Abraham Lake-Frozen bubbles “update 2021”
January 29, 2019
Abraham Lake is well known for its frozen bubbles. Here is a guide to visit the area to see them for yourself.
Abraham Lake-Location
Abraham Lake is a reservoir in Alberta, along Highway 11 between Rocky Mountain House and Lake Louise in Banff National Park. Fortunately for me, it is only about 1.5 hours from home. There are some accommodations available in the Nordegg and Rocky Mountain House area if you want to make it a weekend getaway.
There are no outhouses at the lake itself. Get some gas or snacks in Nordegg and use the washrooms there. There are outhouses open in the winter, however, at Siffleur Falls parking lot which is located just a little past Preacher’s Point at the south end of the lake. Allstones Lake staging area and Coral Creek staging areas also have outhouses. Take your own paper and sanitizer, just in case. New facilities are planned for the lake area in the spring of 2021.
The North Saskatchewan River was dammed in 1974 to generate electricity, prevent flooding and hold spring run off from the glaciers. In the summer it is a spectacular teal colour due to the glacial “flour” that reflects the light. Organic material decomposes on the bottom and the methane gas that is a by product of this process rises. In the winter, layers of bubbles from the methane are caught in the ice.
Summer view Abraham Lake 
Abraham Lake in September
This lake is located in such a way that the wind blows between the mountains almost constantly. It clears the ice in the winter and polishes it smooth. The location is also notable for its lack of snowfall in the winter. The moisture primarily falls around the perimeter of the Kootenay Plains Montane ecosystem. The lack of snow, wind-scoured ice and methane bubbles make this area a great day trip in the winter!
Travel warnings
If you do not have experience with ice and snow, then book a trip with an expert. Pursuit Adventures is a company in Nordegg that offers a guide, transportation, lunch and all necessary equipment to make your visit to this area safe and enjoyable. I am not affiliated with this company but have heard good reviews from people who have booked with them.
This can be a dangerous area. There is limited cel service. The nearest hospital is 150 km away and the closest tow truck/gas station is about 50 km. Weather conditions can change very quickly. The wind can howl and cameras and tripods can blow across the lake. A dam controls the water level which can rise and fall below the ice, especially near the shore. There are places where springs and streams run into the lake and disrupt the formation of ice.
Trip essentials
Take ice cleats. These are essential for walking on the lake, but also for walking along the shore. Sheets of ice form as the water level changes. A hiking pole for extra balance may be helpful.
Dress in more layers than you think you will need. The wind blows here, even when it is calm everywhere else. I find that rain pants and a Goretex jacket over my winter coat and fleece pants work well. The rain layer really blocks the wind. Be sure your hat fits snugly so it won’t blow off. As a photographer, I choose mittens where the top flips back to reveal glove fingers so I can manipulate my camera and tripod, then quickly cover up again. Hand warmer packets are always a good idea in the winter.
Water and snacks are always important. On the day that we went, the afternoon temperature was about -2C and we had a wonderful picnic along the river, below the dam. There was no wind, or snow that day.
Perfect picnic spot. 
River below the Bighorn Dam on Lake Abraham
Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back. Be aware of where others are on the lake in case you need some help. Don’t count on your phone, although service is improving in the area. Keep a couple of emergency blankets in your vehicle or camera bag, just in case.
Where to find frozen bubbles in Abraham Lake
When driving from the east, go past the viewpoint pull off and continue along the lake. Continue around the curve known as “Windy Point”. There is a new gravel area for parking just south of Windy Point on the lakeside of the highway. Resist the urge to drive down to the lake. Many drivers get stuck each year or are unable to get back up the hill.
I like to view the bubbles near the new parking area. Others like to view near Cline Landing. Preacher’s Point, at the far end of the lake, has easier access and is a popular spot for viewing although it is less windy so more snow stays on the ice. There can also be open water there due to the river entering the lake at this location.
My most recent visit was north of the new parking area, towards Windy point. Walk along the shore looking for the smoothest access to the lake. There was a point of land that had more snow than ice and was easier to access the lake than climbing over the sheets of ice along the shore. It takes time to trust the ice cleats, especially when walking on a downward slope.
When to visit
The best time to see the bubbles is generally January and February when the ice is frozen solid, clear and without snow cover. This year, people started sharing pictures in late December. My most recent visit was on January 18. It was -1, sunny and without a breath of wind.
