Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

 Idyllic Vietnam & you never thought about it

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road & enjoy the journey” - Babs Hoffman

From the nomadic steppes of Kazakhstan to the frenetic streets of Hanoi, Asia is a continent so full of intrigue, adventure, solace and spirituality that it has fixated & confounded travellers for centuries.

Prepare to be charmed…. Wrapped in rainforests, edged by golden sands, crowned by volcanoes, studded with ruins of lost civilisations: this is Southeast Asia as you have always imagined it. Spirituality swirls around like the smoke from incense sticks swirls around its myriad Temples.

As a land of staggering natural beauty & cultural complexities, of dynamic megacities & hill-tribe villages, emerald waters & islands, rural adventures, old town exploration, sublime landscapes, a resilient culture & zesty cuisine, Vietnam is a fragrant & frenetic assault on the senses.

Asia has contributed a cast of villains & heroes to global history. Most of the significant achievements of the modern world had their infancy in Asia. Historic trading routes sliced across epic terrain as expanding Empires competed to trade goods & ideas throughout the continent & beyond. Asia’s ambitious civilisations ultimately gave rise to some of the world’s most revolutionary ideas & important technology. Ancient wonders & sacred spaces abound across the continent, from the Great Wall of China & the Temples of Angkor to lesser-known marvels in Myanmar, Nepal & even Afghanistan.

From sublime coastlines to snow-capped mountains, the majestic Mekong River to wildlife infested jungle, Asian landscapes hold an immediacy & vibrancy that captivates & enchants. Immense expanses of desert flow down from inhospitable mountains, which in turn give way to seemingly impenetrable forests. In a land where tigers still roam free (though far from noisy tourists) nature continues tbe the driving force in many peoples’ lives. Virtually every climate on the globe is represented here; take a trek over the Gobi’s arching dunes or sun yourself on the sand-fringed tropical islands of the South China Sea.

The soul of Southeast Asia has been forged by the elements. Mighty volcanoes have thrust the land up & raging rivers have carved it down. Coral reefs have formed islands & sea spray has sculpted them into surreal karst outcrops. Millennia of monsoon rain have created cultures defined by the seasons & by the annual flooding of rivers, which double as super-highways through impenetrable jungles. In this region of rivers, oceans & islands, you are as likely to travel by boat as by road, following trade routes that have been carved out across millennia.

Spirituality swirls around like the smoke from incense sticks swirls around its myriad Temples. At dawn in Buddhist nations, monks flood into the streets to gather alms in endless monochrome chains. In Muslim countries, the call to prayer rises in a multi-throated chorus above rooftops. In Taoist Temples, devotees fill the morning air with thick incense smoke, while tribal people in remote villages mark the new day's arrival with arcane animist rituals. Every aspect of life here has a spiritual dimension, from the food people eat to the religious geometry that dictates the layout of centuries-old Mosques & Temples.

Southeast Asia is where the flavours of some of the world's greatest cuisines melt into one another, throwing up ever more mesmerising combinations. The continent has exported its cuisines the world over: India’s red hot curries, China’s juicy dumplings, Vietnam’s steaming bowls of pho soup & Thailand’s heaping plates of pat tai (pad Thai) noodles are known & loved across the globe. The region's spices were once valued more highly than gold & combined with one notable import - the South American chilli – they have created a cooking palette that inflames the senses & leaves the taste buds begging for more.

Eating here can be both a joyous & chaotic affair: forks are forsaken in favour of fingers or chopsticks & food is enjoyed with unrivalled gusto. Whether settling down for a Michelin-starred 5* dim sum banquet in one of Singapore’s finest restaurants or pulling up a plastic stool at a humble hawker stall on a Bangkok street or a night market, both meals will be equally memorable. Hungry travellers will never be bored by the diversity of Asia’s cuisines.

Ah…Vietnam - a land of staggering natural beauty & cultural complexities, of dynamic megacities & hill-tribe villages.

Sensory Overload | Vast Landscapes | History & Culture | Culinary Delights | Spiritual Spaces

Believe your senses, as you discover one of the most enriching, enlivening & exotic & compelling countries with a unique heritage, on earth. ‘Just be happy enough’, you will love that Vietnamese attitude, it explains how they survived & would make more sense when you visit.

Welcome to a world where the colours are more vivid, where the landscapes are bolder, the coastline more dramatic, where the history is more compelling, where the tastes are more divine, where life is lived in the fast lane. This world is Vietnam, the latest Asian dragon to awake from its slumber.

Self-confident & fast-developing, its progress is all-evident in the country's booming metropolises. Vietnam's allure is easy to appreciate (and something of a history lesson) as ancient, labyrinthine trading quarters of still-thriving craft industries are juxtaposed with grand colonial mansions from the French era, all overseen from the sky bars of 21^st century glass & steel high-rises.

