A journey i ll never forget!

One of the things I love most about travelling is experiencing a destination for myself — not just seeing it in a brochure, but actually being there.

Exploring Hanoi on a day trip, travelling by train, heading out onto the water in Hạ Long Bay, kayaking amongst the incredible scenery and then spending the night on board a boat… followed by that sunset.

I have to say, Huế and Hội An were probably my two favourite places in Vietnam. They just felt a little calmer and less frantic than Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

And Hội An gave me one of my favourite souvenirs from the whole trip! While I was there, I decided to have a dress made for the Travel Counsellors Annual Conference in November. I chose what I wanted, was measured up and, incredibly, within 24 hours my dress was ready! Now that's what I call service!

Then there are Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, which are a completely different experience. Crazy, busy, noisy and absolutely fascinating! I wouldn't necessarily want that pace every day, but you HAVE to experience them if you're travelling through Vietnam.

And the scooters! You genuinely feel as though you're taking your life in your own hands when you cross the road! The trick seems to be to keep going and let the scooters flow around you, although it definitely takes a bit of nerve the first few times! I heard some incredible figures while I was travelling about the number of people and scooters in Saigon. Looking into it afterwards, the exact population figure varies depending on whether you're talking about the city or wider metropolitan area, but one 2026 source estimates between 8 and 9 million motorcycles in Ho Chi Minh City alone. So I certainly wasn't imagining all those scooters!

For me, that's what made Vietnam so fascinating. One minute you're surrounded by the organised chaos of a huge city, and the next you're somewhere like Hội An or Huế, where the pace feels completely different.

That's also why experiencing destinations first-hand is so important to me. After more than 40 years in travel, I still love discovering somewhere new and being able to come home and tell my clients not just where to go, but what it actually feels like to be there.

Vietnam certainly gave me plenty to talk about!