From the rooftop pool of the City View Hotel …
Today we visit Angkor Wat. After breakfast at the City View Hotel we board a small bus and head to the Angkor Wat Ticket Processing Center. It’s $37 for an all day access ticket. Of that $2 goes to support the local children’s hospital and $0.50 pays for the “happy room” as they politely call the restroom in Southeast Asia.
In the morning we visit Ta Prohm Temple, Chau Say Toveda, Angkor Thom, and the South Gate of Angkor Thom City.
After a late lunch at Chef D’angkor Restaurant we’re off to Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is one of the largest religious sites in the world, built in the 12th century and dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. Our guide, Thara, takes us to a small pond in front of the site for photos with a reflection in the water. All day Thara points out the best photo angles. The detailed carvings in the wall of the temple are incredible to see. And it explains why construction of the temple took more than 30 years. It’s a steep climb to the top of the temple for a view of the surrounding countryside.
It’s unbelievably hot here and after several hours we decide to head back to the hotel for some time at the pool and the sunset before dinner.
Tomorrow we take the bus to Thailand.
At the City River Hotel in Siem Reap …
After breakfast at the hotel we have a leisurely 9a checkout and get in the bus to head to the airport. Unlike some other trips there aren’t any extremely early wake calls and departures. And that helps given the 12 hour time change.
At Tan Son Nhat Airport it takes me a while to get through security. Turns out my DSLR microphone looks suspicious on the X-Ray machine. For a quick lunch I try a Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich – pickled vegetables on a baguette. I get mine with chicken. Not bad for an airport lunch.
We fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap on Cambodia Angkor Air flight 825. Our 12:25p departure gets us to Siem Reap in Cambodia around 1:30p.
After a quick stop for snacks at the Lucky Mart, we check in at City River Hotel.
Then we take the bus to Tonlé Sap Lake and board a boat for a cruise to see floating villages. The boats in the region are all hand made and use truck engines for power. They are very load. We journey from the chaotic dock where hundreds of tourists are boarding boats, down a twisting canal, and eventually reach the lake. The lake is home to a small flotilla of homes. We stay out on the lake long enough to see the sunset. It’s a relaxing change of pace after a busy day of travel.
Dinner is at a restaurant in town called Mahob Khmer Cuisine. The ceviche, hot and sour soup, and grilled chicken are excellent.
Tomorrow we visit Angkor Wat.
On the bus returning from the Mekong Delta …
Today we venture away from the city with a two hour bus ride to the Mekong Delta region. We board a river boat and take a short ride to one of the many islands in the Mekong River.
Our first stop is the Que Dua candy workshop. We sample the delicious handmade coconut candy. And some of us try the snake wine!
Next, we take a horse and carriage ride to a small village on the island. There we sample several kinds of Vietnamese fruit. Local women sing while we eat fruit and sip honey tea. Also, you can have your picture taken with a python. Cara, Mickey, Ron, Georgia, and Greg opt for this experience.
Then we take a short walk along a jungle pathway and climb into small rowboats that take us back to the river boat. On the boat we enjoy coconut milk right from the coconut.
We stop for lunch at the Mekong Rest Stop. It’s better than it sounds. The restaurant is tucked away in the beautiful grounds. Peter picks a great selection of appetizers to share for lunch. The currency here is called the Dong. In the past Vietnam has experienced high inflation, so the denominations are very large. For five people our bill for lunch was 1.25 million Dong – or about $10 each.
Then we’re back on the bus for the two hour return to Ho Chi Minh City. Tomorrow we fly to Cambodia and Angkor Wat – the next stop on our tour of Southeast Asia.
At the Liberty Hotel Saigon Parkview …
After a day and a half of flying and a day to recuperate, we’re jet lag free and on our first day of seeing the sights around Ho Chi Minh City.
On the two hour bus ride to the Cu Chi Tunnels, tour guide Khoi shares the moving about a US vet who came back to visit Vietnam last year. They journeyed together through the country so the former soldier could find the village where he served and greeted a former North Vietnamese soldier who fought against him in the same area.
The Cu Chi Tunnels were used by the North Vietnamese to become a shadow army living almost right underneath US and South Vietnamese forces. We were able to crawl through the same tunnels to see how they lived and fought using the hundreds of kilometers long tunnel system.
Next a visit to the War Remnants Museum to learn about the Vietnam perspective of what is known to the Vietnamese people as the “American War.” The exhibits within the museum capture the atrocities of the war and the use of Agent Orange.
Then we visited the opulent grounds and meeting rooms of Independence Palace, the office and home South Vietnam’s President during the Vietnam War.
After visiting the Ming Phuong Lacquer Workshop and the Post Office, Mickey, Donna, Shannon, and I stopped at a place near our hotel to get foot massages.
The amazing food continues in Vietnam. Dinner at Viet Heritage was great. Beef, pork, and seafood – some of the best food we have had while traveling.
After dinner we sample the Ho Chi Minh City night life at the Bui Vien Walking Street. It’s lined with clubs and full of people, street vendors, and fire eaters.
Tomorrow we visit the Mekong Delta.
Enjoying a beer at the Huong Vy street cafe …
Sin Ciao from Ho Chi Minh City!
Our flight into Hong Kong was delayed by snow as we left Boston, so we arrived in Hong Kong an hour late. But just enough time to board Cathay Pacific flight 767 from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City. We get through immigrations then meet up with Mickey and Donna at baggage claim. Outside of the airport we are greeted by our Vietnamese tour guide – Khoi.
Khoi tells us what the next few days will be like and give us some tips for getting around the city. Most important – how to cross the street. There is very limited traffic control, so pedestrians have to move across the street purposefully, and never backup!
Next we check in at Liberty Hotel Saigon Parkview, have lunch at Ben Thanh market, high octane Vietnamese coffee at Trung Nguyen Legend, afternoon cocktails at the Rex Hotel roof top Saloon, and happy hour at Huong Vy. The best way to beat jet lag is to hang out with your fellow travelers and share travel stories.
Tonight we head out to dinner and tomorrow we see the Ho Chi Minh City landmarks.