Despite my bus from Hue to Hanoi being by far the longest of my 3 night buses north, I actually got a fair amount of sleep and it went really quickly. Unfortunately I couldn't check into my hostel early as it was fully booked, so I dropped my stuff off and went straight out exploring. I firstly went and found a nice cafe though just to sit down and recover a bit after my bus journey, and to work out my plan of action for the day from there. Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam and from what I understand Northern Vietnam where it lies has a completely different climate to rest of South East Asia whereby they don't have a monsoon season. It was still incredibly humid though.
I decided to focus my day round the cities Old Quarter, heading first to the Hoan Kiem Lake nearby. Upon arrival however I was approached by some young Vietnamese kids who were learning English, and I ended up agreeing to teach them English for a while. It went from me asking them simple questions to playing duck duck goose where they kept picking on me. It was quite a laugh though. The lake itself was pretty picturesque, legend saying a future emperor received a sword from a magic turtle on the lakes edge which he used to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam. There was a small pagoda sat in the middle of the lake, and a red wooden bridge leading to the Ngoc Son Temple on this small island at the northern end of the lake.
I then headed into the Old Quarter which was where I was staying, and home to much of the shopping and eating opportunities in Hanoi. Apparently centuries ago each street specialised in the production and sale of one kind of handicraft, with each street named after what it produced. This included streets dedicated to silk, medicine, and tin amongst many others which was still evident as I explored the narrow maze of streets. Within the streets were several pagodas which like in Ho Chi Minh were engulfed by the modern age, but still fascinating to explore. I particularly liked the smells of the food with some real interesting looking things on offer. Other highlights included the Hanoi Cathedral. I was glad when I was able to check into my hostel and lie down though, later going out to watch the Brazil v Costa Rica and Nigeria v Iceland games which were both good games.
On Saturday I went and explored some of the historical buildings and museums, heading first to the Imperial Citadel. The walled area which included these 8 gates and 3 forts round the perimeter was now primarily a museum. The site displayed several archaeological sites and relics on display from throughout Vietnams early history. The buildings that remained however were from the French colonial era, and many of them were used during the Vietnam War, with a couple of underground bunkers you were even able to explore. It was a very interesting museum with so many parts of Vietnams history taking place there.
I then headed to the West Lake where I checked out a couple of pagodas, before heading to the Ho Chi Minhs Mausoleum. Apparently his body lies preserved inside, although you weren't allowed inside the Mausoleum and the nearby museum with them both being closed because it was the weekend. You were still able to explore the surrounding gardens which housed his old house and this one pillared pagoda. Next door was the Presidential Palace and Botanic Gardens, although there was a high military presence there so you weren't allowed there either!
Next stop was the Lotte Tower, the tallest building in Hanoi where I went for lunch. I would have gone to the top but it was really expensive. From there I visited the Temple of Literature which was another interesting museum dating back to the 11th century. I particularly liked this handicraft village on site. Come evening I went out to the Water Puppet Theatre, which celebrated the old Vietnamese tradition whereby the rice farmers used to perform puppet shows in the rice fields during monsoon season. Operating the puppets behind this black curtain, they used bamboo sticks under the water so that the puppets performed on the waters surface. It was actually really good despite everything being performed in Vietnamese.
The following day I went and checked this mosaic mural situated on the side of the motorway, which was apparently the longest continous mosaic in the world. It certainly went on for a while as I joined it somewhere in the middle and followed it for a good hour and didn't make it to the end. I went to the Lotte Tower again for lunch, before heading to the so called railway street in the afternoon. The railway line basically ran through the middle of this narrow street which people lived along, and I soon found out it was a working line after having to dive into someone's house when a train passed. Come evening I went out and watched the England v Panama game.
Thursday, 28 June 2018
Monday, 25 June 2018
Hue
I left Hoi An on Tuesday morning to head the short distance north to my next stop Hue. I was a little tired because the England game was a 1am kick off the previous night but the bus despite travelling during the day was a sleeper style bus so it was really comfortable. I didn't quite nod off though because the scenery was pretty stunning outside, although the journey did take a lot longer than expected as it went straight through the middle of Danang which was really busy with traffic, and then along winding roads the rest of the way to Hue. Upon arrival the bus dropped us off just outside the city although the bus company offered free bus shuttles to their office in the centre. I had a pretty chilled out afternoon, having a look round the shops before watching the Japan v Colombia game in the evening.
The following day I went out and explored Hue for the day. Hue sits on the Perfume River and was the capital of Vietnam up until 1945. The city is rich with history being the former house of emperors during the Nguyen Dynasty. Large parts of Hue were destroyed during the Vietnam War however, but despite this there has been extensive restoration efforts and there's still lots to see. I decided the best way to explore was to go with a local on his motorbike which I'm often reluctant to do because you never know whether you can trust them, but I went with it and to be fair the price we agreed was the price I paid at the end of the day. I just told him the places I wanted to visit prior and he recommended a couple of other places and then took me to them places.
The main attractions in Hue are the tombs of former emperors Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, and Tu Doc, and the Citadel, with each of those four attractions having entrance fees. I decided I would only visit one of the tombs as they were all meant to be pretty similar, and the Citadel, although my driver also recommend this cemetery I should visit housing some of less important people from Hues history which is where I visited first. Located in the woods, it was centred round this old temple by a small lake and was actually really picturesque, many of the graves despite being a little in ruin having remains of these mosaics on. I then went to tomb of Tu Doc, which was actually a really large complex centred round this lake, surrounded with gardens and some real beautiful architecture. Apparently the emperors designed their tombs themselves during their lifetimes which meant they were very meticulously designed.
I then went to this abandoned waterpark I had read about online, which was literally in the middle of nowhere. Built in 2004, the waterpark lasted merely a couple of years before being left for ruin. Perhaps the most impressive part was this old aquarium sitting in the middle of this lake, which was basically a massive dragon. It was very eerie inside and you could tell it used to be an aquarium. You could even go inside the mouth of the dragon. Nearby were the remains of some of the old waterslides, and further round the lake was this old stadium where they apparently used to present shows with crocodiles. My driver said that there were still crocodiles in the lake until as recently as last year, but they got removed on safety grounds as more and more people starting visiting the waterpark.
Next stop was the Thien Mu Pagoda which was situated on this hill overlooking the river. At 7 storeys high it was apparently the tallest religious building in Vietnam. My final stop of the day was the Citadel, this walled fortress and palace which used to be the home of Vietnam’s emperors. The palace grounds were surrounded by an impressive moat filled with waterlilies. Many of the structures within the walls were damaged during the war but there was extensive restoration work taking place and there was still an abundance of mosaics and carvings, seeming to primarily revolve around dragons. You probably could have spent all day exploring if you were keen on the Nguyen Dynasty as there were several museums you could visit inside but I just went and checked out the main buildings which in itself still took me a good couple of hours.
Just before leaving the Citadel there was this handicraft area with locals making all sorts of things including conical hats, lanterns and kites. It was very interesting seeing how they were made and could even make your own personalised ones. It's a shame I can't buy souvenirs as they were actually really nice. When my driver came to pick me up we went out for a couple of beers which was nice, before eventually making it back to my hostel. I went out in the evening to watch the Portugal v Morocco game, managing to find this big screen showing the game in this car park!
On Thursday I had a more relaxed day as I had pretty much blitzed all the main sights of Hue the previous day. I did go for a stroll along the Perfume River though and I particularly liked these dragon boats which were in abundance along the rivers edge. I eventually made it to the market as I needed to buy some new sandals, using my haggling skills to great effect to grab an absolute bargain. After lunch I just headed back to my hostel as it was ridiculously hot outside, catching a night bus north to Hanoi later that afternoon.
