E A S Y . E S C A P A D E S

1. Ho Chi Minh City 

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the capital city of Vietnam and as soon as you arrive the first thing you will notice is the traffic (followed closely by the hot weather if you are travelling in June) 

The secret of crossing the road, is to go slow and steady. The drivers here seem to be highly skilled and as long as your movements are predictable they will zoom right past you. The hard part is taking the first step in crossing the road (the likelihood of someone giving away to you to cross the roads are slim!)

1.1 Chu Chi Tunnels 

Go back in history and learn more about the network of interconnecting underground tunnels, which were the location of the military campaigns during the Vietnam War.

Book a tour through Viator

Wanna get a chance to shoot at the firing range? Highly recommend: For about $10 AUD you get to do just that. Machine guns were also available. I have to say, this was LOUD! There is a bit of recoil with these rifles but there's someone to accompany you in case you a first timer. 

For less than $5, you can get grab some grub at the local markets once you get back to the main city. This one was some delicious spring rolls mixed with some rice noodles, tangy sweet sauce, topped with some veggies and nuts. Almost like a warm noodle salad. 

Can't get enough of those spring rolls. You will notice that the type of spring rolls that are sold in the south (HCM) compared to the north (Hanoi) are a quite different. You can try the "Obama Bowl" or Ban Cha when you are in Hanoi made famous by Obama himself! (vermicelli rice noodles, herbs, and sometimes spring rolls into a bowl of sweet yellow broth, along with charcoal-grilled pork patties and grilled pork slices). Why not try some avocado milkshake too?  

The view from the roof top bar above the Sheraton Hotel:

2.1 Mud baths at I-resort 

About 8kms away from the city centre of Nha Trang lies an oasis where you can soak yourself for about 20 minutes into some high mineral content mud, leaving your skin feeling revitalised. The mud is pumped into your bath, ensuring the temperature is maintained at 38 – 40 degrees Celsius. For about 300k Vietnamese Dong, you can experience a mud bath with 3ppl (about $18 AUD pp) and after, relax in the mineral swimming pool. There are 2 pools for adults and a jaccuzzi.

If you feeling like spoiling yourself you can get a package to include food and massages too. 

I-resort mud baths

3. Hoi An 

Hoi An has to be my favourite city in Vietnam, such a charming ancient town famous for its numerous tailored suit shop houses and colourful French colonial buildings. Take a walk around the markets in the evening and enjoy this quaint town. Tailored shirts can start from $20 and can take a couple of days for them to complete once they measure you up (can take a couple of hours). You can customise it as you like and pick from the selection of different materials they have! If you want some recommendations, give me a shout!

4. Hanoi (Halong Bay)

Bucket list ticked and one of the highlights of my trip was a one night, two day cruise in Halong Bay (One of the seven wonders of the world). The package includes all food, accommodation and transport from Hanoi. For about $180 AUD this was so worth it! 

The shuttle bus comes and picks you up from your hotel from the Hanoi city centre. On the first day you get to swim and relax at Ti Top beach and enjoy the whole panorama view of Halong Bay. After, you get enjoy a cooking class on the top deck of the cruise and learn how to make some Vietnamese Rolls. 

At night you get to enjoy the BBQ Set Menu Dinner which was delicious! 

Highly recommend: Glory Legend Cruises

The following day you get to explore the Sung Sot Cave -  one of the biggest caves in Halong bay and kayak along the water too. Make sure you wear proper shoes for this as you will be doing about 45 minutes of walking and exploring! 

Queenstown has to be one of the most picturesque cities in the world! It is absolutely a breath of fresh air, especially if you are coming from a city like Sydney. I have to say the flight route towards Queenstown is one of the best so make sure you get a window seat if you are heading there! Here are some must go places if you are heading down there this Winter.

1. Glenorchy

This small town is on the northern end of Lake Wakatipu and definitely worth the 50 minute drive from Queenstown. We rented a car from Thrifty and got a snazzy red Toyota for about $135 NZ Dollars a day. If you are with NRMA you get 15% discount too! 

Enjoying the views as a passenger <3 Endless views of mountains...and sheep.

We parked near by and soaked up the views! There was still some snow on the mountain caps even after Summer. Make sure to bring a coat!

