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Vietnam and Cambodia

March - April 2023
A 22-day adventure by Andrew Jerome Read more
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  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 1

    Day 1

    March 11, 2023 in Australia

    Today, the first day of our (hopefully!) stress free holiday begins! After having trouble with staff travel on our last trip, we decided to purchase full fare tickets for this trip, rather than have the anxiety of flying standby. Ted had found a well-priced airfare to Asia in business class on Philippine Airlines to help make this holiday an overall easier experience.

    We woke at 6am to get ready, before making our way to Adelaide airport for our connecting flight to Melbourne. We had already dropped Snoopy off at doggy day care yesterday, so his morning was basically just eating breakfast, turning off the appliances, and locking up the house. Our neighbour Gerry had offered to drive us to the airport which was greatly appreciated. Ted suggested we get dropped off near the Atura hotel, which ended up being naughty since it isn’t allowed, and the kerbside attendant advised us not to do it again!

    After checking in our bag and buying a coffee, we chilled out until our flight to Melbourne in business class. Even though it was premium class, they still didn’t have a vegetarian breakfast option! So I had to push the bacon and sausages aside to enjoy the corn fritters. When we arrived in Melbourne, we were a bit taken aback at the cost of the Uber to our apartment, but since a taxi was the same price, realised it was unavoidable.

    The apartment in South Yarra was very nice and suitable, although it’s interesting to see how many apartment buildings there are in close proximity. After leaving our bags, we quickly made our way to the Oriental Teahouse to see our former housemate Gudron, whom we haven’t seen in over a year (over two years for Ted), as well as her boyfriend Tom. The food was very good, and Gudron and I shared the vegetarian options whilst Ted and Tom were the carnivores. Tom even kindly paid for the meal which was completely unexpected.

    We chilled in our apartment afterwards before going out for dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant called Caffe y Cucina. Ted and I don’t usually eat at pricey restaurants but we had been gifted a Gourmet Restaurant card from our neighbours so we felt we could justify it. Saying that, the food was very good (we both had pasta) as was the wine. It was definitely an authentic venue too, with a lot of history and atmosphere.

    Since we have an early start tomorrow, we decided to stay in and watch “Mrs. Doubtfire” as opposed to going out partying all night.    Read more

  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 2

    Day 2

    March 12, 2023 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 34 °C

    We woke early again today after a so-so sleep, giving us time to pack up before going to Melbourne airport. The Uber fare quote for today was even more expensive than yesterday, so we settled on a taxi fare which was slightly cheaper. It ended up being a maxi taxi so at least there was plenty of room for ourselves and our luggage.

    Since we’d purchased business class fares, we had the advantage of a smaller check-in queue before heading to the Marhaba Lounge, which is complimentary to business class passengers with Philippine Airways. We have been here before after purchasing lounge passes - it is definitely not the same quality as a Qantas lounge, but it’s still good to be in a private area with complimentary food and drinks. Our boarding ended up being later than expected, but the process was easy and hassle free.

    We haven’t flown Philippine Airways before, and the business class was a delight. Each seat is a pod like on the Qantas A330, and the service is amazing. Personally, we both thought it was better than business class on Qantas. The meal service we received was great too - since we aren’t flying standby for once, I was able to pre-order an ovo-lacto vegetarian meal instead of just hoping they’d have an option available. The best thing was the amount offered - for the first time in a long time, I had to refuse any more!

    I settled in and watched the new "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" movie and spoke briefly to the crew, who were trying to avoid an exceedingly drunk elderly man who kept coming into the galley. I don’t think they have the same RSA regulations as we do back home! I also watched “DC League of Super Pets” which was pretty fun and more enjoyable than the other movie.

    I continued my tradition of getting a photo with the cabin crew who kindly gave us some snacks to enjoy after leaving the flight. I ended up taking the onboard blanket with me, in case we may need it for the overnight train journey through Vietnam. After arriving into Manila, we made our way to the transfer area for our next flight to Bangkok. As we had three hours until our departure, we could use the Mabuhay Lounge here as well, for some extra comfort and food.