The following day I went out and explored Hue for the day. Hue sits on the Perfume River and was the capital of Vietnam up until 1945. The city is rich with history being the former house of emperors during the Nguyen Dynasty. Large parts of Hue were destroyed during the Vietnam War however, but despite this there has been extensive restoration efforts and there's still lots to see. I decided the best way to explore was to go with a local on his motorbike which I'm often reluctant to do because you never know whether you can trust them, but I went with it and to be fair the price we agreed was the price I paid at the end of the day. I just told him the places I wanted to visit prior and he recommended a couple of other places and then took me to them places.
The main attractions in Hue are the tombs of former emperors Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, and Tu Doc, and the Citadel, with each of those four attractions having entrance fees. I decided I would only visit one of the tombs as they were all meant to be pretty similar, and the Citadel, although my driver also recommend this cemetery I should visit housing some of less important people from Hues history which is where I visited first. Located in the woods, it was centred round this old temple by a small lake and was actually really picturesque, many of the graves despite being a little in ruin having remains of these mosaics on. I then went to tomb of Tu Doc, which was actually a really large complex centred round this lake, surrounded with gardens and some real beautiful architecture. Apparently the emperors designed their tombs themselves during their lifetimes which meant they were very meticulously designed.
I then went to this abandoned waterpark I had read about online, which was literally in the middle of nowhere. Built in 2004, the waterpark lasted merely a couple of years before being left for ruin. Perhaps the most impressive part was this old aquarium sitting in the middle of this lake, which was basically a massive dragon. It was very eerie inside and you could tell it used to be an aquarium. You could even go inside the mouth of the dragon. Nearby were the remains of some of the old waterslides, and further round the lake was this old stadium where they apparently used to present shows with crocodiles. My driver said that there were still crocodiles in the lake until as recently as last year, but they got removed on safety grounds as more and more people starting visiting the waterpark.
Next stop was the Thien Mu Pagoda which was situated on this hill overlooking the river. At 7 storeys high it was apparently the tallest religious building in Vietnam. My final stop of the day was the Citadel, this walled fortress and palace which used to be the home of Vietnam’s emperors. The palace grounds were surrounded by an impressive moat filled with waterlilies. Many of the structures within the walls were damaged during the war but there was extensive restoration work taking place and there was still an abundance of mosaics and carvings, seeming to primarily revolve around dragons. You probably could have spent all day exploring if you were keen on the Nguyen Dynasty as there were several museums you could visit inside but I just went and checked out the main buildings which in itself still took me a good couple of hours.
Just before leaving the Citadel there was this handicraft area with locals making all sorts of things including conical hats, lanterns and kites. It was very interesting seeing how they were made and could even make your own personalised ones. It's a shame I can't buy souvenirs as they were actually really nice. When my driver came to pick me up we went out for a couple of beers which was nice, before eventually making it back to my hostel. I went out in the evening to watch the Portugal v Morocco game, managing to find this big screen showing the game in this car park!
On Thursday I had a more relaxed day as I had pretty much blitzed all the main sights of Hue the previous day. I did go for a stroll along the Perfume River though and I particularly liked these dragon boats which were in abundance along the rivers edge. I eventually made it to the market as I needed to buy some new sandals, using my haggling skills to great effect to grab an absolute bargain. After lunch I just headed back to my hostel as it was ridiculously hot outside, catching a night bus north to Hanoi later that afternoon.
Friday, 22 June 2018
Hoi An
My night bus from Nha Trang to Hoi An ran nice and smoothly, and I even managed to get a bit of sleep. When arriving I was allowed to check into my hostel early and get a couple of hours proper sleep once again before heading to explore for the day. It appears I've been upgraded to a premium member on booking.com as apparently I'm one of their best customers which has given me an array of perks including early check ins where possible. Hoi An lies on Thu Bon River and is historically an important trading port dating back to the 2nd century. Over the years the town has been occupied by the Chinese, Japanese, and French and their influence is scattered round the town. Nowadays the town is a maze of small streets and alleys housing an array of small shophouses, cafes, temples, and museums, being awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999.
Upon arrival to the actual ancient town they were trying to sell you tickets, and by my understanding there were around 30 buildings within the town that required a ticket to enter. Each ticket gave you entry to 5 places of your choice so if you wanted to visit each of them buildings you'd need to buy an entrance ticket 6 times. As the actual ancient town was pretty compact I decided to just wander round the streets and see what there was to see before buying tickets. I soon realised that it was predominantly the museums and temples which required tickets, and I was pretty content just taking in the atmosphere of the town, looking round the shops which sold things like ceramics, art, and silks, as well zigzagging my way down the narrow streets and alleys which were all very picturesque.
After a good look round the town I cycled out to Thanh Ha village which was famed for its terracotta pottery. It was very interesting watching the locals make their products, although they were pretty pushy in terms of trying to sell it to you! I headed back into Hoi An for lunch, finding a nice place to sit by the river. It was the evening when the town really became magical with these colourful lanterns lighting up the streets. The night market was a particular highlight with the vendors selling those lanterns in all different shapes and colours. What I found most surreal though was the river which was packed with small boats taking people out each lit with a single lantern, as well as these lotus flowers with candles in which were being dropped into the river. People say it feels like a fairytale and to be fair it absolutely did. I even managed to watch the France v Australia, and Argentina v Iceland games in the process too.
The following day I went to the nearby city of Danang for the day, cycling along the coast to get there. En route I stopped at the Marble Mountains which were these 5 limestone peaks housing a series of caves and temples. Some of the caves were fascinating housing these massive statues and enscriptions in the rock. There was even one cave where you came out of a hole in the ceiling presenting great views of the surrounding area. Surrounding the mountains were all these shops selling these marble sculptures, and it was interesting seeing how the locals made them literally straight from large blocks of marble. A short ride from the mountains I made it to Danang Beach which was another nice and clean sandy beach. There was even some kind of festival taking place on the beach with lots of artwork on show. I stopped on the beach for lunch.
I then continued round to the Son Tra Peninsula, home to the White Lady Buddha statue which looked over Danang Bay. I would have continued to the summit of the peninsula which was nicknamed Monkey Mountain for obvious reasons, but my bike wasn't good enough to cope with inclines. I therefore headed into Danang City, which during the Vietnam War was basically flattened. In recent years though the city has had a bit of a revival and now houses an array of modern infrastructure including this bridge shaped like a dragon. I was going to stay in Danang to watch this fire show on the dragon bridge but it took place at lot later than I expected. I still stayed put to see the city at night though which I'd read was worth seeing. I cycled back to Hoi An afterwards which was a little sketchy in the dark as I had no lights but I luckily made it back in one piece.
On Monday I was originally planning to visit the ruins of My Son, although I decided not to visit them in the end in favour of exploring some of the outlying villages around Hoi An. I was particularly intrigued by the village of Cam Thanh which was home to these bowl like boats which the locals called coconut boats. It was very interesting walking round the village, although the locals were a little pushy in terms of trying to get me to ride on their boats. I was quite content just wandering round the dirt tracks and palm plantations which surrounded the network of waterways in the village.
