Vietnam and Cambodia - April 2007

Gaby and her boyfriend Nick spent two weeks travelling through Vietnam and Cambodia. First time visitor Gaby fell in love with the people (including the guides it seems) and the places they visited.

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Day 1 - Xin Chow Hanoi!

Or 'hello Hanoi' to those not in the know!
Hanoi is amazing, incredible. It’s so, so busy and everyone and everything is non-stop. We spend the afternoon walking around the town, mostly the ‘Old Quarter’. Shopping heaven!
I had my first fresh spring rolls in a café called ‘Little Hanoi’, and am now hooked! A great meal this evening in a lovely restaurant called ‘The Garden’. The town, the people, the food…all a total shock to the senses, but I think I’m going to like it here!

Day 2 - Hanoi's Old Quarter and sites

We woke at 6am this morning and joined the locals for a run around the Hoan KiemLake. Tai Chi, badminton, fan dancing – however they choose to do it, everyone seems to be taking part. It’s a beautiful morning, and a beautiful setting which eases the pain of getting up so early and running – not something I’m used to! A quick coffee on the lake before our guide picks us up from the hotel and takes us to breakfast. My first ‘Pho’, an unusual breakfast but delicious.
The wonderful Phoung, our guide, takes us to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, The Presidential Palace and Gardens, One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature. A huge amount to take in, in just a few hours, but absolutely fantastic. Her English is great and everything is explained – the importance of colour, symbols, yin and yan. It’s incredibly difficult to truly appreciate what you’re seeing without this, but understanding the basic concepts enables you to truly see the city and its people in a different way. Brilliant place. When I get over the shock of it, I’ll not want to leave!
An evening at the Water Puppet Theatre, a must do, very enchanting. Another amazing meal, this time squid and shrimp at ‘Little Hanoi 2’. A quick drink and then bed. It’s so manic here that I think everyone feels as tired as I do as the night life is pretty slow, which suits me fine, I couldn’t cope with Hanoi and a hangover!

Day 3 - Goodbye Hanoi, hello Hue

Ethnology Museum with Phoung today, which was fantastic. The history of the 52 ethnic minorities of Vietnam. The history, the culture, the beliefs are astounding. I feel so lucky to be here and to be learning about this.
We take the evening flight and arrive in Hue just in time for another glorious meal - we were met by Tung, our new guide, and he's dropped us off at his favourite restaurant - I like this man already and Nick, my boyfriend, can't stop smiling (and eating)!

Day 4 - Imperial Vietnam

Stayed at the Morin last night, and will again tonight. A beautiful 5* hotel – French architecture and bags of character with a central courtyard restaurant and pool.
Tung, our guide for Hue, took us to the Citadel and the Forbidden City. Again, just mind-blowing how recent the almost magical history is, it makes it seem so alive. Every single aspect of the culture holds so much meaning – the colours and designs, the architecture, the day of the month.
Hue is great. A haven of tranquillity compared to Hanoi, and a welcome ‘break’.

Day 5 - Mountains and beaches

We meet Tung and Mr. Ming our driver at 8am and head off to Hoi An. Mr Ming is my favourite acquaintance so far – he has the most amazing smiling eyes, I want to take him home! The drive to Hoi-An is about 3 hours and a lovely trip. We go over Ocean Cloud Mountain pass, and past Marble Mountain and China Beach, which is where the American soldiers took R&R in the war. On through Danang and into Hoi An. Brilliant.
We spent the day on the beach in beautiful sunshine and I had my first swim in the sea of the holiday, the South China Sea.

Day 6 - Hoi An and all that!

We're staying at the Ancient House, my favourite hotel so far. A lovely small boutique hotel, where each room is like a little villa and ours opened to the central pool. Go for morning coffee and breakfast on the beach, and spend the day exploring on a moped. We went to Marble Mountain – and it is literally just that. There are dozens of caves filled with Buddha’s and carved steps leading to several ornate pagodas. Monks visit to worship, while tourists climb and take photos. It doesn’t seem right somehow, but they don’t seem to mind!

Day 7 - Isn't it meant to be the women shopping??

Another day of lazing, exploring, eating and shopping. I still haven’t bought anything, but Nick secured himself half a dozen tailored shirts and a pair of handmade brogues. I’ll make up for it tomorrow in Saigon!

We went to the Mango Rooms for supper tonight, and I can honestly say it was the best meal I have ever had in my life. Blue fin tuna pan seared for seconds with tomato and mango salsa, noodles and pickled ginger. The chef had travelled extensively, and with no true training had created his dream restaurant with a menu to die for.

Day 8 - Saigon scarves and Street Food!

