Vietnam 2013 Part 4 – VinPearl land!

As promised, this is the next post on my backpacking trip. So, the next day in Nha Trang, I decided to spend a full day at Vinpearl Land!

The day started with me having breakfast at my hostel and heading out to find transportation to Vinpearl Land. Vinpearl land’s cable car station is a good 5km away from the city centre of Nha Trang. There’s a few busstops along Nguyen Thien Thuat street that indicate a bus ending it’s route at Vinpearl Land. I decided to forego the idea of taking the public bus as I do not really understand how it works. Instead, I walked for a further 1 km down the beach road, hoping to find a good deal on a motorbike taxi.

There are a few motor taxis, waiting for customers and I bargained and rejected a few, until we came out with a price of 40 000 VND. Well, it isn’t so bad paying about $2 for a 4-5km ride right? The motor taxi took me to a travel agency office near the cable car station for me to purchase the day pass. Day passes for Vinpearl Land is at 500 000 VND (entry by cable car), and 430 000 VND (by boat).

Of course, it’s most logical to go by cable car even though it might cost more. But think of it! Your gonna ride on the world’s longest cable car ride over-water. So why not? Besides, it includes a return trip too!!

And so, I’ve reached the cable car station and the motor taxi driver was kind enough to pass me his number in case I’m need of a return transport. Well, who doesn’t? At the entrance, staff will be there to check your bags. Of all things you can possibly think of, they are in fact looking for food and drinks. Apparently, Vinpearl do not allow it’s visitors to bring outside food in, so do take note!

View from cable car station

I was lucky as that day, it wasn’t filled with tourists. The cable car ride took approximately 20 minutes and it’s supported by pillars resembling the Eiffel Tower.

And so, I’m in Vinpearl! Now, i shall explain why it is such a good deal. For 500 00 VND, you get a return trip on the cable car, UNLIMITED theme park rides, water theme park rides, an underwater world and UNLIMITED video arcade games. Not forgetting, there’s some carnivals going on there too!

So, I began slowly walking around and i stumbled across something. Look at the photos!

guess what is it???

it’s a dolphin!!! yes, you can actually play with it if the time and queue permits

I started by heading to the water theme park. Lockers can be rented at about 20 000 VND, and you will be given a plastic case to store your key in it. The water theme park has some exhilarating slides, a wave pool, a lazy river and a beautiful beach where u can play some water sports.

This is far the best slide ever! it’s about 7-8 storeys high and just let gravity do the rest!

The typical “race” slide. mats are needed for these

The lazy river, DON’T BOTHER!

“family” slide

Well, I managed to capture only a few pictures of the rides, but here’s a breakdown. There’s a lazy river, in which you shouldn’t really bother. The water is really dirty with chunks of tree branches, leaves and apparently it’s just a pile of mess. There is no current there to bring you around, so just save yourselves some time and ignore this ride. Tubes can be found all over the water park and are free for use. Slide mats are also free. Some slides require the use of tubes and mats. Do note that the steel stairs used to climb up the slides can be really painful to step on. The wave pool is in good shape. There’s waves every 30 minutes and lots of tubes lying around.

The water theme park also has a beach. Surprisingly, it’s really a clean and nice beach. The water is not of Maldives standard, but I’ll assure you that the water is really clean enough such that i could see my feet when the water is around my shoulder height!  There are no waves though in this beach. The beach will be a good if you wanna escape from the crowd at Nha Trang beach. There are several bars along the beach. And the stuffs there are quite cheap! You can get a fresh cool coconut for 30 000 VND!

I spent a good 3 hours at the water theme park. Remember to put some sunscreen lotion. The sun can be really glaring in the morning! So, next was the underwater world! Now, this can’t be compared to those found in Singapore or in Bangkok, but I think for the price you pay, it’s fairly a decent attraction.

Lunch was next and there are many fast food restaurants in the park. And to my surprise, the prices are really cheap, something you wouldn’t expect in a resort theme park! A decent meal will cost you only 50 000 VND! And all meals will include drinks, so it’s really worth every penny.

Next, I took a stroll before taking any rides. Here are some of the shots I took:

The outdoor theme park, was kind of depressing. There are only about 8 rides. And they are not those of Universal Studios standard. They are just your typical carnival rides. Here’s some of the pictures:

Don’t let your spirits down. There’s an alpine coaster awaiting! The ride will take you up the hill for about 10 minutes before letting you ride down just by letting gravity do the rest! The only control you will have is the brakes. Other than that, you can choose to “free-wheel” till you reach the finish line. The whole ride will last you a good 15-20 minutes!! In my opinion, this is far the best ride in the park so far! I took it about 8 times in total!

