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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Learnt a new game called Quixx, very funSnazzy robed statue at Phusi hillCoconut pancakes 8.5/10Tofu laap, veggie version of popular Laos dish, not a ton of flavour, 6.5/10Super stylish hostel blanket

    Pak Beng ➡️ Luang Prabang

    3 апреля 2024 г., Лаос ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    Second day on the slow boat today. Slightly nicer boat, we managed to get a table which was not so great for napping but perfect for playing cards and games. Views were slightly better, but still smokey.
    Was another 7 hour journey, arriving in Pak Beng late afternoon. We hopped into a tuk tuk to our accommodation, and then ventured out after cooling down. We climbed to a small temple called Phusi hill to watch a rather disappointing sunset before checking out what the night market had to offer.
    Our hostel has a pool table so we came back and played a couple of games. I really need to up my game as I was absolutely terrible. Hoping to head to the star attraction of Laung Prabang tomorrow, a big ol' waterfall, which should be very nice to swim in in this heat.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    1
    Kuang Si waterfallClinging on for dear life1Bear watching, eat your heart out AttenboroughMoon bear contentTempeh curry for lunch, 7/10, tempeh was very strong tastingPizza pizza, solid 8/10£1.10 Lao (very strong) whisky coke at bowling

    Luang Prabang day 1

    4 апреля 2024 г., Лаос ⋅ ☀️ 41 °C

    Got up and out early today. Met up with girls from last night in the city centre and bargained with a taxi man to take us to the waterfall. I thought we were gonna be in a lil tuk tuk, but it was a very fancy 6 seat minivan, so defo worth the price! The roads here are noticeably worse compared to Thailand, so it was a bit of a bumpy journey!
    After arriving, we walked up through this gorgeous jungle path, up to the main waterfall which was absolutely breathtaking. I can't even imagine what it's like when it's rainy, as it was still spectacular during dry season!
    Two of the girls hiked up to a pool above the main waterfall, however the other two of us were in rubbish footwear so we went for a swim in the lower pools. The water was an amazing baby blue colour and so refreshing. There were little fish in there that would nibble your toes if you stayed still too long. I've seen some spars that charge a lot for a fish pedicure, so I guess a free one's not bad 🤣
    There was also, to our surprise, a bear sanctuary there too which was free with the waterfall entrance ticket. It was full of rescued moon bears, who are like medium black bears with a fuzzy fur collars and a crescent shape white patch on their necks. There were areas where you could watch them at eye level from 3 metres away, with nothing but a small fence as a dividee. I think if they wanted to, they could defo jump over, but they seemed pretty content munching on fruit.
    After being mesmerised by the bears, we had another swim in a different pool before hopping back into our fancy minivan. I could've spent all day there alternating between swimming and bear watching, however 3 hours was sufficient.
    In the evening, I tagged along with a group from the hostel for fancy pizza (which was 100x better than the one I had in Thailand aha) and then we went bowling. The bowling alley is one of the only places serving alcohol past 12 in the city, and of course was full of other tourists. We played a couple games, which I was spectacularly bad at, only narrowly avoiding last place both times before heading back to the hostel to play more pool, which I was equally poor at.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Free hostel breaky
    Sweet n sour tofu for lunch, not bad 7/10Wat SensoukharamMango trees!Royal temple, Wat XiengthongPretty mosaicsDisco elephantMekong river2How I feel in this heatMade a pal during dinnerSri Lankan curry selection, 8.5/10, very tasty, not too spicy

    Luang Prabang day 2

    5 апреля 2024 г., Лаос ⋅ ☀️ 43 °C

    It was 43° again today!! A late-ish one last night combined with the heat made today a very lazy day. I chilled out at the hostel mostly, even just sitting outside in the shade brought on sweating, so I didn't venture out til late afternoon. I grabbed some food, then ice-cream before visiting a couple temples.
    Went back to the hostel to try to improve my pool skills, before dinner and more pool. I had one good game playing doubles where I potted over half, so there may be some improvement!
    Tomorrow I'm getting the train to Vang Vieng. I was hoping to do paramotoring or a hot air balloon ride there, but if it's too smokey, it may not be worth the money as the view won't be great. Will have to wait and see, and I'm also hoping it cools down a bit!    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Bye to this lovely wonky pool table
    Hostel breaky, this time omeletteInteresting snack... was like cake with mochi & fruit inside, not sweet but bitter & very chewy🚉Train door viewsLunch - mushroom laap, very delicious, fresh with lots of mint and lime, 9/10So hot you can dry chillies outside!Very legit looking apple storeDisappointing tea, my salad did not look like how it did on the menu was an expensive pile of leaves

    Luang Prabang ➡️ Vang Vieng

    6 апреля 2024 г., Лаос ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    Although the journey wasn't far today, it consumed the middle of the day and was accompanied with lazing about either side. I got the high speed train from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng. The train connects the North of Laos to the South of China (specifically the Yunnan province). Even though I wasn't heading in the direction of China, my bag was scanned at the station. It's allegedly airplane rules; no 100ml+ liquids or sharp objects, but my bags made it through with a full water bottle and scissors, so was all good.
    I did have a window seat but when I got there a lady was sitting in it. I did try to say to her she was in my seat, but either language barrier got in the way, or she was pretending not to understand what I was saying (and pointing to) and just wanted to keep the window seat haha. Anyhow, I ended up on the aisle and promptly fell asleep for the first 40 mins, so the window seat would've been wasted on me anyway.
    The train travels at 100mph so we got there in no time. I checked into my hostel by 3 and then went to have a wander and find some food. I went back to the hostel and did a bit of planning, and booked an activity tour for tomorrow. It's meant to rain here on the 9th, which in theory should clear up the skies, so I'm not sure if I should hang around til then so I can hot air balloon. Thinking about flying out on the 11th from the next city, so wouldn't give me a lot of time, but we shall see.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    1
    Kayak viewsLovely tour guide DuangPaddled past very happy bunch of water buffaloTubing!Zip lines viewsGlorious double bedView from my windownSweet treat cost a small fortuneTofu laap sandwich, would have been worried about the appearance if it wasn't a veggie restaurantFunky riverside bar

