Cambodia 2013 Part 2 – Siem Reap and the Angkor Temples

After a grueling 5 hours in the bus, I now arrive at Siem Reap! Why I call it grueling? Well basically it’s cause the journey wasn’t a pleasant one despite the comfy bus. I would say 50% of the road weren’t paved and the bus seemed to swerve left and right. Anyway, I’m glad I made it in one piece.

Another option to get to Siem Reap is by flight. There is only one carrier that serves this route; Cambodia Angkor Air. Prices for a 1 way ticket will cost you USD 90-100. I would strongly recommend you travel by land as it’s the cheapest and most sensible way.

Time Check: 1830

So, the bus will stop at the Siem Reap bus station. It’s not really in the city, probably about 3 km away. Here, as usual, will have many tuktuk drivers all chasing after you for their services. However, it’s not that bad than in Phnom Penh I would say. So I agreed with one driver with a price of USD 3 for our hotel transfer. I booked a hostel at HI Siem Reap for USD 6 per night for 2 nights.

You can also arrange your visit to the Angkor temples with your tuktuk driver. I arranged the trip for USD 15. Prices depend on how far you would wanna go. Normally, it’s best to ask for recommendations. As for me, I wanted to see the entire complex of temples, therefore that explains the price. Anything more than USD 25 per tuktuk is probably a scam. Do note that the driver will arrange a pick up timing of 4 am so as you can catch the beautiful sunrise.

So how do I spend the remaining of the night? Well, conveniently, my hostel is in walking distance to Pub Street. It’s actually like the Khao San road of Siem Reap. There’s many bars, restaurants, shops, street food and night markets. There’s a wide variety of food ranging from Khmer cuisine, Vietnamese cuisine, Middle east cuisine, Chinese cuisine and indian cuisine. I managed to settle down for a meal for USD 6. Do note that prices in Siem Reap are slightly higher than in Phnom Penh, due to Siem Reap being a top tourist destination in Cambodia.

The bridge to Pub Street

Oh yea, and do not need to look further if you’re interested in bizzare foods. Cambodia is also known to have an abundance of bizzare foods! I saw a food stand stall selling scorpions, small snakes, bugs, crickets all retailing at USD 1-2 per stick/packet. And poverty wise, it’s not that bad compared to other parts of Cambodia.  So that concludes my first night in Siem Reap.

Day 2

Time check: 0400

Many will find it absurd to wake up at 4 in the morning when you’re on a holiday. But this is an exception. In fact it seems mandatory to catch the sunrise at the Angkor Wat. You will be amazed on how many actually waited for the sunrise.

So, my driver arrived on time and we zoomed off to the Angkor Complex. Journey there takes about 15 minutes and it’s about 4km away. An alternative is to rent a bicycle and cycle, but I would still recommend a tuktuk driver.

We reached the Angkor Complex ticketing office and I got my picture taken. Tickets to the Angkor Complex are fixed at USD 20 per person for a one day pass. There is NO haggling here. You will be issued an Angkor Pass. Be sure to keep it with you.

The Angkor Pass with my photo

I started off with walking on this long bridge over a moat. There will be officials checking on your pass, so be sure not to lose it! Keep walking straight and you will come across the Angkor Wat temple complex. You will be amazed on how many tourists are actually there!

The bridge over the moat to Angkor Wat

First glimpse of Angkor Wat

 

So I made it just in time for the sunrise! It’s really stunning and beautiful. The sky is clear with scattered clouds and the sun silhouetting the Angkor Wat is just amazing. Here are a few photos and note the crowd.

 

That’s just the “front” of the Angkor Wat. You can walk in and see the different sites of the temples. It’s best to actually have a guide there, otherwise you won’t have any idea on what the temples are all about.

So enough of Angkor Wat. I was dying for breakfast! My driver recommended me a small cafe somewhere north of the Angkor Wat. Food prices here are about the same as you would find in Pub Street. I had a meal for USD 4 before continuing my temple journey.

We headed to Prasat Bayon temple. What makes this unique is there are faces “engraved” in those stones. It’s like Mount Rushmore but not that detailed.

 

Next was Preah Khan. What makes this temple different from the rest is that it is flat. There is no need to climb any stairs and it’s easily accessible.

 

We traveled further and reached what it’s known as the victory gate.

 

And last but not least, the highlight of all: Ta Prohm! This is famous due to the movie Tomb Raider! And the cool thing is you can see trees actually “growing” off from the walls of the temple.