Just some tips: Some “not-so-daring” riders will tend to brake at every corner and every slope, thus slowing down the whole ride. If you’re the “brave-thrilling” kind of person, it’s better to avoid these people in front of you, or else you just gotta brake everywhere you go, rendering the ride useless.

And next, was to try the indoor arcade games. It’s free flow. You can just start and continue your game anytime. But, some of the machines are really not working. Other than that, it offers some cheap fun. There’s also a 4D cinematic ride and a rodeo ride. Worth a visit though.

As the day gets darker, I explored the park to see what I’ve missed. And just in time, I made it for the musical fountain show! It’s at the amphitheatre closer to the chain of restaurants. The show will last you a good 15 minutes, with spectacular laser lights, powerful fountains and loud music. Some pyrotechnics were also used.

And by the time it was done, it’s already 2100. The park closes at 2200. I slowly headed back to the cable car and headed back to the mainland. Overall, I think Vinpearl is really worth a full day of fun. For the price, it’s really worth it! Do not give it a miss when you’re in Nha Trang! Do remember to try to avoid the peak season. Bring enough cash and sunscreen lotion!

That’s all for my post on Vinpearl. Stay tuned as I travel to the highlands of Dalat next!!

Vietnam Part 5

Vietnam 2013 Part 3 – Snorkeling in Nha Trang

Thanks for staying tuned to my posts!

So, after spending 3 nights at Hanoi, it’s time to bid farewell to the capital of Vietnam! The next stop on my route is the beach city of Nha Trang. Initially, I wanted to do a Hanoi-Hue-Hoi An route before going to Nha Trang, but I figured out that it’s gonna cost more and also due to the tightness of my schedule. However now, I sort of regretting not going there as I heard lots of good stuffs especially on Hoi An.

I booked a Vietnam Airlines flight from Hanoi Noi Bai Airport to Nha Trang’s Cam Ranh Airport. Taking the train from Hanoi to Nha Trang is possible but it will cost me USD 85 and will take 2 nights!! The flight cost me USD 78, so why not???  The flight took about 1.5 hours. Initially, I wanted to book Vietjet Air but after hearing about many delay issues, i decide to play safe by booking with Vietnam’s national carrier.  Do note that there is no airport in Nha Trang itself. The nearest airport is Cam Ranh airport, which is like 30km away from Nha Trang.

A321 operating VN 1557 to Cam Ranh. The livery is Cambodia’s national carrier but the aircraft is loaned from Vietnam airlines.

Flight service by Vietnam Airlines is pretty good. There’s more legroom compared to those seats on budget airlines. A small snack box containing a pudding and a fruit cake is handed out to passengers.

So after landing, I took the airport bus to the city center. Tickets are at VND 60 000 and can be bought right at the arrival gate. The signs may be in Vietnamese, but just approach the counter and ask if they provide the service to the old nha trang airport. The airport minibus will operate based on the flight arrivals. It will take about 45 minutes to reach to the old nha trang airport. From there, you can arrange your own transport to your hotel. I took a motorbike taxi which cost me VND 40 000. Do note that not all Vietnamese drivers/riders know the address that well. So, try having a local to help you write the address of your hotel in Vietnamese.

I booked my hostel, HQ hostel, for 3 nights. Dorms here cost me USD 7 per night and the price includes breakfast! So after reaching, I decided to wander around looking for places to eat.

Nha Trang is really a touristy and developed place. There are tall buildings around and strangely, many Russian restaurants. You can find many Russian expats and tourits here! And it was in Nha Trang that I saw the first fast food outlet (KFC) in Vietnam! The beach is really crowded with locals and tourists. The water, well it’s clean but not matching the standards of those beaches you see in Thailand. Nha Trang also has it’s share of nightlife which is around the Nguyen Thien Thuat and Biet Thu St area. The nightlife here isn’t as rowdy as those in Bangkok.

Night life in Nha Trang

Prices wise in Nha Trang are slightly higher than those in Hanoi. It’s a city area, what do you expect right? For those shoppers, you can shop at the Nha Trang shopping center and also a small mini night market that sells mainly souvenirs.

Just look for this prominent tower and the night market is nearby

I also booked for a snorkeling day trip for VND 300 000 by Nha Trang Tourist. Snorkeling gear, hotel transfer, lunch, fruits and bottled water are provided.

So, that’s about Nha Trang. Now, snorkeling!

The trip started off at 0800, with a 15 minute drive to the jetty for boat transfer. We went to Mun Island first and it took 30 minutes to get there. The water is really cold there and the water is clear and good enough for snorkeling. Alternatively, you can also book a diving trip to Mun Island.

