Get inspired with travel stories and expert tips, for solo explorers, families, couples and groups.
Practical tips, expert guides, and real inspiration for every traveller.
I adore travelling and am keen to share great places and tips with others. Recent trips have seen me solo travel in rural southern China, spend time with friends in Jordan, visit Marrakech as a family and have a romantic break in Lisbon. Often travel sites only seem to fit one niche and I think many people, like me, are interested in hearing about a broader range of travel adventures that help inspire their own.
Stories and interviews from travelling friends about their adventures.
I have had many adventures and it has been great to share a number of them with Tara! Pleased to share places that I have loved with others here.
Jacobijn
One of my favourite things is to explore new countries on my own and I look forward to sharing tips with others.
Cliona
I travel a huge amount for work which has taken me well off the beaten path and love to discover new and interesting places.
Cath
I've always enjoyed travel and now we have more flexibility and time are having new adventures in later life and happy to share tips that really make a difference when exploring new places.
Leona
Inspiring adventures for every kind of traveller
Our Travel Story
Tara Travels was born from a love of exploring the world and sharing the thrills, challenges, and joys of travel. As well as having new experiences, I have been learning more about photography over recent years so it has been a real joy to aim to capture the spirit of these trips.
As well as my own journeys, I am planning to have guest contributions from travelling friends to hear about their adventures.
Travel definitely isn't one-size-fits-all so whether you're dreaming of a backpacking trip at 60, organising a family ski trip, or planning an epic group adventure, I'd like these pages to fuel your wanderlust!
Welcome!
A warm welcome to the site, which is very much a work in progress, but a place I am building to document journeys and recommendations for friends old and new. Do hope that you find it helpful!
Tara exploring Petra on horseback
Destination
Vietnam
Fisherman off Cat Ba
Arrival
Having arrived on the overnight flight from London, then spent the warm day exploring Saigon including dodging scooters and visiting the Reunification Palace, we were footsore by tea time and what a joy it was to have a soothing foot massage. My travelling companion had downloaded the Luxe app which has refreshingly short edits of what to do in key cities and the brilliant and amazingly cheap massage salon was their recommendation. An hour's massage was £11 and those ladies really know what they are doing. We both nodded off in the softly lit room and awoke refreshed to pick up our bags and head to catch the overnight train to Nha Trang.
Scooter jam in Ho Chi Minh City
Highlights
We did the very popular route but travelled south to north which seems rarer – certainly the guide books always go the other way around. We didn't spend long in Saigon which was I think the right call, leaving us more time to explore elsewhere.
I loved
✦Hoi An – still retains its beauty and charm
✦Hue – real sense of history
✦Kayak day in Lan Ha Bay – see below
Hoi An looked particularly stunning as the lanterns were mirrored after heavy rains had flooded the streetsSunset from the island we kayaked to
Highpoint
We travelled to Cat Ba and while disappointingly they are busy reclaiming land there so the beach is both out of bounds and covered in diggers, my friend found a kayaking day out on Lan Ha Bay via Seek Sophie which turned out to be the best part of the trip.
1 Day Hidden Lan Ha Bay Cruise | Secret Spots, Crabbing & Beach BBQ
Venture Off the Beaten Path: Secret Caves, Kayaking, and a Sunset Beach BBQ
With our marvellous guide Chans Tien Anh who had grown up locally among the fishing community, and was passionate about wildlife and nature we went out in a boat, then picked up our individual kayaks and explored the Gulf of Tonkin which is the northern portion of the South China Sea.
It was utterly stunning and tranquil to glide between the karsks at our own pace.
Epic views in the tranquil setting of Cat Ba
We explored caves and our guide caught fish and crabs, then pulled our boats up to the beach of an island where we barbecued the haul for dinner, with potatoes roasted in foil, as the sun set.
On the way home, we called into one of the floating fishing villages which was fascinating. It was an extraordinarily memorable day and really showed the beauty of Lan Ha and Cat Ba beyond the extensive development activity.