Up at 6am this morning to go to the airport for a 7.30 flight to Saigon. Went shopping and bought two beautiful silk scarves and a yellow beaded silk bag (£30 in total!!!).
Tun, our new guide, took us to the War Crimes Museum, which only reiterates what I’ve already said – unbelievable. Having never lived through a war it’s quite surreal, not only to see it but also to be in this country where it is all so recent.
Had an early supper tonight (Quan An Ngon for those interested - it is the 'star' restaurant in the Selective Asia Saigon guide and they were spot on - amazing street food stalls in under one roof!). We’re up early again tomorrow to fly to Phou Quoc – an island off Cambodia and Vietnam.

Day 9 - Our private island!

We’re staying at the La Veranda, right on the beach. This island is stunning, the kind of place you don’t think really exists until you see it. We hired another moped (Nick thinks he's James Dean - in a pink helmet!) and headed south about 20k – saw no other tourists at all. Passed through ‘villages’ of a dozen ‘houses’ made of wood and leaves, whatever they can find. With the hills to out left (there are 99 hills north to south) and the sea to our right it really is a lovely drive. The fishing boats are all weathered blue, yellow, green – moored up in idyllic seemingly deserted coves. I love it.

Day 10 - Sunshine all the way

Straight to the beach today. Non-stop sun and scorching hot. After lunch we take the moped north and find a fantastic place on the beach for lunch, and then on further to a beautiful resort for a beer or two. A storm breaks out on the way back, which I think happens most evening, but keeps things cool. We’re off to Saigon and then Cambodia tomorrow. I’ll be really sorry to leave Phu Quoc, and will certainly come back. The people here are so friendly, and the children fascinated by my blonde hair and blue eyes! People live and die on this island having never left – but they’ve never wanted to. That says a lot. Vietnam has shown me so much, and I have no doubt Cambodia will more than match it...pure bliss.

Day 11 - Welcome to the land of the Khmers

Fly to Saigon and head to the centre for a couple of hours, before flying on to Pnomh Penh. Tired and grumpy, but like this city a lot. It’s late and we don’t do too much, but staying at The Raffles which can't be bad!

Day 12 - Words cannot describe

Morning visit to Udong, which is the old capital of Cambodia. Old temples located along a path up a mountain, very beautiful and surrounded by Buddha’s. Da, our guide, knows everything about everything, and everything is so much more fascinating because of it. After lunch it’s off to the Royal Palace. The faith and ‘knowledge’ that the people have of their history, Royal Family and religion is amazingly vast. Of course I can’t judge whether this is right or wrong, it is frightening though to think our culture knows so little, or they know so much. Their faith and belief seems limitless.
Tuol Sleng next – The Genocide Museum – S21.
I can’t possibly portray what it’s like to visit here. Rooms and rooms of photos of those who were tortured and killed in the very rooms I was in. You could see the terror in their faces, although not all as some believed they were in line for a better job and a better life. There are bloodstains on the floor and the walls. Everyone ended up at the Killing Fields.
It's an incredible experience, not a happy one but I'm so glad I went...I spoke with people who lost all their family and they welcomed me to their table to tell their story - they wanted nothing, just to share their thoughts and experiences with me. I don't know quite how to feel.

Day 13 - Angkor here we come

Today we drove from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, a long day but quite an incredible journey. You could fly in an hour but you’d miss the countryside, which is like nowhere else. Water buffalo, rice paddies, children playing and swimming in fields. It’s so flat you can see for miles. I couldn’t quite work out what seemed so strange, but then I realised it was the fact I had never seen so many miles of countryside, with no visual interruption, apart from temples dotted here and there.
We also drove through spider village, they actually wok live tarantulas and serve them up as a local delicacy. We were both brave until it came to it, and then chickened out. Well, would you?!
We stopped at Sambor Prei Kuk, some pre-Angkor temples. The site was empty so we have these amazing temples to ourselves for a few hours. We found evidence of the Khmer Rouge camps (target practise on a temple!?).

Day 14 - Wow!

I couldn’t possibly describe what it’s like to see Angkor, you just have to. The scale of it is incredible. It took 20 years to build the whole city, which was then added to by different kings. The temples are as old as 6th Century and the detail and architecture is stunning throughout. When it was rediscovered in the 14th Century by a French explorer, it was completely shrouded in jungle and so the detail is so well preserved. A true example of man and nature being utterly dependent. Each temple is a place of worship, some Hindu, some Buddhist, some both. It would take weeks to see it al – the key is a guide who knows his stuff. There is so much I could say…I can’t.

Day 15 - Elephants and Angkor delights

Another day at Angkor…nothing more to say. Other than I rode an elephant and there were many times when I was the only person at a temple. It was pouring with rain, and it was beautiful. Speechless.
Home tomorrow. Am I ready? We never are. Am I enriched? A million times over.