San Miguel de Allende + Mexico City

May 31, 2024September 26, 20241 Comment

CITY: San Miguel de Allende

HOW LONG: 3 nights

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at the cutest Airbnb. It’s a bit of a walk uphill to get back, but you always have the option of a cheap uber. Garden & patio are very peaceful. Fresh fruit & water were provided at the beginning of our stay. Bed was very comfortable and wifi worked great. There was a fan which helped cool the room since there was no AC. They also provided beach towels to go to the hot springs. Wish we had more time here & would absolutely stay here again!

WHERE TO EAT:

San Miguel De Allende has some incredible restaurants. You definitely won’t go hungry! Here were our favorites:

The Restaurant – Ambiance is incredible & was higher end than where I usually eat at while backpacking, but it was a nice treat! The patio had beautiful plants & we loved the al fresco dining. I had a yummy burger! This was recommended to us by our Airbnb hosts.
Cafe Muro– French toast was fab & this cafe is located in a quiet area out of the hustle bustle. The staff were incredibly nice and we had the place to ourselves most of our meal. Great place to work on a computer as well.
La Parada – Dinner with the wedding party on Friday night was at this restaurant. Really great food & cocktails!
La Sacristía – yummy breakfast & cute outdoor seating
Rosewood – The rosewood has a rooftop bar with incredible views over the city. Pop up for a drink at sunset!

WHAT TO DO:

There are supposed to be amazing hot springs here, but Ellie & I attempted to go to one (La Gruta) and were severely unimpressed. Kinda a bummer. Here’s a list of other options.

We also had a run in with a family friend who was also here for a wedding! Turns out San Miguel de Allende is a popular place for getting married 🙂

We loved walking around the streets of San Miguel; it’s just beautiful. The cobblestone streets are treacherous so plan to wear comfy shoes (aka no heels!!).

Besides that, the only thing left to do was attend a fabulous wedding!! Congrats to Billy & Monica!

Overall Thoughts:

We loved San Miguel de Allende. It’s charming, quaint, safe, colorful, easy to navigate, approachable & more. While it’s not the easiest to get to flight-wise (closest airport is 1.5-2 hrs away), you won’t want to leave. It’s definitely worth visiting!

CITY: Mexico City

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at Wanderlust Hostel and honestly wouldn’t recommend it. We wanted to like it, but there were too many things that made us wish we had stayed elsewhere. Our private room had no outside window, which made it feel like a dungeon. The free breakfast was very strictly between 9:30-10am. The bathrooms weren’t that nice. But the toughest part was that the owners were weirdly short, curt and gruff with us. Every time we interacted they seemed to think we were bothering them. It was very strange. It wasn’t HORRIBLE but there are enough other great hostels to choose from in Mexico City.

WHERE TO EAT:

Ellie & I went to a few fun cafes & restaurants. I love traveling with her because we get to pick two meals and try them both!

La Ventanita Cafe – We ordered pancakes and French toast, and both agreed that the French toast was better!

Cibeles gran café– We got some yummy drinks and played cards here.

Freims– hip, trendy cafe with a lovely back terrace. Plenty of dogs & digital nomads doing their thing. Yummy brunch food!

Churrero El Moro – Small churro chain that makes delicious churros. Pro tip: get the thick hot chocolate to dip your churros into! We literally went back for seconds after the first round.

Antonella Caffe– we needed a quick bite to eat before heading to the airport and this place was great!

WHAT TO DO:

So in full transparency, Ellie & I were EXHAUSTED from my 30th birthday party + the wedding in San Miguel de Allende. This meant when we arrived to Mexico City, we both looked at each other & said “let’s not over do it here.” Well….. that turned into basically doing nothing. At the end of our time we both agreed that the trip to CDMX was a bit of a wash and we will need to come back here before we can really say that we’ve been to Mexico City. Whoops, but it happens when traveling this much!

We slept late (helped by the lack of natural light in our room lol), played lots of cards in cafes, caught up on life, walked through Parque Mexico, and went to movie with the hostel (we saw the Challengers and it was trippy but in a bad way; we both kinda hated it). That’s basically it haha.

Overall Thoughts:

I feel like I can’t even give real thoughts on Mexico City since we didn’t do much and our hostel wasn’t great. Mexico City definitely felt HUGE so I know there’s a lot to explore. I hope to come back soon and actually do so.

BUDGET FOR 6 DAYS IN Mexico:

I invited Ellie as my date so I paid for her trip to Mexico. Does this make the world’s best big sister?? I would think so!! But this explains why these numbers are higher than usual; it’s for two people 🙂

Accommodation: $540 ($90 per night)

Food: $300

Groceries: $0

Activities: $48

Local Transportation: $241

Total: $1,142 (Daily average: $190)

Transportation to next destination: $218 for the flights to Mexico (for both of us) + $152 (my flight to the Colombia)

Japan

May 28, 2024Leave a comment

Pro tips:

No tourist visa needed for US citizens
A lot of places take credit cards, but plenty don’t so it’s smart to get some money out of an ATM when you arrive
To get around on public transit (a must while in Japan, it’s incredible), download the Suica card on your phone before you arrive. Here’s a guide on how to do it. I had trouble re-loading using apple pay (looking on reddit it looks like I am not alone in experiencing this issue), but it’s easy enough to find a machine at one of the subway stations to top it up (requires cash though!).
Unless you are going to be taking trains like every other day, it’s unlikely that the train pass is worth it. They changed the price & now it’s far harder for it to pay for itself. My dad and I just bought Shinkansen or regular train tickets day of at the station to get around Japan. Definitely take the Shinkansen train at least once. It’s wild how quick & efficient they are!
Get excited for the toilet experience in Japan!!! It’s like a spa day every time you use the restroom. You are in for a treat. Don’t miss out on trying all the different buttons it has to offer.
Try fun snacks at 7-eleven. It’s not like the US at all. My favorite were the shelf stable pancakes with maple syrup & butter. I loved keeping them in my daypack for an emergency snack option.
Do not miss out on doing some Onsens. This was a highlight for my dad & me! Just be aware you aren’t allowed to have tattoos in many of them so make sure to pay attention to this.
Because Tokyo is huge, it’s hard to be “perfectly” centrally located. Instead focus on having your accommodation be near 1-2 metro stations. We used the metro system every single day so if you are near a few then it will be very easy to explore Tokyo!
I thought the metro system was incredible easy to navigate despite being in a different language (post 2021 Olympics there is far more English signage which helps). My pro tip for navigating the metro system is to use Google maps and just focus on the color of the line you are taking & the letter & number of the stop you are trying to go to. For example: if I am taking the green line and getting on at stop H19 and need to go to H14 then those are the only three things I pay attention as I am navigating the signage at the metro stop. I ignore the name of the line & the names of the stations. But seriously, Google maps gave all the correct information every time including telling you what platform to get on, which was SO helpful.
Don’t worry about having “too much” time in Tokyo. I spent 9 days & barely scratched the surface. I would’ve happily stayed longer.
I was surprised at how little English was spoken in Japan. If you had told me that I would encounter more people in Laos speaking English than in Japan, I would’ve said “No way!” but this definitely was true. Have a translator app ready because you’ll need it 🙂 Everyone was so kind in trying to help, but in order to get the help, you need to use a translator since most folks we interacted with spoke little to no English. I truly think in all my travels (60+ countries at this point) Japan is where I encountered the least amount of English. Not a bad thing & it didn’t affect our travels at all, but it’s just something to be prepared for.

