Asia

I absolutely love to travel.  When I boarded a plane for my first overseas trip in 2000, I had not considered what it meant to travel as a black woman. As a matter of fact, I did not consider it at all until years later after I had visited several countries. I was naive to think that the rest of the world would see me differently than how all races, including my own, viewed me in the United States.

Coffee in Vietnam! I was so happy to discover that that coffee in Vietnam is huge. The coffee culture is so strong, that it’s hard to walk down any busy street without running into a cafe. I guess I should not have been so surprised since the French were in Vietnam for more than 100 years. 

Food tours are one thing I must do when I travel to any country for the first time and Vietnam was no exception. Food is one of the main reasons I get excited about traveling. I must admit that I love to eat. When I am at home I spend hours in the kitchen trying to recreate dishes I have tasted around the world. I particularly enjoy Asian food. So, I did a lot of research on Vietnamese cuisine before my first trip to Vietnam.

From crowded cities, beautiful beaches along the coastline, and the green mountainous regions in the north, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Vietnam. Traveling in Vietnam was a special time for me.

From crowded cities, beautiful beaches along the coastline, and the green mountainous regions in the north, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Vietnam. Here are 15 things you should do to enjoy as much of the country as possible in 2 weeks.

Traveling to Asia during coronavirus was interesting and at times worrisome. I recently returned from Vietnam and a lot has changed around the world in the last few weeks. I wanted to share my experience, not to sway people on whether or not they should travel. That of course is up to each person to decide for themselves. Rather, I would like to highlight what it was like to travel during a global crisis.

Japan is a culinary powerhouse! Before I get into the three restaurants you must try in Japan, let’s talk about Japan’s food culture. Japanese food culture is so important to its society that it is classified as a world heritage.

Japan! What a fascinating country. So much of the country intrigued me that I had wanted to go for a long time. And, it was at the top of my bucket list. Of all of the countries I have traveled to, it ranks high on my list as one of the best places I have visited. I LOVED my time in Japan and I hope to return someday to seem more of the country, especially since I sill need to check off several bucket list items there.  By the time I visited Japan, I had already visited more than 30 countries. However, solo travel to Japan terrified me.  I actively looked for a travel partner. Everyone was busy when I wanted to go, so I was on my own.

Thailand was the first Asian country that I visited. It is such a beautiful, interesting place that even after two weeks of travel, I felt like I had just begun to discover the country’s gems. I did try to squeeze in as many of the highlights as possible. Here are what I think are the 15 things you must do in Thailand.