Hoi An Top 10 must dos Go to Episode S2-15 Sapa North Vietnam Go to Episode S2-02 Shopping Vietnam Go to Episode S3-16 Things NOT always in a tour Go to Episode S3-02 Mu Cang Chai Go to Episode S3-09 Photographic experiences Go to Episode S3-08 Food Adventure Go to Episode S3-05 Ha Giang Loop Go to Episode S4-25 A fun Guide to droning - Photos Part 3 Go to Episode S4-18 Luxury Brand Travel Experiences Go to Episode S4-12 Contemporary Art in Vietnam Go to Episode S4-24 Take beautiful photos Part 2 Go to Episode S4-17 Vietnam Traveller Insights 2022 Go to Episode S4-10 Hanoi A Foodies Paradise P2 Go to Episode S4-23 Take beautiful photos Part 1 Go to Episode S4-16 Mystical Ninh Binh Go to Episode S4-09 Hanoi A Foodies Paradise P1 Go to Episode S4-22 Trekking in Sapa A wide lens view Go to Episode S4-15 Travelling as a solo woman Go to Episode S4-04 Vietnam Wedding Planning Go to Episode S5-E27 – Discovering Catholic treasures in Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E18 Hanoi Below the Surface Go to Episode S5-E8 – Empowering the Traveller to fight Human Trafficking Go to Episode S5-E24 Ha Giang Insider tips for an Unforgettable Adventure Go to Episode S5-E17 Motorbike Riding in Vietnam tips and adventures Go to Episode S5-E7 - The Rise of Vietnam's Unique Dining Experiences Go to Episode S5-E22 10 things travellers may not know about Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E16 Smart phone apps and tech tip Go to Episode S5-E6 Explore the ‘Land of Lychees’ – Bac Giang Go to Episode S5-E21 Vietnam Tet Holiday - Preparation and Tips for Tourists Go to Episode S5-E15 Yen Bai Luxury in the Heart of Nature Go to Episode S5-E4 Exploring Living and Working in Vietnam Go to Episode Question 8 Go to Episode Question 4 Go to Episode Question 7 Go to Episode Question 3 Go to Episode Question 6 Go to Episode Question 2 Go to Episode Question 5 Go to Episode Question 1 Go to Episode

Vietnam travel podcasts featuring stories and interviews about a variety of special interest activiies and adventures in Vietnam Special Interest S2-25 River Cruising Vietnam Go to Episode S2-18 Masterminding your trip Go to Episode S2-11 Golf in Vietnam Go to Episode S2-23 Vietnam Cooking Classes Go to Episode S2-17 Wellness and Healing Go to Episode S2-10 Dental Holiday in Vietnam Go to Episode S2-21 Vietnamese Trail Marathons Go to Episode S2-14 Social Enterprise Travel Go to Episode S2-06 Top 5 Photography locations Go to Episode S2-19 Culture History through food Go to Episode S2-13 Skin Wellness retreat Go to Episode S2-08 Vietnam wedding Destination Go to Episode S3-24 Phu Quoc A scenic island paradise Go to Episode S3-18 Emerging comedy in Saigon Go to Episode S3-12 From Tourist to Resident Go to Episode S3-23 Your next wellness destination Go to Episode S3-17 Mui Ne Beach bliss experiences Go to Episode S3-10 Top 5 Travel Podcasts Go to Episode S3-22 Phong Nha Caves in depth Go to Episode S3-16 Things NOT always in a tour Go to Episode S3-09 Photographic experiences Go to Episode S3-19 Learn "Greetings" Go to Episode S3-13 Vietnamese Noodles Go to Episode S3-08 Food Adventure Go to Episode S4-25 A fun Guide to droning - Photos Part 3 Go to Episode S4-21 Beyond the Phong Nha caves Go to Episode S4-15 Travelling as a solo woman Go to Episode S4-24 Take beautiful photos Part 2 Go to Episode S4-20 Life changer for singer songwiter Go to Episode S4-14 Con Dao Islands Go to Episode S4-23 Take beautiful photos Part 1 Go to Episode S4-19 Vietnam wins the heart of the daring Go to Episode S4-13 Citizen 44 podswap Go to Episode S4-22 Trekking in Sapa A wide lens view Go to Episode S4-17 Vietnam Traveller Insights 2022 Go to Episode S4-12 Contemporary Art in Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E27 – Discovering Catholic treasures in Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E23 Caving and Trekking in Phong Nha’s Tu Lan Cave System Go to Episode S5-E19-Facelift and Dental surgery Vietnam – A good news story Go to Episode S5-E26 Wellness Tourism in Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E22 10 things travellers may not know about Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E17 Motorbike Riding in Vietnam tips and adventures Go to Episode S5-E25 Hoi An in Focus - ten things to love Go to Episode S5-E21 Vietnam Tet Holiday - Preparation and Tips for Tourists Go to Episode S5-E16 Smart phone apps and tech tip Go to Episode S5-E24 Ha Giang Insider tips for an Unforgettable Adventure Go to Episode S5-E20 Saigon Unseen The sights you might be missing Go to Episode S5-E15 Yen Bai Luxury in the Heart of Nature Go to Episode Question 8 Go to Episode Question 4 Go to Episode Question 7 Go to Episode Question 3 Go to Episode Question 6 Go to Episode Question 2 Go to Episode Question 5 Go to Episode Question 1 Go to Episode

Vietnam travel podcasts featuring stories and interviews about the culture of Vietnam Cultural S1-07 8 Tips for travel during Tet Go to Episode S1-06 Culture and Visas Go to Episode S1-01 Vietnam Travel Planning Go to Episode S2-24 Explore Bac Ha Markets Go to Episode S2-07 Hoi An Top 10 must dos Go to Episode S2-14 Social Enterprise Travel Go to Episode S2-04 Tam Ky and Tam Thanh Beach Go to Episode S2-05 Explore Mai Chau Go to Episode S2-06 Top 5 Photography locations Go to Episode S4-22 Trekking in Sapa A wide lens view Go to Episode S4-16 Mystical Ninh Binh Go to Episode S4-07 Hue the city Past Present Future Go to Episode S4-21 Beyond the Phong Nha caves Go to Episode S4-12 Contemporary Art in Vietnam Go to Episode S4-05 Nha Trang 10 best things Go to Episode S4-18 Luxury Brand Travel Experiences Go to Episode S4-10 Hanoi A Foodies Paradise P2 Go to Episode S4-01 Art in Vietnam Go to Episode S4-17 Vietnam Traveller Insights 2022 Go to Episode S4-09 Hanoi A Foodies Paradise P1 Go to Episode S3-23 Your next wellness destination Go to Episode S3-07 Positive tourism Go to Episode S3-11 Saigons Covid Recovery Outlook Go to Episode S3-04 Dishes of Danang Go to Episode S3-10 Top 5 Travel Podcasts Go to Episode S3-03 Saigon HCMC Districts Go to Episode S3-09 Photographic experiences Go to Episode S3-02 Mu Cang Chai Go to Episode S5-E27 – Discovering Catholic treasures in Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E22 10 things travellers may not know about Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E12 Out and About in Mui Ne - Laying bare the winds of change Go to Episode S5-E25 Hoi An in Focus - ten things to love Go to Episode S5-E21 Vietnam Tet Holiday - Preparation and Tips for Tourists Go to Episode S5-E7 - The Rise of Vietnam's Unique Dining Experiences Go to Episode S5-E24 Ha Giang Insider tips for an Unforgettable Adventure Go to Episode S5-E20 Saigon Unseen The sights you might be missing Go to Episode S5-E6 Explore the ‘Land of Lychees’ – Bac Giang Go to Episode S5-E23 Caving and Trekking in Phong Nha’s Tu Lan Cave System Go to Episode S5-E18 Hanoi Below the Surface Go to Episode S5-E5 Hai Van Pass Experience from a seasoned traveller Go to Episode Question 8 Go to Episode Question 4 Go to Episode Question 7 Go to Episode Question 3 Go to Episode Question 6 Go to Episode Question 2 Go to Episode Question 5 Go to Episode Question 1 Go to Episode

Vietnam travel podcasts featuring stories and interviews in central Vietnam destinations Central Vietnam S2-23 Vietnam Cooking Classes Go to Episode S2-11 Golf in Vietnam Go to Episode S2-06 Top 5 Photography locations Go to Episode S2-01 Historical Hoi An Go to Episode S2-22 Wild Monkeys of Danang Go to Episode S2-09 Phong Nha Caves Go to Episode S2-04 Tam Ky and Tam Thanh Beach Go to Episode S2-16 Danang Community Sprit Go to Episode S2-08 Vietnam wedding Destination Go to Episode S2-03 Family Friendly Vietnam Go to Episode S2-12 Health and Wellness Retreats Go to Episode S2-07 Hoi An Top 10 must dos Go to Episode S2-02 Shopping Vietnam Go to Episode S3-25 One teenagers holiday views Go to Episode S3-17 Mui Ne Beach bliss experiences Go to Episode S3-12 From Tourist to Resident Go to Episode S3-23 Your next wellness destination Go to Episode S3-16 Things NOT always in a tour Go to Episode S3-10 Top 5 Travel Podcasts Go to Episode S3-22 Phong Nha Caves in depth Go to Episode S3-15 Travel time in Vietnam P2 Go to Episode S3-04 Dishes of Danang Go to Episode S3-21 Learn "shopping words" Go to Episode S3-13 Vietnamese Noodles Go to Episode S4-25 A fun Guide to droning - Photos Part 3 Go to Episode S4-20 Life changer for singer songwiter Go to Episode S4-14 Con Dao Islands Go to Episode S4-24 Take beautiful photos Part 2 Go to Episode S4-18 Luxury Brand Travel Experiences Go to Episode S4-11 Revisiting Vietnam Go to Episode S4-23 Take beautiful photos Part 1 Go to Episode S4-17 Vietnam Traveller Insights 2022 Go to Episode S4-08 Travel Addict podswap Go to Episode S4-21 Beyond the Phong Nha caves Go to Episode S4-15 Travelling as a solo woman Go to Episode S4-07 Hue the city Past Present Future Go to Episode S5-E26 Wellness Tourism in Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E21 Vietnam Tet Holiday - Preparation and Tips for Tourists Go to Episode S5-E8 – Empowering the Traveller to fight Human Trafficking Go to Episode S5-E25 Hoi An in Focus - ten things to love Go to Episode S5-E17 Motorbike Riding in Vietnam tips and adventures Go to Episode S5-E5 Hai Van Pass Experience from a seasoned traveller Go to Episode S5-E23 Caving and Trekking in Phong Nha’s Tu Lan Cave System Go to Episode S5-E16 Smart phone apps and tech tip Go to Episode S5-E3 Heritage and Discovery in Saigon Mekong Delta & Dalat Go to Episode S5-E22 10 things travellers may not know about Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E14 Phong Nha - The family fun destination Go to Episode S5-E2 Choosing Hoi An as a Digital Nomad Destination Go to Episode Question 8 Go to Episode Question 4 Go to Episode Question 7 Go to Episode Question 3 Go to Episode Question 6 Go to Episode Question 2 Go to Episode Question 5 Go to Episode Question 1 Go to Episode

Vietnam travel podcasts featuring stories and interviews about south Vietnam destinations South Vietnam S2-20 Saigon Nightlife scoop Go to Episode S2-02 Shopping Vietnam Go to Episode S3-25 One teenagers holiday views Go to Episode S3-15 Travel time in Vietnam P2 Go to Episode S3-24 Phu Quoc A scenic island paradise Go to Episode S3-11 Saigons Covid Recovery Outlook Go to Episode S3-18 Emerging comedy in Saigon Go to Episode S3-06 Diving in Vietnam Go to Episode S3-17 Mui Ne Beach bliss experiences Go to Episode S3-03 Saigon HCMC Districts Go to Episode S4-25 A fun Guide to droning - Photos Part 3 Go to Episode S4-18 Luxury Brand Travel Experiences Go to Episode S4-13 Citizen 44 podswap Go to Episode S4-24 Take beautiful photos Part 2 Go to Episode S4-17 Vietnam Traveller Insights 2022 Go to Episode S4-11 Revisiting Vietnam Go to Episode S4-23 Take beautiful photos Part 1 Go to Episode S4-15 Travelling as a solo woman Go to Episode S4-08 Travel Addict podswap Go to Episode S4-19 Vietnam wins the heart of the daring Go to Episode S4-14 Con Dao Islands Go to Episode S4-05 Nha Trang 10 best things Go to Episode S5-E21 Vietnam Tet Holiday - Preparation and Tips for Tourists Go to Episode S5-E16 Smart phone apps and tech tip Go to Episode S5-E10 Out and About in Saigon - the Uncut Edition Go to Episode S5-E20 Saigon Unseen The sights you might be missing Go to Episode S5-E13 Out and About in Nha Trang Go to Episode S5-E9 Out and about in Saigon with Kerry Newsome Go to Episode S5-E19-Facelift and Dental surgery Vietnam – A good news story Go to Episode S5-E12 Out and About in Mui Ne - Laying bare the winds of change Go to Episode S5-E8 – Empowering the Traveller to fight Human Trafficking Go to Episode S5-E17 Motorbike Riding in Vietnam tips and adventures Go to Episode S5-E11 Out and About in Ho Tram Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E7 - The Rise of Vietnam's Unique Dining Experiences Go to Episode Question 8 Go to Episode Question 4 Go to Episode Question 7 Go to Episode Question 3 Go to Episode Question 6 Go to Episode Question 2 Go to Episode Question 5 Go to Episode Question 1 Go to Episode

Vietnam travel podcasts featuring stories and interviews about trip planning for Vietnam travel Trip Planning S1-E11 Go to Episode S1-07 8 Tips for travel during Tet Go to Episode S1-E10 Getting your Visa right Go to Episode S1-06 Culture and Visas Go to Episode S1-E09 Vietnam Travel First Impressions Go to Episode S1-08 Join a packaged group tour or DIY Go to Episode S2-23 Vietnam Cooking Classes Go to Episode S2-03 Family Friendly Vietnam Go to Episode S2-18 Masterminding your trip Go to Episode S2-02 Shopping Vietnam Go to Episode S2-14 Social Enterprise Travel Go to Episode S2-06 Top 5 Photography locations Go to Episode S3-25 One teenagers holiday views Go to Episode S3-20 Learn "special dietary needs" Go to Episode S3-16 Things NOT always in a tour Go to Episode S3-24 Phu Quoc A scenic island paradise Go to Episode S3-19 Learn "Greetings" Go to Episode S3-15 Travel time in Vietnam P2 Go to Episode S3-22 Phong Nha Caves in depth Go to Episode S3-18 Emerging comedy in Saigon Go to Episode S3-14 Travel Opening up P1 Go to Episode S3-21 Learn "shopping words" Go to Episode S3-17 Mui Ne Beach bliss experiences Go to Episode S3-11 Saigons Covid Recovery Outlook Go to Episode S4-22 Trekking in Sapa A wide lens view Go to Episode S4-16 Mystical Ninh Binh Go to Episode S4-11 Revisiting Vietnam Go to Episode S4-21 Beyond the Phong Nha caves Go to Episode S4-15 Travelling as a solo woman Go to Episode S4-09 Hanoi A Foodies Paradise P1 Go to Episode S4-18 Luxury Brand Travel Experiences Go to Episode S4-14 Con Dao Islands Go to Episode S4-08 Travel Addict podswap Go to Episode S4-17 Vietnam Traveller Insights 2022 Go to Episode S4-13 Citizen 44 podswap Go to Episode S4-05 Nha Trang 10 best things Go to Episode S5-E27 – Discovering Catholic treasures in Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E18 Hanoi Below the Surface Go to Episode S5-E13 Out and About in Nha Trang Go to Episode S5-E24 Ha Giang Insider tips for an Unforgettable Adventure Go to Episode S5-E17 Motorbike Riding in Vietnam tips and adventures Go to Episode S5-E12 Out and About in Mui Ne - Laying bare the winds of change Go to Episode S5-E22 10 things travellers may not know about Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E16 Smart phone apps and tech tip Go to Episode S5-E11 Out and About in Ho Tram Vietnam Go to Episode S5-E21 Vietnam Tet Holiday - Preparation and Tips for Tourists Go to Episode S5-E14 Phong Nha - The family fun destination Go to Episode S5-E10 Out and About in Saigon - the Uncut Edition Go to Episode Question 8 Go to Episode Question 4 Go to Episode Question 7 Go to Episode Question 3 Go to Episode Question 6 Go to Episode Question 2 Go to Episode Question 5 Go to Episode Question 1 Go to Episode