From Cam Thanh I headed through the rice plantations to Cua Dai Beach where I had lunch. It was incredibly hot by this point though so I found a nice place in the shade under these palm trees for a while, before continuing along the coast to the nearby An Bang Beach which was packed full of tourists. I didn't stay long there, heading back to the hostel where I chilled out for the rest of the afternoon. I headed into Hoi An in the evening for dinner and managed to watch the South Korea v Sweden game. I headed back to the hostel afterwards, although by the time I went out to watch the England game which was a 1am kick off I had to watch it round someone's house as it appeared the pubs had a midnight curfew. They made me very welcome though and the locals I was with absolutely loved having an English guy to watch the game with!
Upon arrival to the actual ancient town they were trying to sell you tickets, and by my understanding there were around 30 buildings within the town that required a ticket to enter. Each ticket gave you entry to 5 places of your choice so if you wanted to visit each of them buildings you'd need to buy an entrance ticket 6 times. As the actual ancient town was pretty compact I decided to just wander round the streets and see what there was to see before buying tickets. I soon realised that it was predominantly the museums and temples which required tickets, and I was pretty content just taking in the atmosphere of the town, looking round the shops which sold things like ceramics, art, and silks, as well zigzagging my way down the narrow streets and alleys which were all very picturesque.
After a good look round the town I cycled out to Thanh Ha village which was famed for its terracotta pottery. It was very interesting watching the locals make their products, although they were pretty pushy in terms of trying to sell it to you! I headed back into Hoi An for lunch, finding a nice place to sit by the river. It was the evening when the town really became magical with these colourful lanterns lighting up the streets. The night market was a particular highlight with the vendors selling those lanterns in all different shapes and colours. What I found most surreal though was the river which was packed with small boats taking people out each lit with a single lantern, as well as these lotus flowers with candles in which were being dropped into the river. People say it feels like a fairytale and to be fair it absolutely did. I even managed to watch the France v Australia, and Argentina v Iceland games in the process too.
The following day I went to the nearby city of Danang for the day, cycling along the coast to get there. En route I stopped at the Marble Mountains which were these 5 limestone peaks housing a series of caves and temples. Some of the caves were fascinating housing these massive statues and enscriptions in the rock. There was even one cave where you came out of a hole in the ceiling presenting great views of the surrounding area. Surrounding the mountains were all these shops selling these marble sculptures, and it was interesting seeing how the locals made them literally straight from large blocks of marble. A short ride from the mountains I made it to Danang Beach which was another nice and clean sandy beach. There was even some kind of festival taking place on the beach with lots of artwork on show. I stopped on the beach for lunch.
I then continued round to the Son Tra Peninsula, home to the White Lady Buddha statue which looked over Danang Bay. I would have continued to the summit of the peninsula which was nicknamed Monkey Mountain for obvious reasons, but my bike wasn't good enough to cope with inclines. I therefore headed into Danang City, which during the Vietnam War was basically flattened. In recent years though the city has had a bit of a revival and now houses an array of modern infrastructure including this bridge shaped like a dragon. I was going to stay in Danang to watch this fire show on the dragon bridge but it took place at lot later than I expected. I still stayed put to see the city at night though which I'd read was worth seeing. I cycled back to Hoi An afterwards which was a little sketchy in the dark as I had no lights but I luckily made it back in one piece.
On Monday I was originally planning to visit the ruins of My Son, although I decided not to visit them in the end in favour of exploring some of the outlying villages around Hoi An. I was particularly intrigued by the village of Cam Thanh which was home to these bowl like boats which the locals called coconut boats. It was very interesting walking round the village, although the locals were a little pushy in terms of trying to get me to ride on their boats. I was quite content just wandering round the dirt tracks and palm plantations which surrounded the network of waterways in the village.
From Cam Thanh I headed through the rice plantations to Cua Dai Beach where I had lunch. It was incredibly hot by this point though so I found a nice place in the shade under these palm trees for a while, before continuing along the coast to the nearby An Bang Beach which was packed full of tourists. I didn't stay long there, heading back to the hostel where I chilled out for the rest of the afternoon. I headed into Hoi An in the evening for dinner and managed to watch the South Korea v Sweden game. I headed back to the hostel afterwards, although by the time I went out to watch the England game which was a 1am kick off I had to watch it round someone's house as it appeared the pubs had a midnight curfew. They made me very welcome though and the locals I was with absolutely loved having an English guy to watch the game with!
Wednesday, 20 June 2018
Nha Trang
I left Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday evening, catching a night bus north to the coastal city of Nha Trang. What many of the bus companies offered were open bus tickets to Hanoi as you couldn't get there in one go. All you had to do was declare your intended stops en route to Hanoi. My original plan for the 30 day visa was to do Ho Chi Minh - Mui Ne - Dalat - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi, and then once in Hanoi do a couple of side trips to Sapa and Halong Bay. I didn't have time on a 15 day visa to do all that, so I decided I would instead do Ho Chi Minh - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi, and give my planned side trips from Hanoi a miss. What I essentially did was remove the four rural destinations I planned to visit and set my focus on the visiting the five urban areas I planned to visit as in terms of getting to Hanoi you had to change buses in Nha Trang, Hoi An, and Hue irregardless. I basically ensured I had the minimum possible bus time, which was still around 1700km!
The bus ride was actually really comfortable, as I paid a little bit extra to take VIP buses instead of local buses north. The main reason I did that is because Vietnam is meant to be a little dodgy for muggings on night buses, and taking a VIP bus meant that risk was reduced. It also meant instead of trying to sleep in a seat, I got my own bed on board and there was even free WiFi! I arrived into Nha Trang at 4.30am in the end which was a lot earlier than the 6am arrival advertised. I therefore went down to the beach to watch the sunrise, and it was surprisingly really busy with people doing things like aerobics classes both on the beach and in the sea. It was a really nice sunrise, and shortly after I went to my hostel where the owner kindly let me check in early, which allowed me a couple of hours of proper sleep before going out to explore the city.
I was originally only planning to spend about a half a day in Nha Trang, being one of the cities you have to change buses in to catch your next bus north towards Hanoi. As I didn't have the opportunity to visit Mui Ne and Dalat prior and arrived there directly from Ho Chi Minh instead that plan would have given me two consecutive night buses which was very unappealing. That's why I decided to spend the night in Nha Trang effectively giving me two days to explore before catching another night bus north the following day. I went for a walk along the beach first thing which was incredibly clean by Asian standards, Nha Trang city basically lieing on a 7km long strip of sand. I followed the beach all the way to Hon Chong which were these rocks you climb on, giving you great views over Nha Trang Bay and some of the outlying islands.
I then headed to the Ponagar Temple, which were some ancient ruins sitting on a hilltop by the Cai River. It basically consisted of 4 towers all of which you could access, as well as a few outlying relics. The view over the river looking towards Nha Trang was nice from the top too. After crossing the river I visited the Dam Market although it was little disappointing, so I therefore went to the Long Son Pagoda which was this Chinese temple sitting beneath a large white Buddha statue, which again had great views from the top. By this point it was incredibly hot, so I went to the shopping mall for lunch and the air con, before heading back to the hostel via this gothic style Cathedral.
Come evening I went and checked out what was going on the beach, which was very busy with street entertainers and a particularly lively nightlife scene. I found it particularly interesting throughout the day the amount of Russian tourists in Nha Trang, and there was no exception in the evening with their opening world cup game on. From what I understand during the Cold War they built a military base nearby which still operates today, and because of that Russians like to come to Nha Trang on their holidays. I would have watched the football as many of the pubs I passed whilst out were bouncing with rowdy Russian's, although I was absolutely exhausted by that point!