Vietnamese culture is complex, diverse & represents something of a history lesson. The nation's labyrinthine, teeming trading quarters are rich in indigenous crafts & reflect centuries-old mercantile influences. Ancient Temples display distinctly Chinese influences in the north & Hindu origins in the south. Meanwhile the broad, tree-lined boulevards & grand state buildings that grace the capital date from the French colonial period. And it is impossible to forget Vietnam's pivotal position close to the epicentre of East Asian power & prosperity, for its cities' skylines are defined by clusters of glass & steel corporate HQs & sleek luxury hotels.

Nature has blessed Vietnam with a bountiful harvest of soaring mountains, a killer coastline & radiant rice fields, Vietnam is a cracker. Inland, peasant women in conical hats still tend to their fields, children ride buffalos along country paths & minority people scratch out a living from impossible gradients.

Vietnam is an utter assault on the senses; it is at once dizzying, frenetic & fascinating. Yet it is lovable. The Vietnamese are friendly & endlessly generous and travelling the country is nothing but a delight. The cities of Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City are both chaotic & captivating: the capital Hanoi is the focus for arts in Vietnam & has been since its foundation in the year 1010, while Ho Chi Minh, still referred to as Saigon, is the business hub, but no less interesting. The imperial city of Hue offers a well-preserved insight into the country’s proud past.

Unforgettable experiences are everywhere. There is the sublime: gazing over a surreal seascape of limestone islands from the deck of a traditional junk in Halong Bay. The ridiculous: taking 10 minutes just to cross the street through a tsunami of motorbikes in Hanoi. The inspirational: exploring the world’s most spectacular cave systems in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. The comical: watching a moped loaded with honking pigs weave a wobbly route along a country lane. And the contemplative: witnessing a solitary grave in a cemetery of thousands of war victims.

Vietnam is a nation of determined optimists who have weathered war after war, survived colonialism & communism & are now getting to grips with the wheeler-dealer world of capitalism. Fiercely protective of their independence & sovereignty, the Vietnamese are graciously welcoming of foreigners who come as guests not conquerors.

Don’t believe the hype. Or the propagandist party billboards that are as common as statues of ‘Uncle Ho’. Believe your senses, as you discover one of the most enriching, enlivening & exotic countries on earth.

If you have the bills, Vietnam has the thrills & chills. Some require a little physical effort, such as motor biking switchback after switchback up the jaw-dropping Hai Van Pass in central Vietnam. Others require even more sweat: kite surfing the tropical oceanic waters off Mui Ne or hiking the evergreen hills around Bac Ha or Sapa. And when you are done with all that adrenaline stuff, there is plenty of horizontal ‘me’ time to relish. Vietnam has outstanding Spas - from marble temples of treatments, to simple family-run massage salons with backpacker-friendly rates.

Life in urban Vietnam is conducted on the streets. The Thais may grumble, but in Southeast Asia nothing really comes close: Vietnamese food is that good. Incredibly subtle in its flavours & outstanding in its diversity, Vietnamese cooking is a fascinating draw for travellers - myriad street-food tours & cooking schools are testament to this. Geography plays a crucial role, with Chinese flavours influencing the soups of the north, spices sparking up southern cuisine, and herbs & complex techniques typifying the central coastline, rightly renowned as Vietnam’s epicurean epicentre.

To feel the intellectual, cultural & spiritual heartbeat of Vietnam, make a stop in the old imperial capital, Hue. Home to Palaces & Pagodas, Tombs & Temples, and host of the biennial arts festival, the Festival of Hue, it’s the place to go for historical, cultural & culinary stimulation.

In Hanoi, rise early to watch the city exercise by Hoan Kiem Lake, then pay your respects in person to Uncle Ho at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (a truly surreal experience). See if you can locate ‘pickled fish street’ in the Old Quarter (it’s somewhere near ‘wooden bowls street’), and cool off with draught beer at ‘bia hoi junction’ (a truly rewarding experience).

Rural Vietnam is entirely different. Just a short distance from the cities, water buffalos wallow in green rice paddies & elegant women wearing traditional conical headwear cycle along dusty paths. Vietnam's remarkable geography, from the lush Mekong Delta in the south to the remote Sapa valleys in the north, demonstrates a traditional way of life.

Emerald waters & islands, rural adventures, old town exploration, sublime landscapes, a resilient culture, and zesty cuisine. History & a unique experience amidst an idyllic scenery are just the beginning. ‘Just be happy enough’, you will love that Vietnamese attitude as it explains how they survived & would make more sense when you visit. A warm welcome awaits you....... Yep, Vietnam is waiting & The Journeys is ready to take you on well, a journey (or journeys) of discovery.

 Come….be inspired & discover theWorld with us

We are in the process of updating our Offerings of experiential journeys to Vietnam. Please contact us in the interim if you want to explore more options & we will be happy to customise & offer suggestions based on your personal preferences…