Vietnam Trip Number 2
Saturday 12/04/2014
Up at 5:45 am to get an early start to the airport. Steph drove us and we were nearly the front of the queue to check in. We had a coffee with Steph before saying goodbye and passed into the secure area. It was busy but we got through fairly quickly. We had a while to walk around the terminal before boarding VN780 to Ho Chi Min City. We had window and aisle seats on the left side of our Airbus A330. Took off a bit late due to congestion. Flight started off smooth but got a bit bumpy later on. Landed at HCMC at 4pm. Had 3hours to kill before the flight to Siem Reap. Took off on time on VN815 aboard an Airbus A321. It only took about 50 minutes before we landed. It was quite hot in Siem Reap. Had a driver waiting for us - Vishna - who took us to our hotel, the Steung Siem Reap Hotel. Our room is on the third floor and comfortable in a French colonial style. Had a walk around the block before falling into bed exhausted. A very long day.
Sunday 13/04/2014
Woke up at about 7:30 and had a leisurely start before heading over the road for breakfast at the hotel dining room. To get our bearings, we decided to hire a tuk-tuk and take a half hour tour around town. That soon changed when we thought we had time to do a temple before lunch - so we did! We were going to pay $8 for the half hour tour of town, but for another $7 we could do the morning at a temple. Off to Ta Prom on the tuk-tuk with Mr Na driving. Paid our $40 per head for our 3 day pass to get into the temple reserve - pretty expensive by local standards. Ta Prom is amazing. Truly ancient buildings in an almost fantasy setting. It was very hot - as expected at this time of the year. Despite this being the dry season, the grass was still quite green. We were expecting it to be dry and brown like in Australia. Mr Na, like everyone else in Siem Reap is very excited about New Year celebrations for the next 3 days. He said it will be very busy in town and at the temples. Back to town for lunch at a nice little cafe opposite old market - chicken amok was one dish we had and it was pretty cheap. We had a look around the market and a drink at another cafe before heading to the hotel pool for a swim. We watched the sunset from the roof top bar at Soria Moria and then had tea at another cafe opposite the river - cheap. We've booked an early morning tuk-tuk for a couple of temples tomorrow so off to bed soon.
Monday 14/04/2014
Up at 4:30am! We were picked up by our tuk-tuk driver Boray, who is Vishna's nephew. We have him until lunch time for $20. He took us to Sra Shrang to watch sunrise over the lake. It was a bit overcast and the lake is not that special, but it felt spiritual in the morning quiet sitting on an ancient footing watching the day start. Later we crossed the road to look at Benteay Keel Temple which we had virtually to ourselves. We returned to Boray who was asleep in his tuk-tuk. We had to wake him up to take us to our next stop, Angkor Thom. This is a huge complex of temples, monuments, walls and moats. The crowds were building for New Year's celebrations. We started with Bayon, a huge pyramid-like structure. It was starting to get crowded now. On the other side of Bayon, people were waiting for a dignitary to arrive. Soon a police escort arrived and a VIP couple were greeted enthusiastically by the crowd under the watchful gaze of TV cameras. We headed off to look over Baphuan Temple. This is another mountain style pyramid with terraces and staircases up to each level. We were befriended by a tourist policeman who gave us a tour and took photos of us - for a $ fee of course! We were sweating now as it was getting very hot and we had climbed 40 metres on very steep staircases. We had a quick look at Phimeanakas Temple and then headed over to the Elephant Terrace, which is a series of towers on the other side of the road. Celebrations were getting well on the way now and there were Cambodians everywhere. We had some refreshment at a roadside cafe and then headed back to Boray and his tuk tuk to go back to Siem Reap. We were back in Siem Reap by about 10:30 so wandered around town and had a couple of coffees and then some lunch. Brad had deep fried frogs - as you do. Later in the afternoon we had a snooze, then a swim before heading back into town for a drink then dinner in Pub Street. The street was pumping. New Year's Eve was being celebrated. Too noisy for us so we headed home for another early night. Off to Angkor Wat for a dawn visit tomorrow.
