it's chilly out. the hols are quickly approaching. it's time to make travel plans. might i suggest somewhere warm? how about a tropical paradise? the new tourist slogan for viet nam (in the title) is spot on. you should see viet nam now before it becomes the overly touristic new thailand. visit and change the oliver stone infected rambo images you think is viet nam. sure there's jungle. plenty of it. but there are also unspoiled beaches, sand dunes, breathtaking rice paddies, and beautiful people to know.
i spent a month in my homeland in 2002. my homecoming caught me off guard. i hadn't been back since i fled as a refugee in 1975. i didn't know what to think. ecstatic? sad? thrilled! viet nam rocked. it's nostalgic. even romantic. beautiful ladies roam the streets in ao dais and straw hats. sun-kissed men squat outside playing cards, drinking beer. the people are all smiles. the food is so fresh and delicious words don't do it justice. if you don't mind old french music and 70s rock classics, it's time to book a trip.
my two aunts have opened up a resort in phan thiet, the fishing port where they grew up. it is a place for weary westerners and savvy saigonese to chill. visit the seahorse resort. you'll love it. and starting at $50 a night, it's hard to pass up! if you need help making travel plans in viet nam, holler at my sister, hani, at lannam travel -- a boutique luxury tour operation. if you go, send me a post card. man i can't wait to get back!