The following day I just had a beach day as that's essentially what Nha Trang is all about. The beach had several bars hiring out deck chairs and stuff, although before relaxing I took a walk south towards the port and this lighthouse. Unfortunately when getting to the lighthouse the road up was closed which was a shame, but it was still a nice walk. I spent the afternoon at this place called Happy Beach which had things like old cars and bicycles on the beach. I found myself a nice hammock and stayed there for a few hours. Later that afternoon I had a look round some of markets and shops before catching my next night bus north to Hoi An that evening.
The bus ride was actually really comfortable, as I paid a little bit extra to take VIP buses instead of local buses north. The main reason I did that is because Vietnam is meant to be a little dodgy for muggings on night buses, and taking a VIP bus meant that risk was reduced. It also meant instead of trying to sleep in a seat, I got my own bed on board and there was even free WiFi! I arrived into Nha Trang at 4.30am in the end which was a lot earlier than the 6am arrival advertised. I therefore went down to the beach to watch the sunrise, and it was surprisingly really busy with people doing things like aerobics classes both on the beach and in the sea. It was a really nice sunrise, and shortly after I went to my hostel where the owner kindly let me check in early, which allowed me a couple of hours of proper sleep before going out to explore the city.
I was originally only planning to spend about a half a day in Nha Trang, being one of the cities you have to change buses in to catch your next bus north towards Hanoi. As I didn't have the opportunity to visit Mui Ne and Dalat prior and arrived there directly from Ho Chi Minh instead that plan would have given me two consecutive night buses which was very unappealing. That's why I decided to spend the night in Nha Trang effectively giving me two days to explore before catching another night bus north the following day. I went for a walk along the beach first thing which was incredibly clean by Asian standards, Nha Trang city basically lieing on a 7km long strip of sand. I followed the beach all the way to Hon Chong which were these rocks you climb on, giving you great views over Nha Trang Bay and some of the outlying islands.
I then headed to the Ponagar Temple, which were some ancient ruins sitting on a hilltop by the Cai River. It basically consisted of 4 towers all of which you could access, as well as a few outlying relics. The view over the river looking towards Nha Trang was nice from the top too. After crossing the river I visited the Dam Market although it was little disappointing, so I therefore went to the Long Son Pagoda which was this Chinese temple sitting beneath a large white Buddha statue, which again had great views from the top. By this point it was incredibly hot, so I went to the shopping mall for lunch and the air con, before heading back to the hostel via this gothic style Cathedral.
Come evening I went and checked out what was going on the beach, which was very busy with street entertainers and a particularly lively nightlife scene. I found it particularly interesting throughout the day the amount of Russian tourists in Nha Trang, and there was no exception in the evening with their opening world cup game on. From what I understand during the Cold War they built a military base nearby which still operates today, and because of that Russians like to come to Nha Trang on their holidays. I would have watched the football as many of the pubs I passed whilst out were bouncing with rowdy Russian's, although I was absolutely exhausted by that point!
The following day I just had a beach day as that's essentially what Nha Trang is all about. The beach had several bars hiring out deck chairs and stuff, although before relaxing I took a walk south towards the port and this lighthouse. Unfortunately when getting to the lighthouse the road up was closed which was a shame, but it was still a nice walk. I spent the afternoon at this place called Happy Beach which had things like old cars and bicycles on the beach. I found myself a nice hammock and stayed there for a few hours. Later that afternoon I had a look round some of markets and shops before catching my next night bus north to Hoi An that evening.
Monday, 18 June 2018
Ho Chi Minh City
I left Sihanoukville on Sunday morning with the aim of the day to cross the border into Vietnam. I had several options in terms of where to cross the border, and in the end I decided I would cross the Moc Bai border where most people cross to get to Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam. To get there I had to catch a bus to Phnom Penh, arriving about lunchtime, before catching another bus to Ho Chi Minh City.
Prior to arriving at the border the bus driver took every passengers passport, and whilst we stopped at this small cafe he got us all stamped out of Cambodia. We then got back on the bus to Vietnam side, where he did a similar process handing over every passengers passport to get stamped in. When he returned our passports on the bus however I was only stamped in for a 15 day period, when I had in fact been granted a 30 day visa a couple of weeks prior. When I questioned this to the bus driver he was more interested in getting to Ho Chi Minh City, so I couldn't really do much about it until the following day. We didn't arrive into Ho Chi Minh City until darkness, and I was very glad when I finally got to lie down as it was a very long day!
On Monday I went out and explored Ho Chi Minh City for the day, although I firstly wanted to try and resolve my visa issue. I googled where the immigration office was and it happened to be near the Jade Emerald Pagoda, so I went there en route. Unlike many of the other temples I visited it felt almost swallowed up by the city, Ho Chi Minh housing over 10 million people (which is over double the population of the entire of Laos) and a lot of high rise buildings. Despite not being very photogenic it was a very interesting place. I then went to the immigration office who weren't any help whatsoever, seeming more interested in selling me an alternative visa. That left me completely unsure what to do.
Instead of worrying about my visa I just went out and explored the city, using this walking tour I downloaded online which took me to some the historically significant buildings including the Notre Dame Cathedral, Opera House, and City Hall. The city was incredibly busy and chaotic, and every time I crossed a road I felt as if I was putting my life on the line with motorcycles left, right, and centre! There was an array of shopping options around the city, as well as street food vendors selling some very suspect things. Later on in the day I visited the Zoo and Botanic Gardens, which was a little run down but housed things like Tigers, Giraffes, and Elephants. I particularly liked the bears though which were very active.
When returning to the hostel the owner helped me with my visa issue, and she told me that the stamp in my passport was a 15 day visa, and that my evisa document was simply a letter of approval and not an official visa. She gave me the address of the government immigration office and told me to speak to them for more advice. It appeared I hadn't gone to the official immigration office earlier in the day and instead went to a travel agency type place which focused on selling you visas.
The following morning I went to the office, and they confirmed that I had only been granted a 15 day visa, and told me my evisa could no longer be granted now that I was in the country, and that I should have questioned it at the border. They said the only way to use my evisa was to return to the border, exit Vietnam, cross back into Cambodia, and then re enter Vietnam, but there were no guarantees I would be allowed back into both Cambodia and Vietnam due to using two visas in a short space of time. They said my only other option was to apply for a visa extension with them, but I would have to leave my passport with them and they said that process takes up to a week with again no guarantee of it being granted. In the end I decided I would have to only stay 15 days which was absolutely gutting as I'd envisaged seeing Vietnam in 30 days as basically impossible, so to be restricted to just 15 days was very frustrating, but there wasn't really much I could do about it.
After leaving the immigration office I headed out to the Cu Chi Tunnels for the day. The Cu Chi Tunnels are a massive network of underground tunnels and chambers in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, about 90km outside the city centre. They were originally part of a much larger network of tunnels that ran as far as Ho Chi Minh City and even the Cambodian border during the Vietnam war. The tunnels were dug with simple tools and bare hands during the French occupation in the 1940s, and further expanded during the Vietnam War in the 1960s to provide refuge and a defensive advantage over the American soldiers. Despite all the bombings in their town, the Cu Chi people were able to continue their lives beneath the soil, where they slept, ate, planned attacks, healed their sick, and taught their young. Some even wed and gave birth underground, but over 10,000 lost their lives here.
I caught local buses out there which was surprisingly straightforward despite having to change buses along the way. Prior to arriving at the tunnels, there was a nice little walkway along the rivers edge, taking you via this temple which had these fascinating mosaics which I think depicted the Vietnam War. There were also many rusting war relics including bombs, guns, and vehicles outside the entrance to the tunnels. As part of my entrance fee I got a guide who was actually really good at putting everything in context. Along the way we passed several relics and scenes recreating the war, and we watched a very interactive video explaining the history of the war.