What about Vietnam blog about travel tips and holidays in Vietnam S2-25 River Cruising Vietnam Episode 25 Cruising Vietnam is a truly immersive experience Go to Episode S2-21 Vietnamese Trail Marathons Episode 21 We discuss the fun of trail marathons in Vietnam Go to Episode S2-17 Wellness and Healing Episode 17 In all the natural beauty and culture you can find yourself Go to Episode S2-13 Skin Wellness retreat Episode 13 Special retreat focusing on skin wellness Go to Episode S2-09 Phong Nha Caves Episode 9 World's largest cave at Phong Nha National Park. Go to Episode S2-05 Explore Mai Chau Episode 5 Exploring the threaded history of textiled in Mai Chau Go to Episode S2-01 Historical Hoi An Episode 1 We share with you some of the history of Hoi An. Go to Episode S2-24 Explore Bac Ha Markets Episode 24 Discover a world time forgot at Bac Ha markets Go to Episode S2-20 Saigon Nightlife scoop Episode 20 Finding the best nightlife in buzzing Saigon Go to Episode S2-16 Danang Community Sprit Episode 16 How Danang offers up a new kind of experience Go to Episode S2-12 Health and Wellness Retreats Episode 12 Health and wellness retreats - what to look for. Go to Episode S2-08 Vietnam wedding Destination Episode 8 Inspired by love, Vietnam is an idyllic wedding destination Go to Episode S2-04 Tam Ky and Tam Thanh Beach Episode 4 Tam Ky and Tam Thanh beach - not on the regular tourist track yet! Go to Episode S2-23 Vietnam Cooking Classes Episode 23 Why you should do more than one cooking class Go to Episode S2-19 Culture History through food Episode 19 When it is about the food it is because it is fantastic Go to Episode S2-15 Sapa North Vietnam Episode 15 Phil Hoolihan takes us beyond the tourist tracks Go to Episode S2-11 Golf in Vietnam Episode 11 Unrivaled golfing experiences and locations Go to Episode S2-07 Hoi An Top 10 must dos Episode 7 Expat guides us through the top 10 must do things in Hoi An. Go to Episode S2-03 Family Friendly Vietnam Episode 3 Is Vietnam family-friendly? With guest Suzie Slingsby. Go to Episode S2-22 Wild Monkeys of Danang Episode 22 Monkeys in the wild at Son Tra Nature Reserve Danang Go to Episode S2-18 Masterminding your trip Episode 18 Discover and mastermind your Vietnam experiences Go to Episode S2-14 Social Enterprise Travel Episode 14 Vietnam is the ideal place for social enterprise travel Go to Episode S2-10 Dental Holiday in Vietnam Episode 10 Holiday and save money on dentistry Go to Episode S2-06 Top 5 Photography locations Episode 6 The best locations in Vietnam for photographic scenic delights. Go to Episode S2-02 Shopping Vietnam Episode 2 Shopping for Designer, Tailoring and Sustainable in Vietnam Go to Episode

What about Vietnam blog about travel tips and holidays in Vietnam Special Offers

What about Vietnam blog about travel tips and holidays in Vietnam S1-E11 Episode 11 As 2025 draws to a close here are some reflections. Go to Episode S1-07 8 Tips for travel during Tet Episode 7 8 Tips for Vietnam travellers during TET Go to Episode S1-03 Travel within Vietnam Episode 3 How should you travel to and in Vietnam and is it safe? Go to Episode S1-E10 Getting your Visa right Episode 10 No Visa or Evisa – Getting it right in 2025 Go to Episode S1-06 Culture and Visas Episode 6 Vietnam from a cultural and historical standpoint. Go to Episode S1-02 Best Time to Travel in Vietnam Episode 2 Know the best time to as a travel manager and “its important”. Go to Episode S1-E09 Vietnam Travel First Impressions Episode 9 Travelling Vietnam for the first time? Go to Episode S1-05 Accommodation Episode 5 Five golden rules on getting the best accommodation Go to Episode S1-08 Join a packaged group tour or DIY Episode 8 The big Decision. A packaged tour or DIY Go to Episode S1-04 What can you buy Episode 4 What does your Dong buy you in Vietnam? Go to Episode

What about Vietnam blog about travel tips and holidays in Vietnam S3-25 One teenagers holiday views Episode 25 Be pleasantly surprised by the views of this teenager Go to Episode S3-21 Learn "shopping words" Episode 21 Language tips in Vietnam Learn best shopping words Go to Episode S3-17 Mui Ne Beach bliss experiences Episode 17 A sun kissed paradise with amazing experiences. Go to Episode S3-13 Vietnamese Noodles Episode 13 Experience the quintessential favourite, Pho. Go to Episode S3-09 Photographic experiences Episode 9 Rich in history and culture and yet bursting to change. Go to Episode S3-05 Ha Giang Loop Episode 5 Ha Giang Loop adventure, Vietnam's final frontier Go to Episode S3-01 Travel Industry Experts Episode 1 Insights into Vietnam travel beyond 2021 Go to Episode S3-24 Phu Quoc A scenic island paradise Episode 24 Pgu Quoc is a highly sought after destination Go to Episode S3-20 Learn "special dietary needs" Episode 20 Language tips in Vietnamese Learn "special dietary needs" Go to Episode S3-16 Things NOT always in a tour Episode 16 Discussing the broader challenges in travel planning Go to Episode S3-12 From Tourist to Resident Episode 12 What would it be like to live in a foreign country? Go to Episode S3-08 Food Adventure Episode 8 Fun Hanoi foodie adventure to blow your mind Go to Episode S3-04 Dishes of Danang Episode 4 Must try local dishes with Vietnam Food Safari Go to Episode S3-23 Your next wellness destination Episode 23 The Alba Wellness Resort - a great destination Go to Episode S3-19 Learn "Greetings" Episode 19 Language tips in Vietnam week 1 - "greetings" Go to Episode S3-15 Travel time in Vietnam P2 Episode 15 How much time to allow for a visit and to where. Go to Episode S3-11 Saigons Covid Recovery Outlook Episode 11 Lockdown insights and upcoming travel advice Go to Episode S3-07 Positive tourism Episode 7 Leaving a positive footprint through social enterprise Go to Episode S3-03 Saigon HCMC Districts Episode 3 Samantha Coomber guides us through Saigon's districts Go to Episode S3-22 Phong Nha Caves in depth Episode 22 Fast becoming a major draw card for adventure seekers. Go to Episode S3-18 Emerging comedy in Saigon Episode 18 A happening comedy scene for laughs in Saigon Go to Episode S3-14 Travel Opening up P1 Episode 14 After months of being closed, the doors are opening Go to Episode S3-10 Top 5 Travel Podcasts Episode 10 These episodes remind me why I started this journey Go to Episode S3-06 Diving in Vietnam Episode 6 Jeremy Stein takes us diving in the best locations Go to Episode S3-02 Mu Cang Chai Episode 2 Colourful landscapes of the village of Mu Cang Chai Go to Episode

What about Vietnam blog about travel tips and holidays in Vietnam S4-25 A fun Guide to droning - Photos Part 3 Episode 25 A fun guide to droning in Vietnam - Photos Part 3 Go to Episode S4-21 Beyond the Phong Nha caves Episode 21 There is more to Phong Nha than just the caves Go to Episode S4-17 Vietnam Traveller Insights 2022 Episode 17 The best Vietnam traveller insights from 2022 Go to Episode S4-13 Citizen 44 podswap Episode 13 A feeling of an injection of colour into my soul Go to Episode S4-09 Hanoi A Foodies Paradise P1 Episode 9 What is truly distinct about Northern Vietnam cuisine Go to Episode S4-05 Nha Trang 10 best things Episode 5 10 best things about Nha Trang you may not know Go to Episode S4-01 Art in Vietnam Episode 1 The artist’s true technique of storytelling Go to Episode S4-24 Take beautiful photos Part 2 Episode 24 Mastering photography in Vietnam - Part 2 Go to Episode S4-20 Life changer for singer songwiter Episode 20 Hoi An – A life changer for a singer songwriter Go to Episode S4-16 Mystical Ninh Binh Episode 16 Mountainous peaks and a labrynth of waterways Go to Episode S4-12 Contemporary Art in Vietnam Episode 12 Contemporary art is shining fresh eyes on Vietnam. Go to Episode S4-08 Travel Addict podswap Episode 8 Travel Addict Show (podswap) talking Vietnam with Kerry Newsome Go to Episode S4-04 Vietnam Wedding Planning Episode 4 When planning a wedding there are so many factors... Go to Episode S4-23 Take beautiful photos Part 1 Episode 23 Mastering photography in Vietnam - Part 1 Go to Episode S4-19 Vietnam wins the heart of the daring Episode 19 A country to feel safe in while pushing boundaries Go to Episode S4-15 Travelling as a solo woman Episode 15 A favourite destination amongst female travellers Go to Episode S4-11 Revisiting Vietnam Episode 11 It's my turn to to revisit Vietnam and check it out Go to Episode S4-07 Hue the city Past Present Future Episode 7 Boasting a patchwork of imperialism and French colonialism Go to Episode S4-03 Travel Outlook 2022-23 Episode 3 I am the guest here talking about Vietnam travel Go to Episode S4-22 Trekking in Sapa A wide lens view Episode 22 The cultural component of trekking in Sapa Go to Episode S4-18 Luxury Brand Travel Experiences Episode 18 Luxury brand travel experiences in Vietnam Go to Episode S4-14 Con Dao Islands Eprisode 14 An archipelago of pristine beauty and complexity Go to Episode S4-10 Hanoi A Foodies Paradise P2 Episode 10 Northern Vietnam cuisine diversity and charm Go to Episode S4-06 Craft beers in Vietnam Episode 6 The “biggest” best leaked Vietnam travel secrets Go to Episode S4-02 Fine Dining Vietnam Episode 2 Vietnam is legendary for its street food and chefs Go to Episode

S6-E2 Is TET a good time to visit Vietnam < Back S6-E2 Is TET a good time to visit Vietnam S6-E2 Is TET a good time to visit Vietnam 00:00 / 22:41 Series 6 Episode 2 Is TET a Good Time to Visit Vietnam? What travellers should know before deciding to visit Vietnam during the TET holiday. Tết, Vietnam’s Lunar New Year, is the most important cultural period of the year — but is it actually a good time for foreigners to visit? Just to be clear from the outset - Tết dates relate to the Lunar New Year Calender and are usually between Late January and February. You should check the dates for the year you are travelling as each year is different. Tết New Year's eve usually marks the beginning of the holiday but it can be a day or two before and can last as long as 9 – 10 days. In this episode, I focus on what Tết means for travellers and how it affects transport, accommodation, tours, and daily life across Vietnam. Rather than diving into history or ritual, I share the real-world impact on your trip , along with practical travel tips to help manage expectations — especially if this is your first time visiting Vietnam. There isn’t a simple yes or no answer to this question. Whether Tết works for you depends on how you travel, what you expect, and how flexible you’re willing to be. I cover what really happens during Tết, when the slowdown starts, which places cope best, what commonly closes, and when travelling during the middle of Tết can work. I also explain why I usually recommend travelling well before Tết or about a week after for a smoother, more enjoyable experience. My honest take: Tết isn’t a bad time to visit Vietnam — but it’s not an easy one. Timing your trip matters just as much as choosing your destination. Tết is one of those moments where thoughtful planning makes all the difference — and it’s something I regularly help travellers get right in trip plans through my Travel services offering. Please reach out if I can be of assistance - https://www.whataboutvietnam.com/trip-plan-request-form Do you have a travel question or wish to give some feedback? You have 90 seconds. Click to read the voicemail recording policy Previous Next

S5-E22 10 things travellers may not know about Vietnam S5-E22 10 things travellers may not know about Vietnam Episode 22 S5-E22 10 things travellers may not know about Vietnam 00:00 / 1:11:30 What About Vietnam – Kicking Off 2025 with Ian Paynton To start the year with a bang, I wanted to explore some essential insights for travelers to Vietnam—things that first-time visitors might not know but, if they did, could make their experience even richer. Joining me for this deep dive is Ian Paynton, a Vietnam enthusiast who has spent years uncovering the country’s hidden gems. Through his podcast, You Don’t Know Vietnam, and his agency, We Create Content, Ian focuses on helping international brands build authentic and engaged audiences in Vietnam. But that’s not all—he’s also gained fame in Vietnam’s music scene as a rap star. Be sure to check out some of his tracks: • Oi Gioi Oi • The Charming Beast In this episode, we explore 10 fascinating things about Vietnam that might surprise you, including: [00:02:59] (1) Surprising perceptions of Vietnam [00:06:23] Cities worth exploring in Vietnam.. [00:15:08] (2) Pho variations in Vietnam. [00:20:05] (3) Expect the unexpected in Vietnam. [00:23:31] (4) Things are done differently in Vietnam. [00:28:36] (5) Social media's impact on Vietnam. [00:30:45] Train Street's social media impact. [00:35:02] Ha Giang Province exploration. [00:41:11] (6) Next big tourism attraction. [00:46:03] (7) Vietnamese music festivals [00:48:50] (8) Tinder scene and how to avoid scams [00:52:27] (9) Pronouns and hierarchical addressing in Vietnam. [00:57:09] (10) Ethnic diversity in Vietnam – where to find those 54 minority groups [01:00:31] Respecting local cultures in Vietnam. [01:04:45] Value for money in Vietnam. This episode offers a fresh take on Vietnam’s culture, quirks, and evolving identity, making it a must-listen for both first-time visitors and seasoned travelers. Start your 2025 journey with new insights and a deeper appreciation for this dynamic country. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to reach out via “message speak” on our website or via email if you have any questions. Links to follow Ian Paynton: Ian Paynton https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-paynton-497ba630 You don’t know Vietnam https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/you-dont-know-vietnam/id1669146703 We Create Content https://wecreatecontent.vn/podcasts Oi Gioi Oi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezZ_lHNDttI The Charming Beast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM-d7KqzW8w Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