 

So that concludes my Angkor Temples trip. There are a few temples in which I didn’t get the chance to snap. Do note that the distance from Angkor Wat and the following temples are quite far apart. So, do think twice if you wanna cycle. No matter what, it is always good to engage a personal tuktuk driver and he may in time, give you a basic idea on which temples you are visiting.

One does not simple go to Siem Reap without visiting the Angkor Temples. It’s like going to Starbucks and not order a coffee. This is one activity for the adventurous. What really amazes me is all that you are seeing are worth 100 over years of history. Even there are some parts which are under some renovation repairs, you can see how all these magnificent ancient structures has survived 100 over years battling with forces of nature. This is one attraction where you explore and not simply read it off. Really one shouldn’t give this a miss!

Also, for those visiting, it’s advisable to put on long pants just to cover your legs as a mark of respect for the culture and the religion. Angkor complex being a religious site, it’s always good to respect one’s religion despite which country and religion you’re from. For the ladies, you can actually buy a sarong (a cloth like material to cover your legs) there. And practice caution when exploring the temples as the stairs might be steep and without any handrails.

So that’s my itinerary for half of the day. On the way back, I asked the driver to recommend me a tourist office in which I can book my bus tickets to the Cambodian/Thai border. And by doing this, I realized I made a huge mistake. However, I’m so lethargic (due to the weather and being awake at 4 am), I just paid for the tickets. You wouldn’t believe that I actually paid USD 15 for a bus ticket to the border!! It’s a scam! YES! I will explain why in the next post regarding the Cambodian-Thailand border crossing.

Time Check: 1330.

I went back to my hostel, slept for a few hours and explore the whole of Pub street once again.

Sadly, this marks my end of my Cambodian journey. Overall, was a great experience. I would rather return to Cambodia than Vietnam. Here, locals are much more polite, understand and speak English well despite them being more poor than the Vietnamese. Expenses wise are also cheaper in Cambodia, depending on your haggling skills.

I believe there are much more things to do in Cambodia, like visiting Battambang and riding the bamboo train, Sihanoukville for nice beaches and water sports. Cambodia is also home to untouched nature sceneries, such as waterfalls and nature parks, so be sure to check them out!

Breakdown for costs in Siem Reap:

Hostel: USD 6-10 per night. Normally hostels don’t provide breakfast.

Meals: USD 3-10 per meal, depending on how you wish to dine.

Expenses: Street food can cost you USD 1-3.

Souvenirs: USD 1-5, which includes magnets, shirts, paintings, etc

Transportation: to Angkor temples; USD 10-18.

Hotel transfer from Bus station; USD 2-5 depending on location of your hotel.

 

You can easily live with USD 20-25 a day if you’re on a budget.

 

Next, I will cross the border over to the land of smiles, Thailand!

 

Cambodia 2013 Part 1 – Journey to Phnom Penh

This will be my next country stop in my Southeast Asian backpacking journey. My journey to Phnom Penh begins in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

There are a few options to travel to Cambodia; by land, air and sea. The most common, cheapest but time consuming is crossing by land at the Moc Bai/Bavet border. You can also take a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, but it’s not gonna be cheap as compared to travelling by land. Flights by Vietnam Airlines or Cambodia Angkor Air will cost you about more than USD 100. As for now, I don’t think there is any budget airlines for that trip. And plus all that check-in time and airport transfer, you’re just gonna waste more money.  Overall, I would recommend one to go by land as you can experience the different scenery along the way.

Now, by land. Remember to book your bus tickets the day or few days before! I strongly recommend to book under the Mekong Express Bus Service due to it’s high reliability. The head office is at 275 Pham Ngu Lao street. Buses to Phnom Penh is USD 15 per trip. Here is the schedule of buses available:

 

Time Check: 0800

Be sure to arrive at the office early. Bags will be tagged and loaded in the baggage hold. Just present your tickets to the facilitator and find your seat. Bottled drinks and a light snack will be provided. The Cambodian Immigration card will also be handed out, so get a pen in handy.

Journey to the Vietnamese-Cambodian border will take about 2 hours. The Vietnamese side of the border is called Moc Bai. The bus is really comfortable for a nap, so don’t worry much. Buses also have toilets so there will be no pit stops.

2 hours into the journey, we reached Moc Bai. Here, everyone will have to alight and grab their bags and proceed to the immigration checkpoint. Your bus facilitator will collect your passports and you will need to wait for all the passports to be stamped. Your bus facilitator will then call out your names for you to collect your passport and then board the bus again. The advantage was you won’t need to queue and go through the normal immigration process.