2. Kinloch Lodge 

After a 30 minute drive to Kinloch Lodge from Glenorchy, awaits a tranquil and quaint lodge that sells some delicious comfort food. In this serene setting, we enjoyed some venison (deer meat) stew on this sunny day. How beautiful was our lunch view?

http://www.kinlochlodge.co.nz/

3. Queenstown Gondola and the Luge

We had so much fun on the Luge! You can buy the tickets at the entrance of the skyline (make sure you go early atleast before 2pm) so you have time to take in the views and go for a few rounds on the Luge. For $49 NZ Dollars you can go up the Gondola and go down the hill twice on the easy track and then once you are confident, down the harder track. 

http://www.skyline.co.nz/

The view from the top of the track. You almost don't want to go too fast because the view is so breathtaking!

4. Onsen Hot Pools 

Located in Arthers Point about 20 minute drive from Queenstown (this is where the car comes in handy) is this beautiful Onsen Pools which takes me back to Japan. During the off peak season, we paid $42 NZ Dollars and enjoyed the thermal waters set about 38 degrees for an hour. It went by so quick! We came here after our 2 hour hike up Queenstown Hill. So worth it! 

You can spend a bit extra and get some towels/snacks/aromatic candles.

http://www.onsen.co.nz/

5. Milford Sounds 

For $210 NZ Dollars I would highly recommend going on a trip to Milford Sounds with BBQ Bus. For this day tour, they pick you up in the morning at 7.30 at your accommodation with an all inclusive package of a cruise, transport and food. Really takes the guess work out of it especially if you are not looking forward to the 4 hour drive one way! We had less than 10 people on the mini bus which really made it intimate! The guide was informative, friendly and accomodating. Though I just really wanted to take a nap on the way there, he did share some interesting facts about Queenstown. 

http://www.milford.net.nz/

Random stop on the way to Milford Sounds. *Breathe in* *Breath out*

The view from our accommodation at Spinnaker Bay. The view is just the same from the pools. Ours was a two story building and the Manuka Honey shampoo/body wash provided, smelt divine.

Bb

Queenstown is definitely worth the trip and plan to go again one day for the snows. Even though we went for only 5 days, I hope to go back again and do a road trip to Christchurch next time. Let me know your favourite places around NZ too!

Top 6 Things to do in the Whitsunday Islands 

1. Ocean Rafting 

Go over 60km per hour while having the wind through your hair as you ease on through between the islands off Airlie Beach. This tour cost about $139 for the Northern Exposure Tour which includes a delicious lunch while having the views of the white silicon sands and translucent waters of Whitehaven Beach. A definite must do, not only for their excellent service but they take you to the key sites including Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach! Managed to have a few dolphin sightings too!

Tripadvisor: Ocean Rafting Reviews

2.  Hill Inlet

This doesn't need much explanation. Just look at the picture! Gosh. It is beyond amazing. This was part of the Northern Exposure Tour (value for money!) with Ocean Rafting and a 20 minute hike. 

P.S Worst public bathroom experience on this island so would recommend you to take a toilet break before the tour commences. It was like a scene from Slumdog Millionaire. Ugh.

3. Whitehaven Beach 

Ranked as one of the 10 best beaches in the world and couldn't agree more. Saw some baby sharks very close to the shore which seems to be the norm according to the tour guide. It's also jelly-fish season around Summer so definitely would recommend you to wear a wetsuit (which the tour provides anyway) to avoid any nasty stings. 

4. Snorkelling 

This was my first time snorkelling and won't be my last! I am not the strongest swimmer so I was glad they provided life jackets and noodles too. We went to two snorkelling sights near the Cook Islands and the second one was just amazing. The clouds of fish were just swimming between you and managed to see one that was the size of my arm!  (Got a bit freaked out to be honest). If only I owned a Gopro! This was the highlight of my trip and would not leave Whitsundays without doing this activity. 

5. Jetskiing. 

Other than my boyfriend looking like Kermit from Sesame Street, this was a fun last minute activity we managed to squeeze before we left after our 4 day stay. Went over 70km per hour on this big boy for 2 hours. It was about $90 pp and also includes a short introductory video/presentation at the beginning for those who are doing it for the first time. Also includes pick up and drop off. 

Tripadvisor: Jet Ski Tours

6. Airlie Beach, Lagoon

This reminds me of the man made beach in South Bank, Brisbane but this is a nice spot for those who are staying in Airlie Beach. It's absolutely free (woohoo!), clean and always a lifeguard on duty. This place seems to be open until late, since we came to sit here after having a food coma after dinner to digest and saw some people swimming at 9pm. 

If you find good flight deals (We went with Tiger for $170 return pp), Whitsundays Islands is the place to be especially in Summer! The people here are so laid back where backpackers and working holiday visa peeps are prominent. We stayed with AirBnb with a beach view and was a 2 minute walk to Woolies and shops for $100 a night (We had an Airbnb voucher). 

I highly recommend staying here: Airbnb Terraces