Posted by The streets of Old Town Hanoi
We are totally excited to share with you the contents of Stress Free Currency Vol.2, Adventures Of Hanoi.
Our trip was definitely a HUGE learning experience for us. With the success we felt from our Stress Free Currency trip to Cebu, Philippines, we thought that we could take the same process as before and execute the same results.
Although our time in Vietnam was great, it was noticeably different from our first travel adventure. One being that we now had a baby with us, and the other being that we couldn’t just pick a random location to lodge in, travel by buses for long periods of time and just not follow our budget.
Planning is essential to having a peace of mind and an enjoyable vacation.
So, how do you survive the busy streets of Hanoi, Vietnam?
1. GET OUT EARLY
We found that there were less people in the streets from 8:30am – 10:20am.
You already have a lot of motorbikes and locals to surround you, why not get ahead of the other visitors and tourist and avoid the crowded scene? Even if it is for a two hour window.
2. BRING YOUR BABY CARRIER
We learned this the hard way. Our little girl decided while we were on vacation that she no longer wants to be in the stroller for long periods of time. We had to alternate holding her during our walks while still pushing the stroller in hopes that she would change her mind and want to be pushed around the streets stress-free.
3. PACE YOURSELF
Do not rush to see everything on your first day, it couple of days for that matter. This we learned from our trip to Cebu, in 2017 and it has stuck with us since. In the Philippines, we ended up seeing most of all the major sites within three days, and we were later anxious to find other areas to explore. This was both good and bad as an experience and can be closely linked to how to plan better for your vacations.
Anyway, pacing yourself is never a bad idea. You allow yourself to truly engage with your surroundings and truly absorb the culture and enhance your experience.
These are just three quick lessons we could share. Stay tuned for further updates in later posts.
Definitely going to be doing a better job of it next time we vacation with the little one.
Gabriel K. Jones 