This is not an exact science, so the best place to see these marvels of nature can change from day to day. There were many bubble layers visible right along the edge on this visit. Other years we have travelled farther out onto the ice. The lake froze this year during a snowstorm so has more cloudy areas.
Will you see frozen bubbles at Abraham Lake?
The bubbles rise and freeze into the ice in layers. Some are very large and others are tiny. They are so interesting, especially with the dark teal water. If you’re lucky, you can see the gas rising and forming into bubbles.
The ice layer has cracks and was over 30 cm thick when we visited . The sound of water moving under the ice, though, is eerie with a big “whoomp”. There were also pops and snaps that made me worry a little.
Ice bubbles just below the surface. 
Bubbles in the ice 
There are big views of the lake with the mountains in the background. The ice often reflects the mountains . Sunrise and sunset are especially nice when the weather cooperates.
Sunrise at Abraham Lake 
Sunset at Abraham Lake
In the winter, the days are short so you can arrive early for sunrise, take a few bubble pictures, then take a hike at Siffleur Falls. Pursuit Adventures also do guided hikes into this area. Have a hot lunch at the Nordegg Lodge then come back for a few more bubbles and sunset pictures before calling it a day. The full moon rising and reflected in the ice can be impressive too.
Photography Tips for shooting frozen bubbles in Abraham Lake
The aperture setting is best for close-ups of the bubbles themselves. It is a bit of a challenge for the camera to get the focus accurate when viewing through the ice so be patient and keep trying. There was a sprinkling of dust on the ice that I wiped away for close-ups. The sun was shining on the ice which makes it easier for the camera to focus on bubbles below the surface. A tripod is essential.
I used my tripod on its lowest level and kneeled down to view the shot. An extra pair of gloves under my knees kept them warm. Staying low helped me keep a better hold of my equipment so the wind wouldn’t take it away. Setting the camera right on the surface of the ice creates some interesting photos. I also used a polarizing filter, when appropriate, to maximize the colours and reduce reflection on the surface.
A few photos with people or the mountain background in them helps to give a good sense of perspective and context to the location. I have seen some images with people laying on the ice or views of other photographers taking pictures. Some like to take pictures of the sheets of ice pushed up against the shore. These can be used to frame the mountains or sections of the lake. Others use lights to highlight the bubbles at night.
Keep a hand on the tripod. 
What a view! 
View back towards Windy Point
If you are able to visit on a weekday with blue skies and little wind, you will feel like you’ve won the lottery. This area is very busy on the weekends with out of town visitors and even a few tour buses coming to see this natural phenomena. The lake is big, though and it is well worth a visit.
Ha Long Bay…Too much of a good thing?
January 14, 2019
Cruising Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
I have read several blogs about people wanting to capture the “Instagram shot” of a location and then that spot becomes overwhelmed with visitors who only come for a picture. Everyone we talked to who had been to northern Vietnam said, “You have to go to Ha Long Bay.” Unfortunately, that recommendation was shared by everyone who had ever been to Vietnam and it felt like being in a Instagram location. I am glad I had the experience, but I am not sure I can recommend it to everyone.
We took some friends’ advice and booked a 2 day-1 night cruise with Apricot Cruises. The cost was about $285 Canadian for the 2 of us, including meals and transportation from Hanoi. It’s listed as a 3 Star cruise and I have no issues with this company at all. I booked it through Agoda.com and could cancel for free up until 7 days before the booking. Our hotel offered to book the same cruise, but their price did not include the transportation from Hanoi to Ha Long.
Winter Weather
It was the end of December when we took this trip. Although it had been 28 degrees C earlier in the week, when we left for Ha Long Bay it had cooled to 8 degrees with some showers. Fortunately we had brought a warm jacket, hat and gloves. The Beijing Airport where we layover is known for its lack of heat. I also bought a discounted The North Face raincoat in Hanoi. An Australian man in our group only had shorts and a light jacket.
Cruise Itinerary
Getting to Ha Long Bay
We were picked up by bus from our hotel in Hanoi at about 8 am. There were 31 passengers by the time we finished the collection process. From there we headed to Halong Bay, which is about 3 1/2 hours from Hanoi. The luggage was mostly in the back storage compartment of the bus. The upper shelf was too shallow for most day packs and the seats were quite small in width and leg space, especially if you were holding your pack.