We then got to explore several of the tunnels and bunkers, which were a little chlostrophobic in places but I still managed to fit just about. Later in the tour we got to experience a typical Vietnamese War lunch which consisted a water and cassava, as well as passing through several interactive workshop areas including a brilliant recreation of some of the traps they used to capture food and stop the opposition during the war. The tour took over 3 hours in the end but our guide was brilliant as keeping us engaged and I really enjoyed it. When arriving back in the city I relaxed at my hostel for a bit, before heading back to where the city hall was, which had a long walking street with street entertainers surrounded by some of the cities modern high rise.
On Wednesday I went out first thing to sort out my bus ticket north, walking there via the Tan Dinh Cathedral which had a striking pink facade. Unlike everywhere else I've visited in Asia there were actually quite a lot of Catholic buildings which is a change from all the temples! It wasn't a very nice day and it kept raining, so I was considering visiting the War Remnants museum and Reunification Palace which were both museums to do with the Vietnam war. In the end I opted against that and decided to go to the cinema to watch the new Jurassic World film which was really good. After the film I looked round a couple of the shopping malls as it was just pouring with rain, eventually making it back to my hostel to collect my stuff. Before catching my night bus north to Nha Trang I had a look round the Ben Thanh market, before heading to this street food market for dinner. The food in Ho Chi Minh was definitely some of the best I've had in Asia.
Prior to arriving at the border the bus driver took every passengers passport, and whilst we stopped at this small cafe he got us all stamped out of Cambodia. We then got back on the bus to Vietnam side, where he did a similar process handing over every passengers passport to get stamped in. When he returned our passports on the bus however I was only stamped in for a 15 day period, when I had in fact been granted a 30 day visa a couple of weeks prior. When I questioned this to the bus driver he was more interested in getting to Ho Chi Minh City, so I couldn't really do much about it until the following day. We didn't arrive into Ho Chi Minh City until darkness, and I was very glad when I finally got to lie down as it was a very long day!
On Monday I went out and explored Ho Chi Minh City for the day, although I firstly wanted to try and resolve my visa issue. I googled where the immigration office was and it happened to be near the Jade Emerald Pagoda, so I went there en route. Unlike many of the other temples I visited it felt almost swallowed up by the city, Ho Chi Minh housing over 10 million people (which is over double the population of the entire of Laos) and a lot of high rise buildings. Despite not being very photogenic it was a very interesting place. I then went to the immigration office who weren't any help whatsoever, seeming more interested in selling me an alternative visa. That left me completely unsure what to do.
Instead of worrying about my visa I just went out and explored the city, using this walking tour I downloaded online which took me to some the historically significant buildings including the Notre Dame Cathedral, Opera House, and City Hall. The city was incredibly busy and chaotic, and every time I crossed a road I felt as if I was putting my life on the line with motorcycles left, right, and centre! There was an array of shopping options around the city, as well as street food vendors selling some very suspect things. Later on in the day I visited the Zoo and Botanic Gardens, which was a little run down but housed things like Tigers, Giraffes, and Elephants. I particularly liked the bears though which were very active.
When returning to the hostel the owner helped me with my visa issue, and she told me that the stamp in my passport was a 15 day visa, and that my evisa document was simply a letter of approval and not an official visa. She gave me the address of the government immigration office and told me to speak to them for more advice. It appeared I hadn't gone to the official immigration office earlier in the day and instead went to a travel agency type place which focused on selling you visas.
The following morning I went to the office, and they confirmed that I had only been granted a 15 day visa, and told me my evisa could no longer be granted now that I was in the country, and that I should have questioned it at the border. They said the only way to use my evisa was to return to the border, exit Vietnam, cross back into Cambodia, and then re enter Vietnam, but there were no guarantees I would be allowed back into both Cambodia and Vietnam due to using two visas in a short space of time. They said my only other option was to apply for a visa extension with them, but I would have to leave my passport with them and they said that process takes up to a week with again no guarantee of it being granted. In the end I decided I would have to only stay 15 days which was absolutely gutting as I'd envisaged seeing Vietnam in 30 days as basically impossible, so to be restricted to just 15 days was very frustrating, but there wasn't really much I could do about it.
After leaving the immigration office I headed out to the Cu Chi Tunnels for the day. The Cu Chi Tunnels are a massive network of underground tunnels and chambers in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, about 90km outside the city centre. They were originally part of a much larger network of tunnels that ran as far as Ho Chi Minh City and even the Cambodian border during the Vietnam war. The tunnels were dug with simple tools and bare hands during the French occupation in the 1940s, and further expanded during the Vietnam War in the 1960s to provide refuge and a defensive advantage over the American soldiers. Despite all the bombings in their town, the Cu Chi people were able to continue their lives beneath the soil, where they slept, ate, planned attacks, healed their sick, and taught their young. Some even wed and gave birth underground, but over 10,000 lost their lives here.
I caught local buses out there which was surprisingly straightforward despite having to change buses along the way. Prior to arriving at the tunnels, there was a nice little walkway along the rivers edge, taking you via this temple which had these fascinating mosaics which I think depicted the Vietnam War. There were also many rusting war relics including bombs, guns, and vehicles outside the entrance to the tunnels. As part of my entrance fee I got a guide who was actually really good at putting everything in context. Along the way we passed several relics and scenes recreating the war, and we watched a very interactive video explaining the history of the war.
We then got to explore several of the tunnels and bunkers, which were a little chlostrophobic in places but I still managed to fit just about. Later in the tour we got to experience a typical Vietnamese War lunch which consisted a water and cassava, as well as passing through several interactive workshop areas including a brilliant recreation of some of the traps they used to capture food and stop the opposition during the war. The tour took over 3 hours in the end but our guide was brilliant as keeping us engaged and I really enjoyed it. When arriving back in the city I relaxed at my hostel for a bit, before heading back to where the city hall was, which had a long walking street with street entertainers surrounded by some of the cities modern high rise.
On Wednesday I went out first thing to sort out my bus ticket north, walking there via the Tan Dinh Cathedral which had a striking pink facade. Unlike everywhere else I've visited in Asia there were actually quite a lot of Catholic buildings which is a change from all the temples! It wasn't a very nice day and it kept raining, so I was considering visiting the War Remnants museum and Reunification Palace which were both museums to do with the Vietnam war. In the end I opted against that and decided to go to the cinema to watch the new Jurassic World film which was really good. After the film I looked round a couple of the shopping malls as it was just pouring with rain, eventually making it back to my hostel to collect my stuff. Before catching my night bus north to Nha Trang I had a look round the Ben Thanh market, before heading to this street food market for dinner. The food in Ho Chi Minh was definitely some of the best I've had in Asia.
Monday, 11 June 2018
Southern Cambodia
I left Battambang on Friday morning, aiming to get to Kampot or Sihanoukville in the south of Cambodia. Getting there however required catching a bus to Phnom Penh and then trying to catch another bus south. The bus from Battambang dragged a bit and I didn't arrive into Phnom Penh until late afternoon. Phnom Penh doesn't have a centralised bus station, with the countless bus operators instead operating services from their offices. The company I went with didn't have any services heading south until the morning, so I decided instead of faffing about trying to find another bus company I'd stay the night in Phnom Penh. Doing that resulted in me in being able to purchase an sd card reader for my tablet so it actually worked out quite well.
