Monthly Archives: December 2023

Ha Long Bay

December 31, 2023FamilyJonathan

Ha Long Bay’s breathtaking beauty lies in its enchanting blend of emerald waters, towering limestone karsts, and lush greenery. The ethereal landscape creates a mesmerizing harmony that captivates visitors, offering a unique and serene escape into nature’s grandeur.

The Arrival

Flight Sightseeing Tour

Our only excursion was a sightseeing plane trip around Ha Long Bay. From take off to landing we received a whole new perspective of this natural masterpiece. From the vantage point of the sky, we witnessed the majestic karst formations rising dramatically from the turquoise waters, painting a surreal panorama that words struggle to capture. Every turn revealed a new facet of Ha Long’s unparalleled beauty, leaving us with an indelible imprint of this UNESCO World Heritage site from above.

And yes, we took all of these pictures and videos.

Happy New Year

We are a bit ahead of everyone else this year.

Central Vietnam

December 30, 2023Christmas, FamilyAsia, CruiseJonathan

Da Nang

A quick pass through this historic city where a significant portion of the US military was based during the war.

Hoi An

Bike Tour – Hoi An

This was a lot of fun. We took about an hour long, 5 mile bike ride through the rice fields and back streets of this beautiful little village.

Hoi An – Lunch & Shopping

Nha Trang, Vietnam

December 29, 2023Family, TravelCruise, TravelJonathan

Today was a quick day for us. No tours, just a hop off of the boat, via a tender, a little shopping and then back. It ended up being a good plan given this was really the only hot day of the trip.

Waikiki of Vietnam

Nha Trang is mostly a vacation destination and is often referred to as the Honolulu of Vietnam. With massive hotels and beaches it is no surprise people flock here during the summer. For us, it was a quiet time to visit.

Do you want to be a millionaire?

What you see below is approximately 5 millions Vietnamese Dong (the local currency).

Ho Chi Minh (aka Saigon), Vietnam

December 28, 2023TravelCruise, Mathieu, VietnamJonathan

Today was a long day as we were in a bus for over 4 hours going to and from Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam is nothing like what most people imagine. In the last 40 years this war torn country has re-invented itself into a regional financial, agricultural, and commerce center of the Far East.

Ba Thien Hau Temple

Presidential Palace

Until Saigon fell in 1975 this was where the country was governed from. After 1975 the capital moved to Hanoi and now the old Presidential Palace is a museum.

Central Post Office

A great example of French Colonial architecture that has survived.

Lacquerware Factory

BAO TANG LICH SU Museum

Milestone: 60 Countries

Today marks Scott’s 60th country visited!

Thailand

December 26, 2023Christmas, Family, Thailand, TravelJonathan

Merry Christmas from Thailand. However, given the International Date Line and so many timezone differences it felt like Christmas was almost 3 days long.

Our first port was outside of Bangkok, near Pattaya (which I am sure helps everyone know better where we landed).

Christmas morning

Nongnoch Tropical Garden

Google this place. It is amazing. Also, Mathieu got a lot of love from some elephants.

VIDEO: Thai massage, may not be suitable for children! 😲😎

VIDEO – An amazing Thai culture show.

VIDEO: An amazing Thai cultural show.

And then for the strange part. During Covid the owner wanted to keep his employees employed. So he had a wild idea to add sculptured dinosaurs to the garden. Sort of his own Jurassic Park, just less bloodshed. I guess Covid lasted longer than planned as they went a bit overboard.

This is truly only a small percentage of the dinosaurs they made in 18 months.

Bangkok: Christmas Dinner Cruise

Flower Market

ICONSiam – Shopping

Thank you Mr. Chob’s Thai Tour Guide! And of course Joy, our friend and best helper ever in Thailand. We met Mr. Chob 20 years ago on our Orient Express Thailand tour, and he introduced us to Joy on our RTW trip 5+ years ago. It was so wonderful to have Joy be with us again.

This is Mr. Chob’s company. We highly recommend his help when you come to Bangkok. https://www.thaitourguide.com/

Merry Christmas everyone!

Next stop – Vietnam!

Singapore

December 21, 2023FamilyJonathan

A few days in Singapore, and then on to the ship.

Hotel: Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore

Hawkers Market for Dinner

Mahjong Class

Sands Marina Bay

We know you all saw this in “Crazy Rich Asians.”

High Tea at the Ritz

I cannot even start to describe how much we ate!

Tokyo (Sort of)

December 19, 2023FamilyChristmas, Jonathan, Mathieu, Scott, ToykoJonathan

After almost 12 hours of flight time we made it to Tokyo. Well, Narita International, to be more accurate. This was a quick over night before we leave for Singapore in the morning. It was nice to sleep in a real bed for a bit.