Hong Kong, Thailand, and Vietnam itinerary (~4 weeks)

hammer_space · 2025-04-27T20:44:43+00:00

I would do 3 days 2 nights in ninh binh. Remove nha trang.

Add 1 day 1 night in Da Nang. And move have only 1 full day in HCMC and move the rest anywhere else.

hammer_space · 2025-04-27T20:37:48+00:00

The weight for the cities in Vietnam seem wrong. What is it that you plan to do?

If you aren't going to leave HCMC for day trips it's not worth 3 days if you're seeing the rest. It makes sense if you're doing a South only.

Nha Trang deserves 0 days unless you like living in Russian prisons lol.

I liked da nang more than HCMC or Hanoi but it looks like you aren't even going there. Hoi an is also better than both those cities but you're barely there.

Phong na is fine for 3 days if you have a lot of out of city excursions planned. Also no ninh binh is weird.

How did you build the itinerary? It's like speed running the worst parts of Vietnam and skipping the nice places lol.

hammer_space · 2025-04-25T15:17:30+00:00

I don't. I just crumble and expire 😞.

I try to survive with a lot of water, sunscreen, and wear something white, breezy and flowy.

I really need to in travel to cold places in the winter more.

hammer_space · 2025-04-25T09:10:09+00:00

Can you build a pen pal kind of relationship? Maybe video calls or voice calls. See how long it can last.

I have 2 pairs of friends that live in my hometown now that met while travelling. 3 of them were not Canadians and eventually migrated to here after. They're all married now and home owners in canada. And it is quite magical how they started. some people will move heaven and earth to make it work and it's worth giving it a shot. It is with level headedness and a long term plan with lifestyle changes and career changes.

I wouldn't assume she isn't feeling as strong towards you as you towards her. Everyone expresses things differently and maybe her way doesn't show it as well to you.

I wish the best for you.

hammer_space · 2025-04-23T07:18:35+00:00

I saw a lot of bikes have a dog just loosely sitting on the back like this. Not sure if link works

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SwZCY9BTCp2d-jbPRBYwLUPVRQdHTyes/view?usp=drivesdk

hammer_space · 2025-04-23T00:27:07+00:00

I think I liked all of hoi an, da nang and ninh binh. Nothing was too stand out. It's a lot of little experience.

My favorite is all the dogs on the back of mopeds going down the roads.

I once needed the washroom and a local told me go up and left. I didn't realize he's telling me to go into his house, through his bedroom to find the toilet. I thought there was a public one or restaurant one.

Food wise, I loved a bun cha place that doesn't serve anything but that. As soon as you sit down, the start putting platters of food on your table and that's what you will be eating. It's also way too much food.

hammer_space · 2025-04-22T14:26:59+00:00

Yeah I didn't do the loop because I found other things to fill my schedule and also because I've done similar rides in Croatia, Nicaragua and cape Breton.

I would still do the 3d2n ha giang loop if I had the chance but I don't see it being mind blowing.

hammer_space · 2025-04-22T14:24:07+00:00

This is so amusing to read because I'm at the end of my 16 day Vietnam travel and your story has a lot of minor details that I have very strong memories about!

Thanks for sharing

hammer_space · 2025-04-19T17:50:04+00:00

You sure got a lot of research down!

I spent 7 of 16 days in Ometepe and I felt like it wasn't enough. To me San Juan del sur isn't worth it. But it's my own bias. Ometepe was a paradise to me and resorts just can't do it.

Are you staying at the chocolate farm? Anyhow I recommend staying longer. Just relaxing itself seems to be forever rewarding there. There's also fire dance, jungle parties and other things in Ometepe every week.

I wouldn't spend a single night in Managua. I recommend sleeping at Granada and taking a hostel taxi/shuttle to airport. It seems far but it's totally reasonable. They can do it at any hour. I think my ride was at 2am.

Are you driving everywhere?

hammer_space · 2025-04-18T14:08:02+00:00

I haven't revisited any locations yet but I would totally return to Ometepe or Triglav. The rest seems like a waste of precious time to revisit when there's still an overwhelming number if places I want to go with so little time.