    Vang Vieng day 1

    7 апреля 2024 г., Лаос ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    First day in Vang Vieng. There doesn't seem to be a lot to the town itself, it's fairly small and you can probably do a loop of the area with all the main hostels, bars and restaurants in 20 minutes. However it is surrounded by gorgeous mountains, rivers and lagoons, plus there seems to be a lot of outdoor activities to do. I signed up for a lil tour which ticked off three of these activities.
    In the morning we did an 1 & 1/2 hours of kayaking down a small river. There were only three of us, so I got paired up with our tour guide which was great, as I didn't have to worry about crashing and barely had to paddle haha. The two guys in the other boat weren't the most athletic shall we say, and kept crashing into the bank or stranding themselves on rocks in parts of the river that were low.
    We paddled 7km downstream until we reached a bridge, where we disembarked and were taken into some caves and a walk through a small gorge. We then did tubing down a lil cave which was fun. Unfortunately there was no currant so we had to pull ourselves along with a rope using head torches to guide the way. Our tour guide Duang was very funny, and sang songs as we bobbed down the cave.
    Then it was lunch, which wasn't too exciting, egg fried rice and some vegetable skewers. My lunch had only just settled before we were whisked away and harnessed up for ziplining! We climbed over bridges and up steps, and zipped along 8 lines, flying over the caves and river, with some nice views. For the last two lines, the wires were attached to the back of our harnesses so it was an awkward half superman half sitting sorta position through the air, which felt a bit ridiculous.
    I got dropped back off at my hostel in the afternoon. I had every intention of doing something else with the rest of my day, but after moving hostels, I promptly had a nap in my lovely private dorm double bed! Treated myself as it was only £8.50 a night!
    Had a wander round in the evening, grabbing some food and hitting up a couple of bars.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Blue lagoon 3
    I love that they put condensed milk on and in everything here, especially in the mango smoothiesSome form curry for lunch, bit like a Thai green, very tasty 7.5/10Yoga pilgrimageNot a bad spotLaos Oh Lam stew, interesting - very herby, could have done with some coconut milk in, 6/10Corn shaped ice-cream, which tasted very much like sweetcorn, but pretty good 7/10

    Vang Vieng day 2

    8 апреля 2024 г., Лаос ⋅ ⛅ 37 °C

    Got up fairly early this morning to get a tuk tuk with a group of other hostel goers to one of the blue lagoons. There's about 6 I think, the further away from town you get the more pristine they are, but less infrastructure they have around them. We went to number 3 which had a happy medium of the both. It was about a 40 minute drive along some seriously bumpy and pot hole ridden roads, but it was worth it, @# when we arrived at 9.30 we were some of the only people there. The water so lovely and blue, very refreshing, and this time the fish didn't nibble your toes. There was tubes you could bob about in, and a rope swing and zip line you could use to jump in. I did attempt the rope swing, but as predicted before I got on, my arms were not strong enough and I fell off before making the full swing 🤣
    I could've stayed there all day, there were little wooden huts you could lay out on, and a cafe I got a very delicious mango smoothie from! But one of the girls had a train to catch so we headed back around lunchtime.
    After lunch and yet another afternoon nap, I popped down the road to a fancy hotel I had booked an outdoor sunset yoga class with. We grabbed mats then walked down through town, over a small rickety bridge, through a field with horses in and then into a rice field, where in the corner stood a wooden hut on stilts. The walk itself was picturesque, but as we set up our mats on the wooden floor, we overlooked the sun setting behind the mountains which was pretty cool. It was a pretty simple beginner level yoga session, but with the walk over and the heat combined , it felt like a hot yoga session and was very sweaty. Nevertheless, it was still very relaxing, the sound of cow bells rang through the field with the occasional rumble from a paramotor overheard.
    After the session, we got to use the fancy hotel infinity pool, which was a little slice of luxury. Then grabbed some food on the way back, and was an early enough night in.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Less than 10 minutes inBamboo poles and ropes to haul yourself upSmokey viewsObligatory motorbike photoPad thai for lunch, not great, serves me right for ordering Thai food in Laos ahaSweet n sour tofu for tea, pretty good 7/10Banana and Nutella roti, banana was so over ripe I picked it all out lol

    Vang Vieng day 3

    9 апреля 2024 г., Лаос ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Been waiting for the smoke to clear up the last couple days to do a famous viewpoint. But as it was my last full day here, just did it this morning. It's become the most popular view point in Laos as there's two motorbikes either side, which you can sit on and take photos. No one knows how they got up there, but other viewpoints have now got things at the top now too, like for instance a small plane aha.
    It was only a short 30 scramble to the top, but it was a steep uphill climb the whole way. I don't think I've ever been so sweaty. View at the top was nice, but the fact there were literal mountains of empty plastic water bottles ruined it slightly. If people can hike up a steep mountain, they're definitely capable of climbing down with their empty water bottle 🙃 very frustrating.
    Spent the afternoon chilling out, and planning my onward travel. I've changed my route (plan) to get to Ho Chi Min about three times, originally was going to travel down through Laos to the south, then get a bus through Cambodia to Vietnam. But I've heard the Laos Cambodia border can be challenging/ unpleasant, and I'd also have to pay for a Cambodian visa. I then looked at flying, but there was no direct flights, and with baggage was going to cost £180! So I've settled on getting the coach to Hanoi, and then flying down to Ho Chi Min city from there. I also was only planning to stay 3 nights here in Vang Vieng, and then spend two in the capital, Vientiane, but I've heard that's not a lot to do there. Instead I've decided to stay an extra night in Vang Vieng as it's supposed to rain tonight, so will hopefully clear up for a hot air balloon ride, but I'm not hopeful.
    The rain did finally arrive this evening after dinner, accompanied by thunder and lightening and a bonus 2 hour long power cut!    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    1Day started off so well, the waiter at lunch in Vientiane was very friendly
    Needed to work on his table side service thoughVery delicious tofu and mushroom something with rice, 8/10Bus bunkShort lived, 5 minutes of solo bunk bliss,Disco light aisle fun'walking' to VietnamClearly loving endless passport checksThis poor guy was enjoying border control even less than meI'm so easily fooled into buying cute looking foods, was not great, very artificialTemporary break downWhen I saw this sign, hallelujah played in my head hahaAll you could eat veggie buffet, £2.85! Wish I could've tried more! but lost my appetite on the bus