My Japan trip was slightly different than my usual backpacker adventures for two reasons:

I was with people the whole time! My German friend Sonja (who I met in Thailand), Marisa (a friend from California), & my dad all joined me for parts of the trip. We even had one day where we adventured the four of us.
My dad joined me for 10 out of the 15 days and GENEROUSLY paid for the trip so I didn’t stay in hostels for most of my trip here. It’s also why my budget section only reflect the 5 days he wasn’t with me. It also meant I did 5 nights in Tokyo with Sonja & then Marisa before my dad arrived. Marisa, my dad & I immediately went to Kyoto after my dad landed in Tokyo. After Kyoto my dad & I said goodbye to Sonja & Marisa & headed to Hakone for 2 nights before ending the trip in Tokyo for 4 nights.

CITY: Tokyo

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS (with Sonja & Marisa) + 4 nights (with my dad)

ACCOMMODATION:

Hostel with Sonja: Citan Hostel This hostel was honestly great. Comfy beds, clean rooms & bathrooms, cute little kitchen & common area to eat a meal from 7 eleven. There’s a bar/cafe downstairs that sometimes has live music. Wasn’t that easy to meet people but it didn’t matter since Sonja & I were together. This is a common complaint about hostels in Japan. It seems like weirdly universally people struggle to meet people in Japanese hostels. This place was also incredible reasonable given we were there during Cherry Blossom season. It was only ~$40 USD per night per bed. Other hostels were charging upwards of $100 per night per bed.

Apartment with my Dad: Shinjuku1 this place was located quite centrally, but it was a fairly efficient, small apartment. It did the job, and was nice & clean, but I might recommend finding a hotel instead of doing an apartment. Having access to a concierge/front desk for questions is quite useful in Japan. Japan can be overwhelming to figure out all on your own.

WHERE TO EAT:

I really, truly feel like you can’t go wrong with any restaurants in Tokyo or Japan in general. We ate in a lot of hole in the wall places that didn’t really even have names and they were all amazing. But I, of course, tried some yummy brunch spots.

Flippers – big FLUFFY pancakes. So yummy! This place always has a HUGE line so if you want to go, I’d advise getting in line about 45min to 1 hr before they open. We were in the first seating, which made the wait bearable.

The French Toast Factory – this was weirdly located on the top floor inside a mall within a food court, but it was so great we went twice. There were so many fun items on the menu to try that I ordered two whole meals to myself just so I could try some of each.

Heavenly island lifestyle– My dad & I came here for breakfast before exploring the neighborhood. Cute vibes & yummy food.

Musashino Mori Diner Shinjuku Central Park – located right on a park, this place was popular! Really good breakfast options, including more fluffy pancakes.

WHAT TO DO:

Given Tokyo is literally the biggest city in the world (by population), there is soooooo much to do. Google to your hearts desire, but here are a few things we did while in Tokyo 🙂

Shibuya crossing – Supposedly the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, with as many as 3,000 people crossing at one time. It’s also been made famous for being featured in the movie “Lost in Translation”
Shinjuku Gyoen Park – a lovely park all year round, but ESPECIALLY during Cherry Blossom season. It was my favorite spot to see the blossoms.
Meiji Jingu shrine – one of the main shrines in the heart of Tokyo. It was established in 1920, to commemorate the virtue of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken who took the initiative to modernize Japan.
Wander the Golden Gai neighborhood for a drink in the evening. It’s mostly filled with tourists now, but we still enjoyed stopping for a drink here. It’s a small area filled with tiny bars amidst all the alleys. They tend to hold no more than 6-10 people each. We met some fun travelers & chatted for a few hours.
Omoide Yokocho – a bunch of narrow alleys filled with small restaurants/stalls
TeamLab: Planets & TeamLab: Borderless – both of the exhibits were incredible cool & would recommend going to both. Tickets 100% sell out in advance so grab tickets as soon as you can. If I had to pick one I think I would do Planets because it was more fun/interactive in a playful way, but truly both were awesome. It’s an art meets play meets museum type of experience.
Starbucks Roastery: There are only 6 Roasteries in the world. From their website: Combining the art and craft of coffee in an immersive and thoughtfully designed environment, this one-of-a-kind space features an impressive mix of bars and custom details. We needed a reservation to go (free but you do need to get it in advance). We got ours day of, but weekend reservations tend to go quickly.
Park Hyatt bar – Do not miss going up to one of the Park Hyatt bars for a drink & taking in the most incredible view of Tokyo. Pro tip get there any hour before sunset to claim the best spot. Unfortunately they are closed until Oct 2025 for renovations though.

Overall Thoughts:

I really wasn’t sure what to expect with Tokyo, given it’s so different to anywhere else I’ve been in my entire life, but I really liked it! I couldn’t believe how clean, organized, approachable, & safe it was (given it’s the biggest city in the world!!). Most neighborhoods felt like neighborhoods, not like a huge sprawling, metropolitan city. I was also shocked about how quiet the city was; there are practically no cars, which meant no honking or traffic. Everyone seems to use the metro, which is awesome! Tokyo is rad.

CITY: Kyoto

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Marisa, my dad & I stayed at Urban Hotel Kyoto Goji Premium. Fairly good location with bus stops nearby. Rooms were nice, but small (typical of Japan). There was an onsen in the hotel which was a treat! Not a ton of restaurants nearby, but that just gave us an excuse to check out different neighborhoods.

WHERE TO EAT:

I honestly forgot to write down most of the places we ate at but we loved Breizh Cafe Creperie along the Philopshers Path. We ate lots of delicious ramen & noddles so it was fun to have a crepe for a change. Literally every random place we ate at was awesome. I truly feel like you can’t go wrong with food in Japan. Even the small ramen place that happened to be next to our hotel was awesome. And don’t miss Nishiki Market for lunch or dinner (see below).

WHAT TO DO:

Once again, there is TONS to do in Kyoto so don’t think these are the only things or even the best things. It’s just what we had time for/ prioritized 🙂

Fushimi Inari Taisha – the most famous destination in Kyoto. The orange gates must be one of the most photographed spots in Japan. This beautiful Shinto shrine is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Get here early!! The crowds can be suffocating and if you want a photo with know people in it – good luck lol.
Higashiyama Jisho-ji / Gingaku- Ji – built in 1482, it’s now a Zen temple. The grounds & gardens are beautiful! This was one of our favorite stops. Don’t miss the unique dry sand garden!
Philosophers Path – a gorgeous walk along a little canal. It’s a well known spot to see the gorgeous cherry blossoms
Nishiki market – come hungry!! Known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen”, it’s a huge, long market with tons of yummy bites to try. Get something small at lots of stalls.
Nijo castle, built in the early 1600’s, is the location of the rise & fall of the Shogun. Gorgeous architecture and it was cool to walk around the gardens.
Kyoto Observation Deck – 100 meters in the sky, it’s a great way to get a 360 degree view of the city. We could even see Osaka in the distance.

We also took a day trip to Nara, which is about one hour away on a train. Here’s what we did:

Bowing deer – I know it’s touristy and gimmicky but I low-key loved hanging with & observing the deer. Get yourself some Deer snacks (sold all around the park), and get bowing. It’s so much fun to interact with the deer, politely of course 😉
Todai-ji Namdaimon (Grand South Gate) 東大寺南大門 – This was a HUGE gate. The pillars are 21 meters tall. Get close and look at how long the continuous log goes for. Very cool to see & just a short walk from the bowing deer. Originally built in 752, it got destroyed in a a typhoon. The one we can see today was built in 1203.
Isuien Garden and Neiraku Museum – beautiful Japanese garden. My dad loves checking out gardens while traveling. Very peaceful to walk around.
Yoshikien Garden – right next to the Isuien Garden & free admission. Another pleasant garden to meander. We also sat & chatted on a bench for a bit. Lovely!

Overall Thoughts:

Kyoto & Nara were great additions to the itinerary. We loved the bowing deer, all the shrines & gardens, & running around eating tons of fabulous food. It was also fun to have my dad meet Sonja, who has become quite the frequent travel partner in crime. We already have two more trips on the books (Tahoe & Antarctica!).