The bus will continue the journey for about 500 metres before entering Cambodia. The Cambodian side of the border is Bavet. Here the same process again, except that you need to queue for immigration. Be sure to check if your nationality needs a Visa to enter Cambodia. Only passports from ASEAN countries don’t need to Visa to enter. Visas are available online and also at the immigration checkpoint. If I’m not wrong, it’s USD 20-25 for a 30-day Visa.

Immigration process won’t take that long. After that, we boarded the same bus and stopped at a small eating house for lunch for an hour. Here, VND, USD and Cambodian Riels can be used. Cambodia’s national currency, the Riel is a weak currency and paper money. You can’t change this currency anywhere in the world. USD is the second official currency and it’s widely used in Cambodia. Change lesser than USD 1 will be given in Riel. Just note that USD 1 is equals to 4000 riels. So, if your change is USD 0.50, you will receive 2000 riels.

 

After lunch,the bus continued it’s journey for another 1 hour and will line up with a ferry crossing over the mekong river. Here, the landscape changes from busy streets and paved roads to unpaved roads, rice fields and run down small towns. Cambodia is one of the world’s poorest countries, so don’t expect to see many high-rise buildings.

After crossing the Mekong river, the bus will take another 1-2 hours to Phnom Penh. The bus will stop at the Orussey Market in central Phnom Penh. Here you will be bombarded by many tuk-tuk drivers offering to send you back to your hotel and don’t worry,  they all speak good english!!

I got my driver to send me to 88 Backpackers for USD 3. A tuk-tuk ride will not cost more than USD 5. You can actually haggle for a cheaper price. The roads in Phnom Penh are really bad, with huge pot holes, uneven roads, dust all over, you won’t really enjoy your ride. The Cambodian version of a tuktuk differs from Thailand’s.

 

Time check: 1600 hrs

Upon reaching my hostel, my driver offered to provide me the transport service to see the Killing Fields and the Genocide museum (the most visited attractions in Phnom Penh). I agreed with him with a price of USD 10. Due to time constrains, we agreed on the Killing fields trip for the day as the Killing fields will close at 1830 hrs. You can get a Genocide museum/killing fields trip tour for a price of USD 15 per tuktuk. Do note that the Killing fields is somewhere far outside town, so that explains the price.

The ride to the killing fields took me about 45 minutes and I must say, the journey wasn’t a pleasant one. The roads were all filled with dust, sand, potholes. 5 minutes into the ride is enough to make your skin feel dirty. Along the way, I get to admire on how the people of Cambodia live in this city. There aren’t many shopping centres here in Phnom Penh, one you would expect in a city. Traffic wise in Phnom Penh is quite bad, but not as bad as Vietnam. There are more cars than bikes, but you wont get to see buses that much. Cambodia seems to lack public transportation. Also during my trip there, I noticed the poverty that’s been living in Cambodia. During a traffic stop in Phnom Penh, there were two half-naked kids running to my tuktuk and offered to sell this necklace which is handmade out of leaves. It really makes me sad on how these kids need to resort to such doings just so their family can survive.

So upon reaching the Killing Fields, I had to pay an entrance fee of USD 6 with an audio guide. The audio guide is available in many languages. Here you will just need to follow the directions as stated by numbers and hear to the what the audio guide explains. There are 18 checkpoints in the tour. Be sure to follow the sequence and hear the audio guide.

This is one tourist attraction that is really deep and emotional. You will get to understand on how the PolPot regime caused the death of nearly 2 million people. And not forgetting, this is only one of the many mass graves in Cambodia. The rest are probably inaccessible due to them being deep in the forest and covered with mines.

It is here in the Killing Fields where most of the Cambodians were tortured, mutilated, and being buried in mass graves. It is said that about 15000 people actually died here. Ammunition was expensive in those times, so the Khmer Rouge used tools to mutilate their victims. Victims were clubbed with axes, hammers, spades and even babies were victims. It is said that babies were smashed on the tree trunks to ensure a quick death.

I only took these 3 photos of the killing fields. Most of it were just plains of fields and mass graves. The memorial stupa here houses many skulls of the dead and they show on how those people are killed.  It’s really a sad and place to visit after hearing about the history.

After the killing fields, I went back to my hostel for a rest and later have dinner. Overall I would say Phnom Penh is quite a safe place to visit. Locals are friendly and most can understand English. Most signage are in khmer and english. ATMs can be found easily and they all dispense USD.

Day 2

The next day, I managed to find a tuktuk driver right outside of my hotel for the Tuol Sleng genocide museum trip. We agreed on a price of USD 5. Do note that the genocide museum is in Phnom Penh itself. The journey there took me about 15 minutes.