    Vang Vieng ➡️ Hanoi ➡️ Ho Chi Min

    12–14 апр. 2024, Вьетнам ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Decided not to hot air balloon as it was a lot of money and didn't want to disappointed by the view. Pleased with my decision as the rain had only half cleared the smoke when I woke up this morning.
    Today's travel was a mission and a half. I bought a ticket online thinking it'd be one long coach. But instead it was 4 minibuses across 5 hours to get to Vientiane bus station with various stops-offs and breaks (it should've been a 2 hour drive), and then a 24hr sleeper bus across to Hanoi. The sleeper bus was an experience...
    We left at 6pm, I had just got just lovely and cosy in my windowless bus bunk, when I realised there were two pillows, two blankets and the bunk was meant for TWO people. There was barely enough room for one, let alone two, especially when the other person is a stranger 🙃
    Safe to say I didn't get much sleep on that bus. I spent most of it, hunched over in one corner of the bunk watching TV, and when I tried to get some sleep I moved into the aisle to lie down. It was a bumpy shaky ride to the border, which I didn't realise wasn't open 24hrs. We got there at 3am, the engine got switched off, I thought I could get some solid sleep as we were no longer moving, but with the engine went the Aircon, so the bus got increasingly warm. At 5am it was too hot, so I escaped the bus and found somewhere to chill out before the border opened at 7.
    We had our passports checked about four times just to exit Laos. And then had to walk across the border to Vietnamese border control which didn't feel the safest haha. Only took maybe an hour to get through to the other side, but then an additional hour for our bus to get through all the luggage and security checks. I had foolishly left my snacks and water on the bus, so I was actually thankful to hop back on.
    Only an hour after lunch we broke down, and I had a mini panic thinking I may miss my flight, but we were off again in less than 20 minutes.
    We actually got into Hanoi 15 minutes ahead of schedule. My flight had been delayed an hour, so I had 5 hours to kill; I visited an atm, cafe and restaurant. At the airport I absolutely breezed through baggage and security and hopped aboard my flight, which I slept for the majority of. Got a taxi and arrived into my hostel at 3am, 39 hours after leaving Vang Vieng!    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Bún Huế soup for breaky, only feel comfortable eating fake meat in vegan restaurants, not bad 7/10
    Never been so happy to see a single sleeper bedFirst time I'll say I'm glad I'm not super hall ahaCute garden attached to the hostel looking over the riverMediocre takeaway, but filled the void

    Ho Chi Min ➡️ Can Tho

    12 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☁️ 36 °C

    Was in no great rush this morning after getting in so late last night. I booked my coach through the hostel and got breakfast.
    I'd never got on a motorbike with my big rucksack and all my stuff before, as I didn't think it'd be possible. But the hostel owner gave me a lift to the bus station on her bike, turns out is it possible, just not the most practical 😅
    It was a four hour drive down south to Can Tho, which is the largest city in the Meekong delta. My hostel is a little out of the city, but right by the river and very chill. Didn't quite realise how far out we were until I tried to find food with a couple of guys from the hostel. After an unsuccessful wander, we just went back to the hostel, drank some beer and ordered food, so not a bad result.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    1Morning sunrise
    Floating marketsWaving potatoesBahn mi boatFirst Vietnamese coffee, hot in a plastic cup but still deliciousNoodle makingTurns out I actually like dragon fruitPapaya trees and dragon fruit cactiExpert driving...Most anticlimactic crash of all time, our guide is unconcerned just chuffed he caught it on cameraOur legendary driver DuongCocoa beansTour highlightsTranslations aren't always 100% 😅Bakery dinner

    Can Tho

    13 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    Dragged myself out of bed this morning at 5.15am for an early startinh tour. We got picked up outside the hostel and whisked away into town, down by the river. Four of us hopped into a small boat along with our tour guide, and the boat driver and adorned lovely fluorescent orange life jackets. We drove along the river (one in the Meekong delta) with the sun rising behind us, first stopping at the famous wholesale floating markets.
    The main bridge across the city was only built in the early 2000's, meaning parts of the city weren't very accessible. Therefore markets took place on tethered boats in the middle of the river, and boats from either side of the shore could come to shop.
    The market boats had tall bamboo poles at the front with produce hung from the top of them to advertise what they were selling, be in pineapples, onions or potatoes (was mainly fruit & veg). There was also a music boat, and small boats selling food and coffee. We pulled up to one boat, the lady attached a hook onto ours. Next thing we know, she started cooking eggs on a small gas stove in the boat and handing over egg Banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) for breakfast. We also got coffee from another, and climbed onto a slightly larger boat, and sat and had tea and fresh fruit aboard.
    We then got taken further down the river to a noodle shop where we were shown how traditional noodles were made and got to have a go ourselves.
    Next a small diversion off the main river took us to a small canal surrounded by greenery. We drove past a fruit farm where our guide hopped off and bought a fresh pink dragon fruit for us to try. And then the engine got switched off and we gave rowing the boat a go for ourselves. I was not a natural, and caused the slowest, most anticlimactic boat crash of all time into some river weeds. Our driver was giggling with glee at our poor driving. We eventually gave up, and he then drove us to a Cocoa farm where we were given a demonstration on how chocolate is made by hand, as well as a sample and some cold chocolate milk.
    It was an hour boat ride back to the dock, and the only downside of the whole trip was the amount of rubbish in the river, was sad to see :( and so many missing shoes!
    We were dropped back off at the hostel at midday, had a nap then headed into town to explore. There wasn't a load to see in the city, we grabbed some food, coffee and had a wander. Then back at the hostel I tried to improve my pool game with some success.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Morning pool
    You don't understand how happy I was to see this signSpicy tofu bahn miFirst pho, slightly disappointing but very filling, 6.5/10Walking streetOnly 9pm on a Sunday, can't imagine what it's like at midnight on a Friday! 😳Dessert, sweet soy milk with jellies, fruit and mochi. Very delicious! 8/10

    Can Tho ➡️ Ho Chi Mihn

    14 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

    I had planned to spend the morning exploring Can Tho further, but I was so happy with the river tour I did yesterday, I didn't feel the need to do anything else.
    I had a chilled morning at the hostel, then got an early afternoon bus back to Ho Chi Mihn.
    I check into a private two bed hostel as Kath is arriving tomorrow! I was absolutely starving by the time I'd got to the hostel, but by some miracle there was a vegan bahn mi shop, less than 30 seconds around the corner!
    I had a wander round, found some food and picked up some bits from shops. I was looking for somewhere to get dessert when I accidentally walked down the main walking street. It was so loud and busy, mainly filled with bars and clubs with girls dancing on tables, guys waving about menus trying to get you to come drink at their bar and constant loud music booming. Was a little overwhelming to say the least, especially when I had only come that way to find a sweet treat! I eventually did find somewhere, then headed back to the hostel for an early night.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Breakfast bahn mi
    1Lil lost old lady looking for her luggage 😉Egg coffee!Mango toastWar museumMatcha icecreamPagodaSo many bikesTasty dinner (above mustard leaf, tofu & mushroom rolls were a highlight)Big blue bear

