Wheels Up, Windows Down

In this episode, Jennifer takes us from the airport in Cambodia to one of the most extraordinary places on Earth: Hang Son Doong in Vietnam.

What was supposed to be the culmination of a years-long travel plan nearly fell apart because of a single incorrect digit on a visa. From there, things only got more interesting.

We talk about:

• Jennifer and Vaughn’s nine-day bicycle trip through Vietnam and Cambodia

• Getting invited into a local wedding along the way

• Why Jennifer needed a second Vietnam visa

• The one-digit passport-number error that got her denied boarding

• The decision to send Vaughn ahead while Jennifer stayed behind in Cambodia

• How Art of Bicycle Trips helped arrange an emergency visa

• Discovering later that Jennifer had Giardia during the trip

• Flying from Siem Reap to Saigon and then Dong Hoi

• The very dark ride from Dong Hoi to Phong Nha

• Why Son Doong is considered the largest natural cave in the world by volume

• Ho Khanh’s discovery and rediscovery of the cave

• Hiking through the jungle to reach Son Doong

• Spending the first night in Hang En

• Roughly 30 river crossings

• Ground leeches — including the appropriately named Leech Mountain

• Descending backward into the entrance of Son Doong

• Underground rivers, beaches, jungle, and enormous chambers

• Camping underground for three nights

• The surprisingly luxurious portable sauna

• Climbing the nearly 300-foot Great Wall of Vietnam to exit the cave

• Why one tiny paperwork error almost cost them the entire experience

Check the information on your documents, not just whether you have them.

Before an international trip, verify:

• Your name

• Passport number

• Travel dates

• Visa dates

• Number of permitted entries

• Any other identifying information

Then check it again.

Jennifer’s second takeaway is simpler:

Solve the problem that is actually in front of you.

When a trip starts falling apart, don’t try to solve every possible consequence at once. Figure out the next move, then the next one after that.

• Hang Son Doong

• Hang En

• Phong Nha, Vietnam

• Siem Reap, Cambodia

• Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City

• Dong Hoi, Vietnam

• Angkor Wat

• Art of Bicycle Trips

• Oxalis Adventures

• The Great Wall of Vietnam

Follow Wheels Up, Windows Down wherever you get your podcasts or at wheelsupwindowsdown.com.

Jennifer: JennifersPath.com Ric: ForkInTheRoadTrip.com⁠

Wheels up. Windows down.

What starts as a family road trip to Ohio turns into storms, potholes, car trouble in Chicago, five people crammed into one Camry, a 2:30 a.m. tire change, and an invasion of Arkansas mosquitoes. Ric tells the story of a trip where almost nothing went according to plan—and how a return run to Chicago finally gave him the chance to finish Route 66.In this episode of Wheels Up, Windows Down, Ric takes the wheel with a story that begins as a family trip from Arkansas to Ohio, detours through Indianapolis and Chicago, and somehow turns into a multi-state lesson in why travel plans should always come with a backup plan.

Jennifer’s carefully planned India trip unraveled when Middle Eastern airspace closures wiped out her flight home. What followed was an unexpected week in Kerala, a detour through Kuala Lumpur, and a reminder that sometimes the best parts of a trip are the ones you never planned.

Welcome to Wheels Up Windows Down, the travel podcast where things don't always go according to plan—and where those unexpected turns usually make the best stories!

In this introduction, co-hosts Ric and Jennifer share what this show is all about: ditching the cookie-cutter "Top 10" lists to explore the real side of travel. From spectacular rental car breakdowns and missed flights to spontaneous detours and life-changing adventures, learn what to expect from upcoming episodes, guest interviews, practical gear tips, and stories from the road.

Subscribe now and join us for the ride!