So far unlucky with my 2021 travel plans due to COVID-19 outbreaks in certain Northern provinces of Vietnam - and with very little time left before my relocation to Indonesia - I decided to attempt an in extremis expedition to a bucket list item for adventure seekers and trekking lovers: an expedition to Hang Sơn Đoòng - The world's largest cave. The initial intent was to visit the cave with a few close friends. We reached out to Oxalis Adventure - the expedition's adventure company - through their Facebook Page. Out of luck, their tours were fully booked until June 2021. For the sake of preservation, Oxalis limits their amount of expeditions to one hundred (100) groups per year. They only operate during the dry season, defined in the Quang Binh province, between January and August. Outside of this window, the site becomes inoperable due to heavy water accumulation in the rainy season, sometimes reaching 180 millimetres per day, 28 days per month.

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Among the experiences one could have to understand the local culture, weddings are pretty much at the top of the list. Though, in nearly three (3) years living in Vietnam, I still haven’t had the chance to attend a Vietnamese wedding. It’s not for lack of opportunity. I remember You-Know-Who (or She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) had a few invitations during our time together - opportunities to which she had judged appropriate not to include a plus-one. What else is new! Typically, January to May is known as the wedding season in Vietnam. It’s more or less kicked off right after New Year’s Day and dragging all the way to the Summer - where it’s too hot in the North and rainy in the South - with an intermission marked by Têt Holiday, the holiday of holidays.

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Sapa is a small town in the Province of Lao Cai, a mountainous area located about 350 km northwest of Hanoi, near the Chinese border. This quiet Vietnamese town is home to different ethnic tribal groups (e.g. Hmong, Dao, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho). It is said that Sapa was first occupied by the first four groups since the Vietnamese from the lowlands (better known as the Kinh) did not colonize the highest valleys. Nowadays, Sapa became increasingly touristy and welcomes a diverse range of visitors, attracted by the highland tribes, iconic rice paddies and forest treks. The whole area is blessed with awe-inspiring natural beauty.

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While most of my friends in Canada and Germany made fun of my Instagram stories for wearing a beanie at 14 degrees Celsius, Nayan - Dutch friend who also flew to Hanoi for a couple of days - was still hesitant on joining my trip to Sapa for not having enough warm clothes with him. He even sent me a picture of his skinny jeans, no-show socks and sneakers to make his case. I must have told him a hundred times that he could buy all the necessary gear while in Sapa if he needed to, but he wouldn’t budge.

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“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”. Generally speaking (sorry, Philippines), Christmas is not a thing in Asia... but, it still kind of is. Walking around the city and crossing so many shopping malls with crowds queueing up to take a photo with the beautiful Christmas display strategically placed there by the vendors in the attempt of making it up for their very poor performance of 2020 - thanks to COVID-19. I even saw a Christmas Buddha for crying out loud! The Asian Fusion concept brought to the next level.

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In the blink of an eye, I found myself in Phu Quoc. Indeed, the flight from HCMC to Phu Quoc is only 40 minutes. We barely had time to get comfortable into our seats that the captain announced the cabin crew to prepare for landing. Such a short flight makes it convenient for a weekend getaway on what is reputed to be Vietnam's paradise island.

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On the occasion of yet another long weekend in Vietnam - for three days this time - I decided to fly North to Halong Bay. The UNESCO World Heritage Site. Max - a colleague from the headquarters in Germany and based in Vietnam for a three-month short-term assignment - and I decided to pair up to visit this magnificent sight that is known for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands topped by rainforests. Our very ambitious initial plan was to combine Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Halong Bay in three days only. This itinerary was proposed by another colleague of ours who had been through this journey about a month ago. When Max first told me about this plan, my immediate thought was that this was simply not doable. My normal travelling style requires that I visit fewer locations, but in much more depth. Quality over quantity!

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It's 6:30am on Saturday morning and I am sitting in the waiting area of the Saigon Airport. My friend Chau had insisted on bringing me to Hoi An on the occasion of the four-day weekend celebrating both the Vietnamese Reunification Day and the International Labor Day back to back. Since I am.new to the country and only had the chance to spend time in Ho Chi Minh City during two business trips, Chau insisted on showing me another face of Vietnam that is has a more traditional flavor to it. Getting the local experience is not an occasion that presents itself every day. Therefore, I seized the opportunity as it came. Although, I must admit I have hesitated before accepting this tempting offer. In the Western culture, bringing semi-acquaintances over to their parents does not happen precociously. Especially not in my family. Believe it or not, I have childhood friends who have never set foot in my family's house until my farewell party before I moved to Germany.

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