Tuesday 15/04/2014
Another early start at 4:30 am to be picked again by Boray in his tuk-tuk. Off to Angkor Wat to watch sunrise. It's a lot more crowded here today. We thought we would be templed out a bit by now, but Angkor Wat is incredible. The scale is awesome in the true sense of the word. This is probably the most humid and hot day we've had so far and the sweat was flowing freely by 6 am. We finished by about 10:30 after having some refreshments in a little caf? in front of Angkor Wat. When we went back across the causeway, the crowds were unbelievable, mostly locals celebrating new year. We started to worry that we would not be able to find Boray. As it turned out, he was the only tuk tuk parked where we had left him. He had "paid" the police $5 to be able to stay there. There was a steady stream of traffic coming from town as we headed back in. When we got back, we had a stroll around the large Buddhist temple in the next street from our hotel. It was very hot as we walked from there to find a restaurant for lunch. A lot of shops and restaurants were closed. Back to our hotel for a swim and after that a well earned snooze for a few hours. Had tea at a nice Khmer restaurant and fell into bed dog tired again.
Wednesday 16/04/2014
Had a sleep in to 6:30 this morning but both of us were awake before the alarm went off. After breakfast and packing, we jumped into a tuk-tuk and the driver said he knew where to go for Giant Ibis buses. He took us to the Siem Reap bus depot which is a fair way out of town. When we got there we were told that Giant Ibis buses don't go from there. So we turned around to go back into town after a quick phone call to get the correct address. The traffic was horrendous and we started to worry that we were gong to be late and might even miss our bus. Our driver took a detour down lanes and side streets to miss the traffic and we made it! The bus depot looked pretty new and only half built. The coach was very nice and we got away on time. We made good time for a while then but soon hit road works that went on for about 200 km at least. A lot of the road was unmade and very dusty. The road was lined pretty much with shanties interspersed with some open country and then some towns with the typical SE Asian mix of business premises and cafes. Had lunch at a fairly ordinary cafe at the half way mark. A couple of near miss head-on collisions on the way but we finally made it to Phnom Penh after 7 hours on the road for about 300 odd kilometres. Got a tuk-tuk to our hotel for $5 - The Billabong. It is an oasis in a really dingy street. Got our bearings by taking a walk. First impressions are that Phnom Penh is yet to become a tourist destination. There is a real feel of being in a completely different culture here. It is a little confronting but exhilarating at the same time. A lot of places were closed due to NYE holiday but we found a nice BBQ place with an outdoors upstairs area. Very little English spoken by the staff but the menu had pictures and sign language got us through. We were the only Caucasians there. Quite cheap at about $5 each. Very humid today. We both feel a bit drained and looking forward to bed.
Thursday 17/04/2014
We slept very soundly last night and didn't wake up until 7:30 am. Had breakfast in the hotel dining area next to the pool. We headed off on a walking tour via Central Market, then to the Riverside area. We then climbed the hill to look at Wat Phnom. It was extremely humid in the sweat was running freely. A very nice pagoda was at the top of the hill and a number of regal looking Cambodian cats with half their tails missing were strutting around. We then headed south to look at the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and the Supreme Court. It was hot and the streets were very quiet. Ate lunch at Frizzi's Restaurant which we had to ourselves. While there a short rain shower passed through - the only rain we've had since being in Cambodia. We then walked towards the Independence Monument which looks a bit like one of the towers at Angkor Wat. By this time we'd had enough and caught a tuk-tuk back to our hotel for a swim and relax to cool down a bit (we had previously found out that tuk-tuk rides around town should only be about $3, so that's what we offered to the driver's and they seemed happy with that). Headed off in the evening to a restaurant that trains street kids but it was closed. Another tuk-tuk ride back to Riverside. What a contrast to this morning - now it was pumping with people everywhere and crazy traffic. We found a second floor bar for a couple of drinks during happy hour - at about $1 per drink, very cheap - with live entertainment watching the traffic. Went by tuk-tuk back to Sorya Mall shopping centre near our hotel for an ice cream cone. On the walk back to our hotel we witnessed a robbery when a man near us had his bag stolen by two guys on a motorcycle - a reminder to take care here.
