A Weekend at Giao Diem Homestay, My Tho

Last weekend I needed to get out of Saigon's traffic and get myself into a quiet, green area, stat. Fortunately, Sieu's colleague broke his leg (I mean, that part's not great, obviously), and he needed to deliver his work computer and materials to him at home in My Tho for extended work-from-home. Opportunity buzzer sounds!

We packed up for three days and two nights to travel to the closest city southwest of HCMC and set about looking for a place to stay, eventually landing on Giao Diem Homestay, which has a big ol' garden and DOGS. While it isn't very close to the city of My Tho proper (about 8 miles/14 km), that was just dandy for me. I generally subscribe to a more isolationist, and decidedly lazy, view of vacation. Going out and doing things? When you just did things all week?? That's how they get you, man.

Click through to learn all about Giao Diem Homestay, My Tho!

Ba Be Lake, North Vietnam

The best trip I've ever had in Vietnam?

Definitely the Ha Giang Loop in the North. Spectacular views, uninterrupted beauty, crisp air... and only a few dozen kilometers through 6 inches of mud (can't believe I didn't wipe out in that junk, what a miserable stretch of construction). 

My cuzbro Chris and I went in the off season, so we had a day of miserable rainy driving and a few scattered downpours over the rest of it. Still... it was the ride of a lifetime... so far.

My cousin and I took a rather unorthodox trip around the Ha Giang Loop, in that we were riding clockwise from Hanoi to Dong Van to Ha Giang to Sa Pa, without a guide (my favored way to go on motorbike trips, now that I can speak a little Vietnamese).

Check it out after the jump!