9d1abf46-8039-4709-ab25-207ac4f01231Ha Giang Loop adventure, Vietnam's final frontier What About Vietnam - S3-5 The Ha Giang Loop - Vietnams’ final frontier [00:00:36] Kerry Newsome: Xin chào . Welcome to What About Vietnam . Today, I'm taking you to the last frontier of Vietnam, a place called Ha Giang. That's spelled “Ha Giang.” Ha Giang actually gets connected to what they call the “Loop”. The loop is actually 350 kilometers in total. It's a spectacular region. Amazing views. You're going to see lots and lots of photos on the internet of this region, and lots of people talking about motorbike riding around the loop. I'm talking today with Tom Stone. Tom has been running tours in this area on bikes for the last 10 to 12 years. He's decided to take up roots in the area and building a boutique hotel. That's pretty exciting. He's going to give you some great insights into what to expect there from a real “living there” perspective. You're going to get, the things that you can't get anywhere else because it’s coming from someone who's really living the life and offering those tours to locals and to foreigners. Come on board today for a fabulous episode, we're going to learn lots about just what to expect in accommodation, how much time as investment that you need to put in to get the best out of the region. We're going to learn a little bit about what minority groups are located in the region. I think it's going to give you some great advice on whether or not it's the right thing for you to include in your next trip. Please welcome Tom to the program. [music] Hello Tom, welcome to What About Vietnam ? [00:02:35] Tom Stone: Hi, Kerry. Thanks for having me. [00:02:37] Kerry Newsome: Just to start with, to give people an understanding of where it is, can you talk to us about its location and proximity to the Chinese border? [00:02:48] Tom Stone: Yes, sure. It’s Vietnam's most Northern province. It's situated approximately-- it's around three hundred kilometers from Hanoi. It's also it's about 250 kilometers, approximately, from Sapa, which a lot of people know about in the North. The province border is surrounded mainly from the East and the West from the Chinese border and the far North. [00:03:19] Kerry Newsome: When I see the photos and I see that beautiful gorge, it is such-- I think we actually talked about it before and you said it's the last frontier. Is that how you feel about the region? You've been there a long time. How do you feel about the region? [00:03:39] Tom Stone: Yes, as you say, I've been coming up here for a long time, recently moved up here, but I spent a lot of my time in Vietnam up in this area. It never fails to blow me away, just how astounding the scenery is. It's a little bit like going back in time even for Vietnam. It's a lot less developed, especially in the way of tourism, than anywhere else in the country. In my opinion, the scenery is unmatched. The gorge that you speak of up in the Mèo Vạc - Đồng Văn area is absolutely incredible. Whenever I've had people go through there, I've never, never failed for them to be, "This is one of the most amazing places I've ever been to." Saying, it's very, very popular for photographers like-- Yes. [00:04:35] Kerry Newsome: I would think some of those photos would be drone photos, wouldn't they? Because they're taken at very high levels, some of them, I say. Is that right? [00:04:43] Tom Stone: Absolutely, but the funny thing is some of the best photos are just off your basic phone. You're so high up. The scenery is literally below your feet and well above your head as well. There's so much of view, which makes it such a popular thing to see by motorbike or scooter because the scenery is so huge. [00:05:10] Kerry Newsome: Talk to us a little bit about the loop because mostly Ha Giang seems to get connected to the loop. They talk about the loop. The image, and how I see it sitting in my head, is I'd say lots of switchbacks, I'd say very, very narrow trials where people are turning their bikes in awkward fashion to try and get around some of those switchbacks. I've been on the back of a bike. I know that feeling. Talk to us about the loop, talk about the what's involved with the tour and doing a loop. [00:05:50] Tom Stone: The loop, as it's known, the Ha Giang loop, has become, I think, mainly popular in the last two years. Before that, it wasn't really known about by many people. In my early days here in Vietnam when we used to go up there, and I would lead tours and things up there, they were very specialized. People would have never really heard about it and wouldn't really remember the name. They would just say, "Oh my God. The tour was amazing. The scenery was outstanding. You've got to go to North Vietnam. That was as far as it went." When Ha Giang became more popular was when there was more accessible by transport up to Ha Giang City and bike rental and bike tours from Ha Giang City. People would then do the super loop as you call it. I've seen people do it. I've done it myself in two days, but it's really not enough to get around that size of a loop. There's obviously different ways you can go and things to see the the Ma Pi Leng canyon and get right up to Đồng Văn and even Lũng Cú , which has the northernmost point, the flag tower on the border of China up there. Back to Ha Giang, I think an absolute minimum of three days to see it all. Even when I get people contacting me, I'd say, "Well, if you can do five days, even better." All these tiny little pathways and little trails that you can take to get up to some of the summits of some of these little mountain peaks and things like that, yes, can be dangerous to some serious drop offs off the side of them and stuff, but what they've also been doing is widening a lot of the popular areas There is a small trail that runs above the Ma Pi Leng canyon. You can go out there. There's some really popular-- I'm sure if you get on Google, you'll see some of the photos of people posing on the side of rock cliff faces and things like that, which are very dangerous, but the roads getting up to them. They've actually widened them since COVID, since I've been up there and exploring a bit more. They've widened them to even almost get a car up there. It's a little less dangerous now [00:08:20] Kerry Newsome: Talk to us about the minority groups and the people of the region. [00:08:25] Tom Stone: The main one seems to be in Ha Giang is the Hmong people? Then, the other ones I think the Dao , the Thái , the Nùng , and even, now, the Kinh people, which is the main Vietnamese one, but a lot of interaction to be had in this area. It's very much here got a variety of villages, different towns and things like that. Every place seems to have its own set of quirks, but very much the local people are happy to interact and engage with foreign tourists coming through. A very happy place here, for sure. [00:09:12] Kerry Newsome: When you're talking about spending three to five days in the region, let’s call it the last frontier, we talked about the loop and doing bike riding. You also said there's the opportunity to do jeep or private car, but, let’s say bike riding would be the optimal experience. You mentioned caves and trekking. Broaden our view of some of the other things that you can do in the region. [00:09:47] Tom Stone: Well, because of this influx, obviously, a lot of it stopped when COVID started. [00:09:55] Kerry Newsome: Like everywhere? [00:09:56] Tom Stone: Yes, but with the influx in the last couple of years with tourism, which is a huge thing for Ha Giang, especially Ha Giang being one of the poorest provinces in the country, this little influx of tourism is a massive thing. A lot of people got on board. A lot of people that weren't necessarily directly on the loop, but people are traveling on either, but people have popped up and started saying, "Look, I'm learning a lot about it now when I go and try and visit new areas here and things." They're saying, "Oh, we can trek up this mountain. We're offering this in our backyard and things like this." There's a lot of spots that are now coming up. Trekking even just outside of Ha Giang City, up on the Tây Côn Lĩnh mountain ranges is exceptional , really, really beautiful, a lot of untouched jungle and great scenery up there, not even far from the city yet. Then, the other thing that they're finding a lot of-- I'm hearing that they will be opening a few in the next few months to tourism, the caves and things . Probably caves are not really in size comparison to what they have down in Phong Nha , but I think equally incredible. It's another thing that you can visit along the way if it's something that you're into. [music] [00:11:30] Kerry Newsome: Now people have starting to get a brand or a location label. That's helping them zero down a little bit more on these areas. As you say, some of the caves are only just being discovered in the last five to 10 years. I know in Phong Nha . [00:11:48] Tom Stone: That's right. [00:11:50] Kerry Newsome: Even in Ba Bể Lake when I was there, there were massive caves. Really, the Vietnamese locals didn't have any idea how spectacular they were, but if I take them back and compare them to, say, Jenolan Caves in Australia, they were of similar ilk, they were just as spectacular. There was like 10 people there. That's what's mostly fascinating to me about Vietnam. Is it a world discovery tour every time you go because they've discovered something else themselves? [00:12:25] Tom Stone: That's absolutely right. I think you hit the nail there when you said that they've chopped it down into different areas to see. Now, instead of just saying something broad like, "I'll go and visit North Vietnam." I think when it was like that, it was mainly made for motor tourists that were here just to discover the country on motorbikes. That's what they would do. They would discover the whole of the North Vietnam, but in reality, the main people that come and visit here, the main tourists that come and see the place, they don't have time to see all of North Vietnam and see if the way that people do that a travelling like that on motorcycles. Now, I think that the way that they've done that is a great idea because it's now promoting a lot of repeat tourism as well because you don't just come here and see Ha Long Bay and then Sapa and then maybe one other place like you say Lake Ba Bể or something like that. In the North, you've got all these other options that are like, "Oh, wow, look at the photos here. I've got to go and see the Ma Pi Leng canyon up in Ha Giang or the markets in Mèo Vạc or something like that. Yes, it really has opened up, I think, places like Ha Giang as a place that you would specifically come back to Vietnam to visit- [00:13:45] Kerry Newsome: Visit. Yes. [00:13:46] Tom Stone: -because you need the time to see it properly you need to have the time. [00:13:50] Kerry Newsome: Time, yes, to those summits, to those peaks and to do it so that you're not exhausted because if you are exhausted, and you've had all that adrenaline pumping through you going around through all these areas, [chuckles] sticking your neck out into places that you probably are a little bit out of your comfort zone. That's exhausting. It's tiring. [00:14:11] Tom Stone: It really is. [00:14:12] Kerry Newsome: It is. Everybody's crashing at early hours of the night because you're just exhausted from the day, but you do need to schedule in time. People say-- they look at the map and they say to me, "Oh, look, it's only there. Today, it's only 200 kilometers." Well, it is, but on that road, as you and I both know, that can take a day. [00:14:39] Tom Stone: Absolutely. That's a huge misconception, especially for-- depending on which country you're from. I know that in Australia and New Zealand, 200 kilometers is like, "Oh, we just go. We'll be there by lunch." Here, we're talking about, for instance, the road from Hanoi up to Ha Giang is only 300 kilometers, but you need at least five and a half hours to get up here even by the fastest transport, which would be private car or motorbike. The buses are similar. You do need to plan around it, plan your time. That's why I say to people, "Look, if you're going to come up here, give it five days or so." It's like nothing you'll ever experience anywhere else, even in Vietnam. It's absolutely incredible. It's absolutely worth it. [00:15:41] Kerry Newsome: I agree. Let’s talk about this time of the year because you and me, when we got together earlier in the week, we discussed that it's a big factor to consider when to go because if it's raining, and some of those roads are wet, and you're trying to battle conditions like that, that can make it more dangerous. Talk to us about the best times of the year to come to Ha Giang. [00:16:12] Kerry Newsome: It's a popular place for local tourism. The thing that the local people like to see is the flowers blooming. This happens. A lot of the buckwheat fields bloom at that time. It's really pretty. It is really pretty. In my opinion, the most pretty of the area is the scenery itself. That's not particularly just the flowers. They're a nice thing to have there, but they happen at around spring and autumn time. Over here-- [00:16:43] Kerry Newsome: What month is that? [00:16:44] Tom Stone: normally around April and October sort of time . That's the time that has been very broadcast on the internet as the best times to visit Ha Giang. Now, I've been running tours up here for a long time, particularly in the last six or seven years. We came up with our true north tour. It became so popular that we were running it two times a week throughout the year. The fairer question I would say is when not to visit Ha Giang. [00:17:22] Kerry Newsome: Oh, okay. That's good to know. [00:17:25] Tom Stone: Absolutely. It is, absolutely. I think whatever time you come, you will be blown away. We had to cancel, I think, two tours in that time due to extreme weather. One was in the middle of winter, when, I think, it was about mid-January. We got ice. That was cold. We had ice on the roads. Everything was frozen up there. You're above 1,000 meters predominantly of the most of the loop and zero visibility at that time. We canceled it. I think the other time that we canceled was extreme heavy rain. That was, I think, in July at one point. That was because it was danger of landslides. Sort of been raining continuously for four days or something, very, very torrential. It was a danger of landslides. That's a danger that happens up here, but if you're watching the weather, and you've planned a trip, and you're already here, I wouldn't recommend canceling that until the last minute, until what's going on, or you've got someone that you're speaking to that's based in the region. You can plan accordingly, but just going off what you see on the internet and saying, "Oh, we can't go on this trip because it's not April or it's not October. Then, we can't go and see it." I don't think you have to do that. As I say, we've had very happy people going up there throughout the year, even in midsummer. It gets very hot, but we can use sunscreen. We can put extra layers on and cover up from the sun. That's okay. The other thing is you start to get the rain like we are now at this time of year, but I'm still out and about every day, getting out on the bikes and doing things. You get a downpour. You pull over and have a coffee somewhere or interact with the locals somewhere along the road. It's always an adventure. Then, you get back on the bike because it seems to stop as abruptly as it starts. [00:19:42] Kerry Newsome: It's a good point that you brought up just about the variances in weather because not everybody thinks it gets cold in Vietnam. [chuckles] [00:19:52] Tom Stone: Yes. That's true. That's true. I've had people get off the aeroplane in Hanoi wearing their bordies! [00:19:58] Kerry Newsome: Crazy. [00:19:58] Tom Stone: Yes. They go, "I thought I was in Southeast Asia. [00:20:02] Kerry Newsome: [laughs] [music] Just talk to us a little bit about the accommodation, Tom. Now, I know you've been running the Flipside Hostels. I know you're also in the mode of building a boutique resort. That's pretty exciting, but when you talk about this area, the last frontier, immediately go to fairly primitive homestays in my mind. Talk to us about the accommodation that a person could experience, or what's on offer for a three to five night stay up in that region. [00:20:51] Tom Stone: Yes. I think you're absolutely right there. Again, being a fairly underdeveloped area, the accommodation that was always here has been, yes, those fairly primitive stood-house-style homestays, which can be a really cool experience for all types of people, a little bit hard on the back when you're sleeping on some hard mattresses on the floor in these stood houses, but a lot of them are really nice, really clean, really good food. The families are just wonderful to drink a bit of the local rice wine with them and things like that, but predominantly that's what you got. That, I think, is what has tagged the area as, possibly, some of the more hard-adventure-type tourism. [00:21:43] Kerry Newsome: Traveler. [00:21:43] Kerry Newsome: Yes, traveler. Yes. As you say, when we think of Ha Giang it was very, very popular. It was predominantly backpackers, young backpackers that didn't-- They don't mind. They wanted that sort of thing. What we're focusing on now because there seems to be a bit of a gap in the market here, that is for the other type of traveler that want a little bit more of comfort and a break from the--how do you say the rawness of Ha Giang? Every now and then, to have some good food, nice comfort and decent beds, and places to stay and things like that. What we are doing here in Ha Giang City is trying to do something like that. Throughout the loop, what's available now? As it's become more popular, a lot of hotels and things like that are popping up throughout the area, but a lot of them are still fairly basic. I think that if people are looking to do it themselves and get up here to Ha Giang and rent a bike or something like that, it's a little bit more difficult to find. You look online and get a barrage of different accommodations that are available. It's really hard to know which ones are legitimate and which ones are actually good. A lot of them share the same photos. I'm sure, I just looked at that one, but it's another place in another town. There is more becoming available for different travelers now as well, which is a good thing, especially in the main towns. [00:23:37] Kerry Newsome: Good to know. I think for everyone listening, it's important to just explain the homestay variable in the sense that if you're staying in a homestay in Hoi An, it's like a mini boutique hotel. It's got all the comforts that a westerner would be used to. The beds might be a little bit hard. You're still looking at quite a modern set-up where the more traditional homestay is as it was deemed to be, was a homestay. It was the home of the local family. They were opening it up to visitors to come, stay in their home, experience their home life with their family, they would cook for them, etc. Things like the bathroom and the bed situation probably would be of that raw, campa-type feel to it. As you say, it's not for everyone, but it's just good to get the measure out there for people so they understand the difference because I've had people come and say, "Oh, homestays fine. We stayed at a fabulous place in Hoi An." I go, "Whoa." That's not what you're going to get in Mu Cang Chai or—Ha Giang? [00:25:04] Tom Stone: You're absolutely right. It's actually a very good point to make. We get asked a lot here. I've always considered a homestay to be the leisure of what you just explained. It's a very local thing. We stay, actually, with the family. You eat dinner with the family. The bathrooms are typically shared. If there's a private room in their homestays, it's typically occurrence that's put across. T But it's an interesting and eye-opening experience for a lot of people. Yes, it’s, as you say, very different to what I would call a homestay in Hoi An or Hanoi or something like that. It seems to even up here now that has started to deviate into nicer places being called homestays, which is typically what we are not calling our place because I think it is. There's a big difference between that raw, real homestay thing and somewhere that is the creature comforts for Western tourists. It's a very big difference. I think you would have seen yourself staying in places like Mu Cang Chai and Ba Bể , where it's all they had. I'm pretty sure what will they still have is that homestay-type accommodation. [00:26:26] Kerry Newsome: But as you say, it's morphing into a more Westerner version of the same thing. Look, to me, it's just about managing people's expectations. [00:26:39] Tom Stone: Absolutely. [00:26:40] Kerry Newsome: For some people, they get quite annoyed that they're not getting an authentic experience if they get the two modern experience. It's just about managing what people have in their vision as to what they want to experience in that region. I think there's something for everybody, but not everything is for everyone. Just what would be some tips for people coming into the area. We talked about the variance of type of person. It's not just a backpacker anymore. Certainly it’s opening up to a much wider audience, but if you were to throw some tips to my listeners as what they need to consider or things to bring or mindsets to have, What would you share for my listeners if they're going to come to Ha Giang?. [00:27:38] Tom Stone: First thing I would say is have an open mind to what you're going to experience because as we discussed, the region is so raw. That is, as we call it, the final frontier of Vietnam. Even the locals call it the final frontier , not just because it's the most Northern frontier on the China border, but because it is the last place that hasn't really been overrun by development and tourism. When you enter the place, you have to understand that. The other thing that I would say, as well as, is try to preplan as much as you can because this tourism thing is new. A lot of people jumped on board. There's a lot of misinformation if you will, especially, looking on the internet and things as most people do these days to find info. There's a lot of conflicting stuff as to where things actually are. Again, having your expectations managed correctly is an important thing. Look at contacting someone local that has been around for a while and things like that. Make sure you have a bit of a plan you've researched where you're going to go, if you're planning on doing it yourself, the type of transport you're going to be using, because safety is a huge thing up here. As we've discussed, 300 kilometers away from Hanoi. It's not that far, but it takes a long time to get there. When bad things happen up here, it's a long way to get to somewhere that can help. Anywhere on a motorcycle can be dangerous. It's important to research where you can as much as you can before you get up here, but absolutely, I'd invite people to come and see it. It’s an incredible thing and well worth visiting. [00:29:30] Kerry Newsome: Yes, I agree with you totally. Just thanks again for being on the show. [00:29:34] Tom Stone: Not a problem. Thank you very much for having me. [music] What About Vietnam. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam.

