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| First glimpses of Vietnam from the plane |
Being on the blog means I'm on another trip! This time, I'm embarking on an incredible 12-day familiarisation trip through Vietnam as a travel agent, I'll be experiencing the best of this beautiful country firsthand, courtesy of Go-Indochine, my exceptional Vietnam-based supplier specialising in the broader "Indochine" region (Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos). We'll be journeying from the bustling north in Hanoi all the way down south to Saigon, with an itinerary packed with highlights including Mai Chau, Pu Luong, Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha Bay, Hoi An, Cai Be, and the mighty Mekong. So stay tuned for all the insights!
The journey to Vietnam was, shall we say, uneventful in the way only long-haul economy flights can be – a special kind of tiring. After an early start (the tiredness factor was doubled thanks Vivid activities the the night before in Sydney, don't ask it probably deserves a blog post of its own!), the series of flights and the instant embrace of Hanoi's heat and humidity upon arrival turned this travel agent into a completely pooped person. Seriously, by the time I made it to the welcome dinner, I was ready for bed more than bánh mì. Thankfully, Hanoi's immigration was playing nice this time around, and I zipped through, meeting my driver within 20 minutes of landing.
It was fantastic to finally put a name to the face of Hien, my primary contact at Go-Indochine. After countless emails, it felt like meeting a long-lost friend – albeit one who expertly organises epic trips. The rest of our "fam trip" crew was a truly international bunch, with travel agents from the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Bhutan, England, and Italy, just to name a few. It's always fascinating to see how diverse the world of travel truly is.
Dinner was, to put it mildly, plentiful, a generous spread that hinted at the culinary adventures to come. The evening wrapped up with some thoughtful gifts, a lovely touch from our hosts. There was an offer to continue the festivities at a rooftop bar or even indulge in massages, but alas, this princess was about to turn into a pumpkin. My bed was calling far more loudly than any cocktail...
Addendum: In my haste and tiredness, I forgot to write about the hotel! Half the group were put up at The Shining Central Hotel. A very quick first impression was that the hotel was nice enough, it was definitely way better than budget but didn't quite make luxury. I would call it low to average 4*. It does have an excellent location and the breakfast selections were delicious. And it has a gym! Small but present nonetheless. There was also an onsite spa which would make massages very convenient. There was a 25% discount for guests in my room. For reference, a one hour massage would set you back AUD34 pre-discount.
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| The Shining Hotel |
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| Tiny window |
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| The bathroom area |
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| Thoughtful gifts - a personalised metal water bottle with bamboo casing, personally designed bookmarks and a silk cloth |
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| Breakfast room |
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| Decent breakfast offerings. Asian was better than Western |
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| Tiny but enough for a workout |
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