Out of here

By Carmen Forget

We are happy to debut Out of Here, a new series of first-person travel stories from Lowertown residents. We invite readers to share their travel tips and experiences, from the practical to the peculiar. Email your story idea to thelowertownecho@gmail.com.

The Internet is a great resource and tool for travellers, but when you take an extended or specialized trip nothing beats a ca­pable travel agent —as I discovered in Vietnam a few months ago.

I took a dream trip this past win­ter: a three-month adventure in co­lourful, affordable and exotic South­east Asia, includ­ing Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. I began the Vietnam leg of my jour­ney by joining in on a private tour arranged by six people who knew each other for years. Their guide David had convinced them to let me accompany them for part of the tour. When my time with them was up, David thoughtfully handed me off to Mr. Manh Hung, manager of both Vietnam Sunshine Travel and La Suite Hotel Hanoi.

Mr. Hung is an extremely compe­tent travel agent, fluent in English—a most welcome skill because I can­not speak Vietnamese, the mother tongue of 86 percent of the country’s population. His planning skills were also valuable. When you’re on your own, organized tours are a great way to travel safely. Mr. Hung researched and booked several bus tours for me, putting together an itinerary through Vietnam and Cambodia that met my needs and interests.

When I left Hanoi, I put his num­ber on speed-dial. Whenever I got stuck I called him, and he helped all along the way. At one point I fell ill, too ill to continue on the bus. I contacted Mr. Hung and he quickly switched me to chauffeured cars, ho­tels and flights. Mr. Hung smoothed it all and off I went. Amazing ser­vice when you consider it came at no cost to me because it was covered by the commissions he was paid by the tour operators and hotels.

Vietnam is a wonderful destina­tion, one that hosts over 100,000 Canadian tourists a year. The big­gest draws of course are its culture and historical sites. I found the food was fabulous and very reasonably priced, for example, only $5 for a re­ally nice dinner, including $1 for a beer. Don’t order wine though, the selection is terrible. Accommoda­tion is just as affordable, ranging from $30 for a very clean room in a three-star hotel to $40 for a luxury hotel room. By the way, breakfast is included and it’s far more than continental—it is like having dinner. Although some hotels offer wifi, I recommend getting a Vietnamese telephone chip. It is very inexpen­sive, $20, and gives you access to Internet and phone while you travel.

Two cautionary notes: when you are choosing where and what to eat, be careful with sanitation; and, be aware that pollu­tion levels in the cities are high, not recommended for people with breathing prob­lems.

Final advice for travelling to Southeast Asia: go with an open mind, be adven­turous, eat local food and every­thing will happen.

For more information:

Lowertown resident and world travel­ler Carmen Forget was an aerospace con­troller in the Royal Canadian Air Force until she retired in 2013. She is now a freelance translator.

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