S4-18 Luxury Brand Travel Experiences What About Vietnam – S4-E18 Discover some of the best Luxury brand travel experiences in Vietnam SPEAKERS Kerry Newsome, Alexandra Hepworth Kerry Newsome: 00:18 Xin Chào and welcome to “What About Vietnam ”. I'm happy to say we are in our third year of the program, and that's all thanks to you. Your support and sticking with the show, even though it's been through some challenging times. We didn't know when travel was going to open up again. But here we are. It's in full flight now and Vietnam is coming back strongly. I'm thrilled to announce What About Vietnam is now recognized and recommended in the Vietnam Lonely Planet Guide for 22-23 . It's recommended as a reference tool for listening information about Vietnam. Wow! who would have thought that my love for this country and its people would bloom into this. 01:26 Today the show welcomes my lovely guest Alexandra Hepworth to talk about luxury travel in Vietnam. Vietnam has not always featured on the top 10 or so lists for luxury travel destinations. But steadily over the past, I think five to seven years, it is becoming an 'A Lister' for luxury experiences. With a uniqueness, I'm happy to say, my guest today describes it really well. Alexandra works for AZA Travel , a Bespoke Travel agency specializing in curating high end luxury travel. While her background starts with an equine science degree, she knows Vietnam very well, as up until 2020, she lived in Vietnam for nine years and worked with some of the big brands, such as The Fusion Group . She also represented the Vietnam Tourism Board , that Caravelle Saigon and prior to leaving, she worked on the opening of the Hyatt Regency in Phnom Penh. 02:32 I'm talking to her now in her new home of Bogota, Colombia, and in her role with AZA Travel, Alexandra is able to give us some firsthand information about some of the best luxury hotels and brands operating in Vietnam. Together, we take you through some of the big brands you may follow as a luxury traveler, and we peel the onion back so you can hear how they perform in this country. We think you will be pleasantly surprised that Vietnam is pushing that glass ceiling with innovative decor, experiences, spa treatments, and modeling that incorporates the locality, the beauty of Vietnam culture and its people. It was an eye opener for me with some of the properties she talks about, and I think it will be for you too. If you'd like some insights into your favorite brand and are keen to know if they perform as well or better in Vietnam. This is the show for you. 03:37 The fabulous thing about Vietnam is that each region offers its own unique history, culture, people, and landscape. So at any given point of your trip, you are potentially able to have a unique experience while still in the same country. It's an aspect of Vietnam travel that makes it exciting and rewarding, and why people find it hard to pick just one place or stay as a highlight when they get home. As each one is unique. I have to stop saying absolutely throughout the show. Please forgive me. You can go luxury all the way or you can mix up your stay with boutique homestays and luxury accommodation, to feel you're getting an authentic and well-rounded experience of Vietnam. 04:31 Alexandra has a wonderful way of describing the variables of luxury stays. That means in some cases, it's actually all about the property. You may not want to leave it for a few days and just embrace its opulence and pampering. While we wish we could have covered them all, we had to limit them to Alexandra's favorites, which I think, after listening you will agree was worth waiting for. You can find more about Alexandra from her details listed in the show notes. And of course, you can reach her through hours of travel. Please check the website for the transcript and further details. Without further ado, please welcome Alexandra Hepworth to the show. Alexandra, welcome to What About Vietnam. Alexandra Hepworth: 05:27 Thank you very much. It's fantastic to be here. Kerry Newsome: 05:30 Now we're going to be talking about an interesting subject. And that subject is luxury travel in Vietnam. Now, the reason why I'm referring to it as an interesting subject is that for Vietnam, it hasn't originally- or hasn't been in the luxury lane, so to speak, for very long. And it's really just starting to mature, in my opinion. So it's great to have you, and you work for AZA Luxury, which is a company, and I'll put the details in the notes for everyone. But I'm just delighted to have you on because you've also lived in Saigon for nine years. So, you know it really well. And you've seen lots of change. So we're going to be talking about some of the best locations, some of the hotels, some of the experiences, etc. So let's jump in and start with how best do we get there Alexandra, like as far as traveling to Vietnam by air or whatever. Can you speak to that, just to kick us off? Alexandra Hepworth: 06:48 Yeah, sure. Great introduction. All of those topics that we're going to cover are super interesting, and like you said, with my time there, I saw a lot of change, which I know we will touch on later. But one thing that did change a lot during my time in Vietnam was access into the country. That improvement of direct routes coming in from Europe, more recently from the US, from Australia, which has been around for a number of years, and all of those routes with the national carrier with Vietnam Airlines. So, there are many options to get there with transfers. But it's not always so convenient for people, adding on to travel time. So, I think with that development of Vietnam Airlines air routes, but also their product over that time, as well. I remember, four or five years ago, they launched a fleet of Dreamliners that had a fantastic business class product, and also a great Premium Economy products coming from Europe, which really put them on the map as well, because as well as having great access and visibility. It was also a very nicely positioned product in terms of price point when looking at some of the other carriers in the region. Kerry Newsome: 08:22 So they're going to come into Hanoi, or they're going to come into Ho Chi Minh City as the mains. Now, if we were to kick off as far as some of the really premium luxury experiences, where would you start? Where would you say, "Okay, well, number one has got to be..."? Over to you. Well, it's number one. Alexandra Hepworth: 08:51 Yeah, it's such a big question because there really is so much there and I think it's a very different experience for first time travelers to the country versus people who are also coming back, because it is such a diverse and beautiful country and it's actually a lot bigger than people think. So, there's a lot to see and do depending on how much time you have. I have actually recently put together a very nice itinerary for a family from the US who will actually travel over the festive season. That's touching on quite a lot of my personal highlights and experiences that I think are great for couples, for honeymooners, for families alike, because it is a very welcoming country as well. So, there are experiences for every type of traveler as well. So I will call on my own experience, but also a little bit of what I've designed for that family as well through my current role. 10:02 So I think, as you said, arrival into Hanoi, or Ho Chi Minh City, either one is fantastic. You can go north to south, south to north, whichever way you want- stop in the middle, there's so much out there. From my point of view in terms of culture, learning and real history, I think that Hanoi really does offer a little bit of everything, and you can see the influence of many different nationalities that have had on the country in this city over a vast number of years. I think, luxury product wise, there are beautiful colonial style hotels, The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is one, that's always on a bucket list, just because it provides that level of- I guess that French sense that you don't expect from Vietnam and I think that's the nice thing. 11:06 I think Vietnam is so unexpected for a lot of people because they hear the name, but they don't know much about it, and you really feel it once you get there. I think for me, even luxury experiences are walking the streets and sitting on the side of the street and really embracing that local culture as well as being in a beautiful hotel. But I think also seeing the sights outside of Hanoi, driving through the countryside seeing all the rice paddy fields and going out on to Hạ Long Bay is something that is very spectacular as well and something that's very indescribable for people really. I think going out on a beautiful junk, a private boat going in between all the mountains that are in the water, that beautiful flat blue water is just an incredible experience that you can't get anywhere else, and I think differently, that is one experience up in the north. Kerry Newsome: 12:12 I agree totally, and I think, for me when I think about the Sofitel Metropole, it's like the Raffles of Singapore, isn't it? It's got that colonial feel, and they have those beautiful afternoon teas and things like that. It's cooking lessons, it's got that just all that old world charm, just love it. Alexandra Hepworth: 12:37 It does. That kind of the French, colonial way, and I think it's divine, and the staff as well, they're so elegant in their outfits, and you feel something very special, and being so close to the opera house as well, you walk out there, and you see that beautiful building. There, it really puts you sort of in the center and gives you a sense of the place where you are as well. So, I think that property is one that I think has put itself on the map and has remained on the map while others have grown up. Kerry Newsome: 13:18 I think then, you know, the experience of Hạ Long Bay, being a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam, it likewise has developed and changed. I can remember I've had several experiences in Hạ Long Bay, from that real old junk, really crowded, a little bit messy to some upscale cruise ships coming in and being developed and even in Lan Ha Bay, because there's actually three bays that joined together, they develop Lan Ha and Lan Ha to me is just a little bit quieter, and some of those beautiful cruise ships and brands that have come on board, to me just takes it up a level. I don't think I've sent anyone there that hasn't come away and gone. It was nothing like I thought it was going to be. The old-world ships and their own architecture are so beautiful. The staff are beautiful, and just the serene pleasure doing Tai Chi early in the morning. I can see you and I have both been there, haven't we? It's just beautiful. Alexandra Hepworth: 14:44 It's special. I think you're right as well. I do think you know it is nice to also touch on the people because you are going into an unpopulated area, but yeah, there is still a population of people who live there on the water. That is also their life, and those people have a very, very simple life, but people don't know that there are schools out there and there are beautiful caves and there's places to canoe and you can go and really be a part of how the local people live. I think that that is something that is very unique. Kerry Newsome: 15:32 So now I'm going to take a big jump and take you to another area that I'd like your opinion on. Because we've done one, this came up in our conversation, and this is The Vietage Train . Maybe you can talk to us a little bit about that experience, like, just what it includes, and we can touch on Quy Nhon in that as well. Alexandra Hepworth: 15:58 Yeah, sure. So, the train is a relatively new product, I believe in the last couple of years, and it's actually linking to destinations in the center of Vietnam, Hội An, and also Quy Nhon. Hội An is definitely the most well-known of places, being a stop on most people's itineraries going into central Vietnam and, Hội An is a very special place. It's serene, it's beautiful. It's also another UNESCO listed town, an old Japanese port, and you can really feel that difference in culture and in terms of the architecture and the design of the town and the way that it's all pedestrianized and surrounded by river. So Hội An is a very different experience from what you will have seen and felt in Hanoi and Halong Bay, that's what I really love about Vietnam, in general is that everywhere you go is something very, very different. 17:10 In terms of Hội An, it is also very close to Da Nang as well, which is the entry point, which I'm sure we will touch on a little bit later. So I will stay on topic, but yeah, the train itself is linking Hội An and another area called Quy Nhon. Both places are unique in their own right. The two properties that actually link and the operator of the train is the Anantara Hotel Group , linking Anantara Hội An in the Old Town, which is a beautiful colonial building set on the river and linking a much more modern property in Quy Nhon, which is a beachfront Old Villa property, [ Old Pool Villas I believe- property which is very secluded, very romantic, and a fantastic addition to the hotel scene in Vietnam. And I think while Quy Nhon is not always on everybody's first time list, I do think that the destination for relaxation, for enjoying seeing something different is fantastic for people who live there. Because it's very, very short flight from Ho Chi Minh City. Obviously, there's the train journey that links the two. And it's also an up-and-coming destination, and it's nice to see it before it gets too developed as well. 18:36 The train itself is beautiful, carriages, includes food and beverage service, and again has that colonial sort of old school charm. It's very rare to travel by train in Vietnam. That's another thing that I would say that there is no real infrastructure for trains. In the country, we definitely don't have any high-speed trains that you would expect from Japan or that you see in in other places, it's very much old trains, sleeper trains that take a long time because there's only one set of tracks. So to have those beautiful luxury carriages going between those destinations is also a very, very beautiful and also unique experience that no one has had before. So I think, for those kinds of things to be developed also shows that there's a demand for new ways to travel the country for both people who live there and also for tourists. Again, like I said before, because we have so many second time is coming back to Vietnam. I think that a product like that is something that really appeals to those visitors as well. Kerry Newsome: 19:51 We're now in central Vietnam, and we've got the choice of Hội An and like we can talk a whole show about Hội An, and I'm not telling you, I have done whole shows about Hội An, so we can't afford to give this show all to Hội An. If you are to travel to Da Nang, which we know is about a 25 minute drive. I'm gonna kind of put out there the InterContinental in Da Nang which I know it's a property, you know very well. So maybe we can talk about that property where it's located, and its proximity to Sonterra and Da Nang and maybe give some perspective of that, because it sticks out there on its own. It takes even a little bit to get there. So people would have to really know about it from its brand, but also, just where it is and where it positions people, because it isn't a an easy stroll into town or an easy stroll into Da Nang. You could speak a little bit about that property. I mean, it's even hard to get through the front door if you don't belong there. So that's my experience. Alexandra Hepworth: 21:12 Sure. Yeah, exactly. Now I am very, very happy to talk about that one, because like you said, it is a uniquely position property, both in terms of the brand and the product, but also in terms of its location. So, it's quite an interesting one. I would say that, that the property was- in my opinion, it was quite ahead of its time when it was actually when it was actually developed in in Vietnam. And they intercontinental developed it along with local ownership as well. And along with Bill Bensley , who is very well known for design, and also being a little bit quirky, and a little bit out there, which is definitely something that this property is, but it's also so unique and spectacular in its own way. Every corner you turn, there's something to take a picture of or something to do or see. 22:21 Access from Da Nang airport is around 25 minutes, but it is going the opposite way from Hội An. So, where most people would come into Da Nang and then travel towards Hội An and either stay in a property along the beach front in in Da Nang keeping themselves maybe 20 minutes or so away from home Hội An Old Town or stay in the town. The InterCon is actually the other way. So if you're wanting to go into Hội An, from there, it would then take you about 45 to 50 minutes. So, it is something to just bear in mind. Situation wise, it's actually up on a peninsula and up on a mountain. So, the drive to get there is actually quite an interesting one, it's a little bit windy and your kind of don't really know where you're going, because there's not much else around there. But the property itself is situated in its own private bay. It's actually situated on Monkey Mountain, and it's quite a steep property. I'm visualizing it. [crosstalk] Kerry Newsome: 23:31 That's what I think they miss out. Alexandra Hepworth: 23:32 It's like, "I'm thinking, I'm thinking." Yeah, but for that reason, the property is just an incredible design and incredible concept, which is something that, that I really like is the story behind the property because it's actually- when you arrive, you come into the top of the mountain and you just look out over the bay and look down onto the property which is quite an interesting way that it has been developed and to go about that. You have the beach right down at the bottom and then go up the mountain all the way through to the food and beverage outlets up at the top. The property is set into four levels. I think Heaven is at the top and Earth is at the bottom and there's a couple in the middle, that I don't remember. I think of the Sea, Earth, and one other. Those are really the kind of concepts for it. You move around the property either by buggy or on the beautiful pathways that they have. Or you can use- What's the word for the train that that goes like- the cable car that goes up the side of the mountain and I can never remember the word, but that in itself was just such a cool experience to go up and down the mountain and stop at each level. 23:39 The property also it's very black and white with these strikes of colors everywhere and the design is something that is very unique, but it also talks to its location, there's a lot of lanterns that you can see all around the property, which is very typical of Hội An and that region. There are monkeys, real living ones that are around. But there's also many different monkey statues and characteristics and those sorts of things, again, built in within the concept because of the location of the property, that used a lot of natural wood from around the area as well, that can be seen in in all the guest rooms. It really is just something very, very special. I mean, for me, it's a property where you feel something, when you go there, it's not a generic property. And I think that having the big brand on the property, but it doesn't feel like that in the slightest is something that's very different as well. I think that people will be pleasantly surprised when going there that it has that luxury, and the infrastructure of the brand behind it, but it also has its own personality, and that's something that I really like about it. Kerry Newsome: 26:12 It owns that space, it owns that piece of land, and it is a place in my opinion that people would go to, and pretty much want to just stay on the property. I mean, some would say it is an area which is starting to develop, as certainly, I'm sure you would have seen it come along in the last few years, just leading into COVID. Da Nang also, as a city has come on, but I think the property can stand alone because of where it is. With optimal weather, you wouldn't want to go anywhere else, it's just got everything. So, you are paying a pretty penny for it. But I think it's worth it, it's got that value. But once again, you've got that great brand, you've got that cultural depth to it, and you've got all that just uniqueness because there's just no one else to compare it to, because they own that bay, they can go up into the mountain as the langur monkeys and Monkey Forest, you've got Lady Buddha up the hill, you also can take a drive, and you can do the Hải Vân pass. Alexandra Hepworth: 27:39 Definitely, it is definitely a place where you feel like you want to stay. Again, I think if you're a first timer, you would need to take yourself off into Hội An and see it and be there for the day and sample the local food and all that sort of thing. Because it is very, very unique. But if you have the time to stay up there, then I definitely think it's worth it. There are obviously a multitude of properties now that have developed on the drive into Hội An as well over the last few years. Again, luxury high end brands coming in like Four Seasons, who also have a fantastic property, very, very different, but also very high end property. Properties in the town. So there really is something for everybody as well. Properties that cater to families, those that are more positioned towards honeymooners. So that area in the last 10 or 12 years has really just absolutely changed beyond recognition. Kerry Newsome: 28:48 I think when you are thinking about these properties. In particular, like this one, to me, I don't know whether you'd agree, but I would have some time at the InterContinental and then I would move property and stay in Hội An or stay in a property close to that to have a totally separate and different experience. I wouldn't try and stay at the InterContinental and do Hội An, because just from the travel perspective, it would be annoying when you don't want to do that. So, there's so many other places up there that I think you would have two different hotel stays if you're going to do that. Alexandra Hepworth: 29:29 Two very different experiences, you're right. Again, it really depends how much time people have, and where they're coming from, and I guess, the objective of the trip, but you're definitely right, a stay up there, plus a stay in Hội An Old Town. I mean, that is absolutely ideal. It's just two completely different experiences and then they're very close to each other. Kerry Newsome: 29:57 I'm going to take you back to Da Nang, we're going to jump on a flight. And we're going to go to Phú Quốc. So, talk me through your optimum experience or hotel in Phú Quốc. Alexandra Hepworth: 30:18 Phú Quốc is one of those destinations that I think the last five or six years has really gone on zoom. There's been so much development on the island, and in a very, very short space of time. You will see now that the all the brands are pretty much there: · There's InterContinental, again. · We have JW Marriott there. · We have also the Rosewood Group with a beautiful new world property. · There's also The Regent there, that just opened earlier this year. So, there's a lot of those very, very luxurious brands there on the island. And I think, what I would say about Phú Quốc is for me, the experiences there really are about the hotels. Me, with a hotelier background for the last seven or eight years, that's something that I really appreciate the hotel experience, because we spend a lot of time developing, so many on property experiences that sometimes people don't ever get to use them, because they're always out of the property or they go on a tour or they do something and they don't always spend the time on property. 31:39 That's very obvious more with city hotels than with resort style properties. But I think somewhere like Phú Quốc is a different proposition from Hội An and Da Nang because you are on an island, surrounded by the ocean with great weather, beautiful sunsets, all along the beach, but it's also definitely somewhere for me to go and relax, and pretty much stayed where you are. Because if I'm very honest about it, and it may have changed in the last couple of years since I last visited, but definitely at that time, there wasn't much infrastructure outside of the properties to cater for, especially for foreign tourists. I think for local travelers, and especially the local Vietnamese travelers, there's still a lot of experiences there. Because it's more local, they have the language and it's different. But for foreign tourists, I do think it's one of those a 'stay on resort and enjoy what you've paid for'. In terms of that, you are paying for luxury high end brands there. So again, why not enjoy where you've put your money and use it wisely. 33:01 One property that I do really like there, that I did mention earlier is the JW Marriott Phú Quốc . Just because again, I think by the end of this podcast, you'll know that I like the quirkier places I think. But those places that have a brand behind them, so that you really feel that level of service and security that you are going to get what you pay for. But in terms of design and experience, there's always something to look at, something to do, and that JW Marriott property for me, I have to admit that when I went there, I didn't really know what to expect at all. I didn't know the backstory of the property, I didn't know anything. And so, I was just intrigued for four days. Everywhere I turned it was just something completely different and the property is set up like a 1920 style university. And it has its own name. They created an entire story of, that it used to be a house of a family or an estate of a family and then it changed, and it was a university, and they have all this memorabilia all around the property. 