Come morning I left Phnom Penh bright and early, opting to head to the town of Kampot, arriving later that morning. Kampot is located about 25km from the town of Kep which I also wanted to visit, with many of the areas attractions lieing between the two towns. I managed to find a really nice place in the small fishing village of Tuek Chhou about 6km outside of Kampot which offered free bike hire and my own room with a double bed, and in a great location in terms of exploring the two towns and surrounding areas. After settling in I headed into Kampot for lunch and to explore the town a bit.
Kampot sits along the east side of the Kampong Bay River near the base of the Elephant Mountains. The town is particularly popular due its quiet lanes and colonial architecture housing an array of cafes and restaurants. After picking up a tourist map I cycled round the slightly worn yet quaint streets, the highlights including this old bridge across the river which had been partially bombed during the Khmer Rouge, and these statues situated on many of the towns roundabouts. It wasn't a very nice day though in terms of weather so I kept having to dive in for shelter, but I still managed to get a good feel for the place before heading back to Tuek Chhou.
The following day I went out on a bike for the day to explore some of the countryside. First stop was Phnom Kbal Romeas, an impressive cave system which was easy to explore to the due to that fact it was almost like a cavern and there were several holes in the ceiling flooding light inside. I explored for a fair while and it almost felt as if I could climb out the top in places, although I couldn't! I then went to Phnom Chhngok Cave Temple which was another cave system, although this one also housed a small Angkorian temple dating back to the 9th century, as well as this large rock which supposedly resembled an elephant. I had to climb a staircase to reach the cave and apparently you could exit at the bottom the by decending through the caves, although I wasn't confident enough to do that without a proper torch.
After leaving the caves I went to the Brateak Krola Lake, more commonly referred to as the Secret Lake. I think they've had a lot rain in the south of Cambodia as the dirt tracks I was cycling on was basically a mud bath. I stopped for lunch there as there were several nice restaurants sitting on the lakes edge with these little huts you could sit in. Apparently you could even swim in the lake but it wasn't that appealing in the rain!
A short ride from the lake was La Plantation, a pepper farm which offered free guided tours and tastings. Pepper farming was brought to Cambodia by the French, but after they left and the Khmer Rouge took place the farms were abandoned. It's not until recently that there has been a revival and nowadays there several pepper farms in the area. The guided tour took me around the plantation where I learnt about all the different types of pepper and the processes used to make them. It was very interesting, and I particularly enjoyed the tasting session at the end. I never knew there were so many different types of pepper! They also made things like turmeric, jam, and rum which you could try. I headed back after the tour and chilled out for the rest of the day as it was a very overcast day and it kept raining.
On Monday I went to the nearby town of Kep for the day, cycling there along a nice tarmac road which was a nice change after the muddy dirt tracks the previous day. Kep is a popular destination with Cambodian holiday makers, and is particularly famous for its crab shacks. With quiet beaches flanked with jungled mountains the place just had a chilled out tropical vibe. When arriving I went and explored the Kep National Park which formed the backdrop of the town. I followed this trail which went around the hills edge, getting occasional viewpoints of the coastline along the way. It started raining before long however so stepped it out a bit, heading into Kep Town for lunch and shelter.
Luckily the rain eventually cleared somewhat and I followed the coast getting great views of some of the outlying islands. I passed several statues along the way too including this crab literally in the sea. Before long I reached Kep Beach which was home to nice and sandy beach. Before having some beach time however I headed back into Kep National Park to visit Sunset Rock, passing an abandoned temple en route. The view from Sunset Rock was a little lacklustre however, and I soon headed back down to the beach which had several bamboo shelters with hammocks in. After chilling out for a bit I continued along the coast to the crab market, which was fascinating. The locals had these cages in the sea full of freshly caught crabs which they were selling straight from the sea, as well several shacks selling freshly made meals. I cycled back to Tuek Chhou after the market, getting back just in time before the rain got heavy again.
I had a far more chilled out day the following day after all my cycling, heading into Kampot town around lunchtime where I found a nice place by the river. It was actually a really nice day and I was tempted to go and explore the mangroves and salt flats which lie on the coast outside of Kampot, although I opted against that. In dry season they produce large quantities of salt in Kampot by literally flooding the fields with sea water in the morning and allowing it to evaporate throughout the day, collecting the salt left behind later in the day. It isn't possible during wet season however.
On Wednesday I went for a day trip into the Preah Monivong National Park to visit the old ghost town of Bokor up in the heart of the Elephant Mountains. En route we stopped at this viewpoint looking out towards Kampot, Kep, and the coast. It was interesting seeing the expansive salt fields from above and my guide even had a drone which he flew out over the hills, to see a birds eye view through its camera! We then stopped at the Black Palace which until the 1970s was a Royal Residence. It was now basically just a set of derelict buildings, and I actually thought this street artist who had put graffiti on it was more exciting than the building itself. There were more great views from there though, including some from this giant statue of Yeay Mao.
As we continued climbing the weather unfortunately turned and by the time we reached Bokor it was torrential rain and very poor visibility. Situated at over 1000m, Bokor was a small holiday resort town built by the French in the 1920s mainly for its cooler climate being at altitude. It was abandoned many years ago however and people come today to see the eerie buildings accompanied by stunning views. We stopped at the old temple which was situated on the cliffs edge, before passing buildings such as an old casino, hotel, and police station. The visibility was very poor however, but it was nice to hear our guides detailed insight into the area. We did get out and stop at this old Catholic Church, but we didn't stay very long.
From Bokor we descended down to the Popovkil Waterfall, with the heavy rain prior creating quite a torrent. We had lunch there before heading back to Kampot, where it was much nicer weather. I had a couple of hours in the afternoon to relax before heading over to the river for this sunset river cruise. There wasn't any sun for a sunset, although I still really enjoyed it as we went through the mangroves and as it began to get dark the reflection of the hills and clouds in the river was very pretty. We even saw loads of fireflys on the way back to Kampot when it was dark. The only sketchy thing though was going under the bridges, as where I was sitting on the roof you literally had to lie down to fit underneath!
I left Kampot Thursday morning and headed a couple of hours along the coast to the city of Sihanoukville, Cambodias most popular beach destination. Sihanoukville is also home to an array of nightlife, casinos, and duty free shopping, and is also the main gateway to some of the outlying tropical islands in the Gulf of Thailand. I planned to spend couple of days on the beaches on the mainland though; if the weather wasn't so unpredictable I would have gone to the islands. I instead thought staying in Sihanoukville was a more sensible option as the islands were apparently very basic, with things like power limited to just the evenings. The weather when arriving in Sihanoukville was awful, and it rained all day so I didn't make it much further than looking round a few of the shops near my hostel.
The following day I went out and explored Sihanoukville, firstly heading up to Wat Leu which was on top of a hill overlooking the city. In recent years Sihanoukville has recieved heavy investment from China and this was evident from the viewpoint at the top by all the building work taking place below, with the Chinese building high rise hotels on the several beaches around the city. Such is the rapid development in the city, that Google maps which I was using to navigate didn't have an up to date map, with several roads I tried to follow leading to building sites! I eventually made it to Victory Beach via the port where I stopped for lunch on the beach, with great views looking out to the islands.
From Victory Beach I headed via the Independence Monument to Wat Krom, another temple which in the surrounding courtyard had all these interesting sculptures. I nearly get bitten by a snake though after accidentally treading on it. I then headed to Independence Beach which was basically a building site, although it did have these nice umbrellas you could sit under. On my way to the next beach, Sokha Beach the weather turned however. It set in for the rest of the day and by the time I got back to Serendipity Beach where I was staying I was absolutely drenched. The rain just persisted for the rest of the day.
