After exploring the center of Vietnam at Hoi An and Hue, we flew south to Can Tho, a city on the Mekong Delta. The delta is filled with canals, rivers, swamps and rice paddies. There isn't all that much to do there, but we booked several extra days to relax after a busy travel schedule. One of the highlights of Can Tho is the floating markets.
Read MoreAfter spending about 10 days up in the North part of Vietnam, we flew south to Da Nang in central Vietnam. In the north we were wearing our biggest jackets and many layers, it was probably 55-60 degrees, but we'd gotten so acclimated to 80-90 that we couldn't stay warm. Just an hour and a half flight south meant back to tropical temperatures and loads of humidity. We had heard only good things about Hoi An from all the tourists we met, and were really excited to spend the lunar new year there.
Read MoreWe arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam after a couple of flights from Bali, steeling ourselves for more crazy Southeast Asian traffic and bustle. And while it was definitely busy, it wasn't nearly as hectic as some of the other Asian cities we've visited. Sure, the roads were filled with a high number of cars, motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians, but at least there weren't many cows.
Read MoreSamantha and Charles Parsons went a little overboard when planning their honeymoon. Instead of a few short weeks of travel, they opted for a year-long adventure around the world! Follow along as they leave their home in Denver, Colorado in the United States to travel the globe.
After two really increadible days of diving in French Polynesia our cruise continued east. We visited two more islands, Nuku Hiva and Pitcairn Island, however we didn't go ashore. In total we spent eight days sailing from Fakarava to Easter Island. It was pretty crazy looking at where we were on a map, with no land in any direction for about a thousand miles.
After a quick day in Rangiroa, we headed north to another atoll called Fakarava. There isn't much to see on land here, as its just a narrow ring of sand and palm trees surrounding a huge lagoon, but the diving was incredible. We booked two dives and everything we read said that the diving here would be very similar to the diving in Rangiroa. Other than the unbelievably clear, 80 degree water, we found it to be a completely different experience.
After visiting our friends in Hawaii, we flew south to Tahiti to board a cruise that would end our final three weeks of our year of travel. The cruise crossed the South Pacific Ocean, starting in Tahiti and ending in Valparaiso, Chile.
After a very full 30 days in Vietnam, Samantha and I were very much looking forward to our next stop. Our friends Greg and Kathy live in Honolulu and we felt like a visit with some friends was in order. We planned to spend two weeks in total in Hawaii, and split that time evenly between one week on Kauai followed by a week with them on Oahu.
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Charles & Samantha Parsons
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It’s been over a year since Charlie and I returned from our trip around the world. In May, we did a quick extended weekend in Moab, Utah to spend time in Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. For the first time since we returned, I had an urge to take some photos of our adventures and post them to the blog!