34:23 Yeah, exactly. It's just fantastic, and the accommodation blocks, they're all different themed buildings as if they were the different study areas of the university. So you have like the anthropology wing and you have- I don't know the ornithology wing and the science lab which is actually the cocktail bar and all these kinds of things. So, it's very quick, like very different. There's a lot of color around. For me, it's just incredible, the way that it's been done, the staff, the uniforms, so like this cool, 1920s ladies, old baseball outfits and sports uniforms. So it's very high end, but it's relaxing, and it's quirky and it has a story. But it also has great food and beverages, a fantastic location, great service, and rooms. Most of them are pretty much ocean facing, many different swimming pools, for families, areas for couples. So, for me [crosstalk]. Kerry Newsome: 35:42 Let's take you from quirky now to probably what someone else that I did a show with, Connor Kelly, we are talking about a an archipelago of islands called the Côn Đảo islands. But in particular, there's a brand there that I think you know pretty well, The Six Senses brand. So let's talk for everyone about the Côn Đảo islands from the luxurious perspective, because Connor didn't go that route, and we didn't talk about the condo islands from that perspective. But the photos I've seen of the Six Senses resort look pretty amazing. So maybe talk to us a little bit about the Côn Đảo islands experience, be it that it's totally different again, It's an island. Alexandra Hepworth: 36:31 Yeah, it is. Yeah, exactly. I think what you've touched on there is really accurate again. When I go back to it, Vietnam has so many experiences that you can really have a different one every day, every time you come, an entire trip, you can spend a month just exploring and not really scratched the surface, but I think somewhere like Côn Đảo is nice, because it's, it's pretty untouched. I think, there's not so many properties there, and the ones that are there are pretty in the high-end space. Definitely, the Six Senses has always been a flagship of the island and a reason that people would go there. Again, small group of islands really somewhere to go, relax, enjoy, the Six Senses brand is very, very well known for spa, which is something that we haven't really touched on yet, but something that we should, because Asia, in general is fantastic for wellness experiences, and for spa experiences. 37:44 Those experiences, they're just there, wherever you turn, but to go to a brand that is very focused on those elements, again, gives a whole other spin on a trip to Vietnam, and you can stop halfway through your trip, either access from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, and relax and take a wellness package or go and take a bit of a break from running around, just really go and again, have that very, very high level of service, high touch point of attention, especially on properties like that, that really do have a personal, individual guest focus because those properties and those brands really focus on the guests, as an individual, not as a couple or as a group, it's very much about what you need. I think that, again, to have a brand like that within a country like Vietnam, where it's quite unexpected that these experiences exist. Not only that they exist, but they are not so tough on your pocket as, let's say, other destinations within the region. That's something I think we can touch on a little bit more. 39:07 I would say that, to have that more of holistic experience as well, within a country like that is something that that, again, is a hook for a lot of travelers and especially now, you've probably seen quite a lot of reports about wellness travel in general and the demand for people to look after themselves and maybe not travel around and run around so much to tick everything off the list, take the picture and leave, and they are wanting those more personalized, healthy wellness related individual experiences. I think a country like Vietnam has had those for a very long time without it really being known. So now with Vietnam in general being put on the map by the development and the investment that has gone into In the country, from hospitality brands within the last five to seven years, I think that's also something that is very, very positive for the country and for the customer experience. Kerry Newsome: 40:11 Absolutely, I think, we're going to talk a little bit about, I guess, comparing Vietnam to its neighbors. I want to leave that to the end because I think it is worth mentioning. But so far, I've been doing a bit of a count list as we've been going. So: · We've got Hạ Long Bay. We've got Vietage. · We've got the InterContinental in Da Nang. · Definitely we've done the JW Marriott at Phú Quốc. And.. way up there! · We've done the Côn Đảo Islands. I've got two more that I want to run past you but one we didn't even touch prior to the show, and that's Nha Trang and Cam Ranh, maybe so I'm sure you're going to- I'm not going to preempt you, you tell me what you think is up there in the luxury in for Nha Trang. Alexandra Hepworth: 40:57 Nha Trang is also a very interesting destination for me, it's very close to Ho Chi Minh City, and also again from Da Nang, probably 35-minute flight from each memory. So it's always been one of those destinations where you either do it or you don't. It's not always on the itinerary path, if you have 10 or 12 days, sometimes it gets missed, but if you have a little bit more time, then it's always somewhere that is added and should be. I think destination wise, again, I keep saying the same timeframe, five to seven years, but that really is because in the nine years that I was in Vietnam from 2011 until 2020. The development in the country overall was just incredible. 42:20 Especially the economy, the people really changed, the education of people that had been educated outside and coming back and also the investment in our industry of those large hospitality brands and finding those destinations that mean something to people. Nha Trang is another one that just developed pretty much out of nowhere. It used to be a strip of hotels across the road from the beach in Nha Trang city. That's probably taking me back but probably about 45 minute drive from the airport, which is called Cam Ranh. But Cam Ranh itself, which is very close to the airport, was completely isolated, not developed, and yet it has the most beautiful strip of gorgeous white, clean sand. Kerry Newsome: 43:19 Well you ought to say it now, it's got the most stunning property now. There's a Movenpick there. Yeah, and I would think moving probably my number one for that. I've actually got an offer through What About Vietnam for that property. But you're right, it is on the same scale. But Cam Ranh years ago was like nothing, it just didn't even rate. Alexandra Hepworth: 43:45 It was just nothing. It was just the fishing area. I think when I was working for Fusion Group, we actually opened Fusion Resort, it was called Nha Trang in the beginning, because for the sole reason. Kerry Newsome: 44:09 Exactly, and what I still don't understand, it's part of Nha Trang. Alexandra Hepworth: 44:13 Yeah, they don't really know but we call it Fusion Resort Nha Trang and the name has actually now been changed to Fusion Resort Cam Ranh for the very reason that, that area has been so well developed that they don't need to use Nha Trang to hook people to know where it is anymore, and the property really is not in Nha Trang. So, that is one thing that I have noticed that the development up within that area. Again, beautiful, resorts all ocean facing, and I think what that development also brings outside of the brands going in there and I would say that it's not all the international brands, that are there in Nha Trang and Cam Ranh at the moment because it hasn't had that development at the same speed as Da Nang, for example. 45:10 You don't have luxury brands there. But there is InterContinental, which is a fantastic property. In Nha Trang City, there's a Western across from the Marriott as well. Exactly. So, it is coming, and it is there. And again, that confidence in Vietnam, as a destination on the whole, and being able to give a range of experiences for every type of traveler again. I mean, I think that, that is just testament to itself, and also the acceptance of the country to allow foreign investment and to really allow that to develop the country so that it can grow at the rate that it was pre-pandemic, because it was one of the- I think the second fastest growing economy in the world, huge exports, and the country really just went boom. And I think, again, a lot of that is testament to product development within the country. Kerry Newsome: 46:18 Let me assure you. It's definitely on the way back. 46:28 Just on the topic of wellness, now, I did take a wellness break in a beautiful property just out of Hue called Alba, Alba Wellness resort. Do you have a top luxury wellness resort? It doesn't matter where in Vietnam. If you were to put a pin on a map, where would you go for wellness, do you think, luxury top end? Alexandra Hepworth: 46:56 I think for me, a wellness experience is really about the property that you're in. I think you are right, that there have been a few experiences built in the last few years, and Alba is a lovely place, again, through Fusion Group, and it's not one I've experienced myself. So, I would say that I would probably stick a little bit more and more to what I can talk to and what I know. But Fusion Group developed properties that had wellness inclusions long before wellness was a trend. Let's say that there's one property in general that has always had a big piece of my heart ever since I stepped there long before I worked with the group, it's now no longer actually part of the group, it's now called TIA Wellness Resort in Da Nang, thhe Fusion Maya property this is a very, very special property just from when you step through the door, the feeling that you get is just one of relaxation, one of calm, people having this sense of care without it being in your face, I don't really know how to describe it. Kerry Newsome: 48:29 Nurturing. Alexandra Hepworth: 48:30 It is. The property was developed long before a lot of properties were actually around it as well. So, it was one by itself. It's a collection of all pool villas. So, your accommodation is very private. They included from the outset a spa experience with every room that was booked and that wasn't something that you could say, "Yes, I want that. Oh no, I don't. Please reduce the rate." That was what you were buying. You were buying an entire experience, whether you decided to use that or not was another matter, but the spa inclusive experience was part of it right from the start and part of the concept. I remember, we had a 99% capture rate at the spa because even people who booked and said, "I'm not a spa person." They left that property as a spa person They'd been looked after and they had these amazing treatments, and they use a different scent of oil every day, depending on the energy of the day of the week and, and all that sort of things, and the rooms were tailored to different treatments. 49:44 Again, a bit ahead of their time with those kinds of experiences and then developed more- the food and beverage aspect as well to complement the spa and wellness and feeling. I think that that was so something unique for Vietnam at that time. Something that they are still doing very, very well, today, as the resort that they are in now. I know that the general manager there has been there since he was in other positions within the property and has also grown up with that property. So many of the staff have stayed there and been there because of that nurturing feeling that is not only there for the guests, but the way that the property is run, in terms of looking after their peace and wellness. Well, I think that that one for me, is a very, very nice experience that can change somebody's mindset, and something that they can potentially keep with them long after they've left the country. Kerry Newsome: 50:50 That was similar for me to the Alba experience, as I felt like I was treated as an individual. The experience that I had and was tailored to me, it was very holistic, including massage, including meditations and purifications, the landscape and scenery there alone is just delicious, the food you're eating is very carefully orchestrated to what you want to achieve, and you set objectives around what you want to achieve in your stay. Then you've got these beautiful bungalows that are just making you feel luxurious, just by spending time in them. So you're right, there is wellness, and there's spas and I think the whole world is reevaluating just how we label and how we describe these experiences. I think, coming from Australia, Bali was it. As far as you went to Bali, where now I think, Southeast Asia has become more developed, and in particular, Vietnam is really trying to lift their game in that wellness nurturing space. They do it very easily, because their personalities per se lend themselves to that in the first instance. 52:21 I think wellness and sustainable travel and social enterprise, these are all subjects which are very hyper out there, but not very well explained. And sometimes people can get in misunderstood when they say, "Well, that really wasn't what I expected. That should be just a spa." We're not talking about just having a massage, and all you get is spa treatment. There's got to be lots more individualization about it, and specialties. And I think Vietnam is on the cusp of education, also in the hospitality sector, and also in wellness. So, I got to speak to some really interesting people that are going into hotels and developing schemes and programs that the hotels are going to include that are going to offer these specialties because they bringing that talent and that talent pool to those hotels, which just wasn't there before. But certainly, no one was sitting on their hands during COVID. People were thinking ahead and planning ahead. So, Vietnam still has got a long way to go with waste management and lots of things like that. But haven't we all? Look, I wanted to finish off with a particular place and some properties that you mentioned that I didn't know about. So, I love learning and hearing about new places. 54:06 So, you mentioned Hồ Tràm? Alexandra Hepworth: 54:09 Yeah, so Hồ Tràm is an area with about two hours’ drive out of Ho Chi Minh City, and a great beach option, in my opinion for people who maybe are a little bit short on time. Kerry Newsome: 54:25 That's what I like about it. Alexandra Hepworth: 54:25 People who want to play in it. It doesn't. Yeah, it doesn't. It doesn't really take too much organization. One property that I really like down there is The Meliá . Meliá Hồ Tràm property. It has hotel rooms as well as beautiful villas as well where you can go with a group of friends or with families or for honeymooners or couples so it has a bit of everything and it's quite an expensive resort. So even though there's quite a number of rooms there, it still feels quite individual as well, which is always a nice thing because you don't want to feel like you're on top of many other people. I think in terms of the location, it's fantastic for something a little bit different, maybe a weekend getaway. Maybe a couple of days add on to Saigon because I mean if you can get there by 12 o'clock and leave two days later at 12 o'clock, you've had fantastic experience, great room, good food and beverage, you've been at the beach, you've done your watersports activities you've been to the spa, you've done all those things to help relax and enjoy and it's so super close to Saigon, that it really is a waste not to add it, I think. There are also a few other developments happening down. There is an InterContinental property down there as well. So, there are brands there. I do think that it offers a nice alternative to other more traditional beach destinations that have been used in the past like Mui Ne, for example, which also has its own charm, but getting there is not so easy, it takes a lot longer. Yeah, so I think it is an alternative and a nice quick beach trip, then for me, I enjoyed going there. Kerry Newsome: 54:49 Since people jump straight into going to Cần Thơ and during the Mekong Delta. In my experience, I haven't had an alternative like this, only two hours away, easy to get to, as you say, to hire a driver and get there and get a quick getaway. That sounds terrific. Alexandra Hepworth: 56:48 The golf down there as well. Da Nang is also another fantastic destination but close to Ho Chi Minh City, then Hồ Tràm is a great option. Kerry Newsome: 56:59 So, just to wrap up as I'm kind of mindful of the time. 57:10 We’ve got to talk about value. We've talked about some big name brands, I wish they were advertising on this show, by the way, but if we are talking about that, and when we then want to compare those brands, as far as, value for money perspective, if you stay in an InterContinental in Europe, or if you stay in Vietnam, can you speak to that a little bit. I felt from you that, that was kind of worth mentioning. Alexandra Hepworth: 57:41 Yeah, no, look, I think it's really something to note as well that your money goes a long way in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia in general, but obviously, really talking to Vietnam. Through AZA as well, I mean, we have many, many high-end clients who are loyal members with Four Seasons or with the Park Hyatt brand or with the Rosewoods and that level and they are used to paying top dollar for those experiences. When quoting the high end product that is available in Vietnam, people are very surprised by the rate that they can get a Park Hyatt there, for example, versus say, a Park Hyatt in Europe or in the US. I think that it is something very big to note because those luxury experiences are there through the brands and through local experiences as well. I mean, like I said, a couple of my favorite experiences that a luxury just because you can't get them anywhere else is sitting on the street or going for a local barbecue or something like that, that we haven't really touched on but to be in these luxurious, high end properties, but step out onto the street and be faced with real local life experiences is something that you just can't buy. 59:14 That's very obvious in Saigon, in Ho Chi Minh City and in a property such as the Park Hyatt , for example, which is opulent, it's luxury. It's understated elegance, right in the heart of the action as well. That is something, like I say, that money really can't buy but also the value of that property, for the service, for the hardware, for the food and beverage experience, for the location. You really don't find those price points in many other destinations and when you're used to the prices of those brands. It's nothing except a surprise which is also a fantastic positive for Vietnam and for us in the industry when recommending locations for clients that maybe aren't on the main trail, but somewhere that's been on a bucket list and I guess rounding off what we talked about before, given now that Vietnam has much better air access and great air product. · It has luxury experiences from top to bottom of the country. · It has great service. · It has amazing food. Being able to package all of that now for people to go and experience something that seemed unachievable before, I think it's something that is very nice, and something is very close to my heart having been there for a long time and knowing how incredible the country is, now being able to share that with clients and with people from around the world. Kerry Newsome: 1:00:55 You've just kind of summed up the reason why I do this podcast. Because I feel the same as you Alexandra. I think it is hard to explain to people to appreciate that the value is there, those brands are going to offer you that high end luxury, but not with the same price tag. So it doesn't mean that you're going to get a diminished level of product, you're going to get that and plus more, and that along with fantastic street food, the people, right up to fine dining. You've got watersports that you can enjoy, from kite surfing to all of that stuff. I want to ask you this question. I've been dying to ask this question of you until right at the end, I'm going to add it in. So why would you go to Vietnam instead of maybe Thailand or Phuket or Koh Samui. Because I'm sure, if you're talking to people and you're wrapping up products, they're going to ask for your suggestions. So why would you go to Vietnam versus one of those? Alexandra Hepworth: 1:02:12 I mean, I think, for me to be to be very, very open and honest, I think you get a very genuine experience in Vietnam, I think that the people are so welcoming. They really have this sense of caring for people and wanting to look after them and serving, you know, serving people and also allowing you into their homes and their lives and their culture because they are also very, very proud people. And they want to share that with more of the world than they can by themselves, and they really embrace people coming and showing an interest in the country, and they go above and beyond for you without even realizing that they're doing that. I think that, that understated eagerness to please and that genuine courtesy of care is something that I haven't seen in many other places, if any, to the level that I felt it in Vietnam and the level that I know is possible there. So, I think for me, it's that genuine, real, authentic experience that I don't think- Kerry Newsome: 1:03:42 In many places... I agree with you totally. I think just going that extra mile in service, whilst I live in a very developed country, when I've got to go to a hotel and I'm paying a really excessive amount, and I'm not getting it, I really struggle. I go, "My goodness!" I've just paid you know, $500 a night for a room basically, with no extra service, no niceties, no nothing, not even a feeling like you want me here. Sometimes I feel like I'm an inconvenience coming into this hotel, and I'm paying that $500 a night. So that does make it difficult after you've had the experiences like you and I have in Vietnam because you do use it as the bar like it's your marker against every other experience. Do I get into trouble with a lot of people, who say, "Kerry, if you say, it's not as good as I'd get in Vietnam." I’ll … I do that all the time. Alexandra Hepworth: 1:04:52 We are very lucky that we get to experience places like that. You are exactly right. We do get spoiled also. So, it does set the bar very high for other destinations. Kerry Newsome: 1:05:05 Look, Alexandra, just want to say a really big thank you for coming on the show, I think everyone's going to have some really good examples to have a think about, obviously I'm going to put all your details, so people can reach out to you separately and do some planning maybe with you around some of these experiences and locations and just great to get your insights and spend some time with you. Alexandra Hepworth: 1:05:36 Oh, thank you very much for the invite. I really appreciate it. Kerry Newsome: 1:05:48 I can't let you go just yet, I just wanted to tell you a little bit about the eBook that I released in December 22, called Book, Pack & Stay: Travel Guide to Vietnam. It's available on Amazon. It's a very different style of travel guidebook in the sense that it's not a destination guidebook, it's more about the things that you need to look for when you are booking your tour, thinking about the kind of trip that you want to design. When you're sitting down with a travel agent, or you're looking to do it yourself online, you've given some thought to the kinds of experiences that you want to have, because depending on what time of year, and those destinations that you choose, you really do need to manage your expectations a little bit. So, time wise, you've got enough time to enjoy it all. And you know, you've got the right weather in the right conditions, we talk about in the book about what to pack, the right kind of apps and bits of research that will help you in enjoying the trip and being well prepared to enjoy the trip. I don't know. So many times I've seen people with the wrong shoes or the wrong clothes, or just feeling the heat and some of these things can be managed so much better with a little bit of insight. 1:07:23 Then of course, you stay what to expect, you're going to trip over Wise, you're going to see 1000s of motorbikes, and just I hope that guide book is going to help you understand that, get it in context. And some tips and hints on just being able to make your stay so much more enjoyable. So that's the Book, Pack & Stay: Travel Guide to Vietnam. It's a nice easy price of $4.99. So, not a huge expense. You'd have it on your phone, and you're always going to be able to interact with that with the links to various apps, videos, podcasts, and of course, Amazon is going to allow you to do that very easily. So, Book, Pack & Stay: Travel Guide to Vietnam. Get your copy as soon as you can. And please send me any feedback or suggestions as I will be updating this version later in the year, because Vietnam is just that country. It's evolving fast. I want to make sure I get you the information you need that's relevant at the time. Thank you very much. Note – Important links for brands mentioned in the Podcast 1. The Fusion Group 2. Caravelle Saigon 3. Hyatt Regency 4. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi 5. The Vietage Train 6. Anantara Hotel Group 7. InterContinental 8. Four Seasons 9. JW Marriott 10. Rosewood Group 11. The Regent 12. Six Senses 13. Meliá 14. Book, Pack & Stay: Travel Guide to Vietnam