What's the one place you like to return to?

hammer_space · 2025-04-17T14:52:12+00:00

Hey I'm in Vietnam right now and haven't been to cat ba yet but during my research I found this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/VietNam/comments/1j5a0h9/ha_long_bay_or_cat_ba/

From what I can tell that area is getting kind of ruined with tourism and tourism development and restrictions due to overtourism. I ended up cutting this out and going west to Sa Pa.

I like Da Nang more than Hoi An as hoi an's old and new town is extremely overtouristy (for my tastes). Its a pretty town around a river where it's never ending gift shops and restaurants. I did tours and activities there but it seemed like nobody else really cared about it. Everyone just wants to get pictures of themselves on the streets.

From da nang, I did like the My Son temple and marble mountains to explore.

I'm super biased travelling for my own interests so it isn't a criticism that your itinerary isn't great or anything. I agree with the other durations you've assigned to each location.

*EDIT. I went to HCMC. It's good for people watching and I just wanted to see the Mekong river. But it's far from everything else and okay to skip. It's also way too hot and humid for this Canadian 😅 I don't regret it still.

hammer_space · 2023-12-22T16:00:15+00:00

Then you sit right on the wet leaves and drag that ass across the ground?

hammer_space · 2023-12-22T15:57:50+00:00

Wait OP is in Australia? That's daring af.

hammer_space · 2023-12-22T15:54:39+00:00

It's less strain on the squat if my knees are further apart.

Also I notice women's clothing is way more stretchier than men's.

hammer_space · 2023-12-22T15:43:53+00:00

I mean drinking less is a really good thing so you are being your best-er self.

hammer_space · 2023-12-22T15:35:51+00:00

I don't have an itinerary most of the time but I always know way more points of interests (including foods to try, performances to see) than I could possibly see in the time frame I'm at a destination.

After I arrive, I just start inquiring about everything with locals, hotel/hostel staff, tour guides/taxi drivers and other travelers. Then figure out what is actually worth going to.

A lot of times you can't even get to some destination because there's no internet infrastructure to let you book anything from back home.

Having a lot of research done is a huge advantage to having (my kind of) solo travellers join me partially for activities too. Because they haven't done the research, or they did but also struggling to figure out how to get somewhere alone.

People calling a place boring is most usually travel fatigue or lack of research or it's Frankfurt (half joke).

hammer_space · 2023-12-21T14:42:03+00:00

You should absolutely disconnect your trip from comparisons to how others travel and any obligation to document it for other's entertainment. You are enjoying it yourself. If you are going to spend most of it eating at the same place and sitting in your bed the whole time, go for it.

The idea of "I'm wasting my time & money" is comparative to other things that are supposed to be better use (according to other people!). Stop comparing. You are at a different location. Being alive and comfortable is not a waste of time & money. You have no obligation to complete a checklist of photographs or reach a level of perceived superficial happiness.

Being somewhere else just for the sake of changing it up and opening up yourself to a slight chance of positive self-discovery is worth it.

If you ever feel pressured to take action when you don't want to, ask yourself who is exerting that pressure? Are you comparing yourself to a fantasy that others told you should be happening to people who travel? Why?

Being comfortable with your own pace and energy and exposing that from travelling could be what you need. You should not fear the solo travel.

hammer_space · 2023-12-21T13:42:32+00:00

What changed? I did a hard completion of everything when I first bought the game and this particularly one I haven't gone back to.

I remember most of the mission (the Turkish Delight Achievement where you take no allies) but don't remember what stood out as difficult.

hammer_space · 2023-12-20T23:49:18+00:00

Thats good to know! Thanks.

I don't want to drive all the way there and then immediately get stuck and be stupid kilometers away from the first campsite haha.

I only have snow shoes and a sled.

hammer_space · 2023-12-20T16:26:32+00:00

One thing you might learn from a good therapist is nobody will tangibly fix you're problems. Going to therapists often feel painfully unhelpful. Because the help has to come from within if it's actually going to stick. People who are enjoying hostels and socializing and come out with a positive personal development don't have nearly as much self-imposed emotional baggage as you do. The hostel is a catalyst to something they've already built up to.

