Vietnam

By this time of the year, the need for a vacation is usually notorious. But for some reason this year that is more true than ever. Two weeks ago we had both reached a point of saturation - both mental and physical - and really REALLY needed to wind down and simply do nothing for a bit.

We only had a week to invest in doing nothing, and chose Vietnam for our recovery week. Why Vietnam? Vietnam is close enough not to waste too much time in traveling, and different enough to feel that we have actually gone somewhere else. We did not have much time to plan the itinerary. A few friends had visited Vietnam and had good things to say. So we thought... why not? A quick look at the Lonely Planet pointed us to Northern Vietnam because this is the best season for that area. A bit of Internet research determined the nicest hotel in Hanoi, and a boat operator to hang out in Halong Bay. And with a hotel and boat booked online, a few t-shirts, shorts and swimming suits thrown into the suitcase, we set off.

We did not have particularly high expectations. And maybe that's part of the reason why we found it so magical... We fell in love with Hanoi at the first stroll... It is hard to describe. Imagine putting Paris and Mumbai in a blender (Kumar and I argue over the proportions of each one), add a dash of Cambodian laid back attitude (see my description of Cambodia further down this blog), stir well, and you get close. The architecture definitely shows the French colonial epoque. The people are beautifully laid back and charming. The handicrafts in the old town are exquisite. The food is heavenly. And the overall result is something unique and delightful that makes you forget you were stressed when you landed an hour earlier.

We spent a day in Hanoi before traveling to the coast to get on the boat for the next 4 days. By the end of that first day, we were already half-recovered from our Japanese extenuation.

And then we arrived in Halong Bay... It is practically impossible to describe the setting in words. So I'll use an image: this is what we saw around us all the time while we cruised through the waters of Halong Bay in a private junk that we had all for ourselves.


We came to Vietnam to do nothing. And that's pretty much what we did on our junk: admired our surroundings while lying on a reclining chair, kayaking when we felt like it, going for a swim when we were in the mood, having lunch on the beach at the time we asked the chef to have it ready.... Ah, there were no limits to the pampering!

We came back from Vietnam fully recharged, with a slice of paradise etched in our memories. And with the holidays we'll take from now on ruined before we even plan them... It will be so difficult for any experience to measure up to Vietnam!

Check out the pictures on the Vietnam links. But do it at your own risk: envy and drooling will be irrepressible!