CITY: Hakone

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at a magical (but not cheap) hotel right on the lake in Hakone called Hakone Ashinoko Hanaori hotel. It was killer. The property was lovely. The lake views were stunning. There was a foot bath outside looking at the lake. They gave us traditional robes to wear around the property, which was very cool. The food was surprisingly good, given it was a buffet. I would highly recommend this spot if you aren’t on a backpacker budget. Pro tip – it’s worth getting the lake view rooms. We didn’t have one, & we regretted it.

Not a bad view while getting to soak my feet in the hot water!

WHERE TO EAT:

Often the hotels or Ryokans in this region include breakfast & dinner so we ate every meal at the hotel!

WHAT TO DO:

Hakone was my vibe! I loved being up in the mountains a bit and it was so great having lake views from the hotel. Such a treat. Here’s what we did:

Visit the Hakone Open Air Museum: I am not a museum or art person, but one of my dad’s favorite artist’s had a piece here (Niki de Saint Phalle’s “Miss Black Power”) so off we went. I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome this museum was. It’s mostly outside, which was cool, and there were tons of really interesting, colorful, large sculptures. Fun stuff for kids as well. There was also a huge Picasso exhibit. Definitely a must see if in Hakone.
If you get lucky (we did not), you can get views of Mt Fuji from around Hakone.
Take the Hakone Ropeway. Pretty cool way of getting around without a car. There are a few stops where you can get off, including one where you get try a black egg, which is an egg boiled in the sulfurous waters.
The main attraction (other than Mt Fuji) are all the onsens! My dad & I love all things hot water/spa/relaxation so we just loved going to the onsen 2-3 times per day (at least once in the morning before breakfast and once after dinner). The onsen at the hotel was indoor & outdoor so it was fun in the evening to lie in the hot water while the cool air swirled around, all while gazing at the stars. I truly loved the onsen experience!
The other highlight was the hotel gave us traditional robes in our rooms and we were encouraged to wear them around the hotel’s property and even to dinner. We thought it was so fun & such a cultural experience for everyone at the hotel to all be dressed this way at meals. It also made transitioning to the onsen after a meal very easy! The Japanese have thought of everything.

Overall Thoughts:

Hakone was such a different vibe to the big cities of Kyoto & Tokyo. We were in nature, not a lot of lights, far less people, etc so it was nice to have the juxtaposition. We mostly got to relax, play cards, and have some quality time. I loved it!

BUDGET FOR 5 DAYS IN Japan (only including the part that I was paying for):

Accommodation: $128 (43$ per night): This is for 3 nights in the hostel; Marisa graciously let me crash with her in her hotel room for free 🙂 She’s the best!

Food: $212

Groceries: $0

Activities: $53

Local Transportation: $52

Miscellaneous: $52

Total: $500 (Daily average: $100)

Transportation to next destination: FREE (flight to the US) My dad used points 🙂

Seriously a huge shoutout to the best dad there is 🙂 We had such a blast exploring together & I just appreciate him so much for always being the best travel buddy. Fun Fact: he spent 3 years traveling around the world after graduating college in the 80’s and is a huge inspiration for me doing the same!

The Philippines

May 25, 2024September 28, 2024Leave a comment

Pro Tips:

No visa needed (as a US citizen) but I did have to fill out a form (online) before I got to my departing airport (the check in desk asked for it before issuing my boarding pass)
Unlike most other Southeast Asia countries, it was MUCH harder to book as you go here in the Philippines. This was a bummer because I really like being to able go with the flow and not be locked in to how long I am going to stay before I arrive. The best hostels sell out, the boat expeditions between Corona + El Nido sell out, and flights can sell out. Plan ahead!
Speaking of, The Philippines is logistically tough. It’s doable, but it seems like every travel day includes at least 3-4 modes of transports, which just slows everything down. For example – when Nicole + I went from Siquijor to Moalboal here was our route:
- Homestay in Siqujior –> Siquijor Ferry Terminal via taxi
- Siquijor Ferry Terminal –> Dumaguete Ferry Terminal (Maayo Terminal) via ferry
- Dumaguete Ferry Terminal (Maayo Terminal) to main Dumaguete Ferry Terminal via taxi
- Dumaguete Ferry Terminal –> Liloan Ferry Terminal via ferry
- Liloan Ferry Terminal –> Moalboal via taxi (since we opted out of the public bus with no AC & we still would’ve needed a taxi from the bus terminal to the hostel lol)
  - Total time: ~9 hours
  - Total cost: $28 usd (but taxi’s were split in two since I was with Nicole)
    - In summary: the cost isn’t the issue, it’s the time and mix of modes of transport that causes headaches, but hey, that’s the price you pay for paradise 🙂

I found atms everywhere I went, but there is definitely a possibility of arriving to an island that either doesn’t have atms or has them but they aren’t working. As such, make sure to have cash with you.
If I could do anything over I would considered flying in & out of Cebu City. I tried to avoid spending time in Manila since everyone told me that there wasn’t much worth seeing there. It seems like flights into Manila really like to arrive past midnight, which makes things tough. I opted to arrive at 3am and then fly out to Coron at 6am. It was MISERABLE but that’s the backpacker lifestyle LOL

First view of the Philippines from above

CITY: Coron

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Hop Hostel and it was pretty awesome! Would highly recommend. The beds are super comfy and very nice. Personal plug + curtains. Rooms stay cool with the AC. The pool area is nice + rooftop bar is a great spot for sunset. I met tons of cool people and we all did a boat trip our second day in Coron. It does sell out so definitely book as soon as you can.

WHERE TO EAT:

Le voyage – After my nightmare travel day from Cambodia a mango smoothie bowl was what got me through the morning 🙂 I then promptly went back to the hotel to sleep for 2 hours.

Cafe Soccoro – Cute spot to work or read. I had a mango smoothie + a delicious chocolate chip cookie.

Brewhouse – My favorite spot to eat during my time in Coron. Very cool open patio with a bunch of different restaurants that you can order from! Highly recommend.

WHAT TO DO:

What surprised me most about Coron was that the town itself is nothing to write home about & it’s about 20 min from the beach…. so I was pretty confused why everyone said that Coron is a must see. Turns out the highlight here is to get out of the town and into the water!

I sadly didn’t have time to scuba dive here (which is world class). It’s known for its ship wrecks! But if you don’t dive, the best way to explore the area is get on a boat trip! With all my new friends from the hostel we set out at 8am to explore a bunch of lagoons. It was a fabulous day swimming in crystal clear aqua waters 🙂

Overall Thoughts:

Obviously my experience in Coron was tainted by the fact that I was incredibly sleep deprived… but I still wasn’t all that impressed. The town wasn’t much to rave about, and given the distance to the beach, I just mostly hung at the hostel outside of my day trip. That being said, I really wish I could’ve gone scuba diving. The boat trip & snorkeling was spectacular so I can only imagine what it would’ve been like diving deeper into the water!

TAO Experience Review

HOW LONG: 3 days / 2 NIGHTS

One of the best things you can do in the Philippines is take a boat excursion from Coron to El Nido (or in reverse). There are many companies that off this adventure & you can choose from 3 days up to 5 days. It’s an incredible way to see more remote parts of the Philippines, meet great people, soak up the sun, snorkel in more untouched areas, & have a blast, all while also acting as your transport between two destinations. I loved the efficiency haha.

I chose Tao Expeditions because a friend had told me about them and they seemed to have great reviews. They have a farm on El Nido that is spectacular & if you do the 5 day package you get 2 nights there. They aren’t cheap, but I really can’t complain since the quality of the tour was fabulous. The food was amazing, the accommodation (adorable open air beach huts) was awesome, the staff were friendly, the boat itself was just comfortable & had lots of areas to chill & read or soak up the sun as we sailed by island after island.