We were allowed 45 minutes to snorkel here before going to another island. We went to Mot Island next for another 45 minutes of snorkeling.

Lunch was served on the boat, buffet style. Vietnamese food is served here. Lunch was okay, but you get for what you paid for, so no complaints! Fruits were also served after lunch!

After lunch, we headed to Mun Island for the last time. Here, we spent 30 minutes to snorkel and later back to the pier for our hotel transfer.

Well overall, the experience is okay. As I mentioned earlier, you get for what you paid for. But for the price, it’s really worth it considering lunch is included. The corals are not damaged and the water is clear and clean for snorkeling. The trip will end about 1600.

I wandered around the city and beach area before heading back to the hostel to call it a day.

So that’s all for now. Stay tuned for my next post, as I venture to the resort island of VinPearl!

Vietnam Part 4

Krabi 2013 Part 3 – Island hopping

And again, this post might be similar to the one in Phuket, so just bare with me again!

And so, we bought this package by speedboat for THB 1500. I loved Phiphi islands and I don’t mind going there again. And also, I love snorkeling!

The day started off raining and we were waiting in the boat for 30 minutes. We were all drenched but who cares? I’m on holiday!

Our first stop in this island hopping tour was the Bamboo island. The ride there was really rocky and a few of the passengers actually threw up! Gross!

Bamboo island beach. Looks nice? well, don’t be deceived

 

To my surprise, bamboo island isnt that nice as compared to last year. The water is dirty with rubbish. And this time, there were no fishes. Quite a disappointing experience though. My body actually itched pretty badly after swimming there. It really comes as a shock as within a few months, this island seemed to have changed a lot.

Next, we headed over to monkey beach and this time, due to the high tide and the rain, there were no beach. Instead, the monkeys are all hanging around on the trees. Our speedboat just stopped by for others to have a quick snap.

Next was Maya bay. This time , the tide is high and the waves were strong. We decided to swim with our lifejackets on just in case. Due to the rain,there were not many tourists swimming there. And somehow, this place isn’t really nice compared to the first time I went there last year. There were little bits of litters floating around. Honestly, I was kind of disappointed looking at the state Maya Bay was in.

maya bay high tide

 

We had our lunch next at Phiphi Don island and do some light shopping. Lunch was great but the seats were all taken up and some tourists actually eat standing up!

Prices there are a bit higher than in Krabi. And we had a bad experience with one of the push-cart seller there who hurled vulgarities at us just because we asked the price and didn’t buy anything from them.

Phiphi Don island

Phiphi Don island

Awesome pancakes in Thailand!

 

Snorkeling was next, and this time we headed out to 2 places to snorkel. A great experience, the same as last year. But the waters aren’t really that clear. Probably, due to the rain earlier on. After snorkeling, we went to bamboo island to pick up a few tourists before heading out to the pier at Krabi.

Water isn’t that clear though

Snorkeling

 

The next few days, we rented a motorbike and it was my first time actually riding a motorbike!! Here in krabi, there were no police setting up road blocks than in Phuket. We rode without a helmet and mainly use it to get to the beachfront and to Nopparat Thara Beach. If your looking for a quieter beach to chill, head over to NopparatThara beach, which is about 1km away from Ao Nang Beach.

Along the way, there were lots of street snacks vendor, and ofcourse the infamous pancakes! They are a  “must-try” in Thailand! Also, we tried the traditional Thai Massage for THB 200/ hour. Its a legit massage, so no hanky panky. The massage really cracked lots of my joints and indeed, I feel better after that. Massage parlors typically sell their Thai massage services at THB 200 for an hour, so no point haggling. And who the hell haggles at a massage parlor? After all, your here on a vacation!

My first time riding a bike. My face says it all

Our massage “uniform”. Don’t worry, it’s legit!

 

Well, so that sums up my Krabi experience. In conclusion, I really loved this place, more than Phuket! It’s not very touristy, prices are cheap, lots of cheap eateries around! A must go if your looking for a peaceful beach getaway. Also, a good destination for muslims as they serve more halal food here, compared to Phuket. For backpackers, I’d recommend heading here instead of Phuket if your really on a tight budget. However, do carry an insect repellent with you every where you go. I got bitten by so many mosquitoes till I got paranoid myself. 😀

We took off for Changi Airport, Singapore at 1150.

Honestly, I’m still not satisfied on my trip. I regretted not doing the 4 Islands tour, heading to Railey beach ( a must secluded but beautiful beach only accessible by long tailed boat) and exploring Krabi Town. i’m sure I will return here someday again! Well, this is it, stay tuned for more travels!