S4-22 Trekking in Sapa A wide lens view What About Vietnam - S4-22 A wide lens view of trekking in Sapa [00:00:00] Kerry Newsome: Xin chào and welcome to What About Vietnam. Today we're going to be talking about a really interesting area called Sapa. Now if you don't know anything about Sapa, Sapa is located in the north western region of Vietnam. It is an overnight train trip from Hanoi or overnight by bus. And it's just the first point of contact I would think for people coming to Vietnam that want to have a look into the mountainous regions, the very scenic rice terraced fields of Vietnam. Sapa is definitely your first go to place. Today I'm joined with Jack Taylor and Jack's going to take us through this region, the Hoang Lien Son Mountains. And we're going to talk about trekking in this region. He's done some serious trekking and as you're going to see with his cinematography, which is the focus of his trip, you're going to get some really great handy information and tips if you are thinking of going trekking in the Sapa region. The other aspect is he talks about his interaction with the various hill tribes such as the Hmong, the Tay and the Dao. And I will include the link to his YouTube channel which is where you're going to actually see the fruits of his labour I guess. Jack's had an interesting career living abroad. He's lived in Spain for three years, China for four and Thailand for four. Now residing in Vietnam and doing some teaching. He says he decided to start a travel YouTube channel. One of the main reasons he says for doing this was he felt that a lot of the videos out there on travel are definitely featuring the travel destination but they're a lot about the person who's taking the videos rather than the area and he wants to focus on the people, the places, the food and the culture that he visits. And that's what really kind of attracted me to bring him on this show because I love his approach and I love his respect and his mutual love of Vietnam and the people. So I think for those trekkers out there this is definitely the show for you. Let's welcome Jack to the program. Thank you very much for having me. Look we're going to be talking about a couple of places in Vietnam that I've really wanted to get a little bit deeper into and that's a place called Sapa and another place called Ninh Binh. But before I jump into that, Jack tell us how you found yourself in Vietnam. Why Vietnam? [00:00:00] Kerry Newsome: Welcome to the what about Vietnam podcast? Great to have you on the show. [00:00:08] Jack Taylor: Thank you very much for having me. [00:00:10] Kerry Newsome: Look, we're gonna be talking about a couple of places in Vietnam that I've really wanted to get a little bit deeper into, and that's a place called Sapa and another place called Ninh Binh. But before I jump into that, Jack, tell us how you found yourself in Vietnam. Why Vietnam? [00:00:32] Jack Taylor: Why not Vietnam? I've been there twice now. This is my second trip. I think it's one of the best places to visit anywhere in the world that I've been. And one of the most interesting places in Asia. So I l I've lived in Asia now for the last seven years. Three years in China and four years, so four years in China, and now four years in Thailand. This most recent trip we had a long holiday, the world's opening up again. So I finally managed to get out of Thailand. And this is my first, this is my first trip outside of home that I've been to and outside of Thailand for four years now. So Vietnam was the first place where I went to. [00:01:09] Kerry Newsome: It's an easy place to fall in love with I totally get that. And I think what I appreciate most about how you see Vietnam is definitely through the eyes of your camera and your cinematography. And for everyone listening, you're going to be able to see some of the work that Jacks. Created because it inspired me to talk to him. And I'm really grateful that he's here on the show to actually talk about that filming and those experiences. Because when you do see the video, you go, oh gosh, that place is just so wow. It's just got so much. Wow. So let's start with Sapa and Yeah. Like talk, talk us through. Your journey, your setup, like how did you get prepared for Sapa and what was your kind of first experience of Sarpa? [00:02:04] Jack Taylor: So I went to Sapa after a couple of days in Hanoi. And anyone who's been in Hanoi knows it's a hectic crazy wild city. Almost anywhere is a complete change from that. So you take the "love bus", I take the love bus, a small bus with a compartment with my wife. It was a late an hour, eight hour drive up there. And When you first get there, it's actually a bit intense. The one thing that I didn't like about Sapa that much was that I stepped off the bus and people were hasling me for tours already, hiking, tours. Now this was something I'd already soughted out before. Hate to start with the negatives, but that was the first thing that happens as soon as you get off there. Once I found out way to a hotel and you get a look around the place you realize that it's a really beautiful mountain town. You can see the mountains in the distance and some of the architecture of the town's really nice as well. And I suppose in terms of my setup, my camera setup I didn't know what to expect there. In Hanoi when I made a video there, I was able to do a bit more research. I feel like there's a lots of videos and lots of pictures from Hanoi Sapa, less, slightly less so I was just walking around taking pictures, taking videos of the town center and some of the people in it. [00:03:13] Kerry Newsome: And, I'm glad you brought to everyone's attention just a little bit of that different presence of. Of Hagglers or sellers because they don't actually represent the vast majority of the population there. They're actually a very small group of people that, obviously they need to sell things to, to make money, to feed their families and all the rest of it. But I had a similar. Experience, and I found it quite aggressive. And I was quite shocked because even in places like Hanoi, you can go around the old quarter and you can go around places there, but you never get haggled or I never did to that extent. So I was, that was a bit in my face. I'm thinking, God, aren't I out here in rice fields and the hills are alive kind of thing. But yet I'm getting haggled. [00:04:05] Jack Taylor: Yeah I, like I say, I had a similar experience you'll notice as well with a lot of people. It's strange because I had the town experience before I then did the trekking experience, which we'll talk about in a minute. And my first thought when these people were trying to sell me trekking to is that they're dressed in the traditional outfits. What I now know is a Red black Hmong and at first I thought it was a bit gimmicky, but actually it's not. It is the traditional outfits that you'll see once you go out in the countryside and there's no tourists there. It's the same outfits they wear. So it's, I can imagine some people who never get out of the town maybe are overwhelmed by it or think it's a little bit gimmicky, but actually there is, that is part of the culture. So my idea changed after a while. [00:04:43] Kerry Newsome: It is authentic and you can't get over the intricacy of the costumes that they wear. Sometimes they take up to a year to actually make some of those costumes. But I did a program with a guest, oh, over a year ago now, and we talked about, trying to make sure that you get the right kind of trekking guide and one that does. Or is authentic and you know is gonna give you the best experience, but it's very hard to pick them. When you are the naive tourist and you're arriving there, how do you know which one is the. The good one or the bad one when they're all looking the same. And then when you ultimately go out and they're similarly dressed, but not quite the same attitude. So it's a tough one, but I don't wanna, I don't wanna go too much on it, but I just think it's worth mentioning and doing your homework and getting some guidance before you arrive is definitely. The way to go. So let's separate Sapa out into the town itself because you took us through on your video, a little bit more of the town than I actually spent time on. So maybe share with us a little bit of the town itself. [00:05:59] Jack Taylor: Yeah, it's it's quite a livey little town. Like I said to you earlier on. I expect it to be a really quiet, mountainous town. It's not, it's got quite a lot going on. Lots of restaurants, lots of bars, lots of coffee shops. They've got a large town square. There's, there seem to be lots of shows going on there. They're stage set up. A lot of the tourism in the area is based around the trekking or the, like the ethnic minority villages. But they have a large population within the town as well. And yeah, I thought it was it was very different her to Hanoi in the level of hecticness, but it's also, it maintains that a little bit in the town, but it's a nice contrast at least compared to Hanoi. You can look out even though. It's got, it's, the streets are pretty crazy. You can look out on these beautiful mountains and enjoy that too. [00:06:43] Kerry Newsome: Yeah, and I have two experiences which are. A little bit. The first one's a bit funny in the sense that when my husband and I went there, we kept going down wrong way streets on a bike that we hired. So we kept getting fined by the police who were asking for these amounts of money, which, once again, you know, that kind of went. Kerry, I should know better than this. It was in my very early days of traveling to Vietnam, so I was, yeah, one of the very naive ones. But we learned very quickly that there was a bit of a system going on there. And then in the township, I was desperate to get my hair washed. And this, I went to this hairdresser, and this is before like you're talking about bars and a real happening. The town, like we're talking. 2010 probably that we went. I haven't been back since and the township was really small and not much happening at all. And if you weren't into trekking then, there wasn't a lot to do. So yeah, so I went to this hairdresser and she washed my hair and truly I came out and I looked like. Phyllis Diller If you ever remember the American popular star. My hair was like in went straw. I don’t know what she washed it with, but it was like gasoline or something like that. So it was a bit scary. So getting into the trekking side of it. There is a little bit of small trekking to be done, just very close to the town, which a lot of the tourists do when they just do a very one night stay because they don't have time. So they just do this little meander around and it's quite pretty and it's not too pressing, but what I'm keen to talk. To you about is the treking that you've done quite out of Sapa and the advantages of going out and what to experience there. [00:08:41] Jack Taylor: Trekking is something that I do on a lot of my trips, I think it's probably my favorite to do thing to do when I go to a new country. And I think there's numerous reasons for that. One. You get to see the landscapes, which personally that's something that I'm really interested in seeing especially in Asia. Once you get out of the cities, there's some great mountainous. And really u unique, interesting places to visit. You also get to see and meet the real people. I think people who live in cities all around the world, there's some similarities. Okay. Hanoi is different to London. In many ways, but it's still a city. It's still people who have city life. Once you get out into the countryside, that's a completely different culture. You could argue the real people of a country. So you get to kinda see what life is like in, in a more rural setting. In this case, I went to Trekking for three days with the Red Dao tribe. A woman from the Red Dao Tribe and yeah, she taught us first of all, I was impressed by her level of English cuz she taught us a lot about the surrounding area, how they live and their history. And it was a really fascinating experience. [00:09:47] Kerry Newsome: And I think having the local minority groups. There to give you some advice, give you, and if you've got someone that can give it to you in English, whilst, you can always put a lot into hand gestures and pointing and, but having English speaking. Guides is a really big plus I think in these places, just so that you can get a little bit more information to give context to the region because the minority groups are so interesting when you get into their history and. The role that they've played in all of the wars that have gone on in Vietnam and all sorts of things, and their crafts, their markets, all of that sort of thing. So talk to us a little bit about the level of hiking that is required to get the best experience. Do you have to be, a really good hiker or trekker or, can you just be a hobby one like me? [00:10:49] Jack Taylor: I think there's something for everyone. Maybe I'm a bit of a weirdo, but I would say, I said, give us the hardest one. Give us the hardest track you've got. And once she said, once she's, we got AZ at you on the first day. Do you wanna do the easy way, the hard way? We went probably the hard way. What is it? Is it better? She's it's more beautiful. We said, give us the hard way. Like I said, I've done some treks or like I told you before I've done some treks around the world now I've done some treks in China for multiple day ones, some in Thailand usa. So I've got a bit of experience. However, I think it can still be enjoyed as a hobbyist, like if you just wanna do a half day tour. The first towns we walked to were actually within an hour or two of Sapa town center. They weren't the best towns. But it was still beautiful countryside. You could still really enjoy it. I think there's also options to do day trips to, to the villages and then go on tour walking tours around the villages as well. So if anyone listening who is maybe a bit intimidated by doing a three day trek then you, there are still options for you too. [00:11:51] Kerry Newsome: And. Like I, I'm wanting to drill down a little bit on this because I've spoken to other trekkers and never said, oh, it's only about, 25 Ks or 30 Ks in the total track. And some people might go, what the 20, 25, 30 Ks? I don't walk that in a year. So it's. It's trying to put some reality to it because you've got also weather conditions to consider it. It can get quite warm or conversely it can be quite cold. So talk to us a little bit just about, what sort of fitness level do you think and, have you gotta be an avid walker and go, be able to handle. My experience, you've gotta be able to handle hills, you've gotta have good footwear and you've gotta be able to handle that that just, that change in temperatures, et cetera. [00:12:42] Jack Taylor: Yeah, so on the track I did, I think the first day was 17 kilometers. The second day was 25 and then the final day was 13. So it was pretty intense track, especially that second day. Cuz the second day there was this huge valley. And in the video I'm currently making now I'm doing a more focus video on the trekking, which you haven't seen yet. But there's one day we climb up this giant hill. And then we're already pretty tired. And then we go where we at? Hiking to today. She points through the valley and it [00:13:12] Kerry Newsome: Oh no. [00:13:13] Jack Taylor: and we're like, oh, we're going over there. So that was she didn't tell us that until we got to the top of the hill. It was already too late at that point. But I would say on the trek I did, you gotta be a bit fit. The thing I found that was the most difficult like I say, I bring my cameras everywhere with me, so I've got a whole bag [00:13:31] Kerry Newsome: A lot of gear. [00:13:32] Jack Taylor: My wife will carry that one and I carry both of our clothes, so her clothes and my clothes. So I had this too big of a bag really. And over three days hiking that much, it really dug into my shoulders. So it was my shoulders more than anything that I had trouble with. Don't do it in flip flops is my first piece of advice. Bring at least a pair of trainers. I'd known this is one of the reasons I came to Vietnam and to Sapa, was to do the hiking. So I brought a nice big pair of hiking boots. So if you're gonna do the more extreme end, I'd be prepared. Bring plenty of water that kind of thing. And yeah, I'd probably done a, I've probably would try and get some experience beforehand if you're gonna do the three day one. But like I say, there's options for one day. There's options for two day, that kind of thing. [00:14:16] Kerry Newsome: Yeah. And like I think that's really great advice on the shoe wear, because I've seen some amazing. Options of people that have got off those buses and they're gonna do a two day hike. And when I look at their footwear, I just go, oh, are you kidding me? There is nowhere, there's no traction on them. They've got no concept of the slippery slidy places that they're going to be going and, yeah, crazy isn't it? [00:14:46] Jack Taylor: Yeah. The, it reminds me the first trek I ever did was actually probably the longest one, and I was probably in the worst shape. I was in Columbia, in Latin, in South America, and I did it. I was like, yeah, whatever. I'll do it in these. Plimp soul shoes and I came back, it was five days, I think. I couldn't walk for a week afterwards. Everyone that did the trek, they went on to the next place. I was like, I need to stay in this hostel for a couple of days and just relax. It's the same, it's the same in Vietnam. [00:15:11] Kerry Newsome: Yeah, absolutely. And like I've even done, small climbs, et cetera, when you do Marble Mountain near Danang and places like that, that if you don't, some people try and do it in thongs and I go, Like marble, when it's wet, it's slippery. Like you can just so easily do an ankle or, do some damage that then wrecks your whole holiday. So a really good point. [00:15:39] Jack Taylor: and if you're doing it, if you're doing it out there in the Sapa countryside, if you twist an ankle that you've got a hike, either way, you know you're gonna have to get yourself back to a main road somehow, somewhere. And that wouldn't be fun. [00:15:52] Kerry Newsome: No, and depending on who you've hired as your Trekking guide or the company that you are dealing with, likewise them having someone to, come and get you back where you know they've gotta take on the rest of the group. All these little kind of things can go wrong if you don't put a little bit of thought into it. And some people are just so casual about it. It amazes me that they just take. Thought about it so lightly and not think, gee, I better wear, and even the size of their bags I think, you, you're not gonna take that wheely bag. Like they'll be wheeling a small carry on bag. And I'm thinking are you kidding me? Yeah. So [00:16:38] Jack Taylor: Hundred, a hundred percent. You couldn't have done that on this track. Yeah. It would ditch that bag. That bag would've gone. [00:16:43] Kerry Newsome: Yeah, for sure. Talk to us a little bit about your accommodation during the treking. You've obviously stayed overnight in some home stays. [00:16:53] Jack Taylor: Yeah. I was surprised by the quality of them actually. The houses were really quite nice. The village it's very rural. So don't get me wrong, it's not a modern place, but like the quality of the houses, they were well built. We had a bed. I wasn't expecting a bed actually. Like I say, I've done some treks in other places, even northern Thailand. And usually when you stay with the hill tribes there it's a wooden house, which it was here as well, but it. Very much like on stilts. Like it very much looks like it's made in the middle of the jungle and you're sleeping on a mat on the floor. So that's what I'd expected. And then we got there and it was a fairly comfortable bed. It was a bit hard and but that, I can't complain. The quality of the house was nice. The food they cooked was absolutely delicious. So that was probably the highlight. They cooked food, all of it made from local ingredients, cuz they're agricultural people. They, it's, everything was grown locally. I remember they had spring rolls, some stir fried beef lots of vegetables. That was absolutely delicious. And probably the most unique thing about the Red Dao is they do this herbal bath. I dunno if you've heard about the herbal baths. [00:18:00] Kerry Newsome: Oh yeah. [00:18:01] Jack Taylor: And it was again, This was a lot nicer than I was expected. So we got the accommodation and then you offered it costs a little bit more. I can't remember exactly how much it was but it wasn't too expensive and it was definitely worth doing. And they run this herbal bath. I'm not entirely sure what was in the herbal bath, but it's in like a barrel. It's not a bath, it's in a barrel. So me and my wife, we had two separate barrels. It was filled with hot water and it was one of the best things you can do after a long day's hike. When you got all that sweat and all that grime on you, you're in. I wouldn't want it to, I wouldn't want think about how dirty the water would get once out once we'd been in there. But it was one of the best things to do and relax after the hike. [00:18:40] Kerry Newsome: Yeah. Now I've had a guest on the show who traveled around Vietnam with social enterprise headset looking for experiences. Where social enterprise played a role and she found herself in Sapa and in a Red Dao village. And she took that bath and she described it equally as pleasurable and as relieving for those sore muscles. After doing that trek it's interesting just about the accommodation. I get very mixed views about. Home stays an accommodation in those remote areas. Some people say they're really great and very obviously homely, but comfortable enough. And then there's some people who just can't see themselves staying that it's just beyond their comfort zone. So it's interesting. Do I dare [00:19:34] Jack Taylor: that. [00:19:34] Kerry Newsome: ask about toilets? Can you tell, are they western toilets? [00:19:39] Jack Taylor: It did have a Western toilet. Again, I was surprised about that it had western toilet. It did have a shower room, so if you don't wanna do the herbal bath, it had a whole shower room. Yeah I was surprised of the quality and, but I'm the kind of person. Who is quite comfortable with bare bones. Like I say, one of the things I like doing about the hiking is you get to go experience local cultures. The, my only question is if you'd stayed in the non-home stay house, would it have had all that? My guess is probably not. My guess is this was made up for tourists for their comfort zone. So this is Tain Village and I can find you the link for the Homestay I stayed so you can attach it at the bottom, but this one was very nice. This one was very nice. But I also think there's kind of two types of people when it comes to backpacking around Vietnam or other places in Asia. It's some people who. To go there because they can probably afford to places that are more comfortable and maybe more luxurious than what they're used to. It's obviously cheaper than backpacking around Europe, right? If you're backpack around Europe, you're probably staying in cheaper hotels, basic stuff. But if you go to Vietnam you can pay the same price and have. Like really luxurious places. I think there's that kind of person and there's the kind of person more like me who likes the wild side of it, who likes to see the things that you wouldn't be able to see in Europe or other places around the world. And that's what you'll get when you're staying in the villages. Like it is. It is very rural. I don't I can imagine some people, I imagine my family. If they visited, they'd be out their comfort zone. So it is something to make sure you would be comfortable with beforehand. But to me personally, it's one of the most fascinating things you can do. [00:21:20] Kerry Newsome: Yeah, and I think you're right, and I've got both in my audience, so I've got some people who, yeah, they can handle a little bit of raw a little bit of, discomfort to experience that. Authenticity within a region. And then there's some that just say, no that's not me. And, horses for courses like that's fair enough. But what I wanna do in the show, in, in what I do with people is I try and give them the reality side of it, not the fluff and bubble I want to talk about. So you go there with expectations that can be met, so you don't go there with Unrealistic expectations and then get disappointed or the other way around. Talk to us a little bit about how long you think is a good stay there? If people are planning to do this, what would you recommend as far as how long they should give themselves to, to have a really good experience? [00:22:16] Jack Taylor: I would say possibly even a night in Sapa town is enough and a homestay. So I would say minimum two nights, minimum. Two nights. If you are gonna do the treking part, like I say, mine was three days, two nights. So I think I was there four nights total. Like everywhere in Vietnam, I wish I had more time. I would've loved to have stayed in other home stays and there was some things in the town that I didn't check out. Mount Fanispan is one of the, one of the highlights there that I didn't actually have time for. So you could stay longer. I would say minimum two. Before moving on to either Ha Giang or maybe back to Hanoi. [00:22:55] Kerry Newsome: And did you? Did you choose a particular time of year that you wanted to go to Sapa? I'm thinking about your cinematography side of it. Did you say, no, I want to go, when it's this time of year because of [00:23:10] Jack Taylor: My job as an English teacher, so I'm an English teacher in Thailand, so it was when I got the holiday is when is how I decided it. However one thing to note I went after the harvest and the good thing about that, about trekking in that time was it was quite nice, whether it wasn't too hot. On one of the days it was cloudy, which was quite nice. It was nice and cool. The other days it was a bit sunny, which was also nice. It wasn't too hot though. If you come earlier in the year though, you can see the rice patties actually growing. So it's nice and green and as the people working in the fields, so especially what I've seen from a lot of photographers and from some other people who've been there making videos if you go at that time of year, you get to see For people work in the fields in the traditional outfits, and that's must be a beautiful site to see. I didn't get to see that. However, I think the Treking part of it was just that little bit better. Because it was mostly dry, but even I stepped into a couple of puddles and then I had my up to my ankle in covered in dirt. If you've gone closer to the rainy season, I think you're gonna get a lot grimier. It's, the trekking probably gonna be that bit more difficult and I've heard that there can be leeches. So you have to be careful. The leeches [00:24:25] Kerry Newsome: Yeah. So what month did you go? [00:24:28] Jack Taylor: I was beginning of October is when I went. [00:24:31] Kerry Newsome: Beginning of [00:24:32] Jack Taylor: And there was no leeches. [00:24:33] Kerry Newsome: bonus. [00:24:35] Jack Taylor: Yeah. [00:24:36] Kerry Newsome: So is there anything else you'd like to add for everyone listening just about trekking, Sapa would like, to make sure that we get everything out there in, in our chat. So is there anything I haven't mentioned or should have mentioned? [00:24:51] Jack Taylor: Yeah. One thing that I think might be interesting that we haven't mentioned is some of the wildlife that you'll see out when you're hiking. So the main one is the water buffalo. I'd never seen water buffalo that up close before. I've lived in Southeast Asia for four years now, but there we, there's so many water buffalo they live. They live and they work in the fields. And I was a little nervous at first because I remember the first time I came to Vietnam I was doing a bike tour in Hoi An and we, as we were passing the water buffalo, the guide I think he was taking the mick outta me, he told me that the water buffalo, they don't like the white people cuz we smell like milk. We smell like milk. And they don't like milk. They only like Vietnamese smells. I think he said they smell a foot. So he said, you gotta be careful around the water buffalo. Now our guide [00:25:39] Kerry Newsome: no, that's terrible. Oh, [00:25:42] Jack Taylor: cuz I was walking past the, we had to walk pretty closely by them and they get scared, right? So they begin to run away. So I was like, this guy told me that they don't like the smell of us. And she said, no, that's not true. He's pulling your leg. [00:25:53] Kerry Newsome: Oh, that's [00:25:53] Jack Taylor: on top of that, [00:25:54] Kerry Newsome: I'm gonna share that one. That's excellent. [00:25:57] Jack Taylor: On top of that our guide may wander. She got worried at one point. There was a big snake. We just missed it. It s slivered down the hill. But she said it was about this big. I'm, I know about 10 centimeter thick. She didn't really say how long, but it was in the grass and that's s slivered off, so you gotta be a little bit careful. She said some of them are poisonous, but most part they're okay. [00:26:19] Kerry Newsome: I wish you wouldn't have told me about the snake bit. Now I might have to cut that out because like I'm terrified of reptile. So I yeah that's good to know for everyone listening. And especially good for me to know in case I wanna do that trek. In the future. Beware of reptiles. Good to know. Jack, that's really wonderful. Thank you for sharing with us. I'm going to make sure that I put all the links to your fabulous footage that you've done. I really love your work, so we'll make sure that everyone can see that. And yeah. Just want thank you for being on the show [00:26:56] Jack Taylor: Thank you.