Accommodation:

Food:

Views:

I would HIGHLY recommend adding this to your itinerary if you are ever in the Philippines, & I would recommend doing the 5 day experience if you have the time. I sadly only could do the 3 day experience, & it was tough to say goodbye to the group & leave the beautiful Tao Farm.

CITY: El Nido

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Oia Beach Hostel and would not recommend. Sadly the hostel I would’ve like to stay at was sold out by the time I was booking my stay here. Oia was a 15-20 min walk from town down a very dark road, which was slightly nerve-racking as a solo female traveler. The hostel itself was under construction as I think it’s very new and basically still not finished. The bathrooms & showers were gross and constantly out of toilet paper. The room was dark & crowded. There was AC though! The hostel I would book if I ever go back is Frendz Hostel (but it sells out!!).

WHERE TO EAT:

El Nido is quite touristy & set up for Western tourists, which means there are tons of trendy, upscale restaurants as well as lots of cute cafes. I was here for four days and spent plenty of time in said cute cafes for some much needed admin time.

Hama coffee – Gorgeous views of the beach as you sip your coffee (or iced cocoa if you’re me). Lovely breakfast food too.

Brunch coffee – Probably my favorite breakfast spot (& it’s all day breakfast!!). I always worked from here as their wifi was very strong!

Gusto – Gelato & cafe spot – I had dinner here my first night here and they had great wifi.

Rituals – this is a gym (they had day passes available so I went a few times) and coffee shop. The coffee shop was very quiet and tranquil so I enjoyed working from here as well as catching up with friends.

Food truck – Quite the literal restaurant name, but the food was damn good! Delicious Asian street food.

Dayo Cafe – Known for their fluffy soufflé pancakes (but be warned it can take up to an hour to have these made), their food is delicious! Highly recommend this place for breakfast while in El Nido

Grounded coffee – a great spot to work from. Simple, sleek & modern.

Fuego Burger – This was a flippin’ delicious burger!! It’s in a newly developed corner of El Nido and I have no doubt in the future this will be bustling with people.

WHAT TO DO:

El Nido has quite a few, fun adventures to offer! *If it’s in Bold I did it!

Canopy Walk – a fun adventure doing a canopy walk through the trees above EL Nice. Beautiful views! It’s a cheap, fun, fairly quick activity in El Nido (I think maybe budget about an hour for this).

Zipline to another island- take a tuk tuk ride to Palawan Zipline Adventure. After the zipline, enjoy a cocktail on Marimegmeg beach. There is a little cute shopping area with cute restaurants here as well.

Go to Lio beach for beautiful beach day!

Scuba diving is very popular here. I was exhausted from my Tao Expedition so decided not to go, but I kinda regret it. It’s supposed to be great scuba diving here.

Get a day pass to the Ritual Gym and get sore since you probably haven’t worked out in forever haha.

Get a cheap massage from The Organic Spa

Overall Thoughts:

Lots of people said they didn’t like El Nido. Lots of people said they loved El Nido. As such, I wasn’t really sure how I would feel. After being in Coron (& decisively not liking it), I was nervous. However, I really enjoyed being here. I could’ve stayed longer. I loved just walking the streets in this small town and getting a massage, working on my computer from one of the many cute coffee shops, and then getting a breakfast meal (no matter the time of day) from one of the many cute restaurants. All of this set right on a beautiful beach with towering limestone mountains surrounding it. Yes it can be touristy, but hey I’m a tourist!

CITY: Bohol

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

Three weeks before getting to the Philippines, my friend Nicole texted me asking if she could spontaneously come meet me wherever I was going to be!! She had two weeks between leaving & starting a new job. I was so excited to have her join me for 10 days!!!

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at the Bohol Hammock Hostel & while we didn’t stay in hammocks as the name suggests, it wasn’t too far off that. It’s located in the middle of the island (not near the port) so it’s a bit of a trek to get to it, but once you are there, you are right in the middle of all the stuff there is to do in Bohol. The pictures of the hostels didn’t make me think it was going to be amazing, but the reviews left no question in my mind that we should stay here. I was still slightly nervous that my friend Nicole might not be down for a more rugged backpacking experience, but she was so into it. We absolutely loved it here! We slept outside (with mosquito nets) on little mattresses (more like mattress pads haha), but the vibe was so lovely. The meals were communal & it was so easy to chat with folks. Lots of areas to read a book or chat in a comfy swinging bed. I would not hesitate to stay here again, but before you book, def look at the listing to make sure it’s your speed lol.

WHERE TO EAT:

We ate breakfast & dinner at the hostel since it’s located a fairly remote area & it’s the perfect opportunity to make friends with everyone. Given this I don’t have many food recommendations, however, definitely go to Hapi – ta for lunch before or after your visit to the Chocolate Hills! I had my very first Pork Sisig and it became my very favorite meal of the Philippines! It’s like small pieces of pork belly grilled up in a hot plate with onions & eggs. I mean I don’t think a meal has ever sounds more perfect for me 🙂 YUM!

WHAT TO DO:

Rent a scooter & explore!!! Nicole & I hopped on our rented scooters and headed to Panga waterfall. We loved cooling off in the spray & jumping off the rocks. A great swimming hole!

Next we went to the main viewing area of the Chocolate Hills. Gorgeous!!

We also went to the Bohol Tarsier Conservation Area. This little primate only grows to between 3.35 to 6.30 inches tall. They are TINY!! But oh so cute 🙂 Some fun facts (& not so fun facts):

They are very shy & nocturnal.
Tarsiers have the largest eyes relative to body size of any mammal.
Tarsiers are the only entirely carnivorous primate. They don’t eat plant matter of any kind.
They are endangered due to rapidly shrinking habitats and fragmentation. Oil palm, coconut, and coffee plantations have replaced the dense vegetation that tarsiers need to maintain their numbers successfully.
They do not do well in captivity. If they get too stressed, they will commit suicide.
You can read more about them here.

We also did the hike offered by the hostel at sunrise to see the Chocolate Hills. While it was cool, I thought it was a much cooler seeing the hills more up close.

Overall Thoughts:

We really liked Bohol. Easy to scooter around. Fun waterfalls. And the Chocolate Hills were so interesting to take in. I’d love to come back & go scuba diving here. Definitely worth a visit I would say.

CITY: Siquijor

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at Bougainvillea Guesthouse, which is owned by the owners of the dive shop and is conveniently located on top of the dive shop. Made the early more dives pretty easy 🙂

It was lovely, but basic. Nice, comfy bed. AC worked great. Had everything we needed but wasn’t anything luxurious.

WHERE TO EAT:

Marco Polo– Decent pizza right on the beach.

Luca loco – cute little spot with good smoothie bowls & other great lunch options

Aroy Makmak – I was missing good Thai food & this hit the spot. As always, it was right on the beach.

Bajabar – nicer spot for dinner. We had fun drinks & good food.

Shaka Cafe – My favorite spot in all of Siquijor. If it were up to me I would’ve gone everyday but Nicole forced me to try new things haha. The smoothie bowls were SO good and the vibe was so perfect for the Philippines. Lots of cute, comfy seating and with beach views.

WHAT TO DO:

Scuba diving is one of the main attractions. Nicole got her open water certification while I got my advanced certification! The folks at Mystic Diving even accommodated us being able to the course together even though we were doing different ones. It was awesome to be able to dive together!

Our favorite thing to do was get on our rented scooters to just drive around. On our last day we literally drove the circumference of the entire island. It was awesome!

There are tons of beautiful waterfalls to go swimming in. We loved Zodiac Falls– there’s a big rope swing if you want to jump in. You can also go to the Old Enchanted Balete Tree. Put your feet in & you’ll be in for a ticklish surprise.