Admission fee was USD 4 per person. Here you can hire a guide but it will cost you more.

The genocide museum was initially a high school converted into a prison and an execution centre during the Khmer Rouge regime. It is said that about 20000 people were executed here and we then brought to the killing fields for mass burial. Only 12 survived this prison due to having skills that are seen beneficial to the Khmer Rouge.

What gave this museum an eerie feeling was actually the pictures of the prisoners, the tools displayed to torture, the remaining cells of what is left. There are also a few rooms with a metal bed frame with dried bloodstains with a picture on how the prisoner was found when the Vietnamese invaded Phnom Penh. This is also one attraction that will give you the creeps.

 

A good 1-2 hours is enough for you to complete everything here. Near the exit of the museum, a survivor of the genocide is there selling a book written by him. There are also other books retailing at USD 10 on the Khmer Rouge regime.

So that’s all for the activities in Phnom Penh for me. I got a ticket to Siem Reap for USD 12 and is scheduled to depart at 1230 hours on that day. I rushed back to my hostel, pack my stuffs and head over to the bus station.

You can arrange your bus trips to other parts of Cambodia through your hotel. I got my ticket to Siem Reap in Ho Chi Minh City when buying the HCMC-Phnom Penh trip. I still recommend Mekong Express Service for this. The only downfall is you have to be at the bus station in Phnom Penh for your outgoing journey. The Bus station is somewhere north near the riverside. I got a tuktuk there for USD 2. Remember to arrive there early!

Prices wise in Phnom Penh, it’s quite reasonable. My hostel cost about USD 7 per night and you can eat out for about USD 4-6 per meal, depending on your preferences. I had my dinner at the KFC restaurant near the riverside. A meal there cost me about USD 3. If you are daring enough, you can try the street foods and I bet they will cost much more cheaper.

You can survive on USD 15 per day if you are on a budget constrain. Nightlife in Phnom Penh is not that much as Ho Chi Minh City or in Bangkok.

Just a few hours in this city, I actually felt comfortable here, despite the dirty streets. My only mistake is due to time constrains, I didn’t plan on staying in Phnom Penh for long. I strongly recommend at least 2 nights here in Phnom Penh to experience most of the stuffs here. I would love to come back here again to see the other attractions Phnom Penh has to offer: Royal Palace, Central Market, Independence Monument and more.

 

Next, I will venture to the ancient city of Siem Reap!

Vietnam 2013 Part 7 – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

So, this will mark my last stop in Vietnam in my Southeast Asian backpacking journey. Today, it’s to the country’s former capital, Ho Chi Minh City (known as Saigon for the locals).

And so, the journey began with me taking the usual SinhTourist bus service from Mui Ne. The bus leaves at their ticket office (Sinhtourist always leaves at their ticket office) at 0800 hours. The ticket costs VND 129 000. Remember to book them earlier!

Journey to Saigon will take 6 hours. Surprisingly, the journey was a smooth one as the roads were in good condition.

So, 6 hours later, we reached the Sinhtourist office at De Tham St, in the backpackers district of Pham Ngu Lao. I booked a hostel at Mimi Backpackers Hostel for USD 10/N. There are many hostels and budget hotels in the Pham Ngu Lao area that you can find and most are going for about USD 10- 13 per night.

A word of advice: Navigating around Pham Ngu Lao district can be a pain in the A$$. I got lost there for a good hour before finally finding a local understands the address I’m heading too!! The address of the hotel you’re gonna stay don’t really tally with the layout of the street, so it’s best to ask locals for direction!

Saigon is really a busy city, even busier than the capital, Hanoi. Here, you can see many many pushy peddlers, motor taxis and even trishaws all bugging you to ride with them! Another word of advice: AVOID the trishaw at all cost!!! A fellow traveler was conned for VND 200 000 for a 10 minute ride.

The Pham Ngu Lao area is really busy with lots of tourist offices, restaurants, cheap eateries and even bars. It really gets lively in the night, closely resembling the nightlife in Phuket, Thailand. Upon reaching, I booked my Chu Chi tunnels half day tour for the following day and my bus tickets to Cambodia.

For those heading to Cambodia, I’d strongly recommend to get your tickets under Mekong Express Bus Service. It will cost USD 13 to Phnom Penh.

