This is still a young chapter on our blog—and honestly, it took us a while to even try it. The first time we did it, it felt completely new: every evening, we’d sit down, reflect on the day, and write down the “nearly real life” version of what we’d just experienced.
In places like Vietnam and Cambodia, staying with the plan could be a bit of a challenge. Some days we were already exhausted from walking and travelling. Then there were moments like Andi’s knee injury in Ninh Binh—plus the extra emotional “background worry” about Andi’s mother. That mix made it harder to stay disciplined and keep the rhythm.
But at the end of the day (and maybe that’s the best part), it helped us not to forget the small details—the ones you usually lose once the trip becomes memories instead of moments.
We’ll definitely do Travel Diaries again.
Finally, a proper night’s sleep! After a string of restless, sticky nights, we both woke up genuinely refreshed in Hoi An—blessed be blackout curtains and that rare, blissful combination of quiet and a comfy mattress. We clocked at least 8 hours for the first time on this trip. Andi, still limping from the Hang Mua …
Woke up with muscle pains from my feet right up to my thighs—a not-so-sweet keepsake from our climb at Hang Mua. That mountain really left its mark on us! Andi’s knee is slowly on the mend, but today’s motto is definitely “short steps only.” It reminds me of when I tried to stroll around Zürich …
Another short night in Vietnam, and especially for Andi, who’s clocking in a grand total of 2.5 hours of sleep. His knee was still giving him grief after our Ninh Binh adventure (Hang Mua Cave, you’ll haunt him for a while), so after breakfast, we decided it was time for a pit stop—not at a …
Day 5 in Vietnam started with the kind of ambition you only have when you’re still jet-lagged: we set our alarms for 5 am, determined to catch sunrise from the top of Hang Mua (Mua Cave) viewpoint. The plan? Easy. Just a quick 500-step climb to one of Ninh Binh’s most breathtaking vistas. The reality? …
Sometimes, a little FOMO can be a blessing in disguise. Yesterday, we squeezed every drop out of our time here, worried we’d miss something essential. Our instincts were right: Day 4 woke us up with thunder, sheets of rain, and the kind of gray sky that makes you grateful for your hotel bed. While some …
If Hanoi wakes you up with its horns and energy, Ninh Binh is like a gentle nudge to slow down and breathe. Our day started criminally early—pick-up at 6:30 AM, though we were down in the lobby at 5:45, caffeine levels dangerously low and anticipation high. The van, punctual to the minute, scooped us up …
After a deep, much-needed sleep, our second day in Hanoi started even earlier than the first—we woke up at 5 am, and Andi’s first words were, “I’m hungry!” Typical. Luckily, Hanoi never really sleeps, and neither do its food stalls. We wandered into the early morning stillness and found a tiny spot serving up a …
Our journey to Hanoi was a true test of endurance. We arrived at 12:45 a.m., and after a long flight, we finally reached our hotel in the bustling Old Quarter around 2 a.m. The exhaustion was real — three hours of sleep was all we could muster before our bodies and minds woke up, fueled …