We stopped at a rest stop about halfway there. The washrooms were clean, but to get back to the bus or the coffee bar you had to walk all the way through the salesroom of jewellery, paintings, silk items, etc. where the staff were happy to serve you. It was a great example of capitalism in a communist country.
There were some “disabled workers” doing needlework where they created beautiful scenes out of embroidery thread. The fabric was stretched on a frame and the craftsman had one hand on the top and the other on the bottom returning the needle. Some projects had 2 people working together. All the workers were so fast.
Although the trip was somewhat uncomfortable, I saw lots of rice fields and other agricultural products growing along the way. We passed through several villages and saw many forms of transport along the road.
Ha Long is becoming a destination of its own. New bridges have been built and there is a building that looks like the American White House, but on a smaller scale. Hotels are going up and a water park has been built. The area is developing rapidly.
Getting on the Ship
Our guide had our tickets ready. We loaded our luggage into a smaller boat and rode about a block to our cruising boat. It must be some kind of security issue, because our bus could have dropped us at the boat just as easily.
The harbor was packed with boats of all sizes. Most people take the overnight trip or even a 2 night cruise, but those who stay at Ha Long often just go out for the day, in bigger boats. I’m sure the captains of the boats know what the plan is, but it looked like mayhem to us. That feeling of being overwhelmed by boats did not go away for entire cruise.
The islands in the misty sky. 
A view of the islands. 
The island parking lot.
Our boat
I never got the name of our boat because there were a couple of flower pots placed in front of where the name was painted. I only knew us as the “Pink Family” because of our guide’s name. We arrived on board and were greeted with some tea and a cool wet cloth. As it was only 10 degrees C, a warm cloth would have been appreciated. There were many stairs on the boat, however, and it would be difficult to manage if you were not able-bodied.
We were given the keys to our stateroom and found it very pleasant. We had a large window looking out over the railing. The bed was a queen size with thick duvets. There were lots of gaps around the door and the windows but the AC unit could be set to heat, which was necessary on this trip.
The walls and floor were very dark wood and the private bathroom had a toilet and shower. The shower was probably typical for a boat in that the floor was raised with wooden slats and the showerhead stuck out into the middle of the bathroom. We were just there overnight so we didn’t try it.
Stateroom 
Cruise ship bathroom 
Restaurant on boat 
Restaurant and bar
Meals
Meals included large quantities of a variety of food such as large prawns, fried fish, crisp vegetable salad, chicken wings, pork ribs,etc. We sat at tables of 6-7 and the meal was served family style. Just as I was sure I was done, they would bring another plate or bowl of something. Those passengers who were vegetarian, or who didn’t eat pork were accommodated with other choices. Breakfast was a buffet, but the other meals were served. Food was included in the price but drinks were extra.
The mealtimes were a great opportunity to chat and share. The passengers were from all over the world and ranged in age from 8 to 60. Everyone had a different story about how they ended up in Vietnam, and on this cruise in particular.
Things to do
Surprise Cave
We were scheduled to visit Surprise Cave and Titop Island that afternoon. The problem is that all the other people who drove out from Hanoi for the day and boarded their boats seemed to have the same itinerary.
The line up to enter the cave was enormous and poorly managed. The path was narrow and steep in places. There were a couple of places to stop for pictures but then those who stopped pushed their way back into line. At one point, the line narrowed to single file and many people just pushed others out of the way to maintain their spot, instead of merging 2 or 3 wide into 1 line.
The cave, though, was impressive once we got inside. it was an enormous cavern that stretched deep into the island. Lights and walkways had been added for safety, although we saw people step over the ropes and cut across through protected areas. There were many kinds of rock formations on the walls, floor and ceiling. I have never seen such a large cave. Because it was so large, the crowds spread out inside so it didn’t feel so crowded.
The line to exit was in a different part of the cave and moved more smoothly. The area around the cave was filled with boats, waiting to pick up their passengers. By the time we got back in our small boat for the trip to Titop Island, there was no one waiting to enter the cave.
Surprise Cave 
Surprise Cave Cavern
Titop Island
We arrived at Titop Island around 5 pm. It has a trail to the top where you can view the bay. It also has a beach where you can go for a swim. Although the water was quite warm, the air temperature was only 13 by then. A few people were in the water from other groups, but it was too cold for me. Many from our group hiked up to see the view of the bay. I watched the swimmers and some young men playing very entertaining football on the beach.
