About Us

WELCOME TO OUR TRAVEL BLOG!

Welcome to 100 Days Away Travel Blog. I’m Andrew (Dad), who is the voice behind this blog, along with Susie (Mum), Jessica and Evelyn (our two daughters) and Ellie (our golden retriever pup).

We are originally from the UK, but have moved around with work. We spent 2 years living in the Middle East (Kuwait) before moving to Calgary, Alberta in 2012, where our girls were born.

We don’t travel full time, and we aren’t digital nomads. We are like most normal families. We have normal 9-5 jobs and spend most evenings driving our girls to various after school activities. But we LOVE to travel, explore and spend time as a family.

We decided that we wanted to do more than just a 2 week summer vacation.

In October 2025, we made a life-changing decision to take career sabbaticals and embark on a family trip of a lifetime, travelling through Asia, Australia, and New Zealand for 100 days.

The goal for this blog is to share our experiences from our travels and help inspire you to take the leap to go on your very own adventure through our itineraries and travel guides.

A little more about our
100 Day Family Sabbatical

Welcome to our travel blog! We’re thrilled to share our incredible journey with you now that we’ve just returned from the trip of a lifetime.

After much deliberation, we made the bold decision to take career sabbaticals and set off on an epic family adventure across Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. For 100 days, we immersed ourselves in new cultures, explored breathtaking landscapes, and created unforgettable memories.

Learn all about why we made this life changing decision here

This journey had been a dream in the making. The toughest part wasn’t deciding to go - it was figuring out where to go! We started by having a family brainstorming session to choose our destinations:

Evelyn is our resident koala enthusiast, so Australia was a must‑see for her to finally meet a koala up close.
Jessica wanted to visit her uncle who lives in New Zealand.
Susie was keen to spend time traveling through Thailand and introducing the girls to the delicious food there.
Andrew was drawn to Vietnam, a country we missed during our travels through Asia back in 2006 when Susie got sick (not that I ever held it against her....). Eating sushi in Japan was also high on the list.

And so, our Asia/Australia/New Zealand 100 day itinerary was born!

Join us as we look back on our adventures, share travel tips, and capture the essence of each destination. We hope our experiences inspire you to follow your own travel dreams.

Japan - 11 Nights

Includes Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara & Osaka

China - 5 Nights

Includes Hong Kong & Lantau Island

Vietnam - 13 Nights

Includes Hanoi, Ninh Binh & Ho Chi Minh City

Malaysia - 5 Nights

Includes Langkawi Island & Kuala Lumpur

Cambodia - 7 Nights

Includes Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Angkor Wat

Laos - 7 Nights

Includes Luang Prabang

Thailand - 13 Nights

Includes Bangkok, Chiang Mai/Rai & Koh Lanta

Indonesia - 5 Nights

Includes Ubud, Bali

Australia - 5 Nights

Includes Brisbane

New Zealand - 28 Nights

Includes Queenstown, Lake Tekapo, Arthur's Pass, Abel Tasman, Pelorus Sounds, Wellington, Napiers, Auckland & Waiheke Island

West Coast NZ and Abel Tasman in South Island NZ

📍 Castle Hill Rocks, Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand

Having some great adventures with our little explorers!

The kids had so much fun clambering over the rocks, and finding small cracks and holes to climb through.

We had fun trying to recreate scenes from Narnia, as some scenes from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe were filmed here.

If you are driving the Arthur’s Pass with kids, a visit to Castle Hill should be near the top of your list!

📍 Mount Cook / Aoraki

We only spent one day in the Mount Cook region of South Island, but it could well be my favourite place that we’ve visited. Simply stunning.

Very reminiscent of some of the scenery we get in the Canadian Rockies, but the backdrop of Mount Cook, which is New Zealand’s rallies mountain really is majestic.

#mountcook #mountcooknationalpark #laketekapo

A few photos from Lake Tekapo and Lake Wanaka

Such a wonderful part of South Island NZ.

#laketekapo #lakewanaka #tekapolake #tekapo

📍 Milford Sound

A boat tour through Milford Sound was something we had wanted to do last time we travelled NZ 20 years ago but didn’t get around to.

It’s a long drive from Queenstown, via Te Anau, and we did question if we had made the right decision, especially as the weather was looking like it was going to be bad, the days leading up to our trip.