Total Breakdown of Budget (Mid-range):

Flight by Tiger Airways: SGD 160

Accomodation Haleeva Sunshine hotel (Agoda): SGD 26 per night for 5 Nights

Personal Expenses (Mid Range): SGD 450

Total: SGD 740

Flight by Tiger Airways

 

Krabi 2013 Part 2 – White Water Rafting + ATV + Elephant Trekking

This post is similar to the one on Phuket so please bare with me! The only difference here is we opted for a more expensive option tour.

We paid THB 3000 for this package which includes: 7 Km White water rafting (Grade 2), 1 hour jungle ATV ride, 30 Minutes elephant trekking and short jungle trekking to the waterfall. Initially this package was sold at THB 3600, but after haggling, we got it at THB 3000.

As usual, we drove off to Phang Nga Province, which took a good 2 hours. Along the journey, there were many sights such as pineapple plantations, lots of rubber plantations, “kampung”, houses. Krabi is not really that developed compared to Phuket. You can see many small, stoned houses along the way. There aren’t many tall buildings, shopping malls, which is a good thing! So get to Krabi if your looking for a less developed area.

We started off with the elephant trekking. This is slightly more exciting than the one in Phuket. The trail taken by the elephant was different. It’s not a typical trail where there’s flat land all over. Instead, the trail feels like were climbing a steep gradient. I pity the elephants though. And the sad part was the trainer actually had this sickle like tool which he will use to hit his elephant. I mean, I know elephants have a thick skin, but that’s no way to treat an animal.

the elephant trekking trail

The trail

us

another picture of us. i looked uneasy due to the seat

Nearing the end of the trek, our “elephant guide” demanded THB 200 for tips just because he took our pictures. I mean like seriously, since when tips have a specific value? And we didn’t even asked for our photos to be taken. He offered us and we thought it’s just a nice offer. I mean, such a ripoff. We didn’t pay it though. Instead, we bought a basket of bananas to feed the elephants at THB 100 each. I rather pay to buy the bananas then let a local rip me off just for photos! So fellow travelers, BEWARE for such instances!

Feeding those elephants! A deserving treat after a trek!

After that, we were brought to the water rafting camp, which is exactly the same place when I went to Phuket last year. Surprisingly, there were alot of tourists there! The water rafting experience was better than last year, even though the river is filled with boats. And there were 3 boats which capsized ! And the poor thing was the tourists were trying to find another boat and their were really struggling due to the strong current of the river. The guys there really opened the dam till the current gets strong!

the water rafting camp

Upon reaching to the end line, we were transported to the ATV camp. This time,it was slightly different. We were barefooted and half-naked. The ATV experience is really better this time as we really go through different terrains, high slopes alot of sharp turns. My ATV decided to give way while negotiating a sharp turn. Luckily, our “ATV leader” offered his ATV. After an hour of ATV, we went back to the camp for lunch.

Word of Advice: Do check the condition of your ATV before moving off. Not just ATV, basically anything that you rent! I’m lucky to get away without having to pay any damages. Thailand is known to have these kind of scams where they will rent you a run down vehicle and when it gets damaged, you will have to pay for it. More commonly known is the Jet Ski Scam. So do yourself a favor, check the condition and request for a change if you find any defects. It’s worth losing some face to the locals rather than losing your hard earned money on damages which you aren’t even aware of!

The next agenda is the waterfall. This time, we dont really need to trek in the jungle to reach the waterfall. And this waterfall seems more legit than the one in Phuket. The water is really cold and we had a good swim for about 20 minutes before heading to the camp to grab our belongings. Next, we headed to the monkey cave where there were lots and lots of hungry monkeys waiting for tourists to feed them. After feeding them for about 30 minutes, we headed back to our hotel.

Sorry! No photos of the waterfall! Just picture it as something more better than the one in phuket 🙂

monkey cave

Monkeys overload

Feeding em monkeys!

We had our dinner at the night market in Krabi town. We took a tuktuk there for about 100 baht per person. Remember to haggle!! The night market is slightly smaller than the one in Phuket. Food is emphasized here and the prices are super cheap!!!! A turkish kebab costs THB 50t!! I mean where can u get that???  Also, we bought our souvenirs here since they are really cheap here. There aren’t many shops selling shirts. It’s just more on street food and souvenirs. Great place to eat if your traveling on a budget! The market is really crowded though.

The prominent sign if you are near Krabi Town Market

Krabi Market

Food and food all over!

It’s really crowded!

How cheap is this? THB 10 for 3 pancakes! and it’s delicious!

