The Purple Gypsy

This is my vlog from the Maldives. We visited Equator Village on Gan Island. A full post is still to come but here is a taste of what a wonderful time we had. Lots of Love xxx

Well how can I explain Ho Chi Minh City .....busy, busy, busy. Hanoi, the city I used to live in is rather busy, but Ho Chi Minh City is another level of busy. But besides the buzz of the town there are also a whole lot of positives. I had the opportunity to visit a whole lot of amazing sites that I really enjoyed. The Saigon Central Post Office I visited Ho Chi Minh City in December (I know it was long ago, I have been busy), and so it was around Christmas time. The highlight of the visit to the Post Office for me was seeing little children come and post their letters to Father Christmas. Since living in Asia and being a teacher, children are the first thing I notice wherever I go. I love seeing their reaction to their surrounding or the situations they are put in. But other than the cute children, The Post Office was absolutely beautiful. Clocks representing times of different countries in the world hang from the walls, the roof was hal...

Check out the awesome things I experienced on my Day Trip to the Mekong Delta. Lots of Love xx

So my blog has been extremely quite lately, due to an unfortunate visit to a local hospital. Wait WHAT??? So lets start from the beginning. On a lovely Sunday morning, the day after my birthday, I was on my way home on the back of an Uber Moto(scooter taxi). A garbage truck decided to over take us, because there are no rules in Vietnamese traffic, and I landed up lying in the middle of the street. So I checked I was okay and everything seemed lovely until I got to my right thigh. Turns out a metal piece on the truck had cut my thigh right through to the muscle and I could see the inside of my leg. Thank goodness I had so many amazing angels around me and I managed to get to a hospital. As we drove into the hospital I freaked out because it is very different from what I am used to back in South Africa. The emergency room was tiny and I had a million Vietnamese doctors and nurses trying to help me, however I had no idea what they were trying to say. The language barrier contin...

1. Explore the Water Coconut woods on a basket boat This was one of the things I was most looking forward to doing in Hoi An. We did a tour and it ended with a ride on basket boat. Firstly, riding on the actual basket boat was a huge adventure. It amazing to see how they paddle it.And then, the beautiful scenery. Traveling through these woods was absolutely stunning and picturesque.  2 . Walking through the Ancient Town at Night Hoi An quickly became one of my favorite places I have visited so far, this was a lot to do with the look of the streets at night. The town is incredibility lite up by lanterns hanging from shops, restaurants and across the streets. There is a buzz in the air like no other place I have been to. The river is also lite up by beautiful boats and Lanterns you light and let go on the water. I felt like everywhere I looked I found another amazing views. 3. Shop the streets for beautiful leather and tailor made goods. Well who doesn't love ...

The one thing I wanted to do in Hoi An was go in a basket boat and so when the lovely staff of the Goda Boutique Hotel recommended a basket boat excursion I jumped at the opportunity. Hoi An Eco Green Tours was the tour operator we selected. We decided to do a half day tour, which included a bicycle ride into the beautiful rice paddies, then a ride on a water buffalo followed by a quaint ride through the coconut woods in a basket boat and a traditional Vietnamese lunch. The bicycle ride was a fairly easy one and it involved some gorgeous scenery. We got to see the locals version on Hoi An and not just the tourist view.  When approaching the water buffalo, being from Africa, we were naturally a bit nervous. However, the water buffalo are more like cows than African Buffalo. I jumped at the chance of riding one. It was quiet scary in the beginning as there is no such thing as a 'Water Buffalo' saddle, its just bare back. I was very happy when the handler jumped on w...

A little boutique hotel nestled in the gorgeous town of Hoi An. Upon arrival we were greeted by an amazing Vietnamese lady who was by our side for the rest of our stay. She could speak English very well so it made it very easy if we needed any help. We did arrive before check-in time ,however our room was ready within 15 minutes of arrival. The room was absolutely lovely and very spacious. We were three people so it consisted of one huge double bed and one single bed. The room also included a lounge area and a balcony over-looking the gorgeous countryside of Hoi An. The bathroom was very clean and decorated with class. It included a shower, toilet and wash basin. We were very impressed abut the quality of the accommodation. We had a 3 night stay, and with this was a welcome dinner for the first night. It was a delicious and flavorsome traditional meal. They serve this in their restaurant located on the property. I was very impressed with the meal, w...

Check out my video of my amazing holiday to Hoi An. Lots of Love xxx

The most beautiful place I have ever seen..... We first arrived in Hoi An early in the morning, so we spent a great deal of the afternoon shopping around the Old Town. When I first laid eyes on the town, in day light, I thought wow this city was made for me. The streets were surrounded by old beautiful buildings with the cutest flowers and bicycles everywhere. Then the other things that caught my eye were the lanterns. About 90% of the streets have lanterns hanging above them. It was so beautiful. Then walking along the river added another dimension. The banks are laden with gorgeous boats and breath taking views. Then it was time to head back to the hotel to freshen up and eat some grub.  We headed back to the Old Town latter that night and boy were we surprised. The lanterns that hang across the streets all lit up. Leaving the town looking like a very well thought out movie set. As you walk through the streets, the views get more a...