Also, every evening it’s very important to park yourself at one of the many beachfront restaurants + bars for sunset with a drink in your hand. Beer for Nicole. A mango smoothie for me 🙂

Overall Thoughts:

Holy moly did we LOVE Siquijor. We wish we could’ve stayed longer. In fact, originally we were only supposed to stay here 3 nights but we extended our stay (& opted to cut a night from Moalboal). Do not miss out on coming here. Somehow this tiny island just worms its way into your heart and you never want to leave. The untouched beaches. The clear waters. The nicely built roads perfect for zooming around on your scooter with the wind in your hair. The scuba diving available right off the shore. The colorful sunsets. Need I say more?!

CITY: Moalboal

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Nicole & I stayed at Maayong Hostel. It’s a fairly new hostel (they were still building rooms while we were there). They only have one dorm room with 12 beds and the rest of the place is private rooms (which looked very beautiful). While the facilities were very nice (beds were comfy, AC worked great, room was very clean, etc), because there was only one room, it wasn’t super social. Given I was with Nicole, this wasn’t an issue, but if I was solo, it would’ve been tough. The common space was filled with comfy seating & hammocks + the cafe served yummy smoothie bowls & sandwiches. Moalboal is very small so this place is in walking distance of the beach & all the restaurants, but it’s far enough out that it’s very quiet and easy to get a good nights sleep. If you are traveling with someone, I would definitely recommend this place!

WHERE TO EAT:

There are tons of cute Instagrammable restaurants here. It’s clear that Moalboal is trying to attract Western backpackers haha. Honestly just walk around (as I’ve said Moalboal is small) & you’ll find great restaurants to eat at.

My highlight was Shaka Cafe – I mean it was my favorite place in Siquijor so I was delighted to find it in Malapascua too 🙂

WHAT TO DO:

There are lots of activities to choose from in Moalboal:

Snorkel with the sardine run – it’s spectacular.
Scuba dive off the coast & with the sardine run – Truly a must-see.
Go canyoneering – Nicole & I loved this adventure. You get to zipline, cliff jump, slide & walk your way down the canyon. It’s nice to just moving your body in such fun ways through a gorgeous tree filled canyon under the beautiful blue sky. This is a highlight for everyone that comes to Moalboal.
We didn’t do this (as we had questions about the ethics around it), but you can do a day trip from here to go snorkeling with Whale Sharks.

All of these activities can be booked through your accommodation or through any of the agencies in town (except the snorkeling you can just rent/buy a snorkel from the guys at the beach). It’s very easy and literally any person is going to be HAPPY to help you 🙂

Overall Thoughts:

Moalboal can obviously be a bit touristy, but we loved it. Lots to do, cute restaurants, gorgeous sunsets- I mean it’s hard to complain. Nicole & I had such an awesome time together & this is sadly where we said goodbye. I am so thrilled she used her two weeks off between jobs to hop on a flight to see me & adventure around together. I can’t wait to meet up in another international location soon!

CITY: Malapascua

HOW LONG: 3 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at the Malapascua Budget Inn. It’s fairly basic, but it does the job! The bed was comfy and there were lockers to store your stuff. The island is very, very tiny, so basically anywhere on the island is centrally located, but this did feel very central. Wifi worked decently for being on a remote island. Bathrooms were pretty clean and staff seemed to be cleaning the dorm rooms & bathrooms all the time. Helpful when everyone is dragging sand everywhere.

WHERE TO EAT:

For being such a tiny island there were a decent amount of cute restaurants!

DevoZen Cafe – very cute, small cafe with a nice area to sit outside in the shade and do work. I had a zoom call from here & it worked great!

VillaPotenciana – Veggie restaurant right on the beach. This was my FAVORITE restaurant. I ate here two of the nights I was here. I had my new favorite Filipino dish, pork sisig, but a vegetarian version with mushrooms. SO YUMMY!

Wangshin little cuisine – cute open market with lots of stands/ options for food here. This is just one of them. The people working here were so lovely and we had fun trying some local desserts.

Bebotts – I had breakfast here one day. Decent, but nothing to write home about. Nice to have some eggs though!

The Sunset Shack – I was craving a smoothie bowl and this place delivered! They were happy to make any modifications or additions I requested so I had a dreamy, delicious smoothie bowl.

WHAT TO DO:

The main thing to do here is scuba dive with the Thresher sharks!! Just off the island of Malapascua is a Thresher shark cleaning station, called Monad Shoal. This is where tiny fish remove parasites from the sharks’ skin + clean their gills & mouths.

Truly any foreigner you see walking around the island (there are no cars) will be a scuba diver. There really wouldn’t be any other reason to come so out of your way to this tiny island off Cebu.

As such, there are tons of dive shops, so I was a little overwhelmed with how I was going to pick one. Luckily, a guy I met at the hostel recommended the Atlas Divers. He had walked around and determined they were the cheapest + they included lunch during the trip. Sometimes I hesitate to go with the cheapest outfit because scuba diving is not something you want to cut corners on, but he had already dove with them once & said everything felt very professional. This made my decision easy.

It was a very early morning (5:30am wakeup call) since the Thresher sharks are more likely to be seen in the morning. We had three dives and it was SPECTACULAR. I loved it. We saw lots of Thresher sharks and we also got incredibly lucky with a Tiger shark spotting. It’s pretty rare to see, but I was glad to find out AFTER we got out, that they can be dangerous to humans haha. Anyway, seeing the Thresher sharks was so cool! Some fun facts about these beautiful creatures:

They grow to be about 10 ft (3 m) long
They use their elegant, long tails to hunt, whipping it with such ferocity that it stuns prey such as squid, sardines, & juvenile tuna
They always give birth to two pups, one male & one female
They are not dangerous to humans and are pretty darn cute!

Other than diving, I filled my time with planning my Japan trip, catching up on writing this blog (I am perpetually behind!!!!), I had a fun finance call with a friend (shoutout John), and I squeezed in some of my final cheap massages. One at DevoZen Spa & one at a more run of the mill spot (and cheaper) around the corner that just had a sign along the oceanfront path.

First views of the island from the ferry

Overall Thoughts:

If you are a diver, don’t even think about missing this stop. It was awesome! If you aren’t a diver, there’s no reason to head to Malapascua. Given the narrow focus of the island, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect in terms of being able to fill my time outside of diving or what the level of accommodation/restaurants would be, but I found the island quite charming!

CITY: Manila

HOW LONG: 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at NomadsMNL Hostel, which is a hostel RIGHT next to the airport. It’s designed for people who are only flying in/out of Manila and need a close place to crash for the night. No bells & whistles but it did the job for me! Beds were capsule style & there were lockers in the room. Wifi didn’t work all that well for me but that’s not the end of the world.

WHERE TO EAT:

I just grabbed a boba tea for dinner and then went to bed.

WHAT TO DO:

Honestly I got in & out as fast as I could! I did manage to sneak one last foot massage before I left Southeast Asia & it’s wonderfully cheap massages!

Overall Thoughts:

I didn’t see much of Manila, but I don’t think I would love it here from what I have heard. No regrets on only spending one night here.

BUDGET FOR 23 DAYS IN The Philippines:

Accommodation: $300 ($13 per night)

Food: $300

Groceries: $0

Activities: $1285

Miscellaneous:

Local Transportation: $556 (this includes 2 internal flights, lots of ferries + lots of long taxi rides)

Total: $2543 (Daily average: $110)

Transportation to next destination: $287 (flight to the Japan)

Cambodia

May 16, 2024Leave a comment

CITY: Siem Reap

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Lub D Hostel and there was good & bad.

