Nha Trang, Vietnam's beach party capital

The holiday town of Nha Trang is a good party place and sun-soaking destination, probably the best place to go for a 2 week holiday in the country. With many islands nearby, boat trips and diving are popular activities. Parks and sculptures are aligned along the long stretch of beach and the city’s high rise buildings, 5 star hotels and stylish restaurants make for a cosmopolitan scene.

We thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the sun in Nha Trang and exploring the city after sunset. There was a nice night market to sample local treats and friendly bars where expats meet locals. Definitely a nice little holiday resort.

Soaking the sun in Nha Trang

Highly groomed trees adorn the boardwalk by the sea

High rise buildings meet white sand beach and turquoise water

Central highlands - Dalat

Dalat, in the mountains, is described as Vietnam’s alter ego, with its spring cold weather and French-colonial architecture. The temperature was indeed very cool and it took some getting used to! Dalat’s climate is conducive to growing plenty fruits and vegetables, so walking around the colourful market was interesting – but watch your step, many rats roam around!

Park in Dalat

Fresh produce at the market

Dalat wine is famous and served all over Vietnam. The red wine is light and very affordable. Another item to buy in Dalat is coffee. Vietnamese coffee is exported all over the world and ca phe chon is literally translated as weasel coffee. Coffee beans are fed to weasels, then harvested from their droppings! The city’s major markets sell this curious delicacy.

This bodum-like contraption is used to brew coffee right in front on your table - a long process. It is served with hot water to dilute, according to taste.

Hang Nga Crazy House

Architecture lovers will enjoy visiting the Crazy House, designed by Mrs Dang Viet Nga. It echoes the style of Antonio Gaudi and resembles an intricate mix of trees, grottos and other natural habitats. There are strangely decorated 10 rooms scattered through a maze of tunnels, bridges and ladders. It is even possible to book a room and spend a few nights! Most visitors, however, choose a short visit and pay the small entrance fee to wander in this crazy building.

This reminded me of Gaudi "melting" looking buildings

Wonderland castle

Mui Ne

Our Vietnamese trip began in HCMC in southern Vietnam, and we were flying out of Hanoi. Our journey up North started with a bus ride from the capital to Mui Ne, a cosmopolitan beach destination.

The layout of Mui Ne is very strange and unattractive : everything is spread out along the 10km stretch of highway. If you are trying to locate a specific hotel or restaurant, you will be told it’s “next to Km 12” or “just before Km 9”. For us spoiled Thai residents, Mui Ne beach wasn’t as stunning as we expected. In fact, we didn’t even swim in the sea, but the activities we did made up for it.

Mui Ne

Fairy Spring

The Fairy Spring flows through a patch of dunes with intricate sand and rock formations. It's a beautiful trek winding through the jungle. Local youth skip school to make a few dongs and walk next to you as unofficial guides. The sight was truly magical but we didn’t spot any fairies.

One very strange activity offered on the banks of the Fairy Stream is ostrich riding!! Cruel isn’t it? I can’t imagine the pleasure of sitting on such a magnificent bird and getting it to walk around. Very peculiar..

The Fairy Spring

Red sand dunes and rock formations at the Fairy Spring

Sand Dunes

There are two different set of sand dunes famous to Mui Ne, “The White Sand Dunes” and “The Red Sand Dunes”.  We woke up at 4am in order to watch the sunrise on the White Sand Dunes. The experience was well worth it. The desert-like scenery was peaceful and unforgettable.

Sunrise on the White Sand Dunes

Unfortunately, the peace and quiet of the place got ruined when rowdy tourists arrived in quad bikes. At the Red Sand Dunes, many local youths hang around to offer sand-sledding with homemade plastic sleds.

Peaceful sand dunes

Fishing Village

Mui Ne is a fishing village at heart and seeing it all in action is a must. The spaceship like boats are quite a sight and the dozen of women squatting while opening scallops help anchor the hardships of their daily work. Huge quantities of shrimps and other fish are dumped in baskets and put on motorbikes before being zoomed away and sold in the city’s markets and restaurants. The scorching sun burns on the workers even at the early morning hours. I can’t imagine how exhausted they must feel at the end of the day!

Transferring shrimps onto the motorbike

Woman opening scallops

Women hard at work

Strange looking circular boats

We were a bit put off by the amount of seafood laying in the hot sun at the Fishing village, so we opted out of the seafood shacks for dinner. Instead, for a popular local experience, we ventured to the “goat restaurants” in Ham Tien. We shared barbecued goat and goat hotpot, with fresh herbs and noodles. The beer is served with warm but accompanied by ice buckets. Overall, another nice evening.