Well, it was amazing!!! The weather held and we had some lovely sunshine and calm waters. We even got to see some bottle nose dolphins swim right up to our boat, plus the girls enjoyed getting soaked through by the spray from the waterfalls!

Would definitely recommend for families visiting New Zealand!

#milfordsound #milfordsounds #milfordsoundcruise

Playing with their Xmas toys looks a little different this year.

Happy Xmas to all - we hope you have a great festive break and that Santa brings you everything you were hoping for!

#merrychristmas❤️ #merry_christmas

📍 Queenstown, New Zealand

The girls have been waiting for ages to finally get to Nee Zealand, so that they could meet up with Susie’s brother that lives here.

We flew into Queenstown and spent 3 nights here. We’ll be coming back for a few more nights after we visit Milford Sound.

Queenstown has definitely got a lot busier since we last visited as backpackers in 2006, but it’s still such a beautiful place.

We had loads of fun for Jess’s birthday going down the luge, with some pretty amazing views from the top!

Me and Susie also had a hot tub and spa day at the Onsen hot pools in Queenstown as a belated birthday present! It was nice to get sometime to ourselves after so much travelling!

Next, on to Milford Sound!

#queenstownnz🇳🇿 #queenstown #southislandnz #queenstownlife #southislandnz

As amazing as it was to see koalas in the Lone Pine Sanctuary, we really wanted to try and spot a koala in the wild!

After much deliberation as to where to go, we went to the Whites Hill Reserve to try and find them. At first we didn’t spot anything but the we spotted one about half way round the trail! It was amazing to see.

We ended up finding FIVE koalas on our short walk, which was incredible considering it was only a 20 minute drive from downtown.

#whiteshillreserve #brisbanekoalas #koalasinthewild #wildkoala #koalas

📍 The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Evelyn finally got to meet a koala! 🐨

We spent the day at the sanctuary, meeting koalas but also feeding kangaroos, emu’s and seeing lots of other animals too!

Seeing Evelyn meet a koala was one of the best moments of our trip though - she was so happy 💕

#lonepinekoala #lonepinekoalasanctuary #brisbane #brisbanekoalas

📍 Brisbane

Brisbane has been amazing, and a lot better than I expected! Let me explain though….

I didn’t think Brisbane was going to be bad, I just really didnt do any research on it as a city, outside of the koala experiences we were doing for Evelyn. I figured it would just be like any other big city.

Well, we had a wonderful time! The girls have both loved it here and the south bank area in particular really reminds me of London, but with warm weather and without the crowds!

I’d love to come back one year for a proper vacation here as we’d love to explore the coast a bit as well as some of the islands nearby which look fantastic!

#brisbane #brisbaneaustralia #brisbanewithkids #brisbanecity

📍 Ubud Water Palace

The Balinese karate kids…..

#ubudwaterpalace #ubudbali #balitemples

The wonderful beaches of Koh Lanta 🌴

We’ll miss you! 🍹 🌅

#kohlanta #beachesofthailand #beachsunset #kohlantawithkids #thailandwithkids #khlongkhongbeach #longbeachkohlanta

📍 Ubud Monkey Forest 🐒 🌴

We were a bit nervous heading into the Ubud Monkey Forest, after seeing people get attacked at Batu Caves and having one hiss at Nana and Evelyn in Koh Lanta!

But the kids were keen and it’s always on the must-do lists in Bali so we went for it. The monkeys seemed far more relaxed and uninterested in visitors which made the whole experience feel a lot calmer, although there are always a few people that are so unaware and leave things lying around to be stolen! lol

The girls especially loved watching the baby monkeys 🐵

#ubudmonkeyforest #ubudmonkeyforestbali #monkeyforest #balimonkeyforest #baliwithkids #baliwithchildren #travelbali #ubudbali🌴

We had an amazing time learning to cook some wonderful Thai dishes @lantathaicookeryschool !

Such a great life experience for the kids to get involved in, as they not only get to learn about new ingredients, but they also get given a bit of a longer leash too. No chance I’d let her cook something in boiling hot oil at home, but she got the chance to here!

All the dishes were great, but the Khao Soi was our favourite, and we’ve eaten it all over Thailand so happy we can take a great recipe home with us!

