Real Travel Adventures of Deb and Debb - Part 3: Destination Research
Blog post cover image: Phu Chi Fa Forest Park, Northern Thailand (DS Donnelly, 2013)
“Research is creating new knowledge.”
It’s true – I’m a research nerd! 🤓
The first part of recovery is admitting the problem. (What problem?)
A view of northern Thailand
D Donnelly, 2007
I’m the type of researcher who finds obscure old books based on dusty footnotes in ancient papers and needs to dig it up and go down a rabbit hole. I have found the most interesting treasures this way – and it supports my desire for procrastination. I also have the luxury of using this strategy by pointing out I do this because I am an archaeologist.
When I discover a new, engaging topic I want to learn whatever I can. I throw myself in. This is also true when I am researching for a trip.
Deb and I will only be spending 5 days in Chiang Mai initially, and there is so much to do there, or from there, that we have decided to make it our base. We took a suggestion from a family member who has spent a lot of time there and booked our hotel in the Old Quarter. We will then be flying to Hanoi, and be in northern Vietnam for 12 days. After which Deb will return to Canada and I will spend another 2 weeks in the countryside of northeastern Thailand.
A tight schedule to be sure, but this is our first trip to northern Thailand and northern Vietnam – so I’m sure we will only be hitting the highlights. We won’t have a definitive itinerary of things to do because we both are pretty flexible, and it depends on how we feel on arrival and from day to day. Our actual itinerary will be posted after our visit, and we will highlight where we stayed and the places we visited.
If you have read our earlier travel blog posts, you would already know that I am an archaeologist and environmentalist, so those two research topics come to the fore for me. I initially delved into Thailand, because that is where I will be flying into first. I have been doing quite a lot of work recently on endangered species, so I thought I would look into the flora and fauna of northern Thailand, Thai conservation efforts and unique environmental issues. The result was a 12 page research paper (with 3 additional pages of references) entitled Biodiverse Thailand: Conservation for Species at Risk. Feel free to check it out.
This report is the basis for finding interesting areas of biodiversity that I may wish to investigate during my trip. What unique and beautiful species may I hope to find?
Flowering tree - Pink Poui (Tabebuia rosea)
Northern Thailand (DS Donnelly, 2007)
Then, the practical side kicks in and I asked friends and family for suggestions of places to stay and things to do. I also checked out online travel guides like Lonely Planet, G Adventures, and Viator. These are only initial searches to find out what is available for sites and tours in the area I will be visiting. I’m not really interested in group tours, but they usually have images and write-ups that might pique my interest which I can then add to my ‘potential visit list’ – or for further research.
An excellent blog post about northern Thailand is included on BucketListly by Pete R. and I also enjoyed his blog on 8 Impressive Things To Do In Ninh Binh (Vietnam). A good general post about northern Thailand’s biggest city can be found in Nomadic Matt’s Chiang Mai travel guide.
For Vietnam, I opted to again do research and write a paper on Endangered Species Conservation in Vietnam. The writing process helps me learn about some of the natural heritage I’m interested in seeing, and definitely helped me in selecting where I wanted to spend some time. Together, Deb and I have decided to split our time between Hà Nội, Hạ Long Bay and Ninh Binh. I already know that I won’t be satisfied with such a short visit…so I hope I’ll get the chance to return in the future.
I’m also a ceramic specialist (in archaeology) and an amateur potter – so visiting Bat Trang Pottery Village and the famous Bat Trang Museum is pretty high on my cultural picks for Hanoi. This short write-up on Vinpearl highlights some of its attractions.
I also checked out Chef Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey on Prime. There are wonderful episodes covering culinary experiences in both Thailand and Vietnam. Indeed, YouTube also has many interesting videos on visits to northern Vietnam. All these visual stimuli add to the pre-visit excitement! And Vietnam recently got its first Michelin-starred restaurants, and three are in Hanoi! I also can’t wait to try as many of these rice cakes: Vietnamese rice cake: 17 delightful delicacies you must try at least once. The Banh It Nhan Dua - Vietnamese sticky rice cake with coconut filling sounds particularly pleasing to my palate.
While continuing my research I ran across this fascinating travel account (although of southern Vietnam) by Mark Hodson that I recommend reading: Saigon, 1992: the most thrilling experience of my life in travel. I hope our adventure in 2024 is equally exciting!
If you have suggestions for places to go in northern Vietnam or Thailand, please share them in the comments.
Happy Research!
The following section is written by Deborah (with one 🐝).
Research for our Chiang Mai / northern Vietnam trip
Travelling to a new place is so exciting but as Debb says in her blog, research ahead of time is crucial and with limited time, research in advance can at least highlight places that you “must” see on your trip. Further areas and repeat spots can then be explored when you visit again on another trip!
For our trip, because I’ve never been to either Chiang Mai or northern Vietnam, my research initially involves doing a general Google search to understand the history and get a general map of the country/region that we’re visiting. I find it helps to SEE THE NAMES of places and WHERE they are in the country as an overview.(1)
More detailed research into the specific cities or towns that I might visit is usually my next step. With the internet, I often look for any “WALKING TOURS” of the TOWNS I might visit as it helps to educate yourself on what the streets look like where you’re visiting. There are also several YouTube videos that cover a wide range of travel tips to both Thailand and Vietnam which I found most helpful. And some specific websites on “THINGS TO DO” and see in northern Thailand or northern Vietnam can give some idea of certain things to do if you only have 3-5 days. I like the following as they provide a variety of things to do and includes some food places too.
Tripadvisor - 3 perfect days in Chiang Mai
Fan Club Thailand - 4 days in Chiang Mai: Itinerary for first-time visitors
Jetsetting Fools - Hanoi Itinerary: What To Do in Hanoi, Vietnam For 1 To 5 Days
The Crazy Tourist - 25 Best Things To Do In Hanoi (Vietnam)
Speaking of food places, I also reviewed the episodes of a Netflix series called “Someone Feed Phil” that includes episodes on Vietnam and Thailand. This series often looks at specific eateries that are known for their authenticity in local cuisine.
As a solo female traveler, I usually Google local websites for what scams are targeted for tourists, so I’m better aware and can be prepared in advance to NOT fall for such nefarious schemes. Here are a couple of suggestions:
The Smart Local - 13 Scams In Vietnam & How To Avoid Them
Intrepid Travel - 6 common scams in Vietnam (& how to avoid them)
As a caveat, you can research and think you’re got everything planned out but everything may go out the door if you get sidetracked to doing something that a fellow traveler or local person suggests along your journey. It is always best to be flexible as these unexpected suggestions can provide some memorable experiences that you’d never have if you hadn’t made that spontaneous decision.
Feel free to leave comments below!
