Koh Phi Phi must be the Thai island that has the worst reputation. Or the best, if you love partying. Some people will tell you it was worth it 25 years ago but that the island has been ruined by tourism. Unfortunately, I can’t say that it’s not true: every inhabited part of it is basically a holiday village to itself, packed with hotels and restaurants. It’s definitely not the right place to go if you want to discover Thai culture. But 25 years ago, I was 2 years old and I’m not sure I would have been able to enjoy any of it! So should we have just skipped it? I’m happy we didn’t.
Taking a cruise in Ha Long Bay is definitely one of the main reasons for people to go to Vietnam and we were no exception. As soon as we decided to visit the country, we knew we would go see this wonderful place.
Hoi an is a very small town but the city and the area have enough to keep you busy for a few days. It’s famous for its silk lanterns (probably the main reason why I wanted to go!), but also for its shopping opportunities. There is an endless number of shops selling art crafts, bags and clothes. This is the place to go if you want tailor-made clothes (if only I had just a little bit of room left in my backpack..!).
After spending one month in Ho Chi Minh to rest and spend time with my brother, we were on the road again to the pretty city of Hue. Hue was the imperial capital of Vietnam until 1945 and thus played an important part in the country’s history.
Mui Ne is located in South East Vietnam and it’s a real paradise. It’s a small, quaint but touristic town that’s developing fast and I’m sure if we were to go back in a couple of years, it would look completely different. It’s the perfect destination to take a break from the big city of Ho Chi Minh, where we stayed for a whole month. We spent a weekend there with my brother and his girlfriend and we loved it, we were able to fully relax and just enjoy.
Spending six weeks in Hawaii was a great opportunity and a great experience. In addition to exploring the wonders of Oahu and Kauai, we got to meet other tourists as well as locals since we mostly stayed at people’s houses, and we were able to catch a glimpse of what life is really like in paradise.
We spent 3 weeks on Oahu island while in Hawaii so even if we can’t claim that we have seen all the beaches, we had time to explore a good portion of it.
Belle-Ile is an island off the south coast of Brittany. It has a special place in my heart and is definitely one of my very favorite places in France as I spent many summers there with my family since I was a child. Its name in French translates litterally to “beautiful island” and it is often qualified as “well-named” (Belle-Ile la bien nommée in French). Between country side, wild coast and gorgeous beaches, it has nothing to envy to tropical islands… ok maybe the heat!
I told you about our Jamaican trip a little while ago and today, I would like to share more about how we felt there and what we remember of it. Here is what we expected from our holidays in Jamaica and what we experienced instead.