FLYING THE NEST EXPEDITION | VIETNAM 2019
We can not believe our first ever Flying The Nest Expedition has already come and gone. One of our favourite things is being able to share travel with others, and having the opportunity to go on an adventure alongside an incredible group of fellow travel lovers felt like a dream!
If you have no clue what we are on about, last December we launched our very first Flying The Nest Expedition, where we invited a small group of people who follow our travels to come on a group trip with us. We spent 8 days travelling through the north of Vietnam with 10 of the most open minded, adventurous group of people from across the globe.
We captured so much footage & way too many photos over the week - so, as you keep on scrolling be prepared for a lot of snaps & a bunch of videos from our very first Flying The Nest Expedition!
Day 1: Halong Bay Junk Boat Cruise
We kicked off the expedition spending the night floating along breathtaking Halong Bay. Here we explored the jade waters and stunning islands aboard a wooden junk boat. We spent our first day together hanging out on the deck, kayaking through the Floating Village of Cua Van, exploring the spectacular Tien Ong Caves, tasting delicious Vietnamese food and waking up to a relaxing Tai Chi class on the sundeck.
If you haven't heard of Halong Bay, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the north east of Vietnam. The lush emerald turquoise waters are home to over 1,600 mostly uninhabited islands and islets and is best visited on an overnight cruise.
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Day 2: Exploring the Street of Hanoi & Overnight Train Ride
Saying goodbye to Halong Bay, we made our way to Hanoi to spend the afternoon exploring the city by cyclo, the quintessential mode of transport here in Hanoi. We took in the sights and sound before stopping off at the first cafe to ever serve Vietnamese egg coffee. This coffee is a mix of sugar, sweetened condensed milk with egg yolk whisked in. We know it may sound strange ... but somehow it kind of works!
Later that evening we freshened up before boarding our overnight Reunification Express train journey to Hue. For many of the group this was their first overnight train experience, and we were able to surprise them by booking out an entire carriage just for us! We spent the night having a few drinks & chatting, excited for our next stop!
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Day 3 & 4: Exploring the Imperial Citadel of Hue
After arriving in the imperial city of Hue we headed straight to our hotel and chilled by the pool before enjoying a sightseeing afternoon tour of the 19th-century capital. We visited the city’s oldest monastery, the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda, as well as the Imperial Purple Palace. We then headed out to the countryside to visit the mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc, one of the stunning Royal Tombs of the Nguyen kings, which lies in a narrow valley surrounded by pine forest.
To end our evening we went on a leisurely sunset cruise along the Perfume River. We had heard that travelling by longboat is one of the best ways to enjoy the city skyline, and we can totally agree. For dinner we decided to go to a local side vendor who couldn't speak a word of English. It was hilarious seeing us all attempt to order and seeing the random dishes the locals decided to cook for us. We aren't exactly sure what was eaten that night, but it was delicious regardless!
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Day 5 & 6: Hoi An - Our Favourite Spot In Vietnam
We said our goodbyes to Hue before jumping on a bus that took us along one of the most scenic drives in Vietnam, the Hai Van Pass. The road follows the coast which gave us wonderful views of beach to the east and vibrant green hills to the west.
After having lunch and sipping on fresh coconuts at a beach just outside of town, we arrived to the charming, old-world trading port of Hoi An. This is hands down our favourite spot we have visited here in Vietnam to date! We spent the next two days exploring the lantern filled streets, floating along the banks of the Thu Bon River and eating way too many Banh Mi sandwiches.
One of the highlights from our time in Hoi An was the street food vespa tour. We absolutely love trying local street food from around the world and we knew we needed to plan something extra unique for the group. That ended up with us all on the back of vespa scooters, stopping off at local cafes and restaurants to sample a mix of local food and drink. If you ever find yourself in Hoi An this food experience is seriously a must do!
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Day 7: Experiencing Rural Life in Vietnam
The final day of the expedition was spent out in the countryside learning all about the rural way of life in Vietnam. We spent the morning heading to Tra Que village by bicycle, which took us through rice paddies and farmland. Once we arrived at the village we got our hands dirty learning about age-old farming practices and helped tend to the fields and gardens. For lunch we enjoyed a home-cooked meal cooked by us with fresh ingredients straight from the farm.
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