Friday 18/04/2014
Another good night's sleep. Did the mandatory tourist spots in and around Phnom Penh today. We got a tuk-tuk to the Killing Fields for about $10 including wait time and return. The driver seemed to get a bit lost and we went down some narrow and very bumpy lanes. He had to ask a couple of locals the way and we got some reassurance when we saw a tuk-tuk with a Caucasian on board coming back the other way. The Killing Fields is a very depressing place. Tens of thousands of people were slaughtered here and buried - sometimes not quite dead yet - in mass graves. It was interesting to see and hear the history of the Pol Pot regime. We got our driver to take us back to town to the Russian Market area. This is a traditional market where you can buy anything from meat to motorcycle parts. We had lunch at a restaurant that trains locals in catering. The food was good and reasonably cheap. After lunch walked to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum which is located in an old high school. This was another confronting display of the butchery during the Khmer Rouge era. People were tortured here before "confessing" their crimes and then being conveyed to the Killing Fields - if they survived that long. It was very hot again. We caught a tuk-tuk back to the hotel for the normal recovery routine by the pool before heading off for dinner. We went to a nearby street where the Golden Sorya Mall is located. We had noticed a lot of single men and some glamorous young ladies in tow. We found a nice cheap place to eat. We met the owner, Philip who lived in Glen Waverley before returning to Cambodia. A great night with great food. Philip explained that this street was a red-light district and gay scene, so we did some sight seeing on the walk back to the hotel.
Saturday 19/04/2014
A leisurely start to the day and we had a big breakfast as we wouldn't be getting any lunch today. We were picked up by a tuk-tuk and taken to the river harbour ready for our express boat ride to Chau Doc in Vietnam. The trip took about 4.5 hours with the only stops at the international border - one out of Cambodia then one to enter Vietnam. As soon as we got into Vietnam, there was a lot more river activity. Most of the trip was on an anabranch of the Mekong River which never got narrower than about 600 metres. The last hour's section was on a canal to get to Chau Doc. This part of the river was "only" about 100 metres wide. This canal was lined with industry, villages, sand loading areas and crops. We finally arrived at Chau Doc to stay at the magnificent Victoria Hotel right on the river. After checking in, we had a swim before taking a walk around town and finding a nice cheap restaurant - The Mekong - for tea. Vietnam is more developed than Cambodia and there seems to be less rubbish lying around. Vietnam motorcycle riders are more happy to use their horn and ride on the footpath! Another early start tomorrow as we are being picked up at 7:30 am.
Sunday 20/04/2014
You wouldn't know it was Easter Sunday today! It's just another day in Vietnam. We were the only passengers on the minibus from Chau Doc to Cai Be (4 hour ride) to board our boat "The Mekong Eyes". Our cabin was small but comfortable with an ensuite shower and toilet. We had lunch on board while cruising the Hau River (a branch of the Mekong River) towards Can Tho. In the late afternoon had a walk around a typical commune village and were hosted by a local family for tea and fruit. Back on board for dinner and we continued cruising until about 10 pm when we dropped anchor. We met a retired couple from New Zealand - Peter and Susan who were headed towards Phnom Penh. We also met Haryom who is a young English expatriate working in Brunei. We couldn't believe how closely settled the Mekong Delta is - 19 million people live here. Can Tho, the biggest city in the delta has 4.5 million people. The river is very busy with fishing boats, freight, gravel, rice, wood, and rice husk boats at work. The banks are lined with houses and small farms, factories and plantations.