So back to Saigon, the city don’t really have much to offer, unless you’re in for museums and the busy traffic. I decided to do a free self-guided city tour. Just armed with the city map, I visited these attractions:

1- Reunification Palace. This palace used to be the working place of the President of South Vietnam back in the Vietnam war. The palace can’t be missed as it’s just north of Ben Thanh market. Tickets are at VND 30 000. Guided tours are available but are subjective on certain time slots.

 

To be honest, touring this palace without a guide sucks. There’s no any visual or verbal explanation going on, so it’s more like a photo stop here. I’d strongly recommend to go for the guided tour to better understand the place.

2- War Remnants Museum. This museum is dedicated to the events regarding the Vietnam war and it relates more to the American actions in the war. I would say the amount of propaganda here, well, you just need to be here and see it for yourself. War Remnants Museum is in close proximity to the Reunification palace and tickets are at VND 15 000.

 

The exhibits are explained in English and Vietnamese. However, they do portray some gruesome images of the war and a good dose of propaganda. Overall, worth a visit.

3-Notre Dame Cathedral. This is a French-built cathedral which kind of resembles the Notre Dame De Paris, in Paris. It’s a good stop for some photos and to just admire the architecture. The Notre Dame Cathedral is just beside the Saigon Post Office.

 

4- The Saigon Central Post Office. This post office actually became a tourist attraction due to the way it’s French-like architecture. It was actually designed by Gustav Eiffel. The post office is a nice place to check out for a photo stop. It’s located in close proximity with the Notre Dame Cathedral.

 

 

All these major attractions were all in close proximity to each other. You can’t get lost finding these. Just remember to get your free map from your hotel and you’re sure to find these places.

Now, for the Chu Chi Tunnels tour. You can find it through out the travel agencies in Pham Ngu Lao. Most agencies will sell you the half-day trip to the tunnels for USD 5-7 depending on the season. I got mine at USD 7, due to them claiming that they’re having a public holiday on that day. If you are going to pay more than that, probably you’re being ripped!

And do note that the price you pay is actually for the transport to the tunnels and the tour guide. You WILL have to pay a separate fee for the entrance to the tunnels once you reached there. I can’t really recall the price but it’s nowhere more than VND 100 000 per person.

Okay, now for the trip. The trip starts with you going down to the tour office that you booked that tour with. For USD 7, I don’t think you will expect a hotel transfer service. You get for what you paid for anyway. I began boarding the bus at 0830 local time. The bus is quite comfortable with a tour group of 20-30 tourists. A bottle of drinking water will be provided for everyone.

The journey to the tunnels will take approximately an hour. And don’t worry, the tour guide speaks good English.

Upon reaching, the tour guide collects the entrance fee to the tunnels and allowed us for a short toilet break. Then, we all proceeded to the entrance, where the guy there will paste a sticker on our shirt to indicate that we already paid for the entrance fee.

 

The tunnels area is in a remote forest-like area. Along the way, the tour guide will explain on how the VietCong soldiers survive, build traps, communicate, battle during the Vietnam War. It’s quite impressive on how they can actually build this network of tunnels during that time even with a lack of technology. There are also some small entrance doors to the tunnels and they are really small! Not for those who are claustrophobic.

Here are some pictures

The picture of the man entering the small hole is one of the entrances to the tunnels. Most of the entrance holes u see now are being designed to be bigger to accommodate western tourist, so you can actually imagine how small the entrances were actually are during the war!

Don’t worry about the booby traps too. They are all in an enclosed area and your tour guide will definitely demonstrate on how these traps work.

And so, after about 1-2 hours touring the tunnel complex, we reached this range-like complex. Here tourists can fire a range of weapons used in the war for a small price. If you don’t like the sound of guns, here is not your place then. There is also a small shop selling some tidbits, water and some souvenirs.

We continued the tour and this time, entering the tunnel complex itself! This activity is really not for those who are claustrophobic! You can actually choose not to try this activity if you don’t want to. But if you do,  be prepared to sweat all over and duck-walk for some distances! A good stretching will actually help!

 

Just spending a few minutes in the tunnels is enough to make you sweat all over. The feeling is best described like being trapped in a small sauna. Actually, the tunnels have been made wider and taller to accommodate tourists. One can imagine on how those soldiers actually lived through those times in such conditions. That short “walk” in the tunnels really made me ponder for awhile.

After that, we were supposed to watch a propaganda video on the tunnels and the war. But on that day, the video system broke down and it’s time to head back to Saigon. We boarded the bus and went back to the same tourist office.

Overall, the trip is good. It’s cheap and really gives you a practical glimpse on how the conditions were like during the war. It’s really worth going when you’re in Ho Chi Minh City. Just remember to book your trip the day before!!