65dfbab5-85d9-46bf-b803-c8167282dec0Discover and mastermind your Vietnam experiences What About Vietnam - 2-18 How to mastermind your best experience of Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: [00:00:35] Xin chau and welcome to what about Vietnam today, I'm delighted to have Kirsten Pilz on the show because we're going to discuss how journaling or writing can help you explore the reasons why you want to go to Vietnam. Together, we take a real deep dive into how to capture that pre-trip, excitement and anticipation as none of us know when we will be traveling abroad again. We are all looking for ways to do that. Does that explain the boom in travel groups on social media as we all want to keep our dreams alive and chat about where we want to go after Covid? Can a journal tease out those begging questions of why, how, when and if? Kerry Newsome: [00:01:23] And can it be our companion pre the trip during the trip and post the trip? Let's find out. Kerry Newsome: [00:01:31] Kirsten, in her recent Tedex talk, spoke about the healing power of writing as a way to heal and grow. In the context of travel; In this episode, we talk about how a journal can, from the very beginning, help tease out any fears. You might have & expectations. And of course, it helps you document that bucket list of things to do. And we discuss how writing can be the companion to your experience and help you overcome those feelings that you know right now you just can't explain, especially as we venture out after the covid pandemic. Kirsten tells us about her writing retreats in Hoi An and how many solo women travelers joi them. They come to connect with other travelers and to give themselves permission to possibly deal with all feelings that they haven't had a chance to express in a creative way. Let's face it, writing for yourself is a dialogue with yourself. Essentially, you become the author of your own experiences and your own holiday. Dr Kirsten Pils, as she's also known, is a published author, former academic with almost 20 years experience as a teacher and a wellbeing coach who runs her own online business and writing retreats in Australia and Vietnam. And when Kirsten moved to Vietnam in 2016 and set up a popular online business, Write Your Journey.com that allows her to share the tools that helped her transform, grow and heal. Thanks to the pandemic, she's currently in Australia and finishing her memoir, Falling Apart Gracefully. You'll get a real sense for how her and I both feel about travel in Vietnam. And in this episode we share just how we've used writing, journaling and creating trip books to capture our experiences. Please welcome Kirsten to the program. Kerry Newsome: [00:03:39] Kirsten, hello and welcome to what about Vietnam? Thank you for coming on the show. Kerry Newsome: [00:03:45] Look, I'm really excited about this episode, so let's jump right in as we've got a lot to talk about. I thought let's, do this a little bit differently this time. Kirsten, let's just pretend we're taking a leisurely walk together and we just chatting. And I begin our conversation by saying, look, once we're allowed to travel, I would really like to go to Vietnam. I'm seeing it come up quite a lot in the media. And it seems to have had and been fairing really well through the Covid crisis. But I'm not sure, I don't know… would I like it; would I feel safe? Is it really my kind of destination? I don't know a lot about it. I mean, what do you think? How do you think I can kind of process should I approach it, that kind of thing, about whether to go to Vietnam? Kerston Pilz: [00:04:42] Yeah, that's a great question, Kerry. Thank you for that. As you know, I teach writing, personal writing and journaling. And I think a journal, a travel journal can begin way before the trip itself. And as we all know right now, the idea, even just you and I strolling around Sydney is almost unthinkable. So the idea even to go overseas, you know, really makes everybody quite nervous. And so the Journal is really an opportunity to actually get in touch with those feelings, with our fears and maybe also with our reasons for actually going on a journey. Because any trip, whether we're going to a safe place or whether we're going to a really far flung place like I did last year to Iran on a off the year before, takes us outside of our comfort zones. And that is where the journal comes in handy, because any trip is inevitably a form of ourney as well. And that inner journey begins a long time before you standing there at the airport with your mask and perhaps trembling knees. So that is right. Kerry Newsome: [00:05:57] So where do you begin with a journal like that? Does it start with research, do you think? Or like you're talking about that in a journey? I don't know where to start. Why do I want to go to Vietnam of all places? Kerston Pilz: [00:06:19] It was just a statistically named as the second best country, having dealt with Covid just after New Zealand. So it's obviously one of the safer to go to. I personally have been a solo traveller for much of my life and I would say Vietnam is one of the safest countries. But the journal really you can use it obviously for the sort of nitty gritty trip planning, of course, there are Apps around that you could use. But it's also really nice to use a pen and paper journal and to write down your itinerary. And you know, the thing is, we're all at the moment dreaming about going on a trip because nobody knows when we can even go. The borders can close, even state borders any minute. So just use the journal as a way of savouring, of prolonging the sort of pre trip excitement. I recently had a very interesting course with Yale University about happiness. And the interesting thing that these researchers found was that we experience happiness by savouring the moment, and that means the anticipation of the experience. And so there is, for example, a really good place for the journal to actually prolong this experience by writing about your pre trip excitement and sort of tease out the reasons for why you've chosen this country. It might be economical. It's just cheaper or it might be because it's different to other places. So, yeah. Kerry Newsome: [00:08:04] And I think that cultural expectation is also an element. Kerston Pilz: [00:08:09] I know years and years ago when I did anticipate going to Vietnam, you might be thinking I did start to write down things that I want to, I don't know, to get some verification on, because coming from Australia, there was lots of talk about the Vietnam War. Did the Vietnamese like Australians did they how did they feel about us as a country? So I had lots of No. And questions that I want answered during my visit. What do you think what do you say to that? Kerston Pilz: [00:08:45] Yeah, I mean, that's a great point that you bring up there. And it sort of hones in on the idea of our expectations, because inevitably we always look at a foreign culture through our the lens of our own expectations and our cultural understanding and the ways we behave. So I think a journal can be very helpful in that, because also you can often surprised in our trips positively and negatively. And the Journal is actually a way to then reframe your experiences, especially the negative ones, you know, and to really see and dig deep. And I think it's really interesting that you brought up that historical question. How would I feel as an Australian passport holder going to Vietnam? Would they look at me like strangely or hostile? And let me let me assure your listeners that that is actually not the case at all. I always say this. Kerry Newsome: [00:09:47] Go on. Yes, I think having some understanding. I know I read a few books at the time to get a better understanding of that, especially when I was visiting certain places in Vietnam that held a lot of, I guess, historical significance in respect to that. I looked at them, as you say through that lens. But I did refer back to, for want of a better word, my trip book or my trip planning book. Kerry Newsome: [00:10:29] And and I kind of had a list of to DOS and some things that I just wanted to experience to say, gosh, you know, this happened then and how it really transpired. And then to see it now and to be greeted by the lovely people in Vietnam was was just such a welcoming feeling so that when I came back and people asked me again, you know, I could refer, oh, yes, I actually went to that site. And this is what I experienced in places like the Kuchi tunnels and things like that know, I think speak to a lot of historical significance. And I think they do resonate with your upbringing, with your emotions, your feelings and how forefather's, I guess, could have experienced Vietnam very differently. Kerston Pilz: [00:11:18] Yes. I mean, it was interesting. The very first time I went to Vietnam, I went with a friend in 2004. And I grew up in Germany. My father grew up in East Germany. So Communist Germany. And I had this flash, this communist flash. I had this nostalgia in Hanoi. I couldn't get over the similarities. And I sort of felt very unexpectedly sort of a connection. Even though I grew up in West Germany, I still felt this connection between part of the Germany where my father grew up and Hanoi with the communist paraphernalia and all of that, which really, really surprised me. And I had to yeah, I had to actually go to my journal to tease that out because my friend that I was traveling with, she couldn't really understand. She kept laughing at me. So that's the other thing that that's the other thing that the journal where the general comes in handy is also a companion, whether you travel alone or not, because obviously when you travel alone, it is very handy companion, but also when you travel with a friend, because often you do get very different reactions to places. And also you may know your friend in Australia or wherever you come from and you have that familiarity. Kerston Pilz: [00:12:38] But once you both step out of the comfort zone, you might you might react to that other culture in a very different way. You might feel challenged in very, very different ways. I had this experience with my friend. She's a very much an extrovert and I'm much more an introvert. And so I actually liked the fact that I could lean on my journal and just have a quiet time to process and say, can you just give me a moment? I just need to write down what we saw on today. And so, yeah, that's another aspect of the journal that a lot of travelers will find useful. Kerry Newsome: [00:13:15] Yeah. So what you're saying and I mean, I, I kind of hold you up there in the writing, journaling speech and certainly connected to travel. And, you know, your recent TED talk spoke a lot about the healing power of writing. So if we if we're talking to my audience and saying, OK, the writing aspect can actually begin well before you leave, it can become part of your, I guess, inner exploration and research technique to decide whether or not you do want to go to Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: [00:14:00] I mean, I'm hoping even my podcasts are part of a person's process of research and understanding of the country, because we're talking to people like yourself who have been to Vietnam, lived in Vietnam and traveled extensively. Kerry Newsome: [00:14:18] So you've got a lot to share. So if I was to kind of point to some beginnings of that writing journal that we're starting,… at the very beginning of the process, what about if we touched on some of the things that you would advise people to include in that journal, like we've mentioned, things like stepping out of their comfort zone. What advice would you give to a person to start the journey? How could they kind of begin? Did I write a list of things I'm worried about my number one, the food or the traffic? I didn't speak to that a little bit. Kerston Pilz: [00:15:05] Yes, sure. So first of all, my expertise, like you just said there in my TED talk, it was the healing power of writing. And that sort of goes hand in hand with that idea of the inner journey, because as we said at the beginning, any trip is a step outside of the comfort zone. And it's really confronting and again, especially during these times when everything is so uncertain. And so the list is actually a very, very good way to turn. I often use that in my writing groups, as in writing prompt; Write a list of the fears you may have or write a list of the preconceived ideas you may hold towards that country and really be honest with yourself. And that's the beautiful thing about a journal, is a place where you're meant to be brutally honest because it's only for yourself. And that's also the sort of fabulous thing in the way about a journal is a dialogue with yourself. And you can be frank. So this is a very good place. And you could list my favorite top things. I want to see my Vietnam bucket list. That could be a list, and then you could go off and do your research. The things I definitely want to do and achieve in this trip, or maybe a list about what do I want to get out of this trip? Do I want to go for relaxation, cultural awareness and deepening my cultural awareness of this country? Or maybe a mixture of both so the lists can be themed? My fears and I think that's the other thing we often do, because we do live in the culture of positivity and so on. We often don't give ourselves permission to actually think about our fears and travel inevitably brings up a lot of fears. So give yourself permission to write about those fears. Kerry Newsome: [00:17:06] Yeah, and then I go, you know, I was just going to be checking up to ask when you did visit Vietnam for the first time back in 2004, did you have a list of things that you wanted to experience or fears that you might have had preconceived ideas or anything like that? What was on your list? Kerston Pilz: [00:17:29] Well, you know what? Kerston Pilz: [00:17:30] This is actually quite embarrassing to confess, but I actually was quite overworked at the time and I just needed a break in. My friend said, let's go to Vietnam. And I was so silly I hadn't even brought a lonely planet or we hadn't we hadn't actually planned anything. We were on the plane and because I hadn't seen my friend in a while. So, you know, sometimes how it is, you catch up with a friend as you go on holiday and chatting, chatting, and then we touch down. And I think it was like going to a city and we're like, actually, hang on, we want to stay tonight. I mean, so I wouldn't advise that I normally don't travel like that anymore. Kerston Pilz: [00:18:06] I'm also a little bit older now. I do get a little bit anxious these days. I usually have the first five books. And so here we are standing at the taxi rank, going on with the with the picnic a quarter. Where does one go? Kerston Pilz: [00:18:21] So, yes, I would definitely advise doing that research in advance and also doing the research on like I don't know how much is a taxi to cost and how do I get from the airport to town without feeling ripped off because you don't want to start your. Journey in a negative way. Feeling, oh, my God, that taxi driver, this rarely happens in Vietnam because it's so organized, so. Yeah, yeah. Just things to think about. Kerston Pilz: [00:18:51] So I think when you're young and you do kind of fly by the seat of your pants in a way, and that's totally cool. But I think as you do get older, you become a little bit more of a thoughtful traveler. Do you think? Kerston Pilz: [00:19:07] Yes. And also depends how much time you have. Like back in the day when I have a month, months of backpacking and you just go where the wind blows you, that's that's cool. That's part of that experience. But if you're working and your annual leave is very minimal in Australia, we typically get 20 days that that is not very much to play with. So that's where, again, the journal comes in handy in the trip planning because you really want to figure out, OK, do I need one night in this place to I should give myself three nights here. Do I want a rest stop in the middle of the trip? Because when often when we cram too much into our journeys, we can come home feeling more exhausted than before we left. So definitely I would advise or I these days plan a little bit more carefully, although I didn't do that on my last trip to Iran. Kerston Pilz: [00:19:59] Again, we just had the first night booked, but that was because there was very little information