Today we hoped on a train to visit Louis XIV's Summer Palace - Château de Versailles. After hunting trips to Versailles , Louis XIII ordered construction of a hunting lodge in 1624. This hunting lodge was expanded to one of the largest palaces in the world during Louis XIV reign and court was moved to Versailles in 1682. There were four large building campaigns between 1664 and 1710, each coinciding with funding from victory in War. This continued under the...

After a 12 hour flight we arrived at Charles de Gualle airport at 6:15 am. We were whisked through immigration and customs, and were on the RER ( Express train from the airport) within 1 hour of arriving. We travelled to Chalet Les Halles, then switched to the busy morning Metro to Pyramides where we alighted to our hotel on Rue Des Pyramides. I had no idea how accessible and efficient train travel is in Paris. We dropped our bags at Hotel Lumen and immediate...

For out final day in Ho Chi Minh City we commenced our ascent to the Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck located 262 meters above Ho Chi Minh City. The Skydeck is on the 49th floor and offers spectacular views of Ho Chi Minh City and the asp like Saigon River. At the time it was built (2010) it was the tallest building in Vietnam, however it has now been surpassed by the Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower at 345 meters. We spent the rest of the day exploring the city b...

It has been a rainy day in Ho Chi Minh City today with showers for most of the day followed by high humidity. We spent a lazy morning at the hotel recovering from our over indulgences of the last couple of days. In the afternoon we visited Hội trường Thống Nhất - the Reunification Hall (formerly known as the Independence Pallace). Built over 4 years between 1962-1966 this palace was commissioned by the President of South Vietnam to replace the old pa...

This morning we spent our time exploring. It is Sunday Morning, and the city's dynamic has changed from a busy metropolis to a relaxed family destination, with the cities expansive parks spilling over with Vietnamese families. In Tao Dan Park we were treated to the sounds and sites of children singing in the parks, teenagers teaching each other the latest dance moves, mothers and fathers helping their children scramble across play equipment. The smiles were a...