Evening
Although there was a large sundeck on the roof of our boat, it was far too cold and windy for a sunset party. Because of the heavy clouds and threatening showers, there wasn’t even a sunset. It just got dark. Once that happened, all the boats set their anchors for the night.
After dinner, some passengers like to fish for squid or sing Karaoke. In our group, most were tired from an early morning and long drive and went to bed. Beverages were available in the restaurant area for anyone who stayed up.
Day 2
Oyster Farm
Morning Tai Chi was not held. It had cooled to 8 degrees C and everyone stayed in their warm beds as long as possible. After breakfast we loaded into the smaller boat and toured an Oyster Farm to see how pearls are produced. It was quite interesting with lots of demonstrations with real oysters. There was also a showroom where you could purchase pearl jewellery. We saw an $8000 black pearl! The best part was an old poster on what kind of pearls you should wear at various stages of your life.
Ha Long Oyster Farm 
Pearl seeding
Passing the time
The itinerary called for kayaking at this stop. There were 5 or 6 boats out from other cruises, but it was cold, windy and the waves seemed a little high for me. Our guide didn’t recommend it. We went back to the boat and after clearing out our rooms played card games instead. I thought that was a great compromise. Interesting travellers sharing stories and teaching others their favorite card games. I also spent time on the sundeck watching the islands and all the other boats.
The guide did a demonstration lesson on making fresh spring rolls before lunch. After another great feast we returned to dock with the flotilla of other cruise boats, around 1 pm. We reversed the arrival process and got back to our hotel in Hanoi about 5 pm.
The Cruise experience
I talked with some of the others in our group about this trip and our opinions were quite similar. It was a good experience in all. The grey skies and cold temperatures certainly did not look like the brochures but travellers can’t control the weather. Travelling overnight on a boat was fun, even if we didn’t get to do everything listed in the promotional material. The cave was spectacular, once we finally made it inside. The pearl growing process was new and a worthwhile stop.
According to our guide, summer is the busy time for locals people, and winter is the busy time for foreigners. She said there are up to 600 boats in the bay at one time. I don’t know if that number reflects our time on the water.
So, I have mixed feelings about taking a Cruise on Ha Long Bay. While it was a good experience with interesting people, there are many others all wanting to do the same thing. If you have reasonable expectations then you will enjoy it. If you want to give it a pass, take a long tail boat trip in Krabi through the islands instead.
An expat in Chiang Mai, Thailand
January 5, 2019
We spent 5 months living in Thailand in the winter of 2016/17. I had just retired from teaching and wanted to see what it would be like to live somewhere else, especially during the cold of our winter at home. We decided to become an expat in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Why Chiang Mai?
I have a friend who had spent some time teaching and living in Asia. She suggested Chiang Mai as an easy place to learn about some Asian culture and recommended a serviced apartment for us to live in. Since we didn’t have any other advice, we booked the room and the flight. If we hated it, we decided we could always come home.
We loved our time in Chiang Mai. I was sad to leave when spring arrived. We wondered if we liked this city because of all it had to offer to expats, or because it was new and was the first place we had visited.
What is there for an expat in Chiang Mai, Thailand? The answer came from all the other expats we met from around the world, from Australia, England, USA, and Canada. We also met several local Thais.
The Chiang Mai expat club meet a few times a month and are a great resource to find out about all the things that are available to do in the city. We found a choir to join and met several people that we continue to stay in contact with. We found a group of people playing pickle ball 3 days a week, a Zumba class twice a week and I found a photography club to join that met once a month. Often we just sat and watched the world go by. It was hard to leave all those people and activities when we came home 2 years ago.
Back to Chiang Mai
We planned a trip to Viet Nam for this winter since we had not been to this Asian country on previous trips. The first leg of this journey was to Chiang Mai. We hoped to satisfy ourselves that there was more to the city than just newly-retired excitement. We had a week to visit and booked a hotel in our old neighborhood. One morning we spent watching some workers weed whack the gutters and clean up the plants for flood control. It took 4 of them altogether! I can’t say enough about watching the world go by in a new place.
It was easy to fit back into our life there. We walked through the old city and stopped for food and drink at some of our favorite restaurants. Things had not changed as much as I was afraid they might have. We visited the apartment where we had stayed and found many people from our first visit back there escaping the cold of their homeland.