So that concludes my post about Ho Chi Minh City. Overall, it’s worth a stop if you’re travelling in Vietnam on a North-South route. And many backpackers will actually use Ho Chi Minh City as either a starting point or an ending point for travelling in Vietnam.

Prices wise in HCMC are reasonably cheap for a city. A night in a backpackers hostel with breakfast can cost up to USD 10/night. Most are located in Pham Ngu Lao district. Food restaurants be found easily. You can eat out at USD 2-3 per meal.

As for me, I budgeted USD 18 per day and it’s more than enough for me.

 

This will be my last stop in Vietnam. Be sure to follow up my next stop, the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh!

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

Vietnam 2013 Part 2 – Ha Long Bay

Ha Long bay, the Natural Wonder of the World. Indeed it is! One can simply book the tour in Hanoi. There’s many tour agencies in Hanoi itself that organizes trips to Ha Long Bay. Trips range from a day to 3 days, with a choice to overnight in a junk.

I booked this tour before coming to Vietnam. I found this company: Awesome Vietnam Travel on Tripadvisor and booked my 1-day trip to Ha Long Bay there. It cost USD 28 for 1 person.

Normally, companies and locals will advice you to take the 2 or 3 day option due to time constrains when doing the 1-day trip. A 2 or 3 day trip will mean you get to overnight on the junk boat and see more of Ha Long Bay itself. Note that it will take a 4 hours by coach to the jetty for the boat transfer. So a 1-day trip will mean that you will spend 8 hours on the coach and only 4 hours at Ha Long Bay itself. For me, I had a tight schedule and I already booked a flight to Nha Trang next, so I had no choice but go with the 1-day trip.

So my day started with the pick up service picking me at 0800 and after picking up after tourist, we headed straight to Ha Long. Around 1.5 hours into the journey, we stopped by at this huge shop for a toilet break. The shop sells hand made paintings which can cost up to VND 1 million! And souvenirs and snacks can be bought here as well.

We continued the journey and it’s really a bumpy ride to Ha Long. Road conditions aren’t really that good. And I find it ironic that the Vietnamese obey the speed limit but disobeyed the traffic lights.. Oh well.

So, upon reaching Ha Long, we waited for our boat for about 30 minutes. And by the time we get there, it’s already 1230.

You will be given a ticket here that states VND 80 000. Don’t worry, that’s just the cost of taking the boat. The price you pay basically includes the hotel transfer, lunch, boat, park entrance fees and guide fees. And DO NOT lose this ticket. You will need it for some attractions.

The moment we boarded the boat, lunch is served. Lunch is basically seafood lunch, with prawns, chicken, clams, squid, fish, vegetables and rice. Do note that most Ha Long Bay trips include lunch in the itinerary but NOT drinks. Drinks can be purchased separately at VND 20 000. And for those who get sea sick easily, don’t worry! The boat is fairly stable and won’t be speeding through.  Here are some shots along the way:

Just nice after lunch, we arrived at this jetty. Our first stop is Thien Cung cave. This cave is really beautiful with many rocks with all sorts of shapes. You can use your imagination here to see the rocks that resembled something. Your tour guide will tell you legends about the cave and the meaning of certain rocks. Note: The cave may be a little wet, so do watch your steps!

After visiting the cave, we headed back on the boat. The boat now travels along and you can see many beautiful shaped limestone islets. Here are some shots:

About 20 minutes into the journey, we arrived at this small floating fishing village. There are actually people living in these villages. Their livelihood is mainly by fishing.

The boat will make a 30 minute stop at this fishing village. You have 3 options here.

1: Take a short ride on a small boat (for 4 pax) along the area paddled by the Vietnamese.

2: Have a short kayaking experience around the area.

3: Just chill on the fishing village.

I took the 1st option as I do not want to get wet. It cost me VND 130 000 for the boat ride. The ride is really relaxing and you will get to enter this mini “cave” to see the beautiful lagoon.

I recommend at least trying the boat ride or the kayak. For the adventurous and for those who want to get wet, get the kayak. Price wise, should be about VND 150 000. Do note that the “cave” is only accessible when it’s low tide.

After the ride, we boarded back the boat and headed back to the jetty on the mainland. As you can see, the day trip is really short, so I’d recommend going for the 2-day trip. Along the way, I managed to capture a few shots on different islets.

So, that’s Ha Long Bay. Overall, I enjoyed it  a lot! And for the price I pay, it’s really worth it!! I’d recommend Awesome Vietnam Travel. Just look it up at Tripadvisor!! Mr Anh is really professional and delivers what he promises.