Come morning it was still pretty grotty and certainly far from being beach weather. As I was planning to attempt to cross into Vietnam the following day I was tempted to head to Phnom Penh to break the journey up a bit, but I'd already paid for the night in the Sihanoukville so I stayed put. It was very frustrating I couldn't do barely anything I planned to do in Sihanoukville, but I suppose it was nice to relax a bit.
Come morning I left Phnom Penh bright and early, opting to head to the town of Kampot, arriving later that morning. Kampot is located about 25km from the town of Kep which I also wanted to visit, with many of the areas attractions lieing between the two towns. I managed to find a really nice place in the small fishing village of Tuek Chhou about 6km outside of Kampot which offered free bike hire and my own room with a double bed, and in a great location in terms of exploring the two towns and surrounding areas. After settling in I headed into Kampot for lunch and to explore the town a bit.
Kampot sits along the east side of the Kampong Bay River near the base of the Elephant Mountains. The town is particularly popular due its quiet lanes and colonial architecture housing an array of cafes and restaurants. After picking up a tourist map I cycled round the slightly worn yet quaint streets, the highlights including this old bridge across the river which had been partially bombed during the Khmer Rouge, and these statues situated on many of the towns roundabouts. It wasn't a very nice day though in terms of weather so I kept having to dive in for shelter, but I still managed to get a good feel for the place before heading back to Tuek Chhou.
The following day I went out on a bike for the day to explore some of the countryside. First stop was Phnom Kbal Romeas, an impressive cave system which was easy to explore to the due to that fact it was almost like a cavern and there were several holes in the ceiling flooding light inside. I explored for a fair while and it almost felt as if I could climb out the top in places, although I couldn't! I then went to Phnom Chhngok Cave Temple which was another cave system, although this one also housed a small Angkorian temple dating back to the 9th century, as well as this large rock which supposedly resembled an elephant. I had to climb a staircase to reach the cave and apparently you could exit at the bottom the by decending through the caves, although I wasn't confident enough to do that without a proper torch.
After leaving the caves I went to the Brateak Krola Lake, more commonly referred to as the Secret Lake. I think they've had a lot rain in the south of Cambodia as the dirt tracks I was cycling on was basically a mud bath. I stopped for lunch there as there were several nice restaurants sitting on the lakes edge with these little huts you could sit in. Apparently you could even swim in the lake but it wasn't that appealing in the rain!
A short ride from the lake was La Plantation, a pepper farm which offered free guided tours and tastings. Pepper farming was brought to Cambodia by the French, but after they left and the Khmer Rouge took place the farms were abandoned. It's not until recently that there has been a revival and nowadays there several pepper farms in the area. The guided tour took me around the plantation where I learnt about all the different types of pepper and the processes used to make them. It was very interesting, and I particularly enjoyed the tasting session at the end. I never knew there were so many different types of pepper! They also made things like turmeric, jam, and rum which you could try. I headed back after the tour and chilled out for the rest of the day as it was a very overcast day and it kept raining.
On Monday I went to the nearby town of Kep for the day, cycling there along a nice tarmac road which was a nice change after the muddy dirt tracks the previous day. Kep is a popular destination with Cambodian holiday makers, and is particularly famous for its crab shacks. With quiet beaches flanked with jungled mountains the place just had a chilled out tropical vibe. When arriving I went and explored the Kep National Park which formed the backdrop of the town. I followed this trail which went around the hills edge, getting occasional viewpoints of the coastline along the way. It started raining before long however so stepped it out a bit, heading into Kep Town for lunch and shelter.
Luckily the rain eventually cleared somewhat and I followed the coast getting great views of some of the outlying islands. I passed several statues along the way too including this crab literally in the sea. Before long I reached Kep Beach which was home to nice and sandy beach. Before having some beach time however I headed back into Kep National Park to visit Sunset Rock, passing an abandoned temple en route. The view from Sunset Rock was a little lacklustre however, and I soon headed back down to the beach which had several bamboo shelters with hammocks in. After chilling out for a bit I continued along the coast to the crab market, which was fascinating. The locals had these cages in the sea full of freshly caught crabs which they were selling straight from the sea, as well several shacks selling freshly made meals. I cycled back to Tuek Chhou after the market, getting back just in time before the rain got heavy again.
I had a far more chilled out day the following day after all my cycling, heading into Kampot town around lunchtime where I found a nice place by the river. It was actually a really nice day and I was tempted to go and explore the mangroves and salt flats which lie on the coast outside of Kampot, although I opted against that. In dry season they produce large quantities of salt in Kampot by literally flooding the fields with sea water in the morning and allowing it to evaporate throughout the day, collecting the salt left behind later in the day. It isn't possible during wet season however.
On Wednesday I went for a day trip into the Preah Monivong National Park to visit the old ghost town of Bokor up in the heart of the Elephant Mountains. En route we stopped at this viewpoint looking out towards Kampot, Kep, and the coast. It was interesting seeing the expansive salt fields from above and my guide even had a drone which he flew out over the hills, to see a birds eye view through its camera! We then stopped at the Black Palace which until the 1970s was a Royal Residence. It was now basically just a set of derelict buildings, and I actually thought this street artist who had put graffiti on it was more exciting than the building itself. There were more great views from there though, including some from this giant statue of Yeay Mao.
As we continued climbing the weather unfortunately turned and by the time we reached Bokor it was torrential rain and very poor visibility. Situated at over 1000m, Bokor was a small holiday resort town built by the French in the 1920s mainly for its cooler climate being at altitude. It was abandoned many years ago however and people come today to see the eerie buildings accompanied by stunning views. We stopped at the old temple which was situated on the cliffs edge, before passing buildings such as an old casino, hotel, and police station. The visibility was very poor however, but it was nice to hear our guides detailed insight into the area. We did get out and stop at this old Catholic Church, but we didn't stay very long.
From Bokor we descended down to the Popovkil Waterfall, with the heavy rain prior creating quite a torrent. We had lunch there before heading back to Kampot, where it was much nicer weather. I had a couple of hours in the afternoon to relax before heading over to the river for this sunset river cruise. There wasn't any sun for a sunset, although I still really enjoyed it as we went through the mangroves and as it began to get dark the reflection of the hills and clouds in the river was very pretty. We even saw loads of fireflys on the way back to Kampot when it was dark. The only sketchy thing though was going under the bridges, as where I was sitting on the roof you literally had to lie down to fit underneath!
I left Kampot Thursday morning and headed a couple of hours along the coast to the city of Sihanoukville, Cambodias most popular beach destination. Sihanoukville is also home to an array of nightlife, casinos, and duty free shopping, and is also the main gateway to some of the outlying tropical islands in the Gulf of Thailand. I planned to spend couple of days on the beaches on the mainland though; if the weather wasn't so unpredictable I would have gone to the islands. I instead thought staying in Sihanoukville was a more sensible option as the islands were apparently very basic, with things like power limited to just the evenings. The weather when arriving in Sihanoukville was awful, and it rained all day so I didn't make it much further than looking round a few of the shops near my hostel.
The following day I went out and explored Sihanoukville, firstly heading up to Wat Leu which was on top of a hill overlooking the city. In recent years Sihanoukville has recieved heavy investment from China and this was evident from the viewpoint at the top by all the building work taking place below, with the Chinese building high rise hotels on the several beaches around the city. Such is the rapid development in the city, that Google maps which I was using to navigate didn't have an up to date map, with several roads I tried to follow leading to building sites! I eventually made it to Victory Beach via the port where I stopped for lunch on the beach, with great views looking out to the islands.