#thaicooking #thaicookinglesson #cookingschool #thailandcookingclass #homeschooling #worldschooling #thailandwithkids #kohlanta

What a wonderful day spending time with the elephants at @followinggiants, which is Koh Lanta’s most ethical elephant sanctuary.

Ethics around animals is something we think about far more now than we did years ago. Back in 2006 we rode elephants without questioning it, so this was a meaningful chance to show the girls why ethical sanctuaries matter.

Their tagline “letting elephants lead the way” says it all. Instead of riding or touching them you simply walk beside them and watch them move freely through the forest. It was incredible to be just a few metres away and hear their stories from the guide, especially knowing many had come from logging or riding camps.

One of our favourite days of the trip so far

#followinggiants #elephantsantuary #ethicalelephanttourism #ethicalelephantsanctuary #elephant #kohlantaelephantsanctuary #thailandelephantsanctuary

📍 Koh Lanta Old Town

A lovely day exploring the old town, eating by the ocean, and wandering through the walking street while doing a bit of shopping.

#kohlanta #kohlantaoldtown #kohlantathailand #thailand #thailandtravel

📍 Lanta Animal Welfare 🐾

This afternoon we headed to Lanta Animal Welfare for one of their tours. You do need to book ahead, but it’s well worth it.

The centre does an amazing job caring for injured and stray animals on the island, relying completely on donations and volunteers. The tour explains how it all began, how close it came to closing during Covid, and the work they do to keep street dogs neutered and healthy.

We met a few of the dogs including Frida who loved treats and Thomas the three legged dog. Their resilience is unreal. Some dogs are still learning to trust people after tough starts, and the team works so hard to help them recover. Adoption is possible if you’re a good match.

They also run a flight home program where you can volunteer to help transport adopted animals to their new families. Such a clever way to get them home safely.

There’s also a cooking school on site, and all profits support the animals.

If you are visiting Koh Lanta, consider visiting @lantaanimalwelfare to help support their fantastic cause.

📍 Laos Buffalo Dairy Farm

A short drive from Kuang Si Falls, we visited Laos Buffalo Dairy Farm 🐃

The girls loved milking and washing buffalo, feeding calves, meeting pigs and baby bunnies 🐷🐇 — and of course sampling the famous buffalo ice cream! 🍦

Perfect for animal-loving families visiting Luang Prabang!

#laosbuffalodairy #luangprabangbuffalodairy #buffaloicecream #luangprabangicecream

A great first day showing my parents some of the famous temples in Bangkok!

#watarun #wataruntemple #watpho #watphotemple #bangkok #bangkok with kids

📍 The Sticky Falls (Bua Tong Falls)

Bua Tong Falls are such a cool experience! The “sticky” limestone gives you so much grip that you can climb straight up the waterfall in bare feet. It feels strange at first and took a while to “trust it” but before long we were flying up there!

We made our way up the gentler lower section first and then tackled the steeper section where there’s a rope to help. The girls were in their element!!!

On one section we walked right under a green pit viper in the tree above us - just a poisonous snake that can kill you, no big deal!

They loved it so much we climbed the whole thing twice even with our taxi waiting!

#stickyfalls #buatongwaterfall #chiangmaiwaterfall #chiangmai

📍 Chiang Rai

We only spent 2 nights and one full day in Chiang Rai, but thankfully the rain held off and we managed to visit the white temple and the blue temple.

These temples were a little different to some of the older temples we’ve seen on this trip, and the girls were at least vaguely interested in these ones lol - especially the white temple as it looks like something out of a Disney movie!

Both were spectacular but we all agreed the blue temple was best, as the inside was incredible. Although it might also have something to do with the blue ice cream that is a bit of a speciality, served with sticky rice!

#chiangrai #chiangraithailand #bluetemple #whitetemple #whitetemplechiangrai

Shompoo Cruise, Slow Boat from Laos to Thailand

Just spent two wonderful days cruising up the Mekong River, relaxing, eating great food and chatting with some great people.

I was quite nervous that I would hate being stuck on a boat for 17 hours, but it was one of the best experiences of the trip!

A great way to see how the locals live along the Mekong river too. We leave Laos relaxed and ready for our next country - Thailand.

