TRAVELABROOD

by Rupert Currie With two weeks between jobs, I wanted a quick, budget-friendly holiday. I'd done plenty of travelling with my family, but this time I wanted somewhere close to Australia that was easy to backpack around.  My parents had visited Vietnam in 1996 and loved it, so I thought I'd give it a go. I booked a flight into Hanoi and a flight home from Ho Chi Minh City, giving myself two weeks to work my way south.  A FEW THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO   Getting there   Vietnam is easy to get to from Australia, with direct and connecting flights available through several airlines. Australian passport holders need a visa and at least six months' validity on their passport. You can apply for an e-visa online before leaving.  Money, transport and staying connected   Vietnam is affordable, particularly when it comes to food, accommodation and getting around. A few things worth organising before you leave:  Grab – Vietnam's version of Uber. Download the ...

TOKYO & THE NAKASENDO TRAIL September 2026 My daughter lived in Japan for six months in 2023, and we had a fabulous mother–daughter trip to Tokyo and Kyoto, which you can read about here . This time, she was keen to organise a family holiday and explore beyond Tokyo. So, we decided to hike part of the historic Nakasendo Trail — a very different side of Japan. TOKYO Direct flights from Australia tend to be overnight, arriving into Tokyo’s Haneda or Narita airports around 5.30am. Before leaving Australia, register your details on the Visit Japan website to make your arrival and immigration process easier. We flew direct from Perth to Narita, then took the Narita Express — about an hour to Tokyo Station — before making our way to The Gate Hotel by Hulic in Ginza. Narita Express tickets can be purchased at the airport station and seats are reserved. Don’t panic if you miss your booked train or accidentally boo k a later one — you can still hop aboard and the conductor will let y...