From Victory Beach I headed via the Independence Monument to Wat Krom, another temple which in the surrounding courtyard had all these interesting sculptures. I nearly get bitten by a snake though after accidentally treading on it. I then headed to Independence Beach which was basically a building site, although it did have these nice umbrellas you could sit under. On my way to the next beach, Sokha Beach the weather turned however. It set in for the rest of the day and by the time I got back to Serendipity Beach where I was staying I was absolutely drenched. The rain just persisted for the rest of the day.
Come morning it was still pretty grotty and certainly far from being beach weather. As I was planning to attempt to cross into Vietnam the following day I was tempted to head to Phnom Penh to break the journey up a bit, but I'd already paid for the night in the Sihanoukville so I stayed put. It was very frustrating I couldn't do barely anything I planned to do in Sihanoukville, but I suppose it was nice to relax a bit.
Thursday, 7 June 2018
Battambang
I left Siem Riep Tuesday morning and headed the short distance to the small city of Battambang. It still took much of morning to get there as the bus kept stopping to let locals on trying to sell you stuff, although I still had much of the afternoon free to explore. I decided to focus on the city itself, following this tour I downloaded online. Battambang is the second most populated city in Cambodia, and houses several old pagodas and French colonial era buildings. The centre was housed with narrow streets home to several small cafes and shophouses, whilst further afield I passed buildings such as the Royal Residence and a couple of interesting statues.
The following day I hired a bike, with the nearby countryside home to several old pagodas, Angkorian era ruins, caves, and limestone outcrops. First stop of the day was this local winery, en route passing several villages and endless fields of rice paddies. The vineyard was essentially just greenhouses but it was still pretty and I did the wine tasting whilst I was there. I then continued onto Banan Village which was home to Phnom Banan, a small hilltop temple up a 358 step climb. The temple was made up of 5 towers and had several fascinating carvings, with the views of the surrounding countryside pretty impressive too.
I stayed in Banan for lunch as the village was very picturesque situated by this small lake, as well as housing some pretty gardens with these sculptures of animals in. From Banan I was hoping to visit this fruit farm which was highlighted on my map although I couldn't find it so next stop was Phnom Sampeau, a limestone outcrop home to several caves and viewpoints. First stop was the bat caves which you couldn't access as they were these large caverns half way up the cliff face, but you could see loads of bats inside from below. Apparently at dusk they come out and do an impressive display.
I then headed up to the Killing Caves, used during the Khmer Rouge to dispose of bodies. It was a very eerie place, with this glass memorial housing skulls of the victims, and these cages full of bone fragments. I was able to go inside the caves itself, and you could see how they disposed of the bodies through these holes in the ceiling into the cavern below. On the summit of Sampeau were several viewpoints looking out over the countryside, as well as a large complex of temples including some more caves used for religious purposes. There was also this deep canyon you could access through this massive natural arch which was again very eerie. When getting back to the base of the mountain I was tempted to stay and watch the bat display but I could sense a thunderstorm coming and I got back to Battambang just in time before it set in!
On Thursday I continued exploring the surrounding villages and countryside surrounding Battambang, heading out to the Angkorian ruins of Ek Phnom first thing. The ruins was basically a single temple, although there was this massive Buddha statue nearby surrounded by these smaller Buddha's. Nearby Ek Phnom I visited a local village which specialised in making rice paper, which is what they use to make spring rolls. It was interesting seeing the locals make the rice paper which were hung up on the side of the road presumably to dry out. There was even a small cafe where I was able to try some of their spring rolls.
I then headed to Wat Somrong Knong which was a temple used during the Khmer Rouge. The now disused temple lay their in ruin, and there were several other buildings which were used for torture and other purposes. There was also this well they used to drown their victims. Nearby the temple was a memorial stupa with some of the victims skills. I headed back into Battambang for lunch.
After lunch I headed out to the Bamboo Railway. Unfortunately it was no longer operating but there were relics of its existence remaining. During the Khmer Rouge the railways in Cambodia were abandoned but when it ended the locals made use of the rail tracks by building these carts out of bamboo to transport themselves and their goods from city to countryside. Over the years it became a bit of a tourist attraction but over the last few years Cambodia have made extensive efforts to restore the railway from Phnom Penh into Thailand which passes through Battambang, and with the railway set to open to regular train services next month the locals can no longer operate this system. I spent the afternoon relaxing at my hostel which had hammocks and pool, heading out to the night market in evening.
The following day I hired a bike, with the nearby countryside home to several old pagodas, Angkorian era ruins, caves, and limestone outcrops. First stop of the day was this local winery, en route passing several villages and endless fields of rice paddies. The vineyard was essentially just greenhouses but it was still pretty and I did the wine tasting whilst I was there. I then continued onto Banan Village which was home to Phnom Banan, a small hilltop temple up a 358 step climb. The temple was made up of 5 towers and had several fascinating carvings, with the views of the surrounding countryside pretty impressive too.
I stayed in Banan for lunch as the village was very picturesque situated by this small lake, as well as housing some pretty gardens with these sculptures of animals in. From Banan I was hoping to visit this fruit farm which was highlighted on my map although I couldn't find it so next stop was Phnom Sampeau, a limestone outcrop home to several caves and viewpoints. First stop was the bat caves which you couldn't access as they were these large caverns half way up the cliff face, but you could see loads of bats inside from below. Apparently at dusk they come out and do an impressive display.
I then headed up to the Killing Caves, used during the Khmer Rouge to dispose of bodies. It was a very eerie place, with this glass memorial housing skulls of the victims, and these cages full of bone fragments. I was able to go inside the caves itself, and you could see how they disposed of the bodies through these holes in the ceiling into the cavern below. On the summit of Sampeau were several viewpoints looking out over the countryside, as well as a large complex of temples including some more caves used for religious purposes. There was also this deep canyon you could access through this massive natural arch which was again very eerie. When getting back to the base of the mountain I was tempted to stay and watch the bat display but I could sense a thunderstorm coming and I got back to Battambang just in time before it set in!
On Thursday I continued exploring the surrounding villages and countryside surrounding Battambang, heading out to the Angkorian ruins of Ek Phnom first thing. The ruins was basically a single temple, although there was this massive Buddha statue nearby surrounded by these smaller Buddha's. Nearby Ek Phnom I visited a local village which specialised in making rice paper, which is what they use to make spring rolls. It was interesting seeing the locals make the rice paper which were hung up on the side of the road presumably to dry out. There was even a small cafe where I was able to try some of their spring rolls.
I then headed to Wat Somrong Knong which was a temple used during the Khmer Rouge. The now disused temple lay their in ruin, and there were several other buildings which were used for torture and other purposes. There was also this well they used to drown their victims. Nearby the temple was a memorial stupa with some of the victims skills. I headed back into Battambang for lunch.
After lunch I headed out to the Bamboo Railway. Unfortunately it was no longer operating but there were relics of its existence remaining. During the Khmer Rouge the railways in Cambodia were abandoned but when it ended the locals made use of the rail tracks by building these carts out of bamboo to transport themselves and their goods from city to countryside. Over the years it became a bit of a tourist attraction but over the last few years Cambodia have made extensive efforts to restore the railway from Phnom Penh into Thailand which passes through Battambang, and with the railway set to open to regular train services next month the locals can no longer operate this system. I spent the afternoon relaxing at my hostel which had hammocks and pool, heading out to the night market in evening.
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