Vietnamese Food

Traditional Vietnamese cooking is known for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on fresh herbs, and is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide. While traveling in Vietnam, I could not get enough of “Bun Thit Nuong”, rice vermicelli garnished with basil, mint, peanuts, grilled meat and spring rolls. With a splash of sauce (sweet and sour fish sauce), this dish makes for a filling and fresh meal. I have since found the recipe online and often try to replicate it at home. It’s not that hard to make, but I can’t seem to make it as yummy as the ones I ate in the country’s food stalls.

Bun Thit Nuong, my favourite dish

In our guide books and through general word of mouth, we were told that dog meat is commonly sold in Vietnam. I had made sure to learn the Vietnamese word for “dog” and looked out for it on menus (to avoid it – obviously!). In the little village of Bac Ha in northern Vietnam, I went to a tiny local place and tried to order from the strictly Vietnamese menu. I knew “bun” meant vermicelli noodles so I went for “bun cho” which I thought was noodles with beef.

When I received the dish, the dark, brown meat looked anything but appetizing. I was surrounded by hungry locals, devouring their soup bowls, so I tried not to make a scene. I put a couple of noodles in my mouth and quickly tried to swallow it. The taste was awful. After a few more attempts and after subtly throwing most of the meat to the street dogs wandering around, I quietly made my way to the waitress to pay her. I was trying not to be impolite and to hide the fact that I barely touched the meal. I left the restaurant, relieved, and slowly made my way back to my hotel. I kept repeating to myself “bun cho..., bun cho... I’m sure I’ve ordered this before, so why was it so disgusting?”. Suddenly, the truth glared down on me : it was “bun bo!” which I had eaten before... “bo” means beef but “cho” is for DOG!!! I ran up to my room to get my guide book and confirmed what I had feared – I had just ordered dog meat!!!!

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Before traveling to Vietnam, I had a general understanding of the history of the country, especially with regards to the Vietnam war, but I didn’t realise the country was still socialist today.

The First Indochina War, fought between December 1946 and August 1954, was a struggle between the Viet Minh and the French for control of the country. It eventually led to the expulsion of the French in 1954, leaving Vietnam divided politically into two states, North and South Vietnam. I thought Vietnam would have kept a French flavour but I didn’t feel that influence. I didn’t get the sense that Vietnamese wanted to have anything to do with their French heritage, which is understandable I suppose.

Photographed in HCMC

North Vietnam was supported by the Chinese, while South Vietnam was supported by Americans. Conflict between the two sides intensified, and heavy foreign intervention made for a dramatic conflict. North Vietnam was victorious in 1975 and the war finally ended. The country was then unified under a communist government, but was politically isolated and impoverished. In 1986, the government initiated a series of reforms, which helped Vietnam integrate the world economy. The government encouraged private ownership of farms and factories, and foreign investment. 

Photographed in HCMC

Despite pursuing economic reform and embracing capitalism, the ruling Communist Party shows little willingness to give up its monopoly on political power. Indeed, Vietnam is one of the four remaining communist country in the world today.

When visiting the country, you can feel the government control over the culture and media. Facebook, for instance, was blocked in most cities. There are easy ways to bypass this by downloading simple programs that block your IP address, but the idea is still that social media websites are not encouraged. Though the government of Vietnam claims to safeguard the country against obscene or sexually explicit content through its blocking efforts, many politically and religiously sensitive websites are also banned.

Furthermore, propaganda posters are scattered around town and Uncle Ho’s face dominates the cities, from South to North! Even in the little remote villages there were Ho Chi Minh posters around and red was omnipresent.

Propaganda posters in HCMC

   

Posters of Ho Chi Minh in the small, mountain town of Bac Ha, in northern Vietnam

* I do apologize to anyone reading this who might feel my writing is an inaccurate description of the events. I am no historian and I have not studied this in detail. It is my own simple account and attempt of a summary on a much more complicated history. *

Vietnam

We landed in Ho Chi Minh City (formally known as Saigon), eager to soak up the history and culture of this mystical nation. Our first impression was disappointing as our taxi driver from the airport tried to rip us off. First, we made sure to find a driver which would put his metre on. When we sat in, we checked and saw he turned it on. Unfortunately, after driving 10 minutes out of the airport, the driver turned his metre off, and told us we had to pay a flat rate. An argument ensued, and we finally got him to turn the metre back on. He ended up losing the fee for the few kilometres he had already driven because of his poor conduct. It was quite a shame, but made us act more cautiously afterwards.

We settled in our hotel and set to explore the city after a good night’s sleep....

HCMC is an incredible mix of ancient pagodas and sleek skyscrapers, where posh hotels meet cheap backpackers, classy restaurants cohabit with steamy street stalls and fancy businessmen walk next to scruffy vendors in conical hats. We walked everywhere around the town’s many districts and tried the local delicacies like jelly deserts and noodles with fresh herbs, visited temples and made our way to the War Remnants Museum.