Our wonderful guide Chans preparing dinner.The floating fishing village
The route
South to north, mostly by overnight train: Saigon, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, then out to Cat Ba for Lan Ha Bay.
Best time to go
Vietnam is long enough that it never has one single season. The north is driest and coolest from October to April; the central coast is best from February to August, and can flood heavily in the autumn; the south is dry from December to April. Travelling south to north in November worked well for us, and meant Hoi An after the rains.
NorthOct – Apr, cool and dry
CentreFeb – Aug, dry and hot
SouthDec – Apr, dry season
Food highlights
There are so many it is hard to pick! Such fresh flavours, wonderful seafood including lobster, and more often chunky prawns, amazing coffee. Try the egg coffee when in Hanoi it is a like a custard and quite delicious. Iced coffees on hot days became quite addictive.
Coconut iced coffee in Nha Trang was divine
Best buys
On trips like this, exploring in hot countries, you need to have great footwear. I bought walking sandals specifically for this trip and having scoured websites went for the Corfu from Hotter which were just perfect. Supremely comfortable for all day walking, available in a wide fitting, the back strap makes them far more suitable than Birkinstocks, but they are similar in their simple design. I then wore them for many more trips before buying a second pair as I love them so much!
In Hanoi I picked up some great black fishermen's trousers for £20 that instead of being tied at the waist are sewn like that and they have become my travelling trousers of choice and with a linen vest, I lived in these and my sandals in China, Marrakesh and Jordan.
Travel tips
We took two overnight trains which were great. Note that often these will arrive at 6am and you usually can't check in to your room till much later like 2pm. Because accommodation is great value we decided to book for the previous night meaning we did have morning room access which I would highly recommend. We really appreciated it.
Also we took the advice from the Vietnam Oracle train website and opted for the 4 beds sleepers and booking the top bunks as less rail noise and think that is sound advice. With silicon ear plugs we slept well.
4-Bed Sleeper
The most comfortable class on Vietnam's trains, these sleeper compartments have 4 beds in a private cabin arranged in two rows of bunks. The beds are comfy, the air-con is powerful (bring a sweater), there's plenty of space on the top and bottom bunks, and it's a cozy place to be for a long rail journey. Clean linen, blankets and pillows are provided, there's a power outlet and USB charger for electrical devices, and each bed has its own reading light. Although the bottom bunk is slightly more expensive, if your main concern is sleeping, you should opt for the top bunk. This is because when your head is on the pillow on the bottom bunk you can hear and feel every bump on the tracks. My advice is: on a long night train, book the top bunk and enjoy a decent night's sleep; for long journeys during the day, the bottom bunk is better for looking out the window, sitting at the table and working on your laptop. For long-haul rail journeys in Vietnam, such as Saigon→Đà Nẵng, Hanoi→Huế, or Saigon→Hanoi, the 4-bed sleeper class is by far the most comfortable and romantic.
From Vietnam Oracle — see links below
About Luxe
Ho Chi Minh City. Think it's all tanks and tunnels? Wake up and smell the pho. Saigon is still home to elegant boulevards and French-colonial archi but she's the dynamic face of modern Vietnam, rocking foodie kudos, shopportunity and a cosmopolitan vibe.
From the Luxe App Hoi Chi Minh page
What I like about Luxe
Not overwhelming – refreshingly short edits
Excellent design including map integration meaning it really is a guide in your pocket
Every recommendation tried has been great
Really good mix from spurge to bargains
Downsides
Tends towards the high end
Limited coverage in terms of cities
Not cheap / priced like a guide book
Sites and blogs on Vietnam I rate
Trains, guides and the writers worth a browse.
The Best of Cat Ba IslandA beautifully put together post on some of the hidden gems, by Rose, a USA based traveller
Jacobijn
Cliona
Cath
Leona