If you have more time to spare, try going for the 2-day or 3-day trip. Do note that you get for what you pay for. Try organizing your trip from Hanoi and not Halong Bay itself to avoid scams. Do enquire about what you get for the package. Some companies may charge slightly more as the kayaking is already included. There is also a luxury option junk cruise for those honeymooners and those travelling on a high budget. What ever it is, Ha long bay must not be missed when one is in Vietnam!

Stay tuned for my next post as I fly to the beach city of Nha Trang!

Vietnam Part 3

Vietnam 2013 Part 1 – Hanoi

Hello everyone!! Now. this will be my latest post regarding my travels. And this time, I’m taking my first ever solo backpacking trip around Southeast Asia!! Well, not entirely the whole of S.E.A., but just Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia. I will be doing the North-South route for 1 month. This whole journey is gonna take up a lot of posts, so bare with me!!

Before embarking on this trip, I did lots of research about the transport options, routes, places to visit, safety information, accommodation, location and dangers to avoid. Trust me, a bit of research is really important, unless you know the place your visiting in and out.

Okay, so I’ll be starting my journey from Singapore to Hanoi. I booked a flight by Tiger Airways to Hanoi Noi Bai airport. The flight took off 15 minutes behind schedule due to the plane refueling. And it’s my first time boarding a plane while it’s refueling. Isn’t it dangerous? Oh well…

So, it took about 3 hours 15 minutes to Hanoi. When we landed, Hanoi was already drizzling. The immigration process took about 20 minutes and of all places, the immigration officer stamped on the last page of my passport. I had a hard time though looking for the entry stamp.

After clearing immigration, I proceed to the lobby area for my transport to the city center. I took the airport minibus, as stated in wikitravel, which cost me about VND 40 000. It’s strange that Vietnam has a different pricing system for foreigners and locals. In the bus, a local next to me pays VND 30 000. The minibus experience wasn’t good to be honest. The bus was really full and I had the awesome Vietnamese-welcome experience to sit on a toilet stool for the whole journey!! The airport minibus only leaves when it’s full. That’s why I had no choice but to just endure that experience, or else I have to wait for the next wave of passengers.

The ride was really a shocking experience for me. Why? First, the traffic. Traffic lights weren’t really obeyed, motorcycles are constantly weaving in and out and the amount of motorcycles on the road is really a lot!! But the good thing is that, the locals all know how to dodge traffic really well. 30 minutes into the journey, I saw a minor accident with a motorbike being pinned under the car. Luckily the rider wasn’t injured. And secondly, you can hear the horn every 5 seconds!! So, it’s gonna be shocking when you first experience that traffic. And being from a South East Asian country itself, Vietnam really wins on the chaotic traffic madness.

The whole journey took 1 hour to reach the city center. Normally, the airport minibus will stop at 1 Quang Trung Street, opposite the Vietnam Airlines office. But because it’s raining, the driver sent us to the doorstep of our hotel. Well, you can actually take a taxi from Noi Bai airport, but please do some research on the prices. Vietnam is known to scam people alot. Typically, it will cost you USD 15 to get to the city center.

So, I booked a hostel at the Old Quarter area in Hanoi. I stayed at Street Backpackers Hostel for 3 nights. Staying at the Old Quarter is great cos you can really experience how locals live their life, eat street foods Vietnam-style, do some shopping for souvenirs and just simply enjoy the chaotic streets of the capital.

The Old Quarters has a lot of food outlets, but no fast food restaurants. Be prepared to eat local or Asian food here. Typically, a bowl of Pho (rice noodles with chicken/beef/pork with vegetables) will cost you about VND 35 000- VND 40 000. That’s if you eat at a local restaurant. If you are daring enough to eat along the streets (pavement), it can get as cheap as VND 25 000. And eating along the streets is really for someone with a strong stomach. Here’s why:

The locals will cook the food right on the street itself. Raw ingredients are left in the open, with insects possibly crawling around. Vegetables are cut on the floor itself, but under a few pieces of newspapers. And vendors are also cashiers themselves. So when a customer pays the vendor, the same hand is gonna be used to pick up those ingredients as well. Now, you may think that ” hey, it’s cooked! so the germs are prolly dead!” Well, here’s the part. After a customer finished eating, the bowl is just submersed in a pail of water and wiped clean. If you’re lucky enough, there’s some vendors that have a separate pail of soap water to clean your bowl. And this goes the same for cups as well. If a customer doesn’t finish their food, the excess “food” is just being thrown along the streets. Same goes to drinks. I once got almost spilled with coffee due to the vendor just emptying the cup on the streets. Lastly, I once ate a bowl of Pho containing some hair.