The War Remnants Museum documents the atrocities from the war with disturbing photographs, posters, US armoured vehicles, and weapons, as well as the famous “tiger cages” used to house Viet Cong prisoners. According to the Lonely Planet, “there are few museums in the world that drive home so well the point that war is horribly brutal and that many of its victims are civilians”. However true this may be, and independently of the amount of tears I shed in that museum, I did find it to be very one-sided. Indeed, Vietnam is still today a Republic and propaganda posters can be found plastered all over the city. The collection of photos depicting children and civilians injured by US bombing and napalming is extensive. All in all, the museum is worth a visit and helps anchor the reality of how recently these events took place and shaped life in Vietnam today. 

The Island of Bohol

The main attraction which I intended to visit in the Philippines was the Tarsier Sanctuary in Bohol. We took a ferry from Dumaguete (which ended up being quite a hassle as the weather was choppy and the boats were canceled for a couple of days) and settled for a breathtaking bus ride in Bohol. Aboard the  full-up, old local bus, we saw some of the most dramatic scenery of rice terraces, fields and picturesque villages so far. Our fellow passengers carried live chickens, huge sacks of rice and dried fish, while starring at us shamelessly. We stopped directly at the Tarsier Sanctuary, with our heavy backpacks and hours of traveling tiring us down. Because its location is in the middle of nowhere (between the towns of Corella and Sikatuna, to be more precise), it was the easiest way for us to visit it without too much detour.

The extremely charming bug-eyed tarsiers are small, endangered primates which make Bohol a famous destination for animal lovers. They can fit in the palm of your hand and their eyes are 150 times bigger than a human’s in relation to their body size. The main threats to its survival are habitat destruction and the pet trade. Many touristic destinations in Asia use cute animals such as primates to attract tourists and invite them to take pictures with the cuddly animals. Unfortunately, this is not in the animal’s best interest. Indeed, tarsiers have been known to commit suicide while in captivity! The nocturnal animal cannot cope with have its routine disrupted by humans and its small and delicate bones can easily be broken when handled.

Tarsiers are possibly the cutest creatures on Earth!

The visitors centre includes information boards, a captive breeding program, wildlife sanctuary and hiking trail. There is a small patch of forest for guided walks and discreet viewing of several tarsiers. What a feeling it was to capture a sight of the little creatures hanging on the tree branches!

Just hangin'!

After this fun pit-stop, it was time to continue our journey to find a hotel for the night. We made our way by bus to Loboc, then Carmen. It was quite an ordeal to find a guesthouse and once again, we felt like the only tourists in town! We finally discovered a little farm which offered home stays so we settled down for the night. We found ourselves in the middle of nowhere and finding a restaurant was also a mission! There was one shack which sold grilled chicken and rice so that was our only option! We ate there every day.

Our farm stay in Carmen

The following day, we went to the iconic Chocolate Hills, Bohol’s premier tourist attraction. They are a “series of majestic, grassy hillocks that span far into the horizon and get their name from the lawnlike vegetation that roasts to chocolate brown in the dry season”. It was quite a romantic excursion to walk up the winding staircase and have the view slowly unfold before our eyes. The hills (1,268 of them!) are scattered all around and make for really peculiar, yet breathtaking scenery.

The Chocolate Hills

It was a bit disappointing to receive only 21 days on our visa for the Philippines. We were hoping to spend more time exploring this rich country but got cut short. It was with regret that we made our way out of the country through Cebu, then Manila.

Our next destination : Vietnam! 

Exploring the Philippines

Church in town square, Bacolod

Negros

After having spent longer than planned at the beach resort of Boracay, we decided to visit the island of Negros, hoping it would give us the opportunity to learn more about the true Filipino culture. We arrived by ferry in Bacolod, a transport hub city.

We stayed a few days, tasted some local delicacies, observed how churches are scattered around almost every neighborhood, met some locals out on the town and were warned about how unsafe it is to walk around at night. Indeed, most shops hire a security guard, armed with a rifle. It is quite shocking when you go in McDonalds and are greeted by an armed man in uniform! In the day time, we went around by Jeepneys, the local buses which run through town without a schedule. Simply stand on the side of the road, wave the truck over, and squeeze in the back!

   

Yummy corn flour cakes at the market

"The Taj Mahal of Negros" might be a bit a generous for this 20th century mansion called The Ruins 

After a few days, we made our way down South to Sipalay, described in the Lonely Planet as a “remote seaside town, surrounded by spectacular beaches, secluded coves, scattered islets and dive reefs”. Sounds appealing, right? We took many local buses, followed by a tricycle, then a motor canoe, and finally landed on deserted Sugar Beach, “one of Negro’s best-kept secrets”. Such a secret that we were literally the ONLY travelers there!

