Vietnam October 2015
I would definitely recommend Vietnam. They did not really open up to tourism until the 1990s, but are now working fast in building up an infrastructure to support it. All bar the rows of 5* hotels blocking beautiful stretches of beach is good. They are renovating all their heritage sites that were bombed to bits in the war largely because the ‘enemy’ fighters based themselves among centuries old treasures. Anyway, it’s good to see entrance fees being used productively. The best places are along the coast. The cities are seething with motor bikes. Traffic does not stop at pedestrian crossings, but weaves its way around you as you try to cross. The streets are kept clean, but lots of people wear masks all the time because of exhaust fumes.
After Nha Trang we went to Hoi An which is another famous old city (I have been told in the top 3 Asian destinations). A big preservation area with lots of art galleries, tailors (many of the group got clothes made) and wonderful places to eat. One famous Vietnamese chef has 4 restaurants there and we ate in two. I think this food rates among the best I have ever eaten. It’s all fresh daily, vegetable orientated, but also a really interesting use of nuts and seeds.You get a wide range of textures in each dish and various sauces.
In Hoi An we went on a long bike ride in to the countryside. This is easy as it is very flat.
After Hoi An we got a bus over a mountain pass that has featured in a race in Top Gear. Only tourist traffic takes these roads as every day traffic must go through tunnels. At various tourist stops we come across wedding couples all decked in their finery having staged photos taken. Custom has that they have these photos taken 3 months before they are married and these are made in to little albums that go on their wedding tables. Our guide says sometimes they split up before then. On this particular day one couple were climbing up a gun turret by ladder to pose.
Hue is the old Imperial City with a palace. Yesterday we got on the back of motor bikes and went out looking at tombs of the former kings, Buddhist pagodas, an old colosseum type arena where the Emperor made elephants fight with tigers, markets and museums ending up with a trip back down the Perfume River which is brown. I find it incredible to see so many fish in murky water!
Today we leave for the overnight train to Hanoi. The weather is getting cooler and less humid as we travel north. We had one monsoony type day when I went round My Son – a sort of Vietnamese Anghor Wat in the jungle. It’s not as cheap as India or Egypt, but still a lot cheaper than England. One course with alcohol would be about 6 pounds. One thing I have noticed on this trip is they tell us not to eat street food so we eat in very upmarket restaurants. I am not sure about that, but for safety and company I stay with the group. Tonight a pizza company will deliver pizzas to the train station for us to collect for our third and last overnight train!
Intrepid (an Australian company) have bought up many similar tour operators including Exodus. Sandra travels with Exodus and Thanh says these are mainly older English travellers and less basic than our tour. He also said 60% of travellers are women. He calls our group his concubine tour. He says the worse rows happen when strangers opt to share rooms and then don’t get on!
I am well rested and have spent time thinking about plans for when I get back. I have heard from the group about destinations they recommend. Cambodia is apparently much less developed than Vietnam. The stretch through Kenya to the Victoria Falls is said to be amazing and the two sisters walked up to Machu Pitchu which they had to train for, so sooner rather than later on that one. Let’s hope I keep my job.