    Ho Ch Minh day 1

    15 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☀️ 39 °C

    The sheer amount of motorbikes in the city is crazy, there's around 10 million people in the city, and 4-7 million motorbikes depending on who you ask! I decided to see what it'd be like to be one of the many motorbikes, and hopped on a bike taxi to the airport. Was slightly terrifying at times, but much less scary than to trying to cross a busy road here!
    I found a corridor above the arrivals terminal where I could survey luggage collection and spy on Kath. Once I found her, we got a taxi back to the hostel, then went out to explore. I had my first egg coffee, which is a Vietnamese speciality. It's espresso topped with an almost meringue topping, made of egg yolks and condensed milk whipped up. Is so delicious, but so sweet, feels like a dessert.
    We visited one of Ho Chi Minh's most popular attractions in the afternoon which is the War Remnants Museum. To be honest I barely knew anything about the cold war before coming here, and it was really interesting to learn about. Parts of the museum were quite hard to look at, photos in particular, but definitely important to see.
    Kath didn't sleep on her flight so started to fall asleep if she sat down for too long, so we kept moving and walked across town to a pagoda (temple). We stood overlooking the pagoda as the sky lit up at sunset, with the noise from super busy roads behind us, and tiny bats and swooping birds dive bombing above us to catch emerging insects.
    Had an early night, even though I had a full night sleep, walking about the city in 39°c heat is also exhausting.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Cong communist coffee shop
    Coconut coffee!Post officeSomeone let her out :(Mildly disappointing lunch, pretty bland veggie food :(Apartment of cafesPineapple and ginseng coffeeCute lantern mascot🧀Lovely skylineOpera houseDelicious array of veggie food, 8/10Someone is excited by the ice-cream

    Ho Chi Minh day 2

    16 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    Today we went on a walking tour to get a bit of history about the city and our bearings. Ho Chi Minh was the capital of Vietnam during French occupation (1862–1954), and capital of the south of Vietnam when the north and south were divided. After the US left the country in 1975, the north and south unified and Hanoi became the capital.
    Most of the big impressive buildings looked very European, as they were built by the French, including an opera house, post office and city hall. Unfortunately the cathedral, coined the Notre Dame of Saigon (original name of Ho Chi Minh), was under construction, so was covered in scaffolding and barely visible.
    My favourite stop was a communist coffee shop hidden down an alley on the second floor of some apartments, next to the old American embassy building. This is where a famous event called the Tet offensive attack occured in 1964. Viet Cong was the communist front in Vietnam during the cold war, they blew up a parked car outside the embassy killing over 20 people, including 5 American figures. This event turned the opinion of a lot of the public, especially the American population to support the war in Vietnam. One of the American government's main driving forces for invading Vietnam was the fear of communism spreading to the US, so wasn't really a justification to start a war.
    In the afternoon we visited a building called the apartment of cafes, which as it sounds, was a 9 story apartment block filled with mainly cafes, and a few cute shops.
    In the evening we caught the ferry across the river and got a pretty spectacular view of the city at sunset and then lit up at night. We had to cross an insanely busy road to get to the ferry dock. From the other side of the road, we watched this middle aged Vietnamese lady cross, with her hand the air signalling for cars to stop, and the motorbikes drove around her. As we watched in disbelief, she crossed, looked at us with pity then grabbed my hand. I held Kath's, then this lovely lady guided us across this 6 lane hectic main road in a breeze, then she toddled off and crossed herself again! She was an absolute hero and didn't even speak a word to us!
    We passed a lot of the walking tour sites we saw in the day, in the evening, and they looked a lot more impressive lit up, with the night sky behind them. We grabbed dinner and beers at a food market, then stopped off at a pub on the way home, but could only manage one more beer as we were both so full!    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Spot the tunnel entrance!
    Clearly thrilled to be hereCan you see the panic in Kath's face 🤣Before I got stuckSichuan tofu n rice for lunchHidden coffee shopCream cheese coffee! Almost like carrot cake icing on top of coffee, delish 9/10Indoor marketThink of a clothing brand... You can probably buy a knock off version hereCoolest motorbike driver aroundWe did not reserve the table but the sign made us feel special10 minute time lapse of our viewOur hotpot over order (more food arrived after I took this photo)Walking street (again)1New Vs old (older building actually in much better nick)

    Ho Chi Minh day 3

    17 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C

    We ventured outside Ho Chi Minh today and went on a tour to visit the Cu Chi tunnels. These were a network of tunnels used by Viet Cong soldiers during the cold war. They practically lived in them, with underground bunkers designated as the kitchen or hospital area. The original tunnels were made of clay and divided into three levels, the deepest reaching 4m underground. We got to clamber through some tunnels ourselves, however these were reconstructed ones made of concrete, slightly larger than the original ones so you could walk through crouched. They were still quite tight, and a bit claustrophobic, Kath completed one and then walked over land for the rest. Many tunnel entrances were booby-trapped to deter American soldiers, and things like kitchen smoke vents were placed far from the soldiers resting place to confuse the enemy. We saw an array of traps and tricks, each one more brutal than the next.
    At the end of the tour, we got to go into a small one person hole in the ground which was a recreated tunnel entrance. With the jungle floor covered in dry leaves, the entrance is completely undetected when closed, and only located by a tiny X on a nearby tree. I successfully climbed in, however I got stuck on the way out and embarrassingly had to get hauled out by multiple people.
    Our tour guide was very funny and extremely personable on the bus, but was on a military mission to get us through the tunnels, so felt a little rushed.
    It was a 1 1/2 hour drive back to the city where we grabbed lunch, found a coffee shop to plan our next move and then wandered around a huge indoor market where I got to practice my bargaining skills.
    In the evening we visited a sky bar which had pretty cool views of the city and enjoyed a few pricey cocktails.
    We got veggie hotpot for dinner. The menu confused us so we ended up massively over ordering, but the food was delicious. We waddled back to the hostel so full, only taking one detour to show Kath the madness of walking street.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Vietnamese pancakes and crispy rice paper 'pizzas'
    My new best friendThis guy was a moodThis dude headbutted me when I tried to feed the alpacas carrotsEgg coffee mochaBalancing actSpicy lemongrass tofu, claypot soup and wontons for dinnerCoconut ice-cream with fresh mango 😍

    Ho Chi Minh ➡️ Da Lat

    18 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We got an overnight bus to Da Lat very early this morning. When buying the ticket I thought it'd be a straight bus from 1.30am to 8.30am. We didn't actually get on our sleeper bus til 3.30, as we first got a mini bus and then had a long wait at the bus station, and didn't arrive into Da Lat til 10 o clock. We grabbed a taxi to our homestay /hostel, dropped our bags out then ventured out for food as I was absolutely starving (on the verge of hanger).
    We were both pretty tired in the afternoon after the journey, I wanted a serotonin boost so we visited a puppy farm. It's not what it sounds, they don't eat the puppies here. It was cute farm with lots of animals, a garden and lots of dogs! Most of the dogs were pretty uninterested in us, but there were four 4 month old corgi puppies which were extremely cute and cuddly.
    We did explore of Da Lat a little at night, finding a veggie restaurant and a place for dessert, before an early night as we've booked a day tour for tomorrow.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Tuyen Lam lake
    Big chickenLang Ga (chicken village)Pongour waterfallPineapple!!Lady Buddha statueView from Buddha's head (spot the rainbow)On the 9 painted floors inside the buddhaGiving doctor who weeping angelsPeanut noodles for lunchCoffee plantationCoffee berries, husks and beansWeasel poo and the stars of the show themselves sleepingTasty insect snackElephant waterfall, Buddha head views, silk farm & coffee!Dinner, dumplings were very chewy but my mushroom tofu soup was delish!

    Da Lat day 1

    19 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    I liked Ho Chi Minh a lot, but it's so nice to be out the city, it was a bit chaotic. Crossing the road was a minefield, cars and buses you had to watch out for, but with motorbikes, you're just meant to walk across at a consistent pace so they can predict your movement and drive around you. Sometimes I think just walking across with your eyes closed would be the easiest way to cross 😂
    Da Lat is a city high up in the mountains so it's much cooler and less humid too. The area we're staying in is so hilly and a maze of small alleys, which motorbikes still find their way through.
    We only have one full day here so did a tour to catch all the sights. Got picked up around 8.30, much to probably the dismay of the other 4 passengers, I ate my egg breakfast bahn mi in the minivan, and it was delicious.
    One of the morning stops was a village coined 'chicken village', where a Vietnamese folk story took place. Long story short, was about a couple wanting to get married, the girl's family would only allow the boy to marry her if he brought them a rooster with 9 spurs, and he died trying, then she died looking for her. A Vietnamese Shakespeare tragedy of sorts, but there was a big chicken statue there to commemorate the couple. The village itself was home to one of 54 what they call minority groups in Vietnam, similar to tribes in Thailand, they have their own language and traditions. The village was surrounded by beautiful scenery and was very peaceful.
    We stopped at two waterfalls which were nice, though the highlight of those stops was seeing pineapple's growing! I'd never seen one on a plant before, almost looked fake, like someone just glued a pineapple on a cactus!
    In the afternoon we visited a coffee plantation. They had 40 weasels there which they use for 'weasel poo' coffee. Sounds gross, but the weasel eat the coffee beans and apparently some enzyme in their stomach breaks down/ ferments the beans making the coffee taste smoother. After the beans are collected from the weasel they're thoroughly cleaned and then the husk is removed, so it's hygienic process. Was first discover by tribal people. I did try some of the coffee, was tasty but wouldn't say it's the best coffee I've ever had, but the view from the coffee shop was pretty good.
    We then visited a silk factory, cricket farm, and rice wine making cellar, and had the option to try the latter two delicacys.
    In the evening we found a cute pub to play cards at, but was also to people watch as it was right on the corner of a two busy streets. After dinner, we went back to the dessert place from lst night as it was so good and they had a puppy there this time having the time of his life playing in the coconuts.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Our pack
    Sturgeon farmTree dogFollow the leaderSpot the third pupBolleta mushroom (edible)Sturgeon farm, waterfall and farm puppyCoffee at the coffee farmForever a dog bothererVeggie buffet for lunchCrazy house!Having the time of my life

    Da lat day 2 / ➡️ Quy Khon

    20 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We had a sleeper bus booked for early this evening so we pretty much had the whole day to see more of Da Lat. We did debate doing a sunrise hike, but didn't want to be disappointed by a cloudy view, so picked the much cheaper option and went on a small trek.
    We got a taxi early morning to an organic farm just outside the city where we met our guide, who was accompanied by 5 dogs! Was a lovely walk through the woods into a national park, we walked through a sturgeon farm, which harvested caviar. Learnt lots of sturgeon facts, including that they can live up to 120 years old and weigh over a ton! We walked along the concrete beams separately the pools, and saw fish that were 40 years old and over a metre and a half long! We continued our walk into a pine forest then along a river, up to a waterfall. The 5 dogs walked alongside us the whole way, was like being in a pack, a couple even came in the water with us.
    The waterfall was so refreshing, not deep enough to swim but we could stand under and get a refreshing shower and on the edge of the water admiring the forest. Our guide was so lovely, and very knowledgeable on the area and plants and animals in it, as he was an agricultural student. He got very excited about a sparkling blue butterfly we saw, and some bolletta mushrooms we picked on the way back. We got a tour around the farm and had coffee at the cafe at the top while we waited for the taxi back.
    In the afternoon we visited a place called crazy house. Was quite literally a huge house with the craziest architecture built in the 90's, with fantastical statues and objects hanging from walls, winding jungle decorated stairs and ladders which climbed over the roof and wacky murals all over. You can even stay in a room here, but most people just visit.
    We got a sleeper bus at 5 which should get us to Quy Khon just before 1!    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Breakfast
    Interesting restaurant reading... 😳Cheese salted egg crisps, actually very nice!Big ol' beachBig ol' Buddha + PagodaHow very tumblrManji, or 'Buddhist swasrika', was on everything in this pagoda including on Buddha statue's chestBai Xep beachFirst time picked up my book in weeks!Very pleased with her shell haulBeach beerDinner, tried passion fruit sauce of tofu for the first time, not bad1Next to crazy lady on the sleeper bus, wish she'd close her curtains

    Quy Khon / ➡️ Hoi An

    21 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    We've only got one night in Quy Khon, just used the stop as a chill out day, and to break up the long journey. We arrived at 1am and lugged our bags to a hotel, which wasn't the best, but not the worse. Bed's were rock solid but I was so tired I just passed out.
    We had a lie in and lazy morning before checking out, sorting bus tickets and finding breakfast. Wandered into town via a stroll alongside the main beach. Was odd seeing skyscrapers towering behind a white sandy beach.
    We visited a big pagoda which had a really beautiful garden full of bonsai trees and flowers, hundreds of potted plants and a tall lovely Buddha statue. Prayers were going on, so the sound of gentle chanting filled the air, was very soothing. However, was slightly disconcerting to see so many swastika symbols around the temple. Hitler actually stole the symbol from Asian culture, as it's been used in many religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, for hundreds of years before it was linked to the Nazi's. In Buddhism it's a good auspicious mark, and symbolises the footprints of Buddha. The shape represents the eternal cycle (life, death and rebirth). So it's a shame such a positive symbol in Eastern culture is associated with such awful atrocities in the West.
    We ventured further down the coast to find a nicer beach, which had lots of locals enjoying the bath water temperature sea water, which had small fishing boats bobbing about in.
    For dinner we saw a sign for a homestay which did home cooked veggie food, which was just what we needed. We hopped in a taxi back, and got on our 10pm night bus to Hoi An.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Sunrise on arrival in Hoi An
    Cutest 5.30am greeting, Ri the puppyView from our little homestay roomCoconut coffee and peach ice teaPaper cranes in Japanese houseFrench colonial buildingsChinese assembly hallMonth long incense stick, people buy them then write their names, birth dates and wishes on2Riverside marketCrispy onion rice paper pancakeLantern galore!Sunset strollLantern boatsLooking very snazzy in our mandatory life jacketsDinner, star of the show was a delicious pickled spring onion salad in the middleSeries of events where the stray kitten started to attack Kath 😅

    Hoi An day 1

    22 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Hoi An doesn't have a bus or train station so our night bus dropped us off at the nearest city, Da Nang, at 4.30am. We grabbed a taxi down to Hoi An, and arrived just as sun the sun was rising. We were greeted at the homestay by the most excitable 10 month old black cockapoo puppy. Our host disappeared upstairs for 10 minutes while we played with the dog, and when she came back down, she said our room was ready and we could check in early for free. We were both so happy, I could've picked her up and given her a big hug. Instead we happily hauled ourselves upstairs and got a few extra hours sleep in.
    After grabbing some lunch, we found the most lovely coffee shop tucked down an alley with a huge garden full of brightly coloured cushioned chairs under shady trees and plants. We refuelled, and found an afternoon walking tour to book onto.
    Our guide was great, she took us down walking street, and to an old Japanese house and bridge, as well as a Chinese house and temple. Hoi An was a large trading port city between the 15th-19th century, it had a big influx of Japanese and Chinese merchants, so a lot of their cultures found their way into parts of Hoi An. It also facilitated trade from European countries such as Portugal, Holland and France, so had a lot of European architecture too.
    Hoi An is just so pretty, colourful lanterns adorn pretty much every street along with blooming flowers in shades of pink, purple and yellow. By some luck we arrived on the eve before full moon which is when they have a monthly lunar lantern festival! All the street lights are switched off and the old town is only lit up only by lanterns. We were proper tourists and had boat ride along with hundreds of other lanterns lit up boats, and even released our own candle lit paper ones. From the bridge it looked crowded, and I was worried it'd be chaotic, but was very relaxing.
    Kath befriended a feral kitten at dinner, then we headed back for an early night, but we already absolutely love Hoi An!    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Breakfast bahn mi, wrapped in scrap maths sum paper
    Traditional Champa dancingThis Buddha's head along with many other artifacts from this site are in the Louvre in Paris! :(New friendBomb craters - when it's really hot, the heat still sets off unexploded mines in the area!Soupy noodles for lunch, much tastier than they look!Our local Pagoda, Cao Dai Temple of Hoi AnThe queen disappointed, the one I got from a little old lady's stand this morning was much better!Lime coffee (very refreshing), and carrot cake!Lantern 'making'3Two school kids after finishing their art projectThali for tea, not the best but no the worst! Nice to change up from noodles

    Hoi An day 2

    23 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☀️ 40 °C

    I was told Vietnam got cooler as you travelled north, but it's bloody boiling! Seems the country is experiencing a heat wave at the moment, so the next week is forecast 35-40°! 10° higher than expected temperatures for this time of year in this region -_-
    Today we did a morning trip to My Son Sanctuary. A site full of temples, meditation halls and palaces built between the 4th and 13th century during the rain of the Champa Kingdom. It's spiritual origins date back to Hinduism from India: most of the temples were built for Hindu divinities such as Krishna and Vishnu, but predominantly Shiva (god of destruction). There is seemingly no cement between the clay bricks, and to this day, how they built the structures is a mystery. Some of them are over 1,500 years old and have stood against weathering. New parts that have been reconstructed haven't lasted as long as the original, and have had to be replaced!
    The site was only rediscovered by the French in 1885, hidden in dense jungle unbeknownst to the Vietnamese people. During the cold war, the site was bombed by the Americans as they 'believed' Viet Cong soldiers were hiding in the buildings, where in fact they were hidden in the surrounding jungle and tunnels. This meant sadly most of the site was destroyed, leaving 10 out of 75 buildings remaining. It was interesting to look around, our tour guide was very enthusiastic, he had a voice like a cartoon character, and was super knowledgeable on the site, having previously worked on it as an a researcher. The site was in a valley surrounded by jungle so very little breeze reached us, was a whopping 40° so I had a constant stream of sweat down my face as we walked through the temples.
    After lunch, the tour took us back to Hoi An along the river on a boat. In the afternoon we wandered around old town, visiting a pagoda, bahn mi store (my second of the day!) and a coffee shop. As sun was setting, we found a lantern making class. We sat outside a lantern shop on tiny stools, while we instructed how to assemble our lanterns (stick fabric on). Was actually harder than it seems, felt a bit like we were in primary school, our instructor was very lovely and encouraging, and praised us even though we knew we were doing a terrible job! 😅
    In the evening we found a bar along the waterfront, then got Indian for tea before heading back to the homestay, being greeted by our new favourite friend Ri (the puppy).    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Kath's spring roll disaster and nearly loosing me eyebrowsMy lovely tomato flower I struggled to cutPancake & claypot!Cheese!CrabbingCrab wrangler (this one did not escape into the boat!)Orange claws crabs on the shoreOur favourite cafe2Ice matcha latte (I like matcha now) and yummy smoothie bowlRi our hometsay pup1A man and his buffaloEvening beach tripSunset feed for all the birdsGame face onCrispy tofu buns were star of the show, but all delicious!

    Hoi An day 3

    24 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    This morning we went on a cooking class. I was advised by our host not to eat breakfast and I'm so glad I didn't as we made so much food! Unlike my other cooking class, a lot of the prep work was done for us, we mainly added seasoning, herbs, garlic & ginger and that sort of thing and cooked it all up. We assembled and deep fried spring rolls, chopped up a papaya salad (made with green papaya so not super sweet), cooked up a tofu and aubergine claypot and fried a yummy tofu and bean sprouts Vietnamese pancake. Was all delicious, star of the show for me was the spring rolls. We rolled them up in a mesh like rice paper which I hadn't seen before, but it made then super duper crispy!
    Full to the brim, we were whisked away to the nearby river and adorned a Nón lá (hat) and boarded tiny circular boats called coconut boats. Vietnamese fit up to 8 people in one, but we were pretty content just us two and our lovely driver. We floated through palm fronds, stopping round one of them to do a spot of old fashioning crabbing. We successfully got three, one of which escaped into our boat! The smaller ones had bright orange claws, and the larger ones purple. After releasing our crabby friends back into the water, we bobbed back down to the van, with some drivers vigorously spinning their boats. We asked the lady not to do the same for us haha.
    In the afternoon we ventured back to our favourite cafe, and then used bikes from the hostel to cycle to the beach for a quick dip in the sea!
    Found some craft beer in the evening, from only an hour up the road, based in Da Nang. Surprisingly it was pretty much the same price as home! £4 for 400ml glass, but it was very tasty. We didn't venture far from our homestay and went for dinner in a restaurant opposite the bar we were in. Was quite a 'fancy' place, but still only cost us £12 for a starter, two mains and a side!    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Monkey mountain
    Bonsai outgrowing it's potTallest lady Buddha in SE Asia, equivalent to a 30-floor building!Found my new profession, wildlife photographerMonkey WWELinh Ung PagodaThese cheeky chaps were my fave of all the marble statuesAm Phu caveOr better known as hell caveHoa Nghiem CaveAbducted by aliens?Noodle soup n rice crackers for lunchRice field coffeeMy shiny friendCutiesMunchingMy wobbly camera work doesn't really encapsulate how nice this wasHoi An speciality set menu, topped crispy wonton (top left) was our favourite

    Hoi An day 4 / Da Nang

    25 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ⛅ 37 °C

    We've loved our homestay and Hoi An so much, we decided to do a day trip to Da Nang instead of staying there a night. There's a famous park called Ba Na hills which has a very famous Buddha hands bridge which is all over Instagram. We wanted to go, but the entrance fee alone to the park was £60 each! So we opted for a cheaper tour to a place called monkey and marble mountain.
    At monkey mountain there was a pagoda surrounded by beautiful gardens, the tallest lady Buddha in all of south East Asia, and most exciting for me, monkeys! They were so cute, jumping between trees, wresting in the garden and one was sat astutely on the bin, claiming any goodies that people dropped in. Some tourists were getting way too comfortable around them, and I saw a few monkeys take a couple of well deserved swipes at those annoying people.
    We then visited marble village which was just a big selection of marble statues, then a shop with lady's following you around, trying to get you to buy something. Marble mountain was better, we first descended into 'hell', a cave full of cool statues and shrines illustrating the 18 levels of hell. Our tour guide Micheal was very animated, and brought the cave to life for us. We then ascended 250 stairs up to 'heaven'. Along the way there were some nice arches, we passed through heaven's gate, visited a nice view point but my favourite of the whole trip was Hoa Nghiem Cave. It was a large cave with small openings at the top, the sunlight poured through the gaps in huge beams, looking almost like a waterfall or a spotlight, depending on how imaginative you are.
    In the afternoon, back in Hoi An, we hopped on the bikes again, this time taking a beautiful detour through the rice fields to a lovely hidden away cafe. It had loungers and cushioned chairs sheltered under umbrellas looking out over the fields of already harvested rice. There was water buffalo grazing in the distance, two of which escaped their ropes and came to munch on the green weeds right next to where we were sitting. There were also lizards which sparkled gold in the sun, sunbathing and running on top of the dead grass, one even popped his head up under my leg!
    We could've stayed there for hours on end but we headed back before it got dark. Unfortunately I haven't really seen any spectacular sunsets since being away, Thailand and Laos were too smokey and the sun in Vietnam seems to dip behind a bank of clouds most nights before setting. Tonight was no different, but the evening light was still lovely.
    We wandered into town and did some shopping of things we'd been eyeing up the previous three nights. Kath got a north face bag and patagonia bag, then I got some thin trousers, a shirt and a silver necklace ( I lost my nice one:( ).
    For dinner we got a set menu of local dishes including Hoi An speciality white rose dumplings and cao lau noodles. The dishes were nice but a few lacked flavour, but nothing a bit of soy sauce and chilli couldn't fix.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    One of the few good train views we got
    Mediocre toastie for lunchStone car in the forest, coz why not?Dragon pierDragon ground floorView from the head of the beastSee how many other people you can spot hiding in the backgroundWaterslides!Felt a big smug sat with a beer under shelter watching the rainPeanut tofu noodles for me (again!), summer rolls and marinated tofu + aubergine for Kath