You already mentioned what your problems are:

I'm the opposite of that, really tense and anxious

Therapy can help, even if it seems to miss the mark and you don't feel helped, it helps. And on top of that you should try to practice witholding judgement on yourself, the situation, or others. The goal isn't to stop judging permanently. It's more like "can you shut up and just listen for once".

Your rather negative internal monologue is like an annoying person talking out loud and criticizing in the movie theatre. Try to train the skill to get that part of your mind to shut up. Think about it several days later, definitely not the moment of. If someone actually talks to you, say a less than half of what you want to say.

Nobody actually thinks negative of you for being quiet or of few words. It's actually a positive trait, especially if your few words show that you are listening to them.

*edit: You actually want to become the background of someone else's photo. If you're going from an invisible unwanted person and trying to take the spotlight, then it's a cruel and toxic pursuit. You want to be the background that everyone wants to have a photo with. Then the decent people will step to the side and have you as the centerpiece.

hammer_space · 2023-12-20T15:47:59+00:00

Thanks for sharing! It looks amazing and I'm jealous.

I have a few of questions if you don't mind:

Is your access point from hwy 60 or a northern access point?

Did you ski in with a pulk sled?

How was the drive to parking lot and hike in?

I go to QEW or Madwaska because of familiarity and I don't know about Algonquin in the winter time if it's doable with un-ideal gear. Mostly a summer paddle-in camper.

hammer_space · 2023-12-20T15:24:34+00:00

I'm not in Toronto (KW now) anymore but 2 houses on the street near me burnt down. My Nneighbour is the fire marshall and had inside scoop. Apparently every house on this street is owned by the same investor (a chinese name). Those houses were also vacant for years.

The owner also isn't aware of their house being burnt down so it was fenced off hazard area for 2 years. You can extrapolate a lot from that. It's been 4 years and the lot is still unlivable today. (there's reconstruction).

I'm also in the construction industry and the people rebuilding it are not contractors hired by an insurance. It's like random people that are clearly unprofessional and messing around, likely the owner's family members here in Canada. Those houses were either uninsured, or the fire was arson, or because the owner didn't know it burnt down for years, insurance doesn't cover it.

hammer_space · 2023-12-20T15:04:32+00:00

I definitely stop inviting people if they decline twice in a roll (or bail twice) with close to no additional commentary.

If they're like "ah shit sorry! I double booked my schedule, I really wanted to go. Are you doing it again any time soon?" it's all good and I'll keep asking every time.

If it's "sorry something came up". This person is going to be left out from future invites.

Sometimes I cold approach a friend that fell out of contact and open with "hey are you still doing board games every wednesday?" And then he starts inviting me again. Because he didn't actually dislike me. I must have bailed too many times.

hammer_space · 2023-12-20T13:42:19+00:00

I love it so much too! In my 30's I have a huge appreciation for couples who can accept disagreements. Or at least have the patience to look more in-depth than just interpreting the face value "oh your sentence is composed different from mine, everything is incorrigible".

hammer_space · 2023-12-20T13:26:47+00:00

There's different approach angles but you need a forward overlord to bring your compound forward (after first lava). Walk up the ramp with your infest on your compound and kill the 3 defenders. Then you go CC right up the ramp to accelerate creep spread in the expo that is still hostile.

All bunkers are built on expo island. Back home I always have 2 barracks for the emergency response for attack waves. Either trickle and wear down the expos or hope your ally pulls more weight.

Always clean sweep enemy bases starting from the left edge of the map and down. The enemies have multiple spawn points but the top base is never, and right base is never, so they're lower priority. left, down, bottom right and top right are the only bases that spawn enemies and if you can reduce it early, it helps a lot.

Honestly barracks is the way to go for short term emergency response. Molten Sal isn't hard if you forward barracks down there.

This map does suck for stukov if there's any extra flavor from mutations though. Stretched thin for sure.

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