Finding a decent flight from Nepal to Vietnam turned out to be trickier than expected. Most routes involved long layovers and awkward arrival times, and nearly all of them passed through Bangkok. Since we had to transit there anyway, we decided to turn it into a short stopover.

I also had another reason: I wanted to show Randy Koh Tao, a small island I visited back in 2010 that I remembered as relaxed and charming.

After a few quiet days in a sleepy Bangkok neighbourhood, we boarded a VIP bus for the long ride south to the ferry terminal. The “vomit comet” catamaran ride to Koh Tao was rocking and rolling. By the time we reached the island I was feeling decidedly green and made a mental note to buy seasickness pills for the return journey. That turned out to be a wise decision for the return trip, which was no less rough.

 We stayed at Hydronauts Dive Resort, right on the beach on the quieter side of the island. It had a bar, a restaurant, and most importantly easy access to the water.

Randy did a dive refresher to update his certification. I decided it was finally time to try something I’d wanted to do for years: scuba diving.

I was nervous. But I’m always telling people “be scared and do it anyway,” so it seemed only fair to follow my own advice.

My instructor, Axel, was incredibly patient and calm. On our very first descent, the other divers began excitedly pointing at what looked to me like a brown blob. Axel later told me it was a cuttlefish, something he had never seen in over sixty dives.

Over two dives we descended to about 40 feet and saw parrotfish, pufferfish, and schools of tropical fish gliding through the coral. It was a magical introduction to the underwater world.

On our way out of Thailand we spent a few nights near Khao San Road in Bangkok.

It’s changed quite a bit.

Randy has stories about visiting Bangkok in 1983 while in the Navy, when the area was a little rougher around the edges. When I came through in 2010 it was still pretty rowdy. Now, there are families pushing baby strollers.

The infamous “ping pong show” and “happy ending” invitations were noticeably absent.

Thailand itself felt different too. The locals were warm and friendly, and we experienced far less hustling and scams than I remembered.

The one thing that surprised us most, though, was the other tourists. Many of the younger backpackers seemed oddly gloomy and withdrawn— which struck us as sad, given that they were in a place with beautiful beaches, fantastic food, and kind people everywhere. During my backpacking days a few decades ago, other tourists were far more lively and gregarious.

From Bangkok we finally boarded a flight to our next destination: Vietnam.

 We landed in Da Nang and were immediately surprised.

The airport was modern, the roads were smooth, and the palm-lined highway toward Hoi An looked far more polished than we expected. Vietnam has clearly invested heavily in tourism infrastructure.

Our apartment near Hoi An was comfortable and spacious, with a big king-sized bed and a pool just outside our door. The only downside was that everything felt a little damp — the area had recently experienced heavy flooding. But in the two months we were there, it gradually dried out.

Rain followed us for the first couple of weeks, but that didn’t stop us from exploring.

One of the highlights was attending a rice planting festival in the nearby countryside.

Randy was enthusiastically recruited into the rice-planting competition by some locals, who clearly enjoyed watching a foreigner attempt farm work. He also managed to catch some fish with his bare hands, which earned him cheers from the crowd. There was one lady who was laughing her head off and clapping madly at his attempts.

 Hoi An’s Lunar Lantern Festival was every bit as magical as people say.

As the rain cleared, the old town filled with glowing lanterns and crowds gathering along the river to release floating lights into the water. It was beautiful, but elbow to elbow crammed with tourists.

Soon the city began preparing for Tet, Vietnam’s Lunar New Year. Lights and flowers appeared everywhere, and locals posed for photos holding blossoming branches.

This year marked the Year of the Fire Horse, symbolizing movement, energy, and bold forward momentum.

 One afternoon two friendly young women stopped us on the street, explaining they were “practicing English.” In reality, they were recruiting tourists for a timeshare presentation.

After a few scratch cards and a surprising “grand prize” win for Randy, we found ourselves whisked away in an electric cart to a resort sales pitch.

Three hours later we politely declined the $17,000 membership.

Still, we did walk away with a free meal voucher and a promise of seven nights in one of their resorts. The sales staff seemed disappointed, but our budget survived intact.

 Over the next few weeks we settled into a relaxed routine.

We biked through rice paddies, swam at the beach, and spent time wandering the lantern-filled streets of Hoi An.

We also:

• Took a scenic train ride from Da Nang to Hue
• Explored Hue’s Forbidden City
• Climbed the caves and pagodas of Marble Mountain
• Rode in a spinning coconut boat that left me dizzy for hours
• Attended the spectacular Hoi An Memories cultural show
• Built our own lanterns with the help of local artisans
• One afternoon we even joined an impromptu karaoke and beer session with locals, despite sharing almost no common language.

Those moments often ended up being the most memorable.

Celebrating Tet in Hoi An was unforgettable.

The streets filled with performances, fireworks, and families celebrating together. It was colourful, joyful, and deeply cultural — a privilege to witness as visitors.

 Vietnam surprised me in many ways.

I had expected something rougher around the edges, but instead found a country that was clean, modern, and incredibly welcoming. Tourism is clearly booming, and after spending two months there it’s easy to understand why.

The Vietnamese people were consistently warm, playful, and kind. It’s a place that balances deep history with rapid growth, and it left a strong impression on us both.