First the good: the facilities are fabulous. The rooms look new with very modern bed set ups. No bunk beds, but rather built in beds so no creaking as your upper bunk bed gets in at 2am. Curtains, personal plug, & light are all there. Storage lockers are available in the room. Rooms is blasting AC all day (sometimes hostels turn them off during the day). Bathrooms are VERY nice and clean (just outside in the hall). Never had any issues with waiting for a shower or toilet.

The bad: well this is quite a party hostel (but no issues with sound in the room thank god), but it’s quite large so I found it hard to meet people. I tend to prefer smaller, cozier hostels where everyone kinda hangs out together (like my favorite hostels in Chiang Rai or Hot An). There weren’t many avenues of organically meeting people unless you wanted to approach people who had their headphones in while on a chaise lounge at the pool.

WHERE TO EAT:

Lots of western food restaurants & cafes in town. Pub Street is filled with bars, burger places & clubs.

I ate at an Italian restaurant, a Greek restaurant, and Cambodian restaurant, but nothing notable.

I had a smoothie bowl which was was sooooo yummy from Brownie Temple Bakery & Smoothie Bar. Very cute, small spot. Next door was Sister Trey Cafe, which also is a great breakfast spot. I had a bacon & cream cheese stuffed French Toast!

Footprint Cafe was my go to for an afternoon drink & they have a fabulous co-working space upstairs (where I spent time catching up on this blog!).

I also had my first gelato in months (European Meg could never). Gelato Lab served up some delicious gelato- I had one scoop of chocolate & one scoop of stracciatella with a cone on top. The gelato would melt wayyyyy too fast if I just had it in a cone.

WHAT TO DO:

In a surprise to no one, the main thing to do here is explore Angkor Wat. So I’ll be honest and say, I am not a big temple person, so I spent one day here and felt like I got enough of an experience there. I know I might get roasted for that, but hey travel is personal. I’ve met people who spent 3 full days here and said it wasn’t enough for them. I think it just depends on what your vibe is!

Given I didn’t really meet people at my hostel, when a guy posted in the hostel world app asking if anyone wanted to join him on his rented motorbike for the day to explore Angkor Wat, I quickly responded “me please!” He picked me up from the hostel and we raced around to see 6 temples, including the main Angkor Wat Temple and my favorite temple, Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm is famous for all the trees that are growing through, around, and over the temple. Oh, also Tomb Raider was filmed here. I just was mesmerized by the reminder that nature is so much bigger than humans and ultimately nature will erase an impact humans have on the planet- very cool.

Beyond my time in Angkor Wat, I enjoyed some down time at cafes, catching up on planning & blogging, as well as getting a two massages! One evening I just decided to walk into a run of the mill spa and for $4 USD, I had a 60 min foot massage (my favorite thing is just to watch an episode of TV on my iPad during a foot massage – true bliss for me), but on my last full day in Siem Reap I decided to treat myself to a spa day. A guy at my hostel recommended Devatara Spa and I booked myself a 90 min Four Hands Touch massage (two masseuses massage you at the same time!) as well as a 60 min Aromatic Herbal Salt Scrub. Need less to say, I felt very zen after my 2.5 hours at Devatara.

One of the couples from my Ha Giang Loop trip were in Siem Reap at the same time as me so I grabbed dinner with them, which was fabulous. I absolutely love the overlaps that begin to happen as you backpack through a region.

My last morning before I flew out to the Philippines, I headed to the Apopo Visitor Center. From their site: “Cambodia is one of the most land-mine affected countries in the world, but for the last 25 years APOPO has worked to clear landmines here and across the world. We train African giant pouched rats (they are much cuter than they sound and super smart, too!) to sniff out the TNT in explosives in the ground. Our work keeps people safe by reclaiming land from the dangers of landmines, and returning it to farmers and local communities, allowing them to thrive once again.” It was very cool to see the rats in actions and they were in fact very cute! It takes about an hour and is a great experience once you are templed-out in Siem Reap.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I will be brutally honest: I really wasn’t sure if I would like Cambodia. As such, when my plan started to move around, I tended to want to protect my time in Vietnam & the Philippines over Cambodia, which meant I ended up shortening my time here to 4 nights/ 3 full days to explore. I think I was worried how the poverty disparity would feel. I was worried about the heat. I was worried that given I am not obsessed with Temples, I wouldn’t know how to spend my time here. I was worried about leaving the main cities because of the prevalence of Malaria. I was worried about safety. I wasn’t 100% sure how the sentiment towards Americans would be.

That being said, overall I would say I was really pleasantly surprised by my time here. Most of my fears were unfounded. I felt no safety issues (often walked home by myself around 10pm with no concerns). No issues with being an American (it was actually quite strange because they use USD so I felt slightly at home). The people were lovely & hospitable. To be fair, the heat was brutal & I personally didn’t find that I needed more than one day in Angkor Wat, but overall I really enjoyed my time here. Now, I did meet people who were spending the entirety of the 30 day limit on the visa here, and I’m not sure I would need a full month, but I would’ve been happy to spend a bit longer here.

BUDGET FOR 4 DAYS IN Cambodia:

Visa- $36

Accommodation: $40 ($10 per night)

Food: $53

Groceries: $0

Activities: $138 (Spa Day + Angkor Wat entrance ticket)

Local Transportation: $27

Total: $294 (Daily average: $73.5)

Transportation to next destination: $349 (flight to the Philippines)

Vietnam

May 11, 2024June 26, 2024Leave a comment

Pro Tips:

Get your visa ahead of time!! Americans must have a visa before they arrive (i.e. visa on arrival is not an option). They say it takes 3-4 business days to process, but it can take up to 2 weeks, and even longer during holiday times.
No need to book ahead in Vietnam. It’s best to go with the flow and book as you go. This is for accommodation and transportation between destinations.
Your accommodation or any (of the MANY) travel agencies can help you book any transportation or activity needs.
I always doubled the expected travel time. If someone told me the bus would take 2 hours, I planned water + food + entertainment for it to take 4 hours+. It’s very easy to get around, but it’s never on time haha.
Don’t drink the water; just use bottled water.

CITY: Hanoi

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

My friend Jake met me in Vietnam for the first 10 days of my time here. Given it was Têt (Lunar New Year) & we weren’t sure what would be open, we wanted a place with a kitchen. We rented a fabulous airbnb with a pool + gym in the building. It has a nice living space and great views of Hồ Tây Lake. It was very nice to have a big queen bed all to myself and a fancy private bathroom. Living the high life after all these days in hostels 🤣 The only downside was that it was a bit far (30 min walk) from the old town, where we spent a decent amount of our time).

View of from our Airbnb on Tet for the firework celebration

WHERE TO EAT:

Turns out, even though it was Têt, most restaurants were open in Hanoi (in smaller towns this would not be the case). We loved exploring the streets and eating often. Sometimes big meals, sometimes many small meals throughout the day. My favorite thing was sitting on the tiny, low plastic chairs and getting served a big bowl of pho. Usually there was no menu, you just got served the one thing the restaurant served. Yummy!

I also loved the egg Bahn Mi from T Bread Bahn Mi.

Overall we mostly ate at street food stands/stalls so no names to report but the food here was excellent all around!

WHAT TO DO:

Honestly, we didn’t do a ton here because while restaurants were open, a lot of other stuff was shut down.

We spent a ton of time just meandering around the old town, which was a bit quieter than usual due to the holiday. It made it quite pleasant to walk around without the throngs of people and the honks of millions of motorbikes. Don’t worry, there still was plenty of honking, but it was just in the thousands.

Our absolute favorite thing to do was get a drink and sit at a restaurant at the intersection of the Hanoi Beer Street. The people watching was fabulous! Also the streets are so narrow so it was fascinating to watch the cars & motorbikes try to squeeze through the throngs of tourists walking around.

We attempted to do a hop on/ hop off tour but it was a disaster with them changing the time and route on us and then wouldn’t let us hop off… pretty bad.

