Wandering The World - Vietnam - Japan Diary Tour

I began in Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by locals), where the streets are a symphony of motorbikes and vendors calling out "bánh mì!" My days here were a blur of flavours and history. I slurped steaming bowls of pho at plastic tables, dipped crusty baguettes into fragrant curry and joined locals on tiny stools to sip strong Vietnamese coffee sweetened with condensed milk. At the War Remnants Museum the photographs broke my heart, and crawling through the Cu Chi Tunnels gave me a visceral sense of the war’s impact. A boat ride through the Mekong Delta took me past floating markets and lush green rice paddies. I learned to cross the street with confidence and discovered that a smile is understood in any language.

Activities : Museums

I began in Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by locals), where the streets are a symphony of motorbikes and vendors calling out "bánh mì!" My days here were a blur of flavours and history. I slurped steaming bowls of pho at plastic tables, dipped crusty baguettes into fragrant curry and joined locals on tiny stools to sip strong Vietnamese coffee sweetened with condensed milk. At the War Remnants Museum the photographs broke my heart, and crawling through the Cu Chi Tunnels gave me a visceral sense of the war’s impact. A boat ride through the Mekong Delta took me past floating markets and lush green rice paddies. I learned to cross the street with confidence and discovered that a smile is understood in any language.

Activities : Museums

I began in Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by locals), where the streets are a symphony of motorbikes and vendors calling out "bánh mì!" My days here were a blur of flavours and history. I slurped steaming bowls of pho at plastic tables, dipped crusty baguettes into fragrant curry and joined locals on tiny stools to sip strong Vietnamese coffee sweetened with condensed milk. At the War Remnants Museum the photographs broke my heart, and crawling through the Cu Chi Tunnels gave me a visceral sense of the war’s impact. A boat ride through the Mekong Delta took me past floating markets and lush green rice paddies. I learned to cross the street with confidence and discovered that a smile is understood in any language.

Activities : Museums

I began in Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by locals), where the streets are a symphony of motorbikes and vendors calling out "bánh mì!" My days here were a blur of flavours and history. I slurped steaming bowls of pho at plastic tables, dipped crusty baguettes into fragrant curry and joined locals on tiny stools to sip strong Vietnamese coffee sweetened with condensed milk. At the War Remnants Museum the photographs broke my heart, and crawling through the Cu Chi Tunnels gave me a visceral sense of the war’s impact. A boat ride through the Mekong Delta took me past floating markets and lush green rice paddies. I learned to cross the street with confidence and discovered that a smile is understood in any language.

Activities : Museums

A short flight whisked me to Japan, where Kyoto greeted me with an entirely different rhythm. Here, temples nestle amid bamboo forests and ancient traditions live alongside modern life. I wandered through the vermillion torii gates of Fushimi Inari, found stillness in the rock gardens at Ryoan-ji and watched geiko glide through the lantern-lit lanes of Gion. In the early morning, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove was hushed and otherworldly. I spent an afternoon with a tea master learning the meditative ritual of cha-no-yu and discovered that matcha tastes even better when you whisk it yourself. Evenings were for sizzling yakitori, silky bowls of udon and strolling along the Philosopher’s Path hand in hand with new friends from my guesthouse.

Activities : Sightseeing

A short flight whisked me to Japan, where Kyoto greeted me with an entirely different rhythm. Here, temples nestle amid bamboo forests and ancient traditions live alongside modern life. I wandered through the vermillion torii gates of Fushimi Inari, found stillness in the rock gardens at Ryoan-ji and watched geiko glide through the lantern-lit lanes of Gion. In the early morning, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove was hushed and otherworldly. I spent an afternoon with a tea master learning the meditative ritual of cha-no-yu and discovered that matcha tastes even better when you whisk it yourself. Evenings were for sizzling yakitori, silky bowls of udon and strolling along the Philosopher’s Path hand in hand with new friends from my guesthouse.

Activities : Sightseeing

A short flight whisked me to Japan, where Kyoto greeted me with an entirely different rhythm. Here, temples nestle amid bamboo forests and ancient traditions live alongside modern life. I wandered through the vermillion torii gates of Fushimi Inari, found stillness in the rock gardens at Ryoan-ji and watched geiko glide through the lantern-lit lanes of Gion. In the early morning, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove was hushed and otherworldly. I spent an afternoon with a tea master learning the meditative ritual of cha-no-yu and discovered that matcha tastes even better when you whisk it yourself. Evenings were for sizzling yakitori, silky bowls of udon and strolling along the Philosopher’s Path hand in hand with new friends from my guesthouse.

Activities : Sightseeing

Tokyo was my final stop, and it crackled with energy. Shibuya Crossing is everything people say—it feels like stepping into the heart of a video game. I watched sumo wrestlers practice in a local stable, devoured plates of fresh sushi at Tsukiji Outer Market and lost track of time browsing vintage shops in Shimokitazawa. One afternoon I escaped the neon to sit quietly at Meiji Shrine, writing wishes on wooden ema and hanging them among thousands of others. Riding the Shinkansen bullet train between cities was an experience in itself; it’s almost silent yet moves like the wind.

Activities : Sightseeing

Tokyo was my final stop, and it crackled with energy. Shibuya Crossing is everything people say—it feels like stepping into the heart of a video game. I watched sumo wrestlers practice in a local stable, devoured plates of fresh sushi at Tsukiji Outer Market and lost track of time browsing vintage shops in Shimokitazawa. One afternoon I escaped the neon to sit quietly at Meiji Shrine, writing wishes on wooden ema and hanging them among thousands of others. Riding the Shinkansen bullet train between cities was an experience in itself; it’s almost silent yet moves like the wind.

Activities : Sightseeing

Tokyo was my final stop, and it crackled with energy. Shibuya Crossing is everything people say—it feels like stepping into the heart of a video game. I watched sumo wrestlers practice in a local stable, devoured plates of fresh sushi at Tsukiji Outer Market and lost track of time browsing vintage shops in Shimokitazawa. One afternoon I escaped the neon to sit quietly at Meiji Shrine, writing wishes on wooden ema and hanging them among thousands of others. Riding the Shinkansen bullet train between cities was an experience in itself; it’s almost silent yet moves like the wind.

Activities : Sightseeing