available. Kerston Pilz: [00:20:05] Vietnam has a lot of information and the What About Vietnam podcast is, of course, one of them. So I would advise to do so, because we don't know when we'll travel. So use this time to do a little bit of armchair travel and use the time to write about and start that dialogue with yourself. What do I want to get out of this trip and how do I expect it to change me? And what are my fears like we said before? And what are my preferences, especially if you're travelling with other people that can often be a clash. One person wants to be super active, the other one maybe wants to hang more by the pool. So how do you negotiate that and so on? Kerry Newsome: [00:20:47] Yes, and I think that's something definitely to consider when you are traveling either as a family or, as you say with a friend or or even in a group. Sometimes there'll be a dynamic in that group where one person is a “doing” person or group and the other person's a bit more of a chill kind of aspect. Just on the on the writing side of it, you've got me thinking now about journaling. And I'm I'm a bit of a fan of pen and paper and beautiful little kind of notebooks. And that's probably very old fashioned. But about capturing those highlights, I tend to take lots of photos and I do. And I have created over my life various trip albums so that includes everything from the first itinerary to the ticket, to hotel bills, to tickets to shows, things like that. I include all in a trip album so that I can go back and say, gosh, you know, I went to Vietnam back in 2010 and I was only paying so many Dong for a hotel. And now 10 years on, I'm paying this in a hotel or the sophistication is increased enough that I certainly think both you and I both seeing Vietnam evolve and become a much more sophisticated country and able to deal with the the Western traveller and in a much more, how shall I say, luxurious way than in the past. it had. And I mean, what are your thoughts about trip books versus trip Apps, versus photo like this is your space. Kerry Newsome: [00:22:52] So tell me more about your thoughts on that. Kerston Pilz: [00:22:56] Kerrythank you for that question. I am quite active on Instagram because I love taking photos, but like all of us, you can take one hundred photos and then you go back to work and suddenly you forget about them. And one day you need to change phone and you go, oh my God, I haven't even downloaded those photos or done anything with them. And the same can be true for Camera. And I used to travel with a big camera. Kerston Pilz: [00:23:26] So I really like the old fashioned journal for several reasons. One is what you just mentioned. You use it like a scrapbook and it becomes sort of this lively record to help you track your trip, you'll a treasure that more than the photos that he never downloaded from your iPhone or your camera because like you said, you can stick receipts, entrance tickets from the temple or the pagoda in there, and it becomes sort of a visual record, a scrapbook. And the other thing is a journal slows you down. And one of the reasons we take trips is to actually get away from our everyday life. Often we feel a bit burnt out with our jobs, our routines. So traveling is a way to slow down. And writing pen and paper is a way to slow down and to really get in touch with your deepest thoughts and reactions. So I really am a great advocate of getting yourself a beautiful book, you know, with a nice, sturdy cover. Or you might even buy it there if you. That's another. Yes, it's a beautiful picture. Kerston Pilz: [00:24:37] Yeah. Combined Vietnam and books with handmade paper and lovely. Lovely. And the other thing is, of course, I find people, you know, suddenly discover their creativity when they write. And I get so many people in my online courses who feel very, very shy to admit to themselves that they have creative stirrings. But we all have them. But they get sort of taught out of us, when we grow up. We leave the crayons in the sand in the kindergarten and then we grow up. But journaling is a is a very lovely way to get in touch again with your creativity and discover things about yourself that you didn't even know you had interest in yourself. And so savour that time, you know, and yeah, I think it's a wonderful tool to also to document your trip. It's a practical way to organize a stay organized. I just use Instagram because I like it and it helps me connect with my community. But I actually love the journal. Absolutely. Kerry Newsome: [00:25:49] So now what do you think it is about Vietnam that does seem to inspire the “writer” in us? I know one of my trips I had the privilege to attend one of your writing classes and I really, really enjoyed it. And I think retreats or writing retreats is kind of a unique thing in itself. But there's something about Vietnam that you mentioned slows you down or there's something about the nature of Vietnam in some places like Vietnam, where where you hold your writing retreats. Kerry Newsome: [00:26:35] Tell us a little bit about a writing retreat and what people can expect to experience in that. Kerry Newsome: [00:26:43] Yeah, great question. And also, I just wanted to say that you came to was the very, very first class I ever held, so good to know, as I was very nervous that day. But that was four years ago. Kerston Pilz: [00:27:00] We actually went online for our writers group and this year we had to do advising. So I listen to some episodes of your wonderful podcast and you have talked about yoga retreats and skin wellness retreats. Kerston Pilz: [00:27:17] So you can obviously do a range of retreats. And Vietnam is still a virgin territory, if you like. And as was discussed in some of your episodes there when it comes to retreats. A writing holiday is quite a unique way to experience a holiday. Typically, I get a lot of women, but that's just because I sort of advertise that way. And often they come because they may want to travel by themselves, but they feel a little uncomfortable if you just go all by themselves. So this retreat gives them that container of safety and community. And I also often get people who are not necessarily aspiring to publish books or to write creative fiction. Most of the people who come to my retreats are actually there to connect with themselves. So they use that like other people might go on yoga and meditation retreat. And we actually combine yoga and meditation and mindfulness with the writing practice. And so they really come to take that deep dive into themselves and to dwell on that dialogue with themselves. Often they work through episodes in their lives that may have been traumatic or difficult and. So they want to find that sort of next chapter, ….because really writing symbolically is all about closing one chapter and opening another one. And that is why I love that, …that you open it and it's a blank page…. and you can put into it whatever you want. Kerston Pilz: [00:28:54] It really is up to you. You are the author of your trip and also of your life. And the other thing, of course, about Vietnam is that because it's not sort of so oversaturated, from an Australian perspective. We know there's a lot of travel historically that has gone to Bali. It's sort of still more new and fresh. And a lot of people love that sort of or what I do with my students on retreat or participants is we go to the markets, and we do a cooking classes. I also take them on excursions and then we write about it. What did you see today that really surprised you or describe, I don't know, the smile on the lips of a vendor that you didn't have a common language with at the market? You still had a really profound experience connecting with that person. Describe that. Describe the feeling of riding through the rice paddies. What did you see? And that is another way of slowing down and connecting with your senses and again, connecting with yourself in ways you don't normally do when you are following your routine. You're going through life on autopilot, busy getting through the day. So it's a really lovely way to expand yourself, your understanding and you're opening yourself up to the world in creative ways. Y Kerry Newsome: [00:30:21] And and it's a lovely way to record your actual experience at the time, because sometimes we are so busy where we're getting on the cable car. We're going up with the kids to the top of the mountain, to Ba Na Hills or whatever. And just to make sure at the end of the day, we captured something that someone said or, as you say, the smile on the girl's face, as she said, welcome to the hills. Or, you know, we very rarely give ourselves the privilege of that because this gets in the way. I know one of the things that I've written about in Vietnam quite a bit is in particular in Hoian is the colours. I'm always struck by the colour and how the colour and the colours I experience influenced me and my sense of happiness, my sense of joy, my sense of well-being, my positivity levels. I always come away from Hoi An, feeling very lighter andbrighter, more colourful, more creative, more open, more even friendly. I think I'm even a nicer person. Kerston Pilz: [00:31:46] Yeah, I think that really resonate with me because as you know, I lived in Hoi An up until I became stranded here actually almost a year ago now. And I do. I mean, you make me really nostalgic. Kerston Pilz: [00:31:59] Of course, there's a beautiful. Yeah, and the beautiful thing about the Vietnamese is the smiles, even though I often think they have gone through incredible hardship, inconceivable trauma, and yet they're smiling and they're resilient and they live in the moment. And again, writing is actually about capturing the experience in the moment, documenting the story as it is unfolding. And so there's a point of connection there when we slow down and slow down to that very moment where I feel I can connect better with the locals because they live in the here and now. It's not about the past, even though that past could go away terribly on their minds. And I'm sure it does. But it is about living now and expressing that joy and that happiness. And the one thing I want to say to then is I do with my community is to encourage them to write a gratitude journal. And that's something you can also do with your journal when you when you travel, because like you say, we are so busy. Sometimes we go up and I remember meeting somebody and today I have to just get the tailor down and then I have to get this done. And then I still have to go to the then why do I have to do that on a holiday? You don't actually have to go to the tailor. You could just relax so long to capture what you have actually experiences to write a gratitude journal. Five things I saw today that made me smile. I mean, you could do that every day, but especially on a trip , it's just such a beautiful record to take home. And then even on the days when you're not feeling so happy and you know you're anxiously awaiting your next holiday, you might just go over that and say, oh, my God, that was so simple and it was so profound and so wonderful. So, yeah, it's the simple things that often end up so special. Kerry Newsome: [00:34:02] And I think when someone then asks you down the track, gosh, you know, why do you want to keep go to Vietnam? What is it about Vietnam? Kerry Newsome: [00:34:12] Even if I've momentarily forgotten, which doesn't happen very often, as you know. But if I momentarily why do I care or why did I go to that place? Kerry Newsome: [00:34:24] What was it about Ba be Lake, I am in love with it. Was it the stillness? Was it the serene environment? Was it the beautiful, warm family that I stayed with at a homestay? Kerry Newsome: [00:34:39] Was it that really beautiful meal that I had with them when it was cold and we were all rugged up and we really couldn't converse because obviously my Vietnamese is hopeless. Kerry Newsome: [00:34:52] However, we did have a connection through our smiling with each other, with our handshake's, with our gestures and things like that. How can I convey that this is this is one of the things that has spurred me on with my podcasting. And I think from what I know about you, has spurred you on with your writing classes, and your retreats in Hoi An and things like that, because it comes out in in what you deliver and what you give and what you invest into those retreats. Kerry Newsome: [00:35:26] I want to finish because we are getting away with time. We do kind of touch on why Vietnam, why go to Vietnam and not Bali now? I have no answer to that. What would be your answer to why Vietnam? Why not Bali? Because we both know both places. Kerston Pilz: [00:35:47] Yes, I actually lived in Bali for a year in 1986, believe it or not, when it was very different. So my reason for not going to Bali, I guess it's because I'm nostalgic for the Bali ,that no longer is. But it's also I guess it has that reputation. I guess, you know, people go there for parties and it's very crowded. I actually recently did go to just before I came back to Australia, I transited via Bali and I spent a week there and it was just so busy and it sort of had lost a lot of its charm. Kerston Pilz: [00:36:22] And I guess its become very commercialized I mean, obviously any country in SE Asia is booming. It was booming before Covid. Also, you watched the rice paddies disappearing and so on. But I feel there's a creative energy in Vietnam, especially with the young people. It has a very large young population. And maybe because it had communist oppression and the war before that for a long time, there is sort of an opening up, a burgeoning creative energy that you often experience in countries that awaken to something new you had it in. So I feel there is, yeah, a creative spirit and adventurousness that is, perhaps was…. in Bali years ago and is no longer there for me anyway. You know, with the young people opening beautifully hipster, I don't know, coffee bars with those, those decorations, the tiles. And suddenly I remember one reason why I did move to Hoi An in 2016, which is not so long ago because it didn't have a yoga center. It was that here that Natalie who opened the first yoga center and yoga and up until then it didn't have a yoga center. And so everything was still new. Virgin territory like it is saturated now with yoga centres and especially after that book by Elizabeth Gilbert – Love eat pray But still Vietnam is still sort of Virgin territory in many respects. And that's what I love. There's a freshness and the newness. Kerry Newsome: [00:38:03] Kirsten, look, it's been lovely having you on the program. I hope we together have inspired people to have a look at the option when they are investigating a trip to Vietnam, to look at the idea of starting even before that armchair version of research and armchair version of an inner journey, as you say. And I'll definitely be putting the links to your retreat's both in Hoi An, and at Mission Beach is which is where you're sitting at the moment, correct? Yeah. Just lovely to have you on the program, as always. And lovely to catch up with you. Kerston Pilz: [00:38:47] Thank you so much. And you make me a little bit nostalgic now, but just to leave your listeners with this, do not be afraid. Vietnam is a wonderful place and it's it's safe. Thank you for listening. Kerry Newsome: [00:39:03] Check out the show notes for more information. What about Vietnam? Don't forget to subscribe, write and review and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam.

3f489e6a-8dfa-44cc-825b-69aabdfd9d88Why you should do more than one cooking class Cooking classes in Vietnam - why you should do more than one Episode 23 Cooking classes in Vietnam - why you should do more than one 00:00 / 42:20 A cooking class is a must to include in your tour of Vietnam. Not every country offers up Cooking Classes like they do in Vietnam. Cooking classes in Vietnam have a wide range of offerings including seafood, vegan and vegetarian, and will take you on a journey from farm to market, to table. Even, if you don't like to cook, you will find out WHY food tastes so good in Vietnam and what impact the region has on what you are eating. Why do just one class, when each area offers up something different in their cuisine? Vietnamese have a love affair with food and you will too after you do a cooking class. This is why I am excited about my guest today. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here