We managed to watch the superbowl while here, which was fun until the 49ers lost 😫

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I normally don’t like the big cities of Southeast Asia, but Hanoi might be the exception. I think it helped that it was Tet because it was much calmed & quieter than a normal week in Hanoi. Old Town is charming & so fun to walk around! Would definitely come back here.

CITY: Ha Long Bay & Cat Ba Island

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

Ha Long Bay, world famous for the thousands of towering limestone islands topped by rainforests amidst (supposedly) clear waters. Tourists flock to take a cruise through it as either a day trip or a 1, 2, or 3 night cruise. I had heard others speak highly of Cat Ba Island so when we talked to a travel agent (randomly found one as we walked around Old Town in Hanoi), we requested a tour that wasn’t the 5 star (read expensive) but also wasn’t the cheapest option, and that included a day/night in Lan Ha Bay & Cat Ba Island. I am SO glad we did because I honestly liked Lan Ha Bay better than Ha Long Bay. It was less dirty & overall way less tourists. It’s basically the same landscape but with less people/boats.

We went with a boat called Fantasea and overall it was just fine. I wouldn’t really recommend them. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but I definitely there are better options out there.

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed one night on the boat & one night in a hotel on Cat Ba Island. Neither were anything to write home about but wasn’t horrible either.

WHERE TO EAT:

You eat on the boat haha not too many choices while on the expedition!

Our one meal on Cat Ba Island was at Casa Bonita. Very good food & cute vibes.

WHAT TO DO:

As part of the 3 day / 2 night excursion, you do a few activities:

Explore Hang Sung Sot cave
Hike to the top of Ti Top island for amazing views of Ha Long Bay
Learn about the Pearl farms
Kayak around the bay
We also explore Cat Ba National Park on our last day

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Ha Long Bay has long been on my bucket list (excuse the pun haha), but if you want my honest opinion, I wasn’t wowed by it. I’m not sure if we got unlucky with the weather, but the air/sky was so polluted that it just completely dulled the views for me. The cave & Ti Top hike were incredibly crowded (almost claustrophobically so) & the kayaking location was not picked because it’s a particularly good spot for it. Rather it was picked because they try to get you to buy a bunch of pearls at the pearl farm before & after you go kayaking. We did enjoy playing cards on the deck at sunset and watch all the boats slowly turn into glittering lights across the bay. Quite beautiful!

CITY: Ninh Binh

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at Havana Homestay Tam Coc. It had just opened up so it was incredibly nice and clean! We were literally the first guests to stay in the room we were in. Pretty cool! It’s a great location, fabulous facilities and the family who runs it are incredibly nice. Would definitely recommend this place!

WHERE TO EAT:

Honestly we didn’t eat anything notable here. There are lots of western restaurants catering to the tourists here, but there are some stalls that serve cheaper, quicker food. I had dessert one night from them.

WHAT TO DO:

My favorite thing we did was the Trang An Scenic Landscape boat ride. There are a few routes you can pick, but we chose to do the one with the longest cave and less of the temples (you can decide from the pamphlet they give you when you buy your tickets). Be prepared to spend some time for this as it can take between 1.5 – 3 hours, depending on how long you take while off the boat at the various attractions and just how many other boats are going. We got luckily with the weather and it was glorious!

The other main attraction we hit was hiking up to the Hang Múa viewpoint. This can get very crowded so I’d recommend starting earlier in the morning for this spot.

Jake & I decided this would also be a great place for our first time renting motorbikes on our own! It was so, so much fun. It made me regret not doing it more in Southeast Asia, but at the same time, I am glad I’ve been on the more cautious side of picking when & where to do it. Ninh Binh is relatively calm traffic-wise and the roads were good so it was great to try doing it for the first time here.

Other ideas (that we didn’t do ourselves):

Take a bicycle and enjoy lunch at Trang An Lotus lake Homestay
Hike through Cúc Phương National Park

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I could’ve spent another day here. I loved that the main thing to do was explore the beautiful landscape and I would’ve enjoyed another day riding around on the motorbikes! Dare I say I think I liked it better here than Ha Long Bay?! This is also where I said goodbye to Jake, who was now off to Thailand to meet up with his sister.

CITY: Ha Giang Loop

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

After a lot of research (and talking to other travelers) I chose to do my Ha Giang Loop with Road Kings. I quickly learned that I wanted (& needed) to avoid the bigger, more well known tours that tend to draw the younger, party crowd (hello Jasmine and Mama’s), since I didn’t want to worry about drunken riding partners and I wanted to be able to get a good night sleep. Road Kings is a newer company and is run by a couple (an American man & Vietnamese woman). This made it very easy to communicate with them as they helped me coordinate my transpiration to/from Ha Giang (the starting & ending point of the loop). They are all about customer service and were quick to answer all the questions that I had! They also cap their groups to 8 people, which means you are able to nimbly move through the loop (it can get crowded), and you also get to know everyone really well! This is great because people are often traveling the same direction as you after and you can meet up again in the next few spots (I ended up doing this with two of the couples in my group). Overall I would HIGHLY recommend Road Kings.

Additionally, people tend to choose between the 3 day & 4 day Loop, and I am SO glad I chose the 4 day. You essentially cover the same amount of miles, but with the 4 day, you can go much slower and stop for my viewpoints and waterfalls.

Lastly, even if you are an experienced motorcyclist, I would I highly recommend going as an Easy Rider. This means you sit on the back of the bike, while a local Vietnamese man rides it. The roads, especially on the second day, are pretty gnarly, and it’s so nice to have an expert handling it so you can just focus on the views and I even listened to music as we cruised through the beautiful landscapes. It meant I was stress-free the whole time!

Pro tip: Wear closed-toe shoes & (depending on the season/weather)a jacket for sun/wind/cold protection.

Make sure you have a smaller backpack or rucksack you can take since you leave your bigger backpack/suitcase at the hostel. You pack just what you need for the 4 days (which is not much: 2-3 days of clothes (I just re-wore stuff) & toiletries) in your small daypack and then you cinch that down at the back of the back for the entirety of the loop.

ACCOMMODATION:

Since I booked a slightly nicer, smaller tour, I was treated to a private room for each of the 3 nights while on the Loop. The ninth before you leave, everyone just stays at the hostel you book the tour through and I was in a dorm room (but it was included in the package so that was nice!). While none of the accommodation could be considered luxurious, the places we stayed were great. After a long day on the motorcycle, a clean room, comfy bed, & hot shower were all you needed! My favorite place was the last night, where we were in a traditional Vietnamese homestay and the rooms were so cool!

WHERE TO EAT:

Honestly I was so impressed by the food provided by the tour. You definitely won’t go hungry!!! The french fries & omelette were always my favorite haha.

WHAT TO DO:

Enjoy the ride! You can read the full itinerary here in detail, but we swam in 3 waterfalls, saw amazing view points, & had lots of coffee (and iced cocoas for me) breaks. We went to the Vietnamese border with China and learned about how it’s changed over the years. We took a bamboo boat ride. We went to a traditional Lo Lo village. And so much more. Honestly, just go for yourself. It was INCREDIBLE!

My group was a British Couple, an Australian couple, and a British/Australian couple. All were lovely!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

All I can say is that this is one of my top three experiences of my trip so far!! The other two are hiking the Milford Track in New Zealand with my family and going up in the hot air balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey. Truly don’t miss out on doing this awe-inspiring journey through Northern Vietnam. I will say we got incredibly lucky with the weather where we got no rain and all sunshine (which I don’t think is typical) so take a look at when weather would be best before you book your trip!

