What to Wear in South East Asia
January 26, 2020
It's been 2 weeks since I landed back in Baltimore from my trip to Vietnam. It still feels like a dream!
I wanted to write a blog post on fashion while traveling to South East Asia since my outfits were such a big part of my experience there. Below, I have listed a few tips for fashion while traveling in South East Asia!
1) Dress to Explore
During my experience in Vietnam, climbing and hiking were two essential parts of my trip. Even though fashion is a huge part of my life, I had to keep in mind that every outfit I brought had to be practical for exploring. Thus, I wore a lot of flowy pants and good walking shoes. Even though it was hot, sandals were a BIG NO NO. Overall, make sure you're dressed to get the most out of your trip.
2) Dress Cool
As I stated above, I wore a lot of flowy pants. That's because South East Asia is HOT! Even though you may look cute with your hair down and makeup prepped at the beginning of the day, by noon your hair will be up and makeup off! Just make sure your outfits reflect how hot it is.
3) Dress Conservatively
One thing I was super excited to experience during my time in South East Asia was the Buddhist temples. However, most temples require you to have your shoulders and knees covered. Even though some days were planned to go into temples, other days we just found cool ones on our hikes. It would be most respectful to dress conservatively while going into these temples. With this being said, the heat is still a major factor. I wore a lot of long skirts and light flowy tops to ensure I was always covered while staying cool.
4) Bring a Backpack
Nothing screams explorer more than having a backpack to carry everything in. I loved my Fjällräven Kånken bag. My roommate and I both got them for this trip for Christmas and they hold so much! We both got the regular sized bag; mine was in Peach Pink and hers was in Super Grey. However, my other friend just brought her regular school backpack and it held just as much stuff!
My Vietnam Experience
January 13, 2020
10 days was not enough time to do the beautiful country of Vietnam, the justice it deserves. But with many planes, people, rivers, and noodles later...I am finally back in the United States to start my last semester of college!
I did a lot of city-hopping over 10 days, but here are just a few of my favorite experiences. A full video of all my excursions is attached in a link below!
Mekong Delta River, South Vietnam
On our first day in the country, we went to the Mekong Delta River. We had the opportunity to go on sampan rides along the canal to get to a restaurant that was further down the river.
At the restaurant, we listened to traditional Vietnamese music and ate local fruits (my favorite was definitely dragon fruit!) This was a great way to get introduced to the country and the culture right off the bat.
However, even though we were on the water, the area was scorching! So, of course, I got a fan to help cool off. Throughout my trip, I ended up buying 5 fans because they were so beautiful!
Finally, one of my favorite parts of the day was drinking coconut water out of a real Vietnamese coconut! It was definitely better coming from the country of origin itself!
Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh city was more beautiful than I expected, which made it one of my favorite places.
We also went to the Cu Chi Tunnels that day. These tunnels were used by the Viet Cong to carry out military operations during the Vietnam War. These tunnels expended through most of the southern part of the country. We had the opportunity to go inside tunnels too (which if you are claustrophobic, I would not recommend you do.)
As a history geek, it was an excellent way for me to experience the time period in a way that was only described in books.
After our morning at the tunnels, we went back to the city for a walking tour. During the visit, we saw the infamous Town Hall and Post Office.
Ha Long Bay, North Vietnam
One of the most popular places to travel in Vietnam is Ha Long Bay, which is considered to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. Most of the karsts in the bay are made from limestone and contain many caves.
We took a 4-hour junk boat tour around the area where we had the opportunity to kayak and have lunch. Even though I was getting over a stomach bug, I got the last two days of the trip (Unfortunate right...) I still had a great time looking at God's beautiful creations. I would definitely say you haven't really been to Vietnam if you didn't go to Ha Long Bay.
Marble Mountain and the My Son Temple Ruins, Central Vietnam
My beyond favorite day of the trip was when we visited Marble Mountain and the My Son Temple ruins. I had no idea what to expect when our guide said we were going to a Buddhist temple on the top of a mountain, but it completely blew me away.
The mountain itself is actually a cluster of 5 separate mountains that represented 5 elements: water, fire, wood, metal, and earth. The mountain had many caves and temples to explore. My favorite part was the beautiful views overlooking the city of Da Nang.
That evening, our guide took us to the My Son Temple ruins. The Hindu temples were created by the Cham of Vietnam people in the 14th century. I was blown away by the jungle surrounding the temple sites and the amount of war destruction that still remains today.
After running around the country for 10 days, I had a lot of time to reflect on my experiences. Before this trip, I would have never thought I would have had the opportunity to go to Vietnam. I am so thankful to Loyola University Maryland for giving me yet another experience to study abroad (third time's a charm!) Now that I am in my last semester of college, I keep thinking about all of the experiences and friendships I have been apart of since I joined the Loyola family.
Experiences and traveling and taking risks to shape us all into better people all around. To be a good person, you have to meet good people and surround yourself with people who you aspire to be like. It's okay to let go and focus on yourself. Go out and see beautiful places and meet people different from you. One thing is for sure, you won't return home the person you were before.
"The world is a vast place, but the soul is infinite."
If you want to view the video I created of my Vietnam experience, check out the link below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu6tUjPQZ_M
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons