nippontrip: Maret 2014

Sabtu, 15 Maret 2014

Vietnam 7-Day Itinerary: Day Six and Seven

7 Day Itinerary in Vietnam

Read Day 1 here - Ho Chi Minh City
Read Day 2 here - HCMC
Read Day 3 here - Mekong Delta
Read Day 4 here - Hanoi
Read Day 5 here - Hanoi to Halong
Read Day 6 and 7 here - Halong Bay/Departure

Day 6

We left the hotel early in the morning at 7:30am and ate pho for breakfast at a nearby place. Then we went to the Halong Bay pier to buy our tickets for the boat ride.

Boat ride ticket VND 120,000

Brittney's cousin is familiar with Halong Bay so he paid about USD85 for us to have a boat all to ourselves. It was pretty awesome to not have to compete for photo taking spots with other tourists.

Type of boat we traveled on

The weather was overcast and misty with light drizzling rain. So of course Halong Bay didn't look anything like the blue skied version found on Google Images but it was still eerily beautiful.

Halong Bay

There are people who live on the water and sell seafood. We stopped by one of the floating seafood places. You can buy fresh seafood and have the chef cook it for you on the boat for lunch.

Seafood sold here!

Next we went to Dau Go Cave (admission required, about VND 30,000-50,000). The photos don't do it justice because you can't tell the depth. Some people think the rainbow lights are tacky but I find it's a unique way to enhance the cave.

Dau Go Cave

The cave was the last destination of the boat ride. On the way back to the pier we enjoyed a seafood lunch freshly prepared by the chef on board. There was shrimp, fish, vegetables, etc.

Lunch on water

Leaving the pier, the drive from Halong back to Hanoi only took about four hours this time and we reached Hanoi by 3:30pm. We checked into Golden Time Hostel 2 and said good bye to Brittney's cousin and his wife. This hotel was nice and clean which we were relieved about as compared to last night's experience.

The night was still young so we explored Old Quarter.

Hanoi destinations Day 4, 5 and 6

We were chatting with the receptionist at our hotel and she gave us vouchers to try free coffee at Hwang Mai coffee shop. It took 10-15 minutes to walk there.

The coffee shop lady spoke good English and asked us for our coffee preference when we presented her the voucher. We got to try weasel coffee and it tasted delicious with condensed milk. She didn't pressure us into buying anything which we appreciated.

Hwang Mai coffee shop

From the coffee shop, we walked to Joma Bakery and enjoyed baked goods. My cheesecake tasted really good with a hint of lemon.

Joma Bakery cheesecake (VND 65,000)

It was a relaxing way to explore Hanoi on our last evening there :)

Day 7

The last day in Vietnam we ate the complementary breakfast at our hotel and took a taxi that the hotel booked for us to the airport. From Old Quarter to the airport was about an hour drive and cost USD15. The Noi Bai airport is a bit confusing so you may want to go slightly earlier to find the check-in counter for your airline (especially if it's a budget airline). We had a safe flight home to conclude our trip in Vietnam!

Breakfast

End of trip!

Read Day 1 here - Ho Chi Minh City
Read Day 2 here - HCMC
Read Day 3 here - Mekong Delta
Read Day 4 here - Hanoi
Read Day 5 here - Hanoi to Halong
Read Day 6 and 7 here - Halong Bay/Departure

Vietnam 7-Day Itinerary: Day Three

7 Day Itinerary in Vietnam

Read Day 1 here - Ho Chi Minh City
Read Day 2 here - HCMC
Read Day 3 here - Mekong Delta
Read Day 4 here - Hanoi
Read Day 5 here - Hanoi to Halong
Read Day 6 and 7 here - Halong Bay/Departure

Day 3

On the first day that we arrived at our hotel, we booked a day tour through them with an agency called Delta Adventure Tours to Mekong Delta (VND 220,000). We were picked up at 8am from our hotel and took a short walk to the next street where all the tour buses were. There were many tours leaving at the same time so it was slightly chaotic but we got on the correct bus quickly.

Our tour was to the Ben Tre part which is the north of the Mekong Delta. The bus ride took about 2 hours to get there with a 15 minute stop in between.

Mekong Delta

It was a very sunny day but most of the tour was shaded in the boats and at the various locations so that was fine. We took a few modes of transportation including a bigger motor boat, small motor boats, and row boats to get to various locations. We visited islands with names like Unicorn and Turtle.

Large motorboat

Each stop was at a different point on the banks of the river and we went to:

Honey Farm for tea and snack tasting.

Coconut candy place to see the production of coconut candy where we got to taste one piece.

We walked a short trail inland where we boarded row boats that took us down the stream to the main river. The row boats were obviously there for tourist purposes only and they were packed bumper to bumper. The boat ride is covered in our tour fee but the rowers pressure you to give them a tip which made us feel uncomfortable.

L to R: Sandrine, Me, Brittney

We ate lunch at yet another part of the river that the larger motorbike took us to. The tour fee includes lunch which is a very simple bowl of rice, a little bit of vegetables and a small piece of pork chop. Beverages are not included and you can opt to upgrade your lunch by paying.

Lunch area

After lunch we took the boat again to a garden-farm where we sat to eat local fruits and listened to traditional music. It would've been nice if it wasn't so hot out.

That was the last activity of the day before we headed back to the pier, boarded the bus and rode the bus back to HCMC. We arrived around 6:30pm.

The tour is inexpensive and although some places tried to make you buy things (honey and coconut candy), they are not too aggressive. It was nice to see something outside of the cityscape in HCMC.

End of Day 3!

Read Day 1 here - Ho Chi Minh City
Read Day 2 here - HCMC
Read Day 3 here - Mekong Delta
Read Day 4 here - Hanoi
Read Day 5 here - Hanoi to Halong
Read Day 6 and 7 here - Halong Bay/Departure

Vietnam 7-Day Itinerary: Day Two

7 Day Itinerary in Vietnam

Read Day 1 here - Ho Chi Minh City
Read Day 2 here - HCMC
Read Day 3 here - Mekong Delta
Read Day 4 here - Hanoi
Read Day 5 here - Hanoi to Halong
Read Day 6 and 7 here - Halong Bay/Departure

Day 2

After waking up we enjoyed a nice breakfast in the shopfront of the hotel. Breakfast is available from 7 to 10am. I got a bowl of noodles with chicken and a cup of hot tea.

Our hotel is in a convenient location so we decided to walk to our destinations. On the way we saw a Trung Nguyen, which is like the Starbucks of Vietnam so we decided to go in. I ordered a medium bitterness coffee and it was the most bitter coffee I have ever tried. However, it also had the smoothest texture. I can see coffee-lovers enjoying the richness of the coffee even though it was too much for a non-coffee drinker like myself.

Trung Nguyen Coffee (VND 40,000)

Post-coffee break we walked to the Saigon Central Post Office. It was about a 20 minute walk away but we were going leisurely and looking at things so you may be able to reach there faster. The first impression the building gave me was that it looked like a train station. There was a booth that sold postcards that many tourists - myself included - bought and sent directly on the spot.

Saigon Central Post Office (outside)

Saigon Central Post Office (inside)

The post office is right next to the Notre Dame Cathedral which wasn't open for entering so I only have an outside photo. It did not seem to be a well maintained building.

Notre Dame Cathedral

We wanted to eat lunch at a specific banh mi place and opted to take a taxi (VND 32,000) there instead of walking. The placed is called Huynh Hoa and just ask your taxi driver to drop you off at the Starbucks on Le Lai Street. Walk directly across the roundabout and a short walk will bring you to the location (the address is on signboard).

This location opens at 3pm and was recommended to us by our tour guides yesterday. Each banh mi cost VND 30,000 and was about the size of a Subway footlong but much more filling because there was at least 4 kinds of meat, carrot, radish, and cucumber slices in addition to pork floss and a meat paste. I really enjoyed the first half of it but the latter half became a bit too filling for me in one meal. I'd recommend you to try it!

Delicious banh mi sold here!

After a fulfilling lunch we walked to Saigon Square which has two floors and sold clothing, shoes, accessories, and electronic accessories. The indoor market has many stalls and is air-conditioned so even though the space is slightly tight, it was easy to shop there unlike at Ben Thanh Market.

Saigon Square is only a short walk from Ben Thanh Market so we made our way there and found a street directly in front of the main entrance that had a hair and nail salon. The prices were affordable and I got a haircut including a shampoo wash for VND 120,000 (about USD6). Brittney and Sandrine got a hair wash, massage, and blow out for about the same price.

Leaving the salon we realized that the night market outside Ben Thanh has started. We walked around to look at the stalls which sold similar products to the ones inside the market. Use your bargaining skills here!

We ate dinner at a food stall in the one-street night market before proceeding back to our hotel for the night.

One last photo of the tallest building in HCMC.

Tallest building

End of Day 2!

Read Day 1 here - Ho Chi Minh City
Read Day 2 here - HCMC
Read Day 3 here - Mekong Delta
Read Day 4 here - Hanoi
Read Day 5 here - Hanoi to Halong
Read Day 6 and 7 here - Halong Bay/Departure

Vietnam 7-Day Itinerary: Day One

Left: Overall trip - Right: HCMC travels
Click to enlarge.

Day 1

In this Vietnam trip Brittney, Sandrine and I covered Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Hanoi, and Halong Bay over 7 days.

Preparation to do before a trip to this country: check if you need a visa. Most countries need a visa to enter and we used this website to obtain our letter of approval. It worked and the letter was issued to us in due time but I disliked that they put 20 applicants' information onto one letter such that we could all see each other's information. I felt that it was a bit unsafe.

Our flight into HCMC arrived at 8am Vietnam time and we had to wait almost an hour before our visa was processed. We presented our approval letters and one passport photo to the officers who took our passport and application form into their office. We were told to wait until our names were called and then we paid USD$45 to the officers in exchange for our passports with the visa stamp inside. The process went smoothly but it just took time.

Be careful which taxis you take from the airport because taxi drivers know tourists are vulnerable. We waited until a trustworthy taxi company car came and then got on. We had good experiences with Mai Linh and Vinasun taxis which both use meters. The taxi ride from the airport to District one shouldn't cost more than USD$12.

We arrived at Yen's Hotel which is located on Pham Ngu Lao Street, a backpacker's central. The adjacent streets were filled with hotels, eateries and tour agencies all catered toward travelers.
[Note: I highly recommend staying at Yen's Hotel. It is not anything luxurious but it was the most comfortable hotel we were at the whole trip and the staff were very helpful. The ambiance of the hotel is cozy and clean, a place where you can relax and feel secure.]

Recommend Yen's Hotel

We left our things at Yen's and made our first trip as pedestrians to Ben Thanh Market. It sounds exaggerated but the traffic was pretty crazy with motorbikes, buses, and cars going in all directions. At the market there was even a traffic controller helping tourists cross the street.

Ben Thanh Market

Do not buy anything from the market because it is all overpriced and overwhelming. All the shopkeepers will be pestering you to buy something and you will not have time to think or look quietly at anything. If you want to shop for clothing, go to Saigon Square instead. There is air conditioning in Saigon Square and the shopkeepers are relaxed. They only talk to you when you ask for the price. For other souvenir items, you can find them in many other places.

Nonetheless you should still visit Ben Thanh Market to get a feel for the atmosphere. There is a food area in the market with many food stalls that also have owners shouting at you to eat at their stall as you walk past. They stop yelling when you sit down at a stall which is a relief. I got a beef pho which didn't taste bad but was definitely much more mediocre than the things I will eat in the following days.

Beef Pho VND 50,000

After having lunch we walked to the War Remnants Museum (VND 15,000) which is about the Vietnam War. There are many pieces that attack the USA but if seen from a more objective point of view it is educational to visit.

War Remnants Museum

We slowly made our way back to Yen's Hotel and passed by the Reunification Palace (VND 30,000). It is the location where North and South Vietnam conducted the reunification process and the basement was home to the prime minister during the bombings of the war.

Reunification Palace

We joined a very worthy food tour with Back of the Bike Tours (USD$58). Three girls came to pick us up at our hotel at 6pm and we rode on the back of their motorbikes to a park where a group of other tourists with their own motorbiker tour guides are.

This tour is unique because we rode on the back of local people's motorbikes to various good food locations and indulged in 4 main courses and 1 dessert. The tour guides were young (in their 20s) and spoke conversational English.

This tour exposed me to some of the best food I had during this trip. My new favourite is banh xeo! It lasted till 10pm when we were dropped off at our hotel again. You can read Brittney's experience of the tour here.

Tour guides and us

End of Day 1!

Read Day 1 here - Ho Chi Minh City
Read Day 2 here - HCMC
Read Day 3 here - Mekong Delta
Read Day 4 here - Hanoi
Read Day 5 here - Hanoi to Halong
Read Day 6 and 7 here - Halong Bay/Departure

Vietnam 7-Day Itinerary: Day Five

Drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Day 5

In the morning we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which I suggest going early because of the long queue. We were there before 9am and the queue was already starting to grow. As you get nearer to the mausoleum, you have to file in in pairs. No talking or photography was allowed and there was a somber feeling as people gazed at his body in the glass and wood box.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Nearby the mausoleum is the HCM Museum, Presidential Palace, HCM's old residence, and the One Pillar Pagoda. All of these have admission fee of VND 10,000 to 20,000. This vicinity was the most well maintained place that I went to in Vietnam and it goes to show where the resources of the country is invested.