CITY: Hoi An

HOW LONG: 7 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at SacLo Villa Homestay. It was one of my favorite hostels I have stayed at! The main reason is the host/owner, Lyna, is amazing and will go above and beyond to take care of anything you need. The rooms are comfy (I stayed in 3 different types of rooms because I kept extending). After flying from Hanoi to Da Nang, I originally had planned to stay in Hoi An for 3 nights before going to Hue & Da Nang with my remaining 4 days, but I literally couldn’t imagine leaving Hoi An. I ended up staying the entire 7 nights at SacLo in Hoi An. The morning breakfast is one of the best hostel breakfasts I’ve had ever and you can order from 4-5 options! Pro tip: the pancakes are their speciality and aren’t to be missed. Lyna also often organizes hostel dinners around Hoi An at yummy restaurants. Between breakfast and these evening activities, it’s super easy to meet people!! I made some good friends at this hostel.

Unfortunately I did get pretty sick while I was in Hoi An. Luckily Lyna kindly allowed me to upgrade my room to a private room so I could recuperate better (and not get anyone else sick). She also helped me get to a pharmacy for medicine.

The only downside to the hostel is that it’s about a 20 min walk to the center of town, but it’s a pleasant walk (when it’s not too hot), or you rent a bike from the hostel, or it’s a very cheap, quick Grab ride on a motorbike (~$1-2).

Regardless I highly recommend staying here!

WHERE TO EAT:

I was here a week so I went to lots of fun cafes & restaurants. I was very impressed by the food scene in Hoi An!

Lim dining room – This was SUCH a delicious meal! I sat on the front patio and people watched over a delicious pizza. 10/10

Morning Glory Signature – This is well-known restaurant in Hoi An, which meant I thought it might be touristy/overpriced. Lyna had organized a hostel dinner here so we had 20 people rolling deep. Service was excellent and food was delicious! I’d call the cuisine elevated Vietnamese food. It’s not cheap, but was still reasonable for those not from Vietnam.

Avocado cafe – I had delicious pancakes for lunch here as well as dinner with the Australian couple from my Ha Giang Loop group.

Buttercup by Rosie’s cafe – Great spot for a smoothie bowl

Lyn’s cafe – cute cafe for a coffee

Lagom – Lovely cafe around the corner from SacLo. Yummy western breakfast options.

Nourish – Yummy vegetarian cafe. I ordered a smoothie bowl

The Hill Station deli and cafe– Cute spot to work or read. Quiet & I loved how it was decorated.

Port City Bagels – Honestly one of the best bagels I’ve had in a while! I went a few times haha.

Bahn Mi Phuong– This spot is known as Anthony Bourdain’s favorite place to get a Bahn Mi! It did not disappoint, but be prepared for long lines.

WHAT TO DO:

Hoi An is most famous for being THE place to get clothes made! Known as the “Textile capital of Vietnam,” there are so many tailors in Hoi An where you can have clothes custom made. Here are my best pro tips:

Go to the tailors on your first day (or the first chance you get). They are miraculously fast, but sometimes you need to have a fitting or two before everything comes out perfectly. Because I had 7 whole days, I actually did about 5 fittings since I figured I might as well get it all 100% right before I left (my pieces were also mostly rompers & jumpsuits so needed some tweaking to have it fall right). At minimum you want 2-3 days in Hoi An to have clothes made
Have an idea of what you want made before you walk in. I actually had a jumpsuit and a romper with me that I brought in and had them make exact replicas (with a few tweaks, like changing the sleeve on my jumpsuit from a spaghetti strap to a cap sleeve). I also brought in photos from a romper & dress I found on Pinterest. Within 24 hours I had versions to try on! Pretty wild.
Pick your tailor thoughtfully. Some places are cheaper, but the quality will suffer. Some places are very well known, but therefore are very expensive. I’d recommend not going to the cheapest place, but find a reasonable prices that you don’t have to sacrifice quality. After all you want these clothes to last! I went to Bao Diep Tailor and would definitely recommend them (Lyna from SacLo pointed me in their direction).
It can be overwhelming once you walk in the door so have an idea of what fabrics or patterns you might want. Alternatively just plan to spend an hour or two at the tailor going through the thousands of different fabric samples in order to choose the one you want!
Guys often get suits here since it’s so cheap!
Don’t be afraid to voice any concerns or changes you want made during your fittings. They are amazing at making the changes (either on the spot or in a few hours). Don’t leave unsatisfied if it’s something you could just have them alter for you!
Don’t be afraid to negotiate, especially if you are buying lots of items.
Honestly if you love a piece, I’d recommend you ask them to make a second version in another color/pattern. I regret not getting more jumpsuits made (even though I had two made haha).

I happened to be there during the lantern festival (happens every full moon I think). It was magical! All the boats on the river would take people on a 30 min ride and you could light your own lantern. Beautiful. After we went out to one of the many clubs to go dancing, which was fun.

I also went scuba diving, and I honestly wouldn’t recommend it. The visibility was pretty bad, but even if it had been clear, the area is heavily over fished since they don’t have the same regulations/protections that Thailand, Bali & The Philippines have put in place. Not much to see.

I had plenty of massages and even treated myself to a hair treatment!

I got pretty sick so I didn’t do much else besides hang at cafes & get clothes made (when I even had the energy to do this). I did manage to go to the dentist while here. Since I was actually in one place long enough to make an appt somewhere (and given I don’t have dental insurance in the US right now), I thought it would be smart to go for a check up. The check up, cleaning, & X-rays were only $20 total. Pretty wild.

Other popular things to do:

Go to the beach
Rent bikes & cruise around.
Day trip to Golden Hand Bridge & Ba Na hills (I was torn on whether to go because there are mixed reviews on whether it’s worth it. Some say it’s super cool, but others say it’s very Disneyland-esque and doesn’t feel authentic. Getting sick made the decision to skip it pretty easy)
Cooking class + coconut boat ride
Day trip to Marble Mountain
Day trip to My Son Sanctuary

Overall your accommodation can give you the run down on all your options and can help you get it booked!

I found this blog post to be very helpful!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I LOVED HOI AN SO MUCH. I already can’t wait to go back. I really want to go with my sister and just have us bring a huge empty suitcase with us and then spend a week just getting custom clothes made hahah. I think it would be so much fun! Beyond that, Hoi An is just so darn charming and lovely. I loved walking around getting yummy iced cocoas, I loved how colorfully lit up the town is at night, I love how safe it felt. It’s so manageable and pleasant. As you can tell, I just love it, and would highly recommend spending at least 3 days here, but honestly I’d say stay longer, especially if you are backpacking and need a bit of break (like I did). Hoi An is the perfect spot for this!

BUDGET FOR 21 DAYS IN Vietnam:

I’ll caveat this section by saying my friend Jake paid for a lot of our food & accommodation while we were together, but I paid for our Ha Long Bay excursion, which makes the numbers look slightly weirdly weighted.

Accommodation: $252 ($12 per night) – Again Jake paid for some of this so it looks cheaper than it was. For what it’s worth though, hostels tended to be about $10 USD per night for a bed.

Food: $157

Groceries: $21

Activities: $884 – Vietnam known for some epic adventures. My (& Jake’s) Ha Long Bay cruise & my Ha Giang Loop costs are captured in this bucket (which means the food & accommodation are also bucketed here)

Local Transportation: $140 (Lots of busses and one domestic flight)

Clothing: $440 (This an abnormal cost for me but do not miss getting clothes made in Hoi An!!!)

Health: $85 (Dentist visit + medicine from getting very sick in Hoi An)

Visa: $25

Total: $1980 (Daily average: $94)

You can definitely do Vietnam wayyyy cheaper than this, but I didn’t skimp on the companies I did the adventures with, I got 7 new outfits in Hoi An, & I find that traveling with a friend always drives up costs for me since not everyone wants the #backpackerlifestyle haha

Transportation to next destination: $106 (flight to Laos)