Bring on the Thai curries!

📍 Kuang Si Falls, Luang Prabang

Kuang Si Falls in Luang Prabang is as stunning as everyone says! It almost reminds me of rice fields in the way that each drop off is layered. We even got a rare photo of me and Susie together!

Oh, and we met this awesome dog that kept bringing a bottle for us to throw in for him!

#KuangSiFalls #LaosTravel #luangprabang

The girls spent the morning at Ock Pop Tok, a fair-trade textile centre that celebrates traditional Lao weaving and dyeing.

They rode in on the cutest pink tuk tuk before spending a few hours in a natural dyeing class where they made their own tie dye shirts.

The Living Crafts Centre offers free tours, hands-on workshops, and is set in a beautiful setting, right on the bank of the Mekong river, so I f you’re visiting Luang Prabang with kids, this is such a great activity to do!

#ockpoptok #luangprabang #laoscrafts #worldschooling #laostextiles

Exploring Luang Prabang’s beautiful Wat’s 🛕

#luangprabang #luangprabang🇱🇦 #luangprabangwats #xiengthongtemple

📍 Big Brother Mouse, Luang Prabang

Did you know that many Lao children do not know how to read?

It’s true, many children in Laos, especially in rural areas do not have access to books, so grow up not learning to read. Big Brother Mouse has been set up to try and change that.

They publish children’s books in both Lao only and in Lao/English dual language books, and the money they make from selling the books is used to help children in schools across the area.

They also run an English language conversational practice twice a day (8-10am and 5-7pm) where Lao students can turn up for free and chat with foreign tourists to help to improve their English.

We spent almost 2 hours chatting with some wonderful students - a few which had travelled over an hour just to get here, and I was so impressed how willing they were to learn. Jess really enjoyed chatting with some teenage girls and talking about pop music!

If you are visiting Luang Prabang I highly recommend that you visit, even if just to buy a book and help the cause as they are doing wonderful things.

#bigbrothermouse #bigbrothermouseluangprabang #luangprabang #luangprabangwithkids

🌾 The Living Land Farm Rice Experience in Luang Prabang

We had a wonderful experience at the Living Land Farm Rice Experience. We planted seedlings knee-deep in the clay-like field, met the water buffalo, made our own sugar-cane juice and ended the day in a simple hut right by the rice paddies. The girls loved the mosquito nets, the view and the fun of getting totally muddy.

🍚 Sticky rice never tasted so earned.

Temples of Angkor (part 2)

Day two exploring the Angkor temples took us to the incredible Ta Prohm, which is the one made famous by Tomb Raider.

The girls were amazed by the massive trees growing straight out of the temple walls. The roots wrapped around doorways and corridors like something from an another world.

You can’t truly grasp the scale of it until you’re standing there as the roots are enormous!

We also found the carving that some say looks like a stegosaurus, which sparked some fun debates as to whether it’s a dinosaur, a mythical creature of just a regalia animal with leaves behind them.

Ta Prohm was easily our favourite temple so far, and was perfect for the kids to explore.

#TaProhm #AngkorWat #AngkorTemples #SiemReap #CambodiaTravel #FamilyTravel #TravelWithKids #WorldSchooling #FamilyAdventure #TempleExploring #TombRaiderTemple #TravelAsia

📍 Temples of Angkor, Cambodia (part 1)

Our first day exploring the Angkor temple complex (often called the 8th wonder of the world) and it completely lived up to the hype.

We spent the day with our tuk tuk driver, Mr. Vet, visiting Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Som.

The scale of Angkor Wat is mind-blowing, and even with the crowds there’s was plenty of space for the kids to run around and to find a quiet corner.

Bayon was next, with its maze of corridors and giant stone faces and Ta Som was much quieter and a lovely peaceful end to the day.

What an incredible start to our Angkor adventures!!!

#AngkorWat #SiemReap #Cambodia #FamilyTravel #UNESCOWorldHeritage #TravelWithKids #100daysaway

📍 Choeung Ek Killing Fields, Phnom Penh

This afternoon, while the kids worked on their homeschooling, I visited the Killing Fields on my own. Like S21 Prison yesterday, we didn’t feel it was suitable for the girls.

