Southeast Asia - North to South

Itinerary:
Kulala Lumpor, Malayasia to Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi to Cat Ba and surrounding islands
Cat Ba South by bus to Hoi An
Hoi An South to Ho Chi Min City
Ho Chi Min City to Siem Reap, Cambodia
(still traveling by bus mind you..)
Siem Reap to Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok to Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi to Phuket
Phuket to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wheww… that long list was just how it felt too, extensive, exciting, exhausting, and of course an excellent addition to experiencing new cultures. I will say, with only four weeks to travel (which you can give each bus ride anywhere from 12-24 hours) the time to really submerge yourself is hardly allowed. So instead, we did all the tourist stuff. Freezing my tush off in Hanoi (at this time I had been living in Malaysia), kayaking through the islands of Cat Ba, watching martial arts and exploring glee-full colors of history in Hoi An, re-introducing myself to western life in Ho Chi Minh City, finding peace among ancient temples of Angkor Wat (my favorite part), and then Thailand.

I must say, actually experiencing some of the “touristy” activities was good. It’s kind of something you need to check off your list, so next time you return, you give yourself the time to explore more of the back alleys and the true life of the locals. It’s so funny, the things that make all of these places incredible, are the tourist traps. It can't be avoided. So, it's been done. And next time I find myself in Vietnam, Cambodia, and even Thailand, I won't have to go anywhere my travel book suggests.