Flora's Vietnam
Diaries of a solo trip in my father's homeland
(Original travel blog written in 2013-2014

I am the daughter of a Vietnamese man. The daughter of a man who left his country to make a better future for himself. When he left, with...

I went to the Vietnamese embassy yesterday morning. I had to go and get the document that will allow me to enter the country with my...

It is Sunday evening. My bag is packed and I am ready to leave. The chaos of the last few days has finally stopped and I enjoy the...

I tried to go to Vietnam today but I didn't make it. My plane left without me this morning. Yet, I had planned everything. At 3am, I was...

Hanoi is a frantic city. The noises and smells here are defined by the traffic, which is omnipresent, noisy and suffocating. From dawn...

At 9am the next morning, I head to the Offroad Vietnam office, located a few blocks from my hotel. To find the address, I have to go into...

After spending a few hours exploring the streets of Hanoi on my motorcycle, I headed back to my hotel. Around 3pm, I went to meet my...

When I arrived at the store the next morning, Anh Vu and Trung were busy with the last preparations. They take care of everything: they...

During the last hour of driving, we entered the Hoan Lien Son mountain range. The north of Vietnam is very mountainous, and that's part...

The night had succeeded in dissipating my worries. When I woke up, I felt ready to take on the challenge of the 250 km drive to Sa Pa....

That night, Trung and I slept in separate hotels. Trung had once again taken us to a hotel that was not heated. And I had once again...

My visit to Sa Pa was short. The small village was flooded with tourists who had arrived from Hanoi by night train. After driving two...

We arrived at Ba Be Lake at nightfall. Our lodging, operated by a H'mong family, was located in the edge of the majestic lake. The second...

There is no hotel at Ba Be Lake, but rather a myriad of homestays run by H'mong people. Ours was absolutely charming. It looked like a...

From the beginning of our trip, Trung and I followed a strict schedule. A typical day consisted of a six to seven hour drive, followed by...

Trung and I had a great collaboration during our five-day trip. We had traveled almost 1000 km. We rode, laughed and ate together every...

I celebrated my first 1000 kilometers and my first oil change at Ha Long Bay. Satisfied to have successfully completed the first part of...

I arrived at my hotel in the early evening. After dropping off my luggage, I immediately went to the office of Asia Outdoors, a company...

After spending four days in the area of Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island, it was time to leave. The next morning, I took the road to the...

On the road, I replayed in my head the images of the accident. I thought about the risks of my trip. On my bike, I suddenly felt so...