The audio tour, which is included in the entry fee, was excellent! If was powerful, respectful, and deeply moving. Without it, it would be hard to understand the scale of what happened here.

Today the fields are peaceful, with lotus ponds and quiet paths, which makes it even harder to reconcile with the horrific events that took place.

The most difficult moments were seeing the Killing Tree and the memorial stupa filled with the skulls of victims. It was a heartbreaking reminder of the millions who lost their lives during the Khmer Rouge regime.

I left feeling deeply saddened but also full of admiration for the resilience of the Cambodian people.

For more reflections, photos, and thoughts on visiting with kids, see our blog post at www.100daysaway.com or the link in bio.

#KillingFields #PhnomPenh #Cambodia #DarkHistory #TravelReflections #FamilyTravel #100daysaway

📍Wat Phnom Daun Penh & The Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

We started at Wat Phnom Daun Penh, a temple perched on a small hill in the city. Inside, we were given incense to pay our respects, and Jess loved watching how locals prayed. On the hillside below the temple is the famous clock, where locals play Sei - Cambodia’s version of ‘keepy uppy’ with a shuttlecock! I gave it a go… let’s just say the locals made it look way easier than it is!

Across the road, the girls played at a small playground before we took a Tuk Tuk to the Royal Palace. Entry is $10 USD per adult (kids 6 and under are free), and while you can’t go inside the main palace, the surrounding buildings and gardens are beautiful. Be ready for the heat though — there’s not much shade!

For more photos, tips for visiting with kids, and what to expect inside, read our full post on www.100daysaway.com or see the link in bio 🌏

#PhnomPenh #CambodiaTravel #FamilyTravel #WatPhnom #RoyalPalacePhnomPenh #100daysaway #TravelWithKids

📍 Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21)

We debated whether to take the girls to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, but decided it might be too intense at their age. I went on my own and found it incredibly moving. The self-guided audio tour was excellent and added so much context to what I was seeing - including stories from some of the few survivors.

In hindsight, I think we could have brought the girls, maybe just without the audio tour. The museum is powerful but not visually graphic, and it’s an important part of Cambodia’s history.

For more details, thoughts on whether it’s suitable for kids, and photos from our visit, check out our blog post at www.100daysaway.com (link in bio / stories).

#TuolSleng #S21 #PhnomPenh #CambodiaTravel #FamilyTravel #CambodiaHistory #TravelWithKids #WorldSchooling #100daysaway #GenocideMuseum #EducationalTravel

Market Day in Phnom Penh

As the rain started pouring, we ducked into a taxi and headed to Central Market, which a bright yellow dome with four wings full of stalls. We browsed jewellery, camera gear (finally found a new iPhone charger!), clothes, and fresh produce. While we waited out the rain, Evelyn had her nails done and Jess got a pedicure for just $2 each!

Later we took our first tuk tuk to Orussey Market, which is a hectic maze of stalls. After some pointing and photo searching, we found the toy section where Evelyn bought a foreign money play set - perfect for our homeschool math lessons! 💰

#PhnomPenh #Cambodia #FamilyTravel #RTWTrip #TravelWithKids #CentralMarketPhnomPenh #OrusseyMarket #Worldschooling

📍 Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur

Today we explored the Batu Caves, one of Kuala Lumpur’s most iconic landmarks. The towering golden statue is huge, and climbing the 272 colourful steps to the cave temple was hot…. but so worth it.

The main cave is stunning, filled with colour and detail, and plenty of mischievous monkeys keeping everyone entertained (and slightly on edge!). 🐒🇲🇾

#BatuCaves #KualaLumpur #MalaysiaTravel #FamilyTravel #TravelAsia #CaveTemple

📍 Petronas Towers, KL

Back in Kuala Lumpur after all these years - we last visited in 2009 on our honeymoon!

The city’s changed so much since then. Sleeker, taller, and filled with modern malls and skyscrapers that almost give it a Dubai vibe… but with more history, charm, and green spaces mixed in. Such an interesting city to explore again! 🇲🇾

#KualaLumpur #Malaysia #FamilyTravel #TravelAsia #Cityscape #KLadventures #TravelWithKids #100daysaway

📍 Jalan Alor Night Street Food Market

Dinner at Jalan Alor Food Street! Such a fun (and slightly chaotic) mix of smells, sounds, and food stalls…. from sizzling satay to endless rows of seafood.