The people we still know
The crew at pickle ball were happy to see us. We had continued to follow this group on Facebook so were able to pick up where left off. Our paddles even found their way into one of our bags.
After some rousing games and much talk and laughter, we went for lunch with a Thai couple we know. They took us to a local restaurant and helped us place the order for their specialty dish. It was a glass noodle soup with meat, vegetables and a little bit of heat called sou-ki. Sawit’s recommendation was just to point to the biggest picture on the menu and order. It will probably be the item they do the best.
I did some shopping in the markets and attended a Zumba class with my former teacher. On my walk there I saw a group of people in front of a store line dancing for their activity. I went to a nearby restaurant after class, and ran into a woman from Canada that I knew from the photography club 2 years ago!
Lannacapella
We joined Lannacapella, an expat choir, on our previous visit and sang at some Christmas events in Chiang Mai. We were also invited to sing at the 100 day of Remembrance for the King of Thailand in January, after his death in October. I chose a song that the King had written and arranged it for 4 part a capella choir. Singing in front of thousands of Thai’s to honor their former King was something we will never forget.
The current choir invited us to join them for an afternoon of music as they rehearsed for an upcoming Christmas performance. It felt like we had never left. We also had the opportunity to sit in the old Chiang Mai Christian Church. Enormous posts support the roof and has very dark wood floors and walls. The singing sounded wonderful inside.
More tours and shopping
We found a driver with an electric tuk tuk. He offered to take us to a village on the outskirts on Chiang Mai where they make painted handmade umbrellas and weave silk. Even though we lived there for a winter, this was an area we had not visited before.
The silk makers had an interesting demonstration on how they feed the silkworms until they make a cocoon. Before they open, they boil the whole thing and pull the silk threads off and unwrap the pupae. The threads are dyed and woven into cloth. The boiled pupae are surprisingly tasty. I even ate 2 of them!
The umbrella makers use split bamboo for the frames and make rice paper with and without added silk or cotton for the tops. They also made wood and paper fans. Many had elaborate scenes painted on them. One of the painters did a design on the back on my phone cover for about $2. It has not scratched or peeled off after 3 weeks of use.
We visited a shop that sold pashmina scarves and rugs from Kashmir. I’m not sure why they are working in Chiang Mai. He was very convincing, but you only need 1 Indian Rug, which we purchased in India last spring. A tour of a jewelry factory and salesroom was the last stop.
More local food
After the success of our local lunch earlier in the week, we asked our driver to take us to a place where he might eat. We pulled up to a couple of tents set up along the main road. There were several scooters parked in front and our driver waved to several of the other drivers he knew.
He recommended some bbq pork that came off the grill and was chopped into bite size pieces. It was served with a dipping sauce with Thai basil and cabbage on the side. He also suggested a kind of catfish that was rubbed in spices, wrapped in banana leaves and roasted on a grill. It was a whole fish and being from the prairies, where we don’t eat much fish, I didn’t look at its face and focused on the flavor. Delicious! Our driver ordered a beef salad that had cucumber and lots of herbs and lemongrass with a tart, spicy vinaigrette. Along with 3 large local beer the bill came to $16 for everything.
Local B B Q
More expats
We made friends with a couple of expats at one of the Expat Club breakfasts when we first arrived in Chiang Mai. They had invited us for drinks a couple of times and talked about how they found themselves moving from the United States to Thailand permanently. When I emailed them that we were coming back to the city, they invited us again for a visit.
It felt very festive with several decorated Christmas trees. Even though we had only known them for a short time we felt so welcomed. Jim commented, “You are someone we didn’t think we’d see again.” For those expats who welcome the strangers who visit, then leave, it must be difficult to remain open to meeting new people. They did say, however, that it took them 8 or 9 visits of varying lengths before they decided just to stay.
Should we become expats in Chiang Mai, Thailand?
This Asian city is a very easy place to live. There are many other expats from around the world who are open and welcoming and many opportunities to get involved in a variety of activities. There is lots to see and experience in a foreign culture but also lots to do that feels like home.
We looked at some local condos and apartments on-line. Chiang Mai is still a reasonably priced country in which to live. The infrastructure is improving, and we noticed more cars than scooters this time, which would suggest the middle class is continuing to grow. The local people are kind and respectful to “farangs” and don’t seem to hold it against you for coming into their lives for awhile and then leaving.
