“Mom, Dad, I’m going to Vietnam.”
Yeah, that’s a phrase whose meaning has changed over time. Although you wouldn’t know it from my parents’ reactions. “Why do you want to go THERE???” was the response from my incredulous mother when I told her about my trip plans. (I should mention that, as I get this same response from her regardless of my destination, it tends to lose its impact a bit.)
But really, how do you answer that question, other than saying “because it’s there”? And how do you explain the desire to travel to someone for whom “because it’s there” isn’t a valid answer? Some people will never understand wanting to explore anywhere beyond the three-mile radius of home. What can I say?
Anyway, with some money and vacation days in the bank, I was once again faced with the happy prospect of deciding where to travel next. My shortlist being what it is — more of a “longlist” which includes almost the entire world with the possible exception of Detroit — the question wasn’t so much where to go, but where to go next?
I considered a bunch of options, and ultimately decided on Vietnam for a few reasons:
1) Because it’s there. See above.
2) It’s still relatively cheap. Prices are climbing, true, and I’m fully aware that I will be handily ripped off at every opportunity. But even so, where else in the world can you book a luxury hotel for under $30 a night? (Not that I plan to stay at luxury hotels, of course. But it’s cheap for backpackers, too.)
3) There’s a fairly well-established backpacker infrastructure. Some destinations just aren’t worth the hassle of trying to travel backpacker style, since they are too set on catering to the cruise or resort crowds. Vietnam, from what I gather, doesn’t have that problem.
4) It’s in Southeast Asia. Having never done the typical Thailand backpacker trip, I feel like I’ve neglected Southeast Asia somewhat in travels these past few years. (Three days in Singapore shopping malls don’t count.) Part of my avoidance until now has been temperature-related, and I admit I’m a bit concerned about the heat and humidity factor. Hopefully, though, a combination of timing and air conditioning will make this doable.
5) …But it’s not the typical Thailand trip. Sure, I could’ve booked a ticket to Bangkok and hit the islands, and I’m sure I still will someday. But I’ve done a fair amount of “easy” travel lately, and I have an itch for some more “interesting travel”.
6) Thanks to the mysterious whims of the Vietnamese government, it might even be an opportunity to disconnect from the likes of Facebook and Twitter for a couple of weeks. (No guarantees whether this blog will work from there either, for that matter.)
7) Vietnamese food. Nom, nom, nom.
Mostly, though, it’s because it feels like everyone and their uncle has an idea or an opinion about Vietnam. It’s nearly impossible not to. And, because I’m not a big fan of going based on other people’s expectations, I prefer to go and see for myself, and make up my own mind.
So far, the plan is to fly into Hanoi, fly out of Saigon a couple of weeks later, and in between, pretty much just to make my way south. I’m deliberately avoiding over-planning this, really looking forward to the freedom — no timelines, no schedules, and above all, no timesheets!
Five weeks till departure. Stay tuned!