Tag: Vietnam

“You’re Living Your Dream & This Shit Should Be Fun”

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Ain’t nobody want to see you down in the dumps because you’re living your dream and this shit should be fun. The title of the blog post comes from a new Ed Sheeran song, Eraser. Granted, he’s talking about his life as a high-flying, global singer-songwriter. Alas, I am not. But the line is relatable and something I’ve been meaning to write about for a while: Living The Dream. We’ve met a lot of people on our travels who said they were so envious of our lifestyle. We’re “living the dream” they’ve said. Travelling and working combined is certainly a blessing, …

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My Love-Hate Relationship with Lonely Planet

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I recently read Lonely Planet’s guide to Europe’s Best Road Trips. Yes, the photos are stunning and it makes me want to learn to drive and travel all over. However, what annoys me about this list is their lack of diversity. According to the United Nations, there are 44 countries in Europe. All of the countries listed in Lonely Planet’s guide are in Western Europe. What about all the other countries? I’ve travelled around Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, and many others and they boast breathtaking landscapes. Why are these countries ignored? Calm down Helen, it’s just a list Maybe I am …

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Helen’s 10 Best Hikes and Climbs in the World

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When travelling, I often find myself doing monstrous hikes that put my unfitness into perspective. That being said, hiking is one of my favourite things to do while travelling. No matter how strenuous the hiking is, the views are usually pretty spectacular. From my current location in Mexico, all the way to China and the UK, here are some of my top hikes across the world. Teotihuacan, Mexico Our most recent hike was both epic and tiring. Teotihuacan is an ancient city (about 2000 years old) found about an hour outside of Mexico City. There are two big temples to climb: the …

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How Travelling Has Increased My Environmental Awareness

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Global warming and climate change are two things we keep hearing about frequently. Unlike some high authority figures, it’s not something we should be ignoring. However, it’s always been difficult to really grasp the effect global warming is having. It’s easy to get caught up in our day to day lives of finances, work, and personal relationships. My most recent travels have opened up to my eyes to the impact our livelihood is having and has increased my environmental awareness. Air Pollution in China Since being home, the question I often get asked is “How was China?” By now, I’ll admit that I …

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Dong Hoi & Phong Nha: Two Years of Development

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As mentioned previously, this is my second time in Vietnam. As well as visiting new places, I am heading to some of the same places. Naturally, these places are new to Mitch, and I get a totally different experience travelling with him, rather than travelling solo. Two of the places I’ve visited for a second time on this trip are Dong Hoi and Phong Nha. The former is a small town on the coast, the latter is a National Park famous for it’s recently discovered caves. I loved both of these places last time. And, seeing as we passed them on …

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Uh Oh, Helen Fell in Love Again: Sa Pa, Vietnam

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It was just over a year ago that I announced that I was falling in love with Montenegro. Less than a year ago, I also wrote my passionate experience about visiting Xingping in China. Both of these places stole my heart and are places I would happily go back to. They are places which are ideal for relaxing, unwinding, thinking, and getting away from the hustle and bustle. Location number three has now been added to the list: Sa Pa, Vietnam.     I explored a fair number of places the last time I was in Vietnam. Sa Pa, however, …

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