But don’t be discouraged. Different people may have different views on this. Personally, I feel safer eating food from restaurants itself. Maybe street food like bbq food, is okay. But it’s really a good Vietnamese experience to eat along the streets, sitting on the bathroom stools and watch the world go by.

So, the next day, I decided to do a self-city tour of Hanoi. The sights in Hanoi are quite walk-able, that’s if you don’t mind the traffic and the heat. So my first stop, is visiting the Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as, Lake of the Restored Sword. This lake is one of the top tourist spots in Hanoi.

Huc Bridge

The Hoan Kiem lake is also a park and locals can be seen jogging and doing some exercises. You can enter the Ngoc Son temple, which is just a cross by the Huc Bridge. Entrance to the temple is VND 20 000. Nothing much to see here, just a big temple, a giant turtle and a real good panoramic view of the lake.

Crossing the bridge to the temple

View of the lake

Giant turtle. not sure if it’s real

Temple

Entrance to the temple

So after the temple, I decided to walk to the French Quarters area. Vietnam is part of French Indochina in the past. You can still see many French influences here, mainly the architecture. The French Quarters is to the east of Hoan Kiem lake. To be exact, it’s on Ly Thai To street. The French Quarters has quite to offer ranging from restaurants, expensive hotels and shops. The streets along the French Quarters are also slightly wider than the usual Vietnamese streets.

Next, I walked to the west along Hai Ba Trung Street and came across this Vietnamese Women’s Museum. Tickets cost VND 30 000. Museum is really interesting, mainly highlighting on the impact Vietnamese women did for the country. Displays have words in Vietnamese, English and French. Exhibits are well explained and of course with some costumes and lots of pictures.

Entrance to the Women’s museum

Next, walking to the west, I came across the Hoa Lo Prison or Hanoi Hilton. Here is a prison which was built by the French to imprison political prisoners and also being used by the North Vietnamese Army to imprison POWs. The prison still maintain it’s front gate and only part of it is preserved. Tickets can be bought for VND 20 000. I recommend to spend not more than 1 hour here. Honestly, the prison museum has a fair share of propaganda regarding the treatment of American POWs. This museum is filled with photos and displays such as the guillotine and prison cells. Displays are in Vietnamese and English.

So next, I walked to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum area. It’s really a distance, and it took me a good 20 minutes there. The weather is really a killer. And to make it worst, I was harassed by a few locals asking me to take a ride on their motorcycle.

I advice solo travelers to avoid these motorcyclists. They will approach you and be very friendly with you. Next is asking which country your from and pretend like as if they have friends or relatives staying at your country. And after a nice friendly chat, they will offer this “city tour service” on the back of their bike. I’m not sure of the price but I’ve heard a lot of scams involving them. So be safe! Just avoid them and walk instead. If you need a cab, take the Hanoi Taxi, Mai Lihn or CP taxis. These companies have a better reputation compared to others. Taxi drivers are known to have a rigged meter so it’s best to stick to those taxi companies.

So, along the way, here are some photos:

The Reunification Express track

So, after walking in the baking hot sun, I finally arrived at the Ba Dinh Square. The Ho Chi Minh mausoleum actually has the preserved body of Ho Chi Minh itself! You can visit it in the morning at 0900 to 1200 everyday. Note, no photography are allowed inside. Do not laugh or talk when your in the mausoleum. Vietnamese really regard Uncle Ho as the nation’s hero. So, it’s best to dress moderately and just go by the rules.

The Ba Dihn square is really huge. To the north west of the mausoleum, another tourist hot spot, the One-Pillared Pagoda.

There’s a few tourist attractions around that area, namely the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum and the Botanical Gardens. I was quite tired from all that walking in the hot sun, so I decided to skip those attractions.

I walked back to the Old Quarters area for dinner and back to the hostel area for a good night’s rest. So, that’s all about my self-city tour of Hanoi. I know I missed a few attractions but I managed to see the more important ones. But personally, I enjoy what the city has to offer. It really gives one a unique experience, despite the traffic and the pushy locals.

Budget for a day in Hanoi (tight-budget): USD 20/ VND 420 000

Accommodation: USD 5-8 per night.

Food & Drinks per meal: USD 2.50 – USD 3

Extras: USD 9

So stay tuned for my next post on Vietnam!

Vietnam Part 2