May 1, 2026
Arthur is 65, retired, and spending three months travelling solo (with company when he wants it!) through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. These are his diary entries - an honest view from the first ever DECADES trip, written for anyone wondering whether to make the leap themselves.
The overnight train from HCMC wasn't too bad in the end — I got some sleep, anyway. Hoi An is a lot smaller, nestled by the coast and river system a short drive from Da Nang, and is SO much calmer and quieter than Saigon was. That said, they still use their scooters like offensive weapons.
Despite it being a big tourist area, there aren't that many "attractions" nearby, and those there are have been built with tourists in mind, mainly to attract Chinese and Korean money - but there were a lot of westerners here as well. Such is the pace of development, some areas look set to become like Benidorm or Costa del Sol in the next few years, which is a shame. As a town, it's famous for its tailors and lanterns. You can get good quality clothes made to measure in days at a very competitive price.
I've particularly enjoyed visiting a local vegetable cooperative and cooking school, cycling through the complex of islands in the river, and the street food is amazing - I had a guided tour through the backstreets and alleys. I even tried my hand at lantern making. And it goes without saying, visited a temple and cave or two. No big museums or memorials here so nothing to make me think too hard. A relatively quiet time before the final week, which promises to be exciting. And a couple of craft beer establishments and a wonderful smokehouse / BBQ to round things off.
Visited a strange community that seems to consist of nothing but shrines to dead relatives - it has become a bit of one-upmanship on a massive scale. Vietnamese that have emigrated to the West and done well financially have sent money back to fund building, or even an extension, usually vertical. There are dozens of these monstrosities (imho) on a site about 400m square, and it's alleged that over a billion US Dollars has been spent on these monuments. It's a challenge to reconcile that in a country where the average wage is less than £300 per month.
We took the mainly coastal route from Hoi An to Hue including the amazing Hai Van Pass (famous from its appearances on Top Gear). I rode my own bike whilst the others opted for pillion or the jeep. A really interesting day's riding for 200km with every terrain imaginable - from the mental Da Nang rush hour to the HV pass, through country lanes, big exposed bridges, dirt tracks. You name it, we did it. Even found a waterfall for a refreshing dip before lunch overlooking the East Sea (they don't call it The South China Sea here).
Had a wander round Hue today, but a fairly relaxed one with lots of stops, a visit to the Historic Citadel and a stroll along the river.
Off on a sleeper train again tonight. Next stop / last stop, Hanoi.
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