Monday 21/04/2014
Had a pretty good if short sleep. The sun was streaming in through the window by 6:15 am. Had breakfast on the sun deck and it was hot already. Cruised up to Can Tho and docked by 8 am. We then got onto a long sampan to head up another river to the Can Tho floating market and then had a tour of a rice noodle factory. Back to the boat for brunch and we said our goodbyes to the other passengers not returning to Saigon. Another 4 hour minibus ride to HCMC. We arrived at The Spring Hotel at about 5 pm. The room was quite small and only had a small window with a view of the hot water tank. It smelled a bit of stale cigarette smoke too. Lucky we are only staying here for one night. Soon after arrival, we headed off to Saigon Square then the Ben Thanh market. Stopped for an iced coffee in the market before heading back into central HCMC to have dinner at the SH Garden Restaurant. Once again, the best Vietnamese food ever, for about $22 per head. Back to our hotel for a well needed shower. A leisurely start tomorrow.
Tuesday 22/04/2014
Slept soundly last night. No need to get up early so we had a late breakfast. Our Jetstar flight to Danang is scheduled to leave at 2 pm. We caught a taxi to the airport well in time - only to be told after a short while that our flight was delayed for over 2 hours. Our impression of Ho Chi Minh City this time is that it looked a lot cleaner than we remembered from out last trip in October last year. Maybe it is because of the excessive rubbish in Phnom Penh, or maybe they have had a massive clean-up campaign.
Landed at Danang at about 4:30 pm. We had intended to take a taxi to the bus station and go by bus from there to Hue, but due to the delay, the tourist information lady suggested we share a taxi. So we did. It's 100 km to Hue and they have a set contract price of 1.25 million dong - about $65. We shared with 3 German girls. Brad got to sit in the dickey seat in the back with the luggage. This was the scariest ride so far. The behaviour on the road is unbelievable - overtaking on blind bends, when oncoming vehicles are visible, and dipping headlights is optional. Glad to make it to Hue alive.
The driver was not sure of where our hotel was located, so he asked a couple of locals outside another hotel. They suggested we could stay at their hotel instead for $20. We told them we had already booked our accommodation. Our driver figured out where he needed to go after speaking to another taxi driver and we soon arrived at our destination down a narrow side street. The Serene Hotel is beautiful. Our room is on the 6th floor with a balcony. It was still very hot outside as we had a late meal at a cheap and nasty caf? in the next street (about $5 per head or 200,000 VND all up).
Wednesday 23/04/2014
A leisurely start before deciding to walk to the citadel. It didn't look far on the map. About 15 minutes later, a cyclo rider talked us into taking a ride. We accepted and we were overcharged ($10 each - should have been $5), but it was getting very hot and humid and we didn't want to be exhausted before we even got to the walled city. The forbidden city is fascinating but it was sapping our energy walking around in this sauna-like heat and humidity. We were sweating buckets. We took another cyclo back to town - two-up this time. We found a lovely slightly air conditioned restaurant for lunch and headed back to the hotel to cool down a bit. In the late afternoon we walked to a large shopping complex (Big C Shopping Mall) we had seen on the way in yesterday. You don't see many of these in Vietnam. On the way back, we found a roof top bar to have a drink and swap stories and tips with some other travellers. Had tea at the Mandarin Cafe that is recommended in the Lonely Planet. Great meal and very cheap. The owner is a photographer and the walls had some of his work displayed. We bought a couple of prints for $2 each. It was still pretty humid now even if it was a bit cooler than during the day.