The market can be really crowded!! Keep your belongings close to you. Beware of pickpockets lurking around. And haggle when buying souvenirs, shirts but please don’t haggle when buying food. It’s just ridiculous to haggle over food when it’s all already so cheap!

Krabi Part 3

Phuket 2012 Part 3 – Rafting + ATV + Safari Adventure

It’s Day 3 in Phuket, and I’m having a hard time getting up from bed. Oh gosh, probably due to tiredness we had from yesterday’s activity. Today’s agenda is the White water rafting, ATV and safari adventure tour! We bought this tour together with the Island hopping tour. If I’m not mistaken, we bought this for THB 1500. Pretty good deal.

What’s included: 5km of White water rafing (Grade 2), 30 Minutes of ATV ride, 15 minutes of Elephant trekking, fish spa, Safari adventure and a small trek in the jungle.

And so, the day began by travelling to Phang Nga Province island safari camp, some 2 hours away from Phuket. Do note that Phuket is an island and not part of the mainland Thailand.

We arrived about 1015 and we did the fish spa first. Nothing special, just dipping your feet into a tank filled with water and fishes that will nibble your dead skin.

Finally reached after the 2 hour journey!

Greeted by this waterfall at the entrance

The island safari camp

Next was some animal shows, mainly elephant and monkey shows. It’s like some zoo animal show that you will normally see. I would say the animals are really well trained and they really obeyed to every single command! But the mystery lies in the way the trainers train them. The elephants were made to stand on 2 feet, “massaging” a volunteer’s back by using it’s trunk, shooting balloons using darts and doing a “hand stand”. The monkeys did stuffs like riding a bicycle, balancing on a rope and playing basketball. Honestly, the monkeys look abit depressed.

an elephant doing a hand stand

elephants standing on 2 legs

Elephants “massaging” a girl volunteer by using their trunks

Us with the talented elephants!

Monkeys doing a balancing act

Monkey riding a bicycle

Monkey doing a slam dunk!

After that, we had our 30 min ATV ride and I must say it was really really exciting, except that my ATV keeps stalling and I have to keep restarting the engine. Nevertheless, it was a nice experience. We rode on rocky terrain, grass terrain and of course, mud! I made a big mistake wearing white that day and served me right, my whole shirt was stained with mud. But still, the experience is great!

Sorry, no pictures on the ATV ride as were busy with our vehicles 😀

The elephant trek is next and we queued for 30 minutes due to some chinese tourists cutting our queue. The trek was mundane, nothing new, just like the ones in zoo. However, the elephant that I rode on is really mischievous! No, really! The whole trek was conducted in a convoy-like movement and my elephant actually sucked some water and sprayed it in front! The tourists on the elephant in front were all cursing and I’m here laughing like hell!

Elephant trekking

Look how mischievous our elephant is!

Next, we headed to the white water rafting camp, not really far from there. Had our lunch there and our first ever rafting experience! The rafting here is Grade 2, nothing extreme just some cheap thrills. We will be having the 5 km route. The current isn’t that strong though, as the whole place relied on dams to provide the current. Overall, we all had fun though. The route has some sharp bends, small(really small) waterfalls and huge rocks for us to “bump” into..

The water rafting camp

No current now, as the dams aren’t opened

ahh, the dams are opened! Time for rafting!

Next we had a short trek in some jungle near the camp. As usual, the normal steep slopes and thick layers of vegetation. At the end, we reached this mini waterfall and a small pool. We just soaked our feet in the super cool water before heading out to end our tour.

Trek to the waterfall

The thick lush vegetation

The waterfall

After all that, we headed to the Phuket Town night market. Another 2 hours journey. The market is really huge, with lots and lots of cheap stuffs! I made a big mistake, not bringing most of my cash, thus I really controlled myself in spending here. Shopping here is really great and cheaper than in Patong area. Shirts are sold for like THB 100, and there are many cheap street foods around! So, don’t forget to bring extra cash with you!! And do take care of your belongings as there might be pickpockets around.

Tuktuk ride back to the hotel

Overall, I had a really great time here in Phuket. Even though, it may be expensive for certain stuffs, most of the things here can be bargained to lower prices. Just work on your haggling skills and you will be fine! Patong is the place to stay if your looking for a busy nightlife. There are quieter places such as near Kata and Karon Beaches. Recommend this place if your looking for a beach destination with a very busy nightlife!!

 

Breakdown for Budget:

Flight by Jetstar airways return : SGD 180

Accomodation (Agoda): SGD 50 for 4 nights

Personal Expenses (Mid-range): SGD 400

Total: SGD 630