Luckily, we found a funky German-owned hostel called Takatuka Lodge. In high season, this must be an amazing spot, but we were out of luck as the rainy season made for a dirty beach and such waves that we weren’t able to swim.

Deserted Sugar Beach in Sipalay

Feeling like we were the only backpackers in the Philippines, we decided to head towards the funky college town of Dumaguete, looking forward to explore city life, and hoping to meet some people. We did have a good night out, met some locals and drank the famous Red Horse beer which logo reads “Extra Strong”.

Another exciting day was visiting the Twin Lakes National Park and getting a bit of exercise while trekking in the jungle.

Twin Lakes National Park, Dumaguete

New Beginning

After living in Phuket for two years, we were ready for new adventures. I was going to finish the school year and then we would go traveling and look for work elsewhere. We had our minds set on Hong Kong, but we were pretty flexible as far as a destination. One of the main reasons for wanting to leave was that although Chris had been doing some freelance work as a web designer, he was looking to gain more experience in an office environment. However, a month or so before departure, Chris got offered a position as a web master for a company here in Chalong, Phuket. It was the opportunity he was looking for! Although we were a bit disappointed we wouldn’t get to travel, he arranged the have two months before the start of his contract so we went to the Philippines and Vietnam. A mini-adventure began...

The Philippines

Boracay

We started our exploration of the Philippines with the famous Boracay. It seemed like an easy first pick to get accustomed to the country and get an introduction to this archipelago of more than 7,000 islands! Boracay is a major tourist destination and is surrounded by white sand beaches. Wind surfing and kite surfing are very popular and these sports dominate the beach scenery. Because we arrived in hurricane season, we got to experience both the sunny, lazy days on the beach and the intense, windy storms typical to the Philippines.

 Sunny day at the beach

 Kite Surfers at Sunset

Approaching storm

Most visitors go around on motorized tricycles, which act as the island's taxis. The tricycle seats are located right above the vehicle exhausts and the bumpy roads are hard to navigate, so it’s definitely not the easiest way to travel. We often opted to walk instead of using taxis.

Tricycles

Being low season, we did not experience the crazy nightlife often associated with Boracay. Our first impression with the country was great. We were amazed at how good Filipinos speak English (especially compared to Thais!) and thought overall they were friendly and helpful.

Temple

Temples are beautiful touristic sites to visit in Thailand. They also host incredible people : monks. I have visited a few temples since I arrived in Phuket.

I visited Wat Dtai as an outing with the second grades at my school. We arrived at Wat Dtai and were told to sit in the prayer room after leaving our shoes outside. Many students, mostly the Thais, proceeded to sit on the mat in the proper way – your feet under you, at no time pointing towards the front of the temple. The others followed and copied. We sat there, whispering and waiting for the monk to arrive. He came in, dressed in his orange robe, and sat in front of us. He spoke only Thai, so unfortunately the speech he gave was not too relevant to the students who can’t speak Thai (and the teachers either!). However, luckily, we had a couple of Moms accompanying us which were able to translate a little bit. The purpose of our visit was to learn what Monks do in their day and to receive an introduction to Buddhism.

Temples are such a peaceful place to visit. I especially enjoy the bright red and gold colours and the smiling Buddhas... I find them much more inviting than the "bleeding man on the cross".

Monsoon

The downsides of living on an island are the limitations. There is very little diversity. I often complain there is a lack of activities you can do in Phuket. This is especially true in rainy season. Most people live here because of the beautiful beaches; you can walk on the beach, have a picnic lunch, swim, snorkel, sunbathe, dive, play beach volleyball, marvel at the sunset, etc. This is out of the question when it’s raining. What’s left? Shop or drink. Seriously! Where are the shows, concerts, art exhibitions, museums, theatres? “No haaave!” There are two main cinemas and they offer in general 3 English movies a week. Needless to say I have seen the new flicks and I am always impatiently waiting for the selection to change!

It’s been monsoon here for the past month. This doesn’t mean it rains every single day, we do have stretches of nice weather for days or hours at the time, where it’s normally a race to catch a few sun rays...

What always amazes me is how crazy the road become when there is a rain storm. So many parts of the island get flooded and it causes chaos because half of the vehicles are scooters. It is extremely dangerous and the accidents multiply. Now being Canadian, I can’t say driving in a rain storm in Phuket is more stressful than driving in a snow storm in Montreal. Far from it, actually. But that’s because I drive a car, not a motorbike! The news always announces floods in various areas : the sewers overflow, the gutters are too small to contain the water and huge puddles accumulate on the roads. The Phuket News last night said that roads “were submerged in water a few metres deep”. This happens multiple times a year, so why can’t it be improved? Here's a video of Patong yesterday :