Thursday 24/04/2014
Breakfasted at our hotel before checking out and meeting our driver Quock who will be taking us to Hoi An via the Hai Van Pass. The drive was more enjoyable than the trip to Hue due to it being daylight and we were able to see the countryside which varied from shantytown to lush green rice paddies. Quock took us to a restaurant at Lang Co for an early lunch on a large lagoon that has a lot of pearl and shellfish farming. The restaurant specialised in shellfish so that's what we had - for a good cheap price. Soon afterwards we started to ascend the old road up to the Hai Van Pass. This road is now bypassed by most traffic due to the tunnel that goes under the mountain - only tourists and petrol tankers go this way now. At the top Quock suggested we have coffee and get out to enjoy the view and of course there was the heavy sell from roadside vendors - specialising in pearls. Down the other side into Danang, then through China Beach and on to Marble Mountain. Quock told us he wanted to stop to wash his face due to having driven so long - at a marble showroom. Once again, the hard sell. Off to Hoi An to the Vinh Hung Resort. This is a lovely premises on the Thu Bon River. Sure we'll enjoy it here. Had a swim and a rest before walking to the restaurant area of the island for tea. Quite a contrast to last time we were here! No flooded streets and everything was open and it was very busy and quite crowded. Finished our night at a local street vendor near the ferry pier sitting on tiny plastic chairs watching the world go by with a couple of locals while having a beer and a coffee. While we were there, the three German girls we had shared the taxi with us from Danang to Hue rode past. They stopped and chatted with Anna comparing notes regarding today's purchases and the heat in Hue.
Friday 25/04/2014
A rest day today. Swim, read, a couple of short walks but did not leave the island of An Hoi today.
Saturday 26/04/2014
Got up at 7am to visit the market. Bought some fruit. Very humid this morning. Visited the tailor (Charming) opposite the resort to order our new clothes. For lunch we were going to go to The Green Moss Restaurant as recommended by Sam and Audrey - but we couldn't find it. Had lunch somewhere else (Caf? 32) after giving up after a long walk. The coconuts were dry, but the food was good and cost only about 200,000 VND - $10. Walked all the way back to the resort the we had a swim. Anna had a massage for $8 for 45 minutes at a place just down the street. We had tea on the island and coffee with the locals again at the river pier.
Sunday 27/04/2014
Got some washing off to Mrs. Van ($1 per kilogram) and hired 2 bicycles from Mrs. Cuong for 20,000 VND or $1 each per day. Rode to Cua Dai beach. It looked a lot more attractive than last time we were here. Had a drink on the beach then headed off to Tra Que village which is a herb and vegetable growing area. Helen hosted us at The Water Wheel there and we had a magnificent lunch with all the salad and spring roll vegetables grown on the family plot. After lunch rode back to the hotel for a swim as it was quite hot. Took part in the "village square market" food samples and skipped tea. Had a long talk with our host, Ms. Giang during our evening drinks next to the river before a quick walk into town for a banana pancake and doughnut for supper.
Monday 28/04/2014
Anna picked up her dress from the tailor ($60 which was not that cheap but it has a lot of material in it and broderie Anglais) and Brad's business shirts for $30 each. We then took our bikes across to the island across the river on the ferry that the locals use. It's a rural setting with small scale farming, some wood carving and boat building being the main sources of income. The people here don't speak much English, but the kids all call out "hello" as we rode past. One man insisted on Brad having his photo taken with him. Back to Hoi An and visited the market. The aggressive sales banter of some of the women was a bit off-putting, so we didn't hang around long. Tried the Green Moss restaurant recommended by Sam and Audrey which we found at last, but we were a bit disappointed as the food was only fair. Back to the hotel for a swim and chat with the other guests before having tea at the Red Gecko restaurant, which is at the quiet end of the street on An Hoi Island. The food here was excellent and cheap - about $15 for both of us - and the staff were all from one very friendly family. Took a late night stroll around town. Old town was virtually deserted, but 3 or 4 bars on the island going strong.
Tuesday 29/04/2014
A leisurely start today. Read our books on the river bank for a while then took a bike ride along the northern bank of the river downstream through town until the track finished. Returned via back streets stopping for a coffee on the way. Picked up some more new clothes from another tailor (Anna's top for $18) and having been so impressed with the Red Gecko last night, went back for lunch. Had a quiet afternoon then Brad got a massage - very relaxing with 2 girls working on tired muscles for a full hour for $20! The hotel had supplied us with a complimentary dinner voucher as we were return guests of Vinh Hung, so we redeemed it tonight. The bar staff tried hard to teach us some Vietnamese words but most we had forgotten within 30 seconds, so Tam wrote us a list to learn.
