The countdown to my next big trip has begun! Less than two weeks I will be leaving the country, accompanied by my daughter and my dad. We are venturing to far off distant places full on ancient ruins and colorful cultures…Vietnam and Laos!
During the process of planning for this trip I had my nose in a book planning activities, cities to visit, boarder crossings, taxi usage, best sights to see, where to locate our hotels…you know, all of the usual things that go into planning a trip!
What took me for a loop was transportation. Accepting that this wasn’t going to be the most ideal transportation experience, with luggage, crowded buses and a baby I knew that public transportation was going to be our best bet. I also found that for our longer drives there were “sleeper buses” with A/C (thank God) and a cot to yourself to sleep away the miles during a long trip. I had a whole plan set…then the plan changed.
Last week, a random conversation turned into a change in plans. I went from accepting public transportation to researching a private car service with an English speaking driver for both countries! This entire concept was completely foreign to me, I was so used to grabbing a taxi and arguing over translation of where you were trying to go and haggling over the price to get you there (I learned that the hard way in Thailand) or buying a train ticket. A private driver?! That is a form of luxury I had never experienced while traveling.
After weighing the pros and cons of hiring the service I found out how incredibly helpful this service will be to us! Not only are we going to have someone to translate for us – worth the service right there – but we are also going to have access to private tours, taking routes that I couldn’t have mapped out if I had a year to plan. This is going to be immensely helpful for my photographer side but it is also going to be much easier on my dad, my daughter and myself.
Now I don’t have to worry about hauling luggage on and off buses with a baby strapped to my chest and a camera on my back or being in a crowded bus with no room to stretch out. What an entirely new concept of travel! I must say that I feel really pampered – or like a photographer for National Geographic!
I will be updating you all as we go along our grand adventure!
Traveling Photographer Out!
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