    Hoi An ➡️ Hue

    26 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☀️ 40 °C

    At some point during the three weeks Kath is here, we really wanted to do a first class train journey for a bit of luxury and of course stunning views. We then looked at the prices, and decided against it 😅 we did however book a train from Hoi An through our hostel to Hue, second class and only 4 hours. I asked our host to book us on the right side so we'd get a coastal view, but we ended up on the left! :( Honestly other than that, I couldn't fault the homestay we had in Hoi An, the couple that ran it were so lovely and helpful, our room was great, fab location and cute puppy!
    The train ride was interesting... Pretty noisy, very hot as the aircon was temperamental, and lots of stops and starts. We only got glimpses of the gorgeous coastline through cracks between drawn curtains, as all the locals close them to avoid the sun. Safe to say after that trip we'll stick to our buses haha.
    We arrived in Hue early afternoon, and it was absolutely boiling!
    Later on, we ventured to an old abandoned waterpark that was shut down in 2004 due to financial issues, but in the last 5 years has become an unofficial tourist attraction. Officially you're not meant to go in, but everybody does. We were dropped off by a closed off road and walked 15 mins up the road and along a path hugging a big lake. As we were walking, a huge pier like structure on the water came into view, a head of a dragon at the top and spines and claws spread out, surrounding it. Inside, the walls were covered in graffiti, was a bit dirty and smelly, but expected for a 20 year old abandoned building! The dragon had two floors, and at the top you could look out over the lake through it's mouth.
    We crossed the other side of the bridge into the jungle/forest to find three waterslides and a few pools. It was golden hour just before sunset, so the whole area looked stunning. Kath found the whole place a bit spooky but it bought it was really cool. I wanted to climb all the way up one of the slides, but I was in birks, which did not lend themselves to walking on slippy plastic. The park is due to be completely closed and demolished later this year, with some parts already destroyed, so we weren't sure if there were other areas to see.
    Content with what we saw, we grabbed some beers from a lady on the path with a cooler on the back of a motorbike, monopilsing on the tourists in the area, and watched the sun disappear behinds clouds for another less than spectacular sunset.
    In the evening, it absolutely chucked it down for all of 40 minutes, we sat on a street corner in a bar overlooking the roads as people ran for cover, and motorcyclists impressed us with how many people they could fit under one poncho.
    We grabbed some very delicious food, before heading back to the hostel for an early night as we wanted to try to beat the heat tomorrow morning.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Morning beverages, I ordered the middle thinking it'd be a bowl of strawberries and yogurt 🤦🏼‍♀️
    We forgot sunglassesI bought a necklace with this symbol on in Hoi An, and since buying it I've seen it everywhere!Citadel highlightsDecaying lily pads look just as nice as the alive onesI missed breakfast so over ordered, rice & aubergine with Banh mi!Tried an orange latte, turns out they just put an orange slice in, not much differentPagodaTried mangosteen for the first time! Delish, sweet & sour -mango, peach & pineapple tasteSpacious bus cabin tour

    Hue / ➡️ Ninh Binh

    27 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☀️ 41 °C

    We're only staying one night in Hue, so had to get up early and pack up. We got to the Imperial city gates at 8.30 hoping to beat the midday heat and some of the crowds, but turns out everyone else has the same idea. Plus there were loads of school trips, which I hadn't seen anywhere else before! All the kids are so friendly though, they see you're a westerner and wave and say hello. Some of the older kids want to practice their English so come up and ask questions, which is endearing (and their English is 1000x better than my Vietnamese will ever be).
    The Imperial city is a walled compound encompassed within the citadel of the city of Hue. It was the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty, the last Vietnamese dynasty, whose 143-year rule ended after the end of the second world war. Some of the emperors during this era assended the throne as young as 6-years-old!
    The palace complex was constructed in 1803, based on Beijing's 'Forbidden city'. The site was damaged heavily by French attacks and then again during conflict with the US. At one point, Viet Cong soldiers occupied half of the citadel with the US in the other. After this battle, only 10 of 160 buildings remained. In 1993 the area was named a UNSECO world heritage site so some of the buildings have been reconstructed.
    The gardens were beautiful, and a mix of ruins along with old and new buildings made the site really interesting to look at. We wandered around longer than expected (3hrs with sit down breaks for the heat), and I think there were still areas we didn't fully explore, but hot and hungry we went to find lunch.
    In the afternoon we went to a pagoda the hostel had circled on the map, which was a little disappointing as there wasn't a lot there. There are three big tombs of old kings here we really wanted to see, but they were a little far out. Looking at photos online the sites didn't have any shade, which is something we didn't really want to negotiate in 40° heat.
    When we got back to the hostel, they very kindly let us shower which was a lifesaver before hopping on an 11-hour night bus! We should arrive at our next destination, Ninh Binh, around 5am tomorrow morning.    Читать далее

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  • Phoebe FoxSE AsiaПутешественник
    Walking past these 'gas stations' make me nervous
    No runny eggs today :(Coffee with a view1After this trip, I've decided I'd like a pet water buffaloShaley bamboo bridgesFeeding the duckiesBeer with a viewSnack pit stopBats!Shrines in cavesTemple in the mountainsThe power of photo editing, and the reality of tourist attractions32p beer! I wasn't great but only cost 32p!!Delicious vegan dinner, I had some sort of tangy hummus like dip with mine which was divine

    Ninh Binh day 1

    28 апреля 2024 г., Вьетнам ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    We arrived into Ninh Binh at 5am and made our way to the hostel. Luckily a guest checked out as we were arriving so we only had to wait an hour before we could get some sleep.
    Ninh Binh is the province we're in but the town where we, and most of the tourists stay is called Tam Coc.
    Despite being far up north, there's still a heatwave going on so it's very hot. Determined to make the most of the day though, we hired bikes after lunch to explore the area. Less than a 10 minute cycle out of town, and you're in the middle of planes of rice fields surrounded by small steep sided mountains and jagged rock pinacals. It's pretty spectacular.
    The area has the same topography as the famous Ha Long bay, but on land! The rocks weren't formed by anything major, just by erosion from wind and rain millions of year ago according to google. The area we're in (spanning around 60km2) was actually named a world heritage site 10 years ago for its astounding natural beauty and culture.

    The shop we hired our bike from mainly rented out mountain bikes, but we wanted baskets in the front to put our stuff in, so got some cute little city bikes. Was probably the wrong decision as some of the 'roads' we cycled down were BUMPY, and the bike had zero suspension 😅
    We sought refuge from the sun in a cafe overlooking the rice fields, then ventured to a 'farm' with a water buffalo tied up outside and lots of baby ducklings in a small cage :( We didn't stop there for long, and instead cycled to another farm situated at the end of a very long bumpy dirt road, where some very happy ducks were waiting for us. The ducks were off swimming minding their own business before the lady who ran the place shouted something in Vietnamese. They all quacked in almost unison and came swimming hurriedly over, making an almighty ratchet, which was very entertaining.
    We then cycled over to a nearby pagoda built underneath a mountain. Up into the mountain, the path led through a cave where a shrine was situated, then out the other side and up some stairs the temple continued.
    On our way back into town a kingfisher flew past, right in front of us. It wasn't the usual flash of blue, so it was the first time I've seen one properly; they're very cute little birds.
    Absolutely exhausted from cycling and stair climbing in the heat we found somewhere with cheap beer, then later some yummy vegan food.    Читать далее

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