Ha Long Bay (which means Bay of the Descending Dragon in Vietnamese,) is a popular day trip for adoptive families staying in Hanoi. Located in the Quang Ninh province on the Vietnamese coast of the South China Sea, the area is made up of fishing villages where the locals live in floating houses. It is comprised of over a thousand islands and inlets, many of which are uninhabited, lending to their overwhelming beauty. The limestone pillars in the seascape are said to be breathtaking.

The journey to Ha Long Bay starts with a car or bus ride to the site where you will board... more

We did not purchase travel insurance when we traveled to Viet Nam to adopt Ella, but Sandra’s post reminded me that it’s something I wanted to look into for this adoption. Honestly, the only reason we didn’t get it last time was because I just could not wrap my head around researching another thing. I was curious about travel insurance and the necessity of it, so I did a little digging and here’s what I found.

Before leaving, travelers should contact their medical insurance companies to see what is (and is not) covered when you’re outside of the country. Also be sure to ask about coverage... more

It can be extremely easy to over-pack when flying to another continent for a two to three week stay. Many parents to be worry that they will not be able to find the essentials for themselves and their new child(ren,) so they literally pack everything but the kitchen sink. We over-packed in a few area; Ella’s clothes and food and snacks for us. Here are some tips to avoid over-packing:

Find out about your hotel’s laundry service. Ours was excellent and affordable. We could have gotten by with half the amount of clothing we brought. Actually, my husband brought about... more

My number one piece of advice for air travel with a child is be prepared. The next best suggestion I can offer is to be flexible. In this post I’m going to share some ideas that may help when you fly home from Viet Nam with your new child. The being flexible part rests squarely on your shoulders, but try to take a deep breath and remind yourself that this trip home is necessary to begin your new life together as a family.

Try and get a bulk head seat. This seating option is fabulous and made out trip home with Ella so much easier! Most airlines will not let you reserve bulk head... more

One of the best things that you can do during your wait to travel is to collect items to donate to your child’s baby center. If you are bringing many items to Viet Nam that will be staying in country, it’s a great idea to pack a suitcase full of the donations—then you will have an empty suitcase to fill with gifts and souvenirs that you purchase in country. Mary over at the Ethiopia Adoption Blog just returned from Ethiopia with her two daughters. She packed large Rubbermaid totes with donations and wrote about how to do this successfully here.... more

Have a child from Viet Nam’s Vinh Phuc province? Waiting to travel to adopt a child from this province? If so, then today’s post is for you. Below you will find information about Vinh Phuc, including sights to see and things to do in the province while you’re in Viet Nam. This post is just one in a series of “Provinces 101” posts that you can find under the travel section in the table of contents to the right of your screen. I strongly encourage parents to spend some time exploring and getting to know their child’s province if possible. If... more

In an effort to help families stay healthy in Viet Nam I recently posted about which vaccinations are recommended for Americans traveling to Viet Nam. Today I am going to touch on which medications you may wish to bring with you when you travel. I will admit that my husband and I got prescriptions for and brought along with us every medication that my agency suggested. We used one once or twice (a tube of antibiotic ointment,) and donated the rest to our agency. But I definitely think it’s better to be safe than sorry.

I remember being worried that our doctor would have a problem writing prescriptions for our baby who was still in Viet Nam and they would not be able to examine before... more

Before we traveled to Viet Nam to adopt Ella I assumed that my husband and I were going to be required to get certain vaccinations. This wasn’t the case as Viet Nam does not require any vaccinations, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does recommend some for traveling to Viet Nam.

It is very important to see a doctor at least a month and a half prior to departing so the vaccines that you choose to get (if any) will... more

Traveling to adopt your child will be the experience of a lifetime. With a few precautions, you can help to ensure that your time spent in country will be a pleasant and healthy one. It’s easy to forget to take care of ourselves as parents while we focus our energy and attention on our children, but we won’t be much use to our kids if we’re down for the count. Here are some ways that you can stay healthy while in Viet Nam:

Protect yourself from mosquito bites. This is especially important during the summer months, but can be just as... more

Earlier this week I posted about the delays that are occurring in the US Passport system, and how it is important to start any passport applications or renewals many months in advance of when you will actually be needing them. A reader posted that she had already sent in her application before she knew about the delays and sought advice as to what to do now. It’s not her fault that she was not aware of the delays; the wait times listed on the processing... more