Next to HCM's house

Guard in front of HCM's tree house

Statue of HCM in his museum

Then we drove for 5.5 hours straight from Hanoi to Halong. Normally it can be done in 4-5 hours but there was a traffic jam which slowed us down. By the time we got there it was evening so we just went to the hotel to rest and then eat dinner.

We stayed at Halong Star Hotel and it is inexpensive but do not stay here. The towels were ripped and grey, bedsheets were dirty and there was an ant problem. We felt extremely uncomfortable staying here.

End of Day 5!

Read Day 1 here - Ho Chi Minh City
Read Day 2 here - HCMC
Read Day 3 here - Mekong Delta
Read Day 4 here - Hanoi
Read Day 5 here - Hanoi to Halong
Read Day 6 and 7 here - Halong Bay/Departure

Vietnam 7-Day Itinerary: Day Four

Hanoi

Hanoi destinations Day 4, 5 and 6

Day 4

Our flight was at 7:15am so we left the hotel at 5:30am to get to the airport. Our flight landed at about 9am in Hanoi. The temperature was about 20 degrees Celsius in late February and felt nice in contrast with the hot temperatures we experienced in HCMC. Brittney's cousin and his wife would show us around Hanoi and Halong Bay for the next three days.

The drive from the airport to Old Quarter takes about an hour. We dropped off our things at Royal Palace 2 Hotel before going for lunch. The furniture and room is a bit aged but we felt comfortable in it because it was clean. They sprinkled flower petals on the bed and even in the sink to pretty things up.

Royal Palace Hotel 2

Living room area

Then we went for lunch at Quan An Ngon restaurant which was delicious! The ambiance was unique and there was a lot to choose from on the menu that has English translation. My favourite from the restaurant was the dessert which I don't know the name of :( It has a layer of green bean, coconut milk and small cubes of water chestnut encased in tapioca-like pearls. You must try it!

Just add ice and eat!

After lunch we went to the Temple of Literature and Ngoc Son Temple which is on a lake.

Temple of Literature

Ngoc Son Temple

We were tired from waking up early for our flight and from all the walking so we went back to our hotel for a nap before meeting up again for dinner.

We had hotpot and I noticed how skillful the locals are with using their environment. The chef cooked on the street (even though we went to a sit-in restaurant) and he hung his woks on the tree branches.

Chef in his kitchen

End of Day 4!

Read Day 1 here - Ho Chi Minh City
Read Day 2 here - HCMC
Read Day 3 here - Mekong Delta
Read Day 4 here - Hanoi
Read Day 5 here - Hanoi to Halong
Read Day 6 and 7 here - Halong Bay/Departure

Rabu, 12 Maret 2014

East Australia 5-Day Roadtrip: Day One and Two

5 Day Itinerary in East Australia

Read Day 3 here
Read Day 4 and 5 here

Left: Road trip from Sydney - Right: Destinations covered
Click to enlarge.

Day 1

Since Australia is a large country, most people recommend taking a domestic flight to save time but during the time I went (at the beginning of the year), the flight prices were high so we opted to road trip instead.

Hence the first day we drove from Sydney to Brisbane which took 12 hours. The weather is much hotter and dryer than in Sydney. We had a few stops including one at Richmond Valley. The hotel in Brisbane was booked already so that is why we went there but the activities for Day 2 actually took place nearer to Gold Coast.

Richmond Valley

We stayed at the Brisbane Watermark Hotel and it was very comfortable. The rooms were quite large and very clean. I also enjoyed the breakfast with the fresh croissants, bacon, eggs and more.

Brisbane

Day 2

In the morning we drove 2 hours to Paradise Country Farm where we spent most of the afternoon. There are a lot of tourists here as it offers the opportunity to see many animals that tourists are curious about. You could take a photo holding a baby koala for AUD$20.

After taking a lot of photos of and with the adorable koalas we walked around to see the other animals. There were emus, kangaroos, and sheep.

There were also different shows by the staff from tea-making, bread-baking to horse-racing. We got to try the tea and bread which made for a good light afternoon snack.

Racing performance

The last activity of the day at Paradise Country was sheep shearing. All the sheep were well trained and we saw many different types all with different wool. Shearing looked like it was painful for the sheep but they were actually very compliant and relaxed.

Sheep shearing

You can spend the rest of your afternoon at the Warner Brother's Movie World with lots of rides for youth. We didn't go because I have already been to similar types of amusement parks before which were bigger.

Movie World

It was a short day activity-wise. We ate dinner then drove some more to Gold Coast where we stayed the night.

Read Day 3 here
Read Day 4 and 5 here