Girls' Trips

From spa retreats to shopping weekends, who doesn’t love a getaway with their gal pals? When we can fire up our passports again, here are some great spots to add to your list!

VIETNAM

One of my favourite girls’ trips was to Hoi An, Vietnam with my bestie. Our flight took us through Ho Chi Minh City before landing in Da Nang. From our hotel, Lantana Boutique Hotel & Spa, we could walk across the Thu Bon river to explore a myriad of shops, discover delectable food and make regular leisurely stops for steaming cups of robust Vietnamese coffee. We stumbled upon a restaurant named “Good Morning, Vietnam” (yes, like the movie) and found, much to our surprise, that it served Italian food. We had some pretty yummy pizza there!

Our personal tour of The Marble Mountains was booked through Hoi An Express. As we scaled the 156 steps and explored the summit, our tour guide shared the legends of the mountains and the area’s history. He also brought us to a local village to meet an elder who creates and now sells, his own authentic fish sauce. The recipe has been in his family for generations – it didn’t smell so good but the flavour was incredible. We also marvelled at the sculptures, statues and artefacts at the Sa Huynh Culture Museum.

Hoi An certainly has all the makings of a great bonding trip – comfortable pace, friendly people, unique shopping, diverse food and rich history to explore.

Faith Chanda

CHINA

We planned our all-girls’ trip to China’s biggest city for several special reasons: it was a 40th birthday, a reunion with ex-expats and a leaving celebration all rolled into one. We stayed at the centrally located Renaissance Shanghai Yu Garden Hotel.