Thailand is a country ruled by the military, even though the new King is in place. It floods in the rain, swelters in the heat and has a couple of months when the farmers burn that air quality is like living next to a British Columbia forest fire. The rules for visas for retirement change often and in order to stay long term, you may need to deposit several thousand dollars in a Thai bank.
And the final answer…
I don’t think we are ready to decide yet. We know that there is more to Chiang Mai than just the excitement of our first place. Six months in Phnom Penh last year was long enough to know that it is not the place for us. We don’t know if there are other places we have yet to discover that might meet our needs even more. Stay tuned.
Vietnam E-Visa or Visa on Arrival?
December 16, 2018
Is it best to get a Vietnam E-Visa online before you travel to this SE Asian country, or is a Visa on Arrival, with a letter of acceptance all that is needed? I’ll include a few pictures from the start of our trip to Vietnam so you can see why it is worth getting a visa to this beautiful country.
When do I need a visa?
This question came up a few times in the last several months as we prepared for our trip to a new country. What is expected when a traveller arrives depends on the country. The rules depend on what passport you hold and what you plan to do in the country as a tourist or as a business person.
When we visit the United States as a Canadian tourist, all we need is a valid passport. A visa is not required. A 30-day visit to Thailand is just another stamp in your passport. Laos, Cambodia, and Nepal require $42, $35 and $25 paid in US dollars and a special visa application form completed upon arrival. It takes about 10 minutes to process the visa and it is stuck into your passport.
Visa for India
India requires a visa to be completed ahead of time, either at the Embassy or online as an e-visa. Rather than take a day off work to visit the Embassy in person, submit my documents and have a personal interview, an e-visa seemed the easiest option.
The cheapest one used a government site. It asked many questions including your parents’ names and birthplaces. It worked fine right up until the payment process when it said there was an error and quit. After the second try, I recorded the number they gave so I didn’t have to re-enter all my information. Even after I contacted their contact information, I could not complete the payment of my e-visa on this website.
A commercial India e-visa site had my documents to me in within a week. I printed the visa but when I forgot my paperwork at home (it could happen to anyone), the page could be printed from the email available on my phone. When arriving in Delhi, the e-visa line was separate from the regular visa line and took less time to be processed.
Visa for Vietnam
Vietnam requires a visa for all tourists. You can apply online to the Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa in Canada. You send them the application, a scan of your passport and a passport-type picture. They mail you a visa once your payment and application are approved. The cost in November 2018 was $25 US.Â
Again, everything worked fine until I tried to upload our pictures and they weren’t approved because our ears weren’t showing. I didn’t have any other “official passport pictures” but I could probably have taken some myself and used those instead.
Letter of approval
If you search “Visa to Vietnam from Canada” in Google, the first page only refers to applying for a letter of approval for a visa. Our daughter took this route. You complete an application with your name, date of birth and passport number. The fee is $17 US. The company sends you a form to complete and an approval letter with your name, date of birth and passport number. The same approval letter is sent to everyone who was approved on the same day. It includes everyone’s name, birth date and passport information which seemed rather odd.
When she arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, there were 24 lines of about 50 people in each waiting to go through immigration. There was one ASEAN line, but no line just for Vietnamese. Luckily she entered the Visa on Arrival line first. We heard of another traveller who got all the way to the front of the immigration line with his approval letter, only to be sent all the way back to the Visa line.
She submitted the completed form, the letter of approval, her passport and another $25 US to the Visa department. And then she waited for an hour and 15 minutes. Immigration returned her passport with the visa and she could now enter the regular immigration line. That took another 30 minutes. Luckily we didn’t have a connecting flight.
Vietnam e-visa
A Vietnam e-visa has been available since February 2017. It appeared at the bottom of my visa Google search page under related searches. Even when I clicked on it, it was another half a page before any information was available. The site I eventually found and used was the Vietnam Immigration Portal.
I submitted my name, birth date, and passport information as well as scanned my passport, scanned the same photo I tried unsuccessfully to use on the Embassy site and paid $25US. Within 3 days I had a page to print, which I did not leave at home this time.Â
We entered the immigration line and although it took some time because of all the people, we had no trouble entering Vietnam. We only needed our passport and the Vietnam e-visa paper.
And the winner is…
My experience is that a Vietnam e-visa is fast and easy to obtain and can save you hours at the airport.