Wednesday 30/04/2014
Today we caught the free hotel river boat to the market then wended our way back through some side alleys and lanes back to the resort for a swim and a lazy afternoon. We intended to ride in the late afternoon but it started raining lightly - the first in our time here in Vietnam. Had dinner at Mr Hi's Cafe. The food was nice and it was cheap but the ambience was spoiled when the husband and wife at the cafe next door had a physical and loud domestic. Quite busy in town tonight as it is a Vietnamese holiday today and tomorrow, so lots of locals around. Had a coffee at the street stall at the jetty end of the street again. The owners are getting to know us there now on about our 4th visit. It's nice and quiet here with some kids playing elastics and a cute baby who laughed at us when we spoke and waved to him.
Thursday 1/05/2014
Got up just after 6 am to look around before the heat and the tourists. Rode into Old Town then over the bridge to Cam An island. Despite the early hour plenty of locals up and about working, having breakfast, washing and eating. No tourists at all on this side of the bridge. After a while we turned off the main street and saw some of the prettiest rural scenes yet with very small farm holders growing corn, vegetables and fruit. Back to the hotel for breakfast and wondering what to do next. We decided to go for another ride in the opposite direction - upstream. Rode along the north bank of the river past a wedding reception and past some quaint caf?s in the shade of coconut palms and ended up at the pottery village. We paid out 20,000 VND - $1 entrance fee and had a look around. A couple of very old ladies showed us how they make pots. Bought a miniature tea pot and cups from them. It is getting hot again and after stopping for a Coke beside the river, rode back towards Hoi An and circumnavigated An Hoi Island before enjoying a well deserved swim. Said goodbye to Giang, our host, as she only works every second day and won't be here tomorrow. We had intended to go to the red Gecko for dinner tonight but as soon as we got near it we saw that it was much busier in the street tonight. The Red Gecko was full, so we went to another restaurant that is opposite Mrs. Mai's. Another nice, cheap meal. Went for a walk in Old Town and it was packed. Went to our friendly cafe stand next to the river on An Hoi island for a quick drink. Saw a couple rats the size of house cats! Headed back to our resort for a night cap at the bar before bed. A late night tonight.
Friday 2/05/2014
Our last day. Had a relax after breakfast and then a swim before lunch at the Red Gecko. We were welcomed like long lost relatives for our third visit here. Another great meal. Now it is time for our last swim and to pack our bags. Said our goodbyes to Phuong and Tam before wandering down the street for one last drink at Mrs. Mai's caf? before returning at last to the determined hat man to buy a hat from him. Believe it or not this was the one time he wasn't there advising sir and madam of his very good hats! He was having a shower but rushed out dripping wet when he heard we were there. Our driver arrived early - of course - to take us to Danang. Boarded VN125 on an Airbus A321 for the flight to HCMC at 5:40 pm. Left a little late and got to HCMC with only a little over an hour to get to our next flight. We were led on a walk at a pretty fast pace between the domestic and international terminals with some other transit passengers. We had planned to do a little bit of shopping now and even have something to eat but there was not enough time and we were on the A330 for the trip back to Melbourne before we knew it. It was a little bumpy at times. Did not sleep more than for a few minutes all night. Landed in Melbourne on time at 8:30 am, with a hard stop that locked up the wheels causing some smoke. The fire brigade followed us to the terminal and checked that all was well. Another delay occurred due to problems getting the luggage off the plane and our bags were the very last bags off the plane - of course. Nick had to wait a while for us to appear at the exit. Only 12 degrees C in Melbourne.
The end of another great trip to South East Asia. We'll be back, but not sure when. We don't feel the need to return to Cambodia, but Vietnam needs some more attention from us!