Going To 'Nam

My bestest girl friend and I have talked casually in the last couple of months about taking a trip, just the two of us, to Vietnam. Both of us started in the department we work for about the same time, became close friends over the last 5 years. Work has finally got the best of us and we are both jaded, frustrated and need to move on to fresh pastures. In lieu of chucking in our jobs altogether and living on the dole, we decided last week that our idle banter about Vietnam would be made a reality.

So we decided to go in October. I am really excited about this trip. I want to see the foreign and exotic sights. The temples, the cheap clothes and books, the smiling children. The trip we are thinking of signing up for is an intrepid tour that is basically backpacking but with your rooms and trains pre booked for you (so no paying for tour guides kick backs etc).

Here is the description of the trip from the Intrepid page

14 days Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)
Hanoi, Halong Bay cruise, Hue, fishing town of Hoi An, Nha Trang beaches, Ho Chi Minh City
All of your accommodation and transport is taken care of, so if exploring Vietnam without the stress of backpacking sounds appealing - then this is the trip of your dreams! This trip is designed with independent travellers in mind; you know how long you have and how much it will cost, but how you choose to spend your days is up to you. We allow you the freedom to disappear with guidebook in hand and discover Vietnam independently without being herded like cattle. Trains are a fantastic way to get around Vietnam, so this trip makes the most of the time with overnight trips and day trains through lush, green countryside.

I do feel a bit guilty for a couple of reasons. One is the money. It will be about $2k worth of holiday. Which happens to be about the same amount as my tax return. Which would also have added to the house deposit savings nicely. Add that to the fact I already had a holiday in NZ earlier this year and it seems a bit excessive. But I am going to do things while I can...and I can now.

The other guilty feeling is that I have promised to take the kids overseas on holiday one day too. Next year would be a good time actually with my eldest in between exam years and my youngest old enough to appreciate things. That holiday will be even more expensive as I want to take them to England and Europe.

Anyway I'll post more on the trip as it comes to hand.