The girls went for coconuts while I tried the squid on a stick 🐙🥥

#JalanAlor #KualaLumpurEats #FamilyTravel #StreetFoodAdventure

Langkawi mangrove tour = such a great call!

We booked a private boat with Royal Mangrove Tours so we could go at our own pace, and it was 100% worth it.

The girls loved spotting eagles, monkeys, and bats - and ending the ride by speeding out over the open sea and rolling up at beautiful Tanjung Rhu Beach was the perfect finish.

#Langkawi #LangkawiMangroveTour #MalaysiaTravel #FamilyTravel #KilimGeoforestPark #TanjungRhuBeach #TravelWithKids #SoutheastAsia #LangkawiWithKids #IslandAdventures

Temurun Waterfall

One of the best waterfalls I’ve visited! It was so much fun to swim in the pool below such a stunning waterfall 🤩

#TemurunWaterfall #Langkawi #LangkawiIsland #MalaysiaTravel #WaterfallAdventure #FamilyTravel #TravelMalaysia #LangkawiAdventures #NatureLovers #TropicalVibes

📍 Langkawi Sky Bridge and the Eagles Nest Viewpoint

What a fun day catching the SkyCab cable car up to the Eagle’s Nest viewpoint and SkyBridge. The glass platform at Eagle’s Nest was a pretty unnerving experience, it took us a while to trust the glass!

The SkyBridge had some even better views, and actually nowhere near as scary as the floor was solid and it didn’t wobble (unlike the golden Skybridge we did this summer).

I’m the Oriental Village at the bottom we spotted otters and a huge water monitor lizard too!

#Langkawi #SkyCab #SkyBridge #MalaysiaTravel #FamilyTravel #LangkawiAdventures

The beautiful @westinlangkawi - we’ll miss you!

Feel very fortunate to have spent 5 nights at this incredible resort.

Nice to have a mini holiday within a long holiday!

#westinlangkawi #westinlangkawiresort #marriotthotels #beachtime

Well Vietnam, that’s a wrap!

A shame we had to cut our trip short due to the storm in Hoi An, but on the plus side the girls get to experience Malaysia which wasn’t expected!

We’ll be back to Vietnam another time I’m sure as we really enjoyed it

#vietnamesefoods #vietnamfood #banhmi #pho

🇻🇳 Exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels with the Kids

Evelyn was so keen to see the famous Cu Chi Tunnels after learning about the Vietnam War at the War Remnants Museum… and it didn’t disappoint!

We got a Grab taxi (about 2 hrs, $30 CAD) and joined a guided tour through the incredible underground network once used by the Viet Cong.

The tunnels were tiny, hot, and claustrophobic, and definitely not for everyone 😅

But the guide made it so worthwhile, explaining how they stretched over 250 km, were built three levels deep, and about all the various traps they used!

Evelyn was so brave crawling through, and Jess even gave it a go (though she’s made it clear she won’t be signing up for any more tunnels anytime soon 😆).

We ended with steamed cassava which is the Viet Cong’s staple, and of course, ice cream 🍦

Such a fascinating glimpse into history and a reminder of how resourceful people can be in the toughest times.

#CuChiTunnels #VietnamWithKids #HoChiMinhCity #FamilyTravel #VietnamHistory #TravelWithKids

Dinner at Ben Nghe Street Food Market 🍜✨

We loved it so much we actually went two nights in a row — there was just too much food to try!

The first night we accidentally stopped at Ben Thanh Market (which turned out to be more of a bits-and-pieces market), before figuring out we were at the wrong place.

Ben Nghe Street Food Market is fantastic, and has everything from Vietnamese dishes to Indian, sushi, and more. Everyone got to pick exactly what they wanted, which can be tricky in Asia where many places focus on just one dish.

I went for bún thịt nướng (grilled pork and spring rolls on rice noodles), banh mi, a Vietnamese pork and shrimp pancake, Evelyn got a sausage banh mi and sushi, susie had a Thai curry, and Jess had a curry and a burger. The perfect way to end the day — twice!

