A Day in Ha Long Bay

Soaking in the crowded but buoyant street scene of Hanoi’s Old Quarter was quite an experience but this Friday morning promised a radically different encounter. Cruising on the main highway east of Hanoi, we passed vast expanses of green rice fields on the way to Quang Ninh Province and the resort city of Ha Long....

Hanoi’s Old Quarter 2: Hoa Lo Prison and an Old House

Hanoi is a wonderful blend of the past and present. Inhabited since 3000 B.C. it had seen its share of violent history including Chinese domination in more than a thousand years, an attempted Mongol invasion, French colonialization and American bombing raids during the Vietnam War.  Walking down streets and alleyways dating back to the 13th...

Hanoi’s Old Quarter 1: Around Hoàn Kiếm Lake

Having lived in a big city for decades we’ve longed for a quieter, less polluted and greener environment for quite some time now. However there’s something attractive about the chaos and busyness of a crowded and chaotic setting like Hanoi, Vietnam and its historic Old Quarter. Crossing the streets with hundreds of motorbikes zipping past...

Panglao, Bohol: Beaches and Islands

More than most provinces in the Philippines, Bohol probably has the most diverse travel destinations. But like many of the archipelago’s 7,000-plus islands, its beaches and islands are the more prominent ones. These are scattered throughout the province but the more popular ones are concentrated in and near Panglao Island at Bohol’s southwestern tip. Panglao...