Exploring the vibrant cultures, rich histories, and breathtaking landscapes of Vietnam and Cambodia
So our time in Vietnam and Cambodia is nearly at an end. We fly back home tomorrow, and we’ve learned a lot about these two beautiful, fascinating, complicated countries. Some of the things we’ve learned are profound. Some are bonkers. So here goes with the life lessons we’ve learned. Crossing
Today we discovered a fascinating historical site, which for some reason seems to have been missed off a lot of the tourist itineraries. But first we decided to go and take a look at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi. We arrived just as Mass was starting, with a full brass
Today was our big Ninh Binh adventure day, starting with a walk to the main Hanoi railway station. Vietnam Railways was established in 1881 under French colonial rule and it’s now a 100% state owned enterprise, which isn’t perhaps surprising in modern, communist Vietnam. To be sure, nothing messes with
Our day today started without coffee…OHHH NOOO! They’d just forgotten to leave the coffee when they made up the room yesterday. So we’d heard that the place to be first thing in the morning is the Hoàn Kiếm Lake. So we decided to go and get our morning latte from
Wide boulevards, grand architecture, and leafy streets.. but it’s not Paris, it’s the French Quarter of Hanoi, an echo of Vietnam’s colonial era under French rule. The French Quarter was the administrative and residential center for French officials during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. was designed with European-style planning:
Our final day in Siem Reap was derailed slightly when the ATM swallowed my credit card and promptly went offline. Speaking to the nice lady at the bank, she said it would be destroyed when they finally rescued it so that was that… so I am now a kept man,
An early start (well, earlyish) for us today as we were going to visit the temples of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world and one of the most iconic and significant archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. Located near Siem Reap, Cambodia, it was originally built in
When it comes to contrasts, this is certainly one of them. From built-up, insanely busy Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap seemed a huge change. Best known as the gateway to the magnificent Angkor Archaeological Park, home to the world-famous temple complex Angkor Wat, the town is steeped in history and
It’s our last day in Ho Chi Minh City, but we don’t fly out until the afternoon, and so we figured we had time to visit the Independence Palace. The Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, is a historic landmark that holds deep significance in Vietnam’s modern history.
The Mekong Delta is a vast and fertile region where the Mekong River fans out into a network of rivers, swamps, and islands before emptying into the South China Sea. Our trip today was in the company of Jason Nguyen, our friendly, knowledgeable and efficient guide. He picked us up