#HoChiMinhCity #VietnamFood #StreetFoodMarket #FamilyTravel #VietnamEats

📍 Ho Chi Minh City

Absolutely loved our time in Ho Chi Minh City 🇻🇳
We actually preferred it to Hanoi. Here are a few of our highlights 👇

• War Remnants Museum – the girls learned a lot as part of their homeschooling and set them up with a knowledge base for the cu chi tunnels the next day

• Independence Palace – not quite what we expected but the electric car tour was interesting

• Post Office Building – beautiful historic building to grab souvenirs and send postcards

• Lunch at My Banh Mi – touristy but delicious, that black pepper sauce was unreal

• Book Street – full of bookshops, art, and free stamps for the kids’ books. Was a highlight of our day.

• Walking Street & Café Apartments – cool to see the unique apartments that have been turned into cafes!

#hochiminhcity🇻🇳 #hcmc #hcmcity #warremnantsmuseum #bookstreetsaigon #bookstreet #hcmcwithkids #travelvietnam

📍 Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)

We checked in to our hotel in HCMC that we booked literally the day before using Marriott points (a familiar story on this trip).

It’s incredible value at just 30k points, and we probably have the best view of anywhere in the city. The hotel is in the tallest building in the city and it literally looks down on the Skydeck, which is a place you can pay to go up for the view.

The infinity pool on the 48th floor is one of the coolest I’ve ever experienced!

It’s nice to be able to mix in some luxury point stays with guest rooms and family stays along the way!

#vinpearllandmark81 #vinpearlautographcollection #vinpearlhotel @vinpearllandmark81 #pointsforthewin #milesandpoints #travelwithkids #marriotthotel #hcmc #hochiminhcity🇻🇳

Trang An Boat Tour

We were up bright and early for the Trang A boat tour, one of the main reasons we came to Ninh Binh… and it didn’t disappoint! 🚣‍♀️

There are three different routes to choose from, and after a bit of research (and a chat with the info desk), we went with Route 1.

It skips the longest cave but goes in the opposite direction to the other routes, meaning it’s much quieter, plus it passes through nine caves, the most of any tour.

We were glad we chose route 1 as once we set off, we went the opposite direction to most of the boats, and soon it was just us without another boat in sight.

The lady paddling the boat did an amazing job of navigating us through the caves, as there were some pretty tight squeezes in there. It was so much fun.

The scenery outside the caves was incredible with clear water, lotus flowers, and plenty of ducks and birds along the way.

This was easily our favourite experience in Vietnam so far. 💚

#TrangAn #NinhBinh #VietnamTravel #FamilyAdventures #tranganboattour

Mua Caves isn’t really about caves at all… it’s all about the views! 🏞️

If you’re hoping to explore actual caves, you’re better off joining one of the Trang A boat tours. But if you want an incredible viewpoint (and a bit of a workout), then it’s well worth the effort.

The walk up starts through a beautiful area filled with cafés, bridges, lanterns, pagodas, and lotus leaves, basically a dream for anyone who loves taking photos. 📸

The climb itself is no joke in the heat (apparently 500+ steps 😅), but we made it… with a random goat cheering us on halfway up!

Near the top, you can take the right path to a small shrine with views over the valley and lotus fields, or go left for that famous panoramic shot of the river and limestone peaks. The girls just did the left one, I went up by myself to check the las one out as can’t be missing views that are this good!

#MuaCaves #NinhBinh #VietnamViews #FamilyAdventures

🚆 All aboard the sleeper train!

We arrived at Hanoi Central Station about 20 minutes before we were due to set off, grabbed a few small banh mi and an iced salt coffee (so good!), and then hopped onto our sleeper train to Ninh Binh.

We booked a four-berth soft sleeper cabin, which is basically a tiny room with two sets of bunk beds and a door you can close for a bit of privacy. The girls thought it was such a fun adventure and spent most of the short ride playing and watching tv on their laptops.

It was definitely a bumpy trip though…

🤞 #VietnamByTrain #FamilyTravel #HanoiToNinhBinh #sleepertrain #vietnamsleepertrain

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WELCOME TO OUR TRAVEL BLOG!

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We decided that we wanted to do more than just a 2 week summer vacation.

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A little more about our 100 Day Family Sabbatical

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A little more about our
100 Day Family Sabbatical