    Whilst in the queue for the transfer passengers, we met a couple from Victoria, John and Fiona, who accompanied us to the lounge. The four of us got along extremely well, particularly since John and Ted were taking advantage of the free bourbon! Time flew quickly and, before we knew it, it was time to walk the short distance to our next gate, which was already in the process of boarding.

    The seats on this flight were different from the last flight but actually more comfortable, similar to the business class seats on Lufthansa. We needed to wait a while onboard for the final passengers before we could depart and be on our way. We certainly can’t complain about being hungry either - for a short flight, we were again served a two course meal which we loved.

    Since we are still on Melbourne time, I took advantage of the fully flat bed to meditate and get some sleep. The arrival into Bangkok was slightly bumpy but it was otherwise another amazing flight with Philippine Airlines. At the airport baggage collection though, one of our bags came through quickly with about nine others, then the others didn’t come for another 15 minutes!

    We bade farewell to John and Fiona before catching a taxi to our hotel nearby. The hotel is beautiful, but since it was close to 11pm, we didn’t really get a chance to see much. Tomorrow we continue our travels on to Vietnam.    Read more

  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 3

    Day 3

    March 13, 2023 in Vietnam

    We both had a mediocre sleep last night due to a combination of slight jet lag and a storm last night. The jet lag also meant we woke slightly early, both of us still being on Australian time. Ted was more enthusiastic than me, going to the hotel gym whilst I stayed in the room and relaxed. The breakfast at the hotel was amazing though, many choices in a beautiful dining room.

    Ted used the app Grab (similar to Uber) to get us a ride to the airport for our next flight this morning. The airport was crazy busy (like Bangkok city itself), but we arrived in time just before the check in counters were open. The check in process was pretty easy and we even considered upgrading ourselves to business class, having enjoyed it immensely on Philippine Airlines. The extra cost didn’t seem worn it for a two hour flight though.

    After going through security and immigration, we each went to get a sandwich from Zurich Bread, as we were unsure if the flight included a meal. Clearly we weren’t the only ones who thought that way, as a lot of other Westerners were sitting in the boarding lounge eating similar foods. As it turned out, we were pleasantly surprised to get not only a meal, but a hot one as well (chicken or fish, so I chose the latter). The rest of the flight was pleasant enough too, although the FAs struggled with saying their announcements in English. Since the flight was so quick, I didn’t hassle the crew for a photo this time!

    When we arrived in Hanoi, we were both surprised to see how low key the airport was from the tarmac. It reminded me of arriving into Beijing in the 1990s. One interesting thing was how the arrival PA advised passengers not to open the exits themselves! We disembarked via the tarmac and took buses to the terminal instead of using aerobridges.

    Both the immigration process and baggage collection were quick, although I found it odd how the lady at passport control didn’t ask to see my visa which I’d printed out. Once outside, we went to the pick up area and waited for our transfer driver. After ten minutes of waiting, I called the hotel who advised us they would contact the driver. Another driver advised us to wait, before our driver arrived in a very fancy car for the 45 minute drive to the hotel.

    Our accommodation is very close to the Old Quarter district, which is basically the heart of Hanoi. The hotel is very fancy, and the check in process seemed very formal and sophisticated (we felt somewhat embarrassed wearing just shorts and T-shirts)! I had mentioned in the booking that Ted had celebrated a birthday recently, and our beds were decorated with rose petals spelling out “HPBD”!

    We had a quick look at the hotel gym and rooftop bar before going out to explore. The area is very busy, although more low-key than Ho Chi Minh City. I noticed that Train Street was very close to the hotel and was hoping to see it, but was surprised how security guards prevented anyone from entering. I read later that this is now a restricted area and guests can only enter when escorted by a business owner (taking away the option of choosing where to sit and eat).

    Whilst walking back through the city, I made the mistake of accepting a donut from a street side seller (thinking it was a free sample) before realising she had quickly filled a plastic bag of them which she expected me to buy (which I politely declined). We saw an ad for a hop-on hop-off bus service so we thought we might try that tomorrow.

    After spending some time in the Old Quarter, Ted was keen to try some pho, so we walked around for a while before finding a restaurant that served it. It was very well priced, and they offered plenty of options for both the meat-eater and vegetarian alike.

    We considered a late night but are both exhausted from the flight and long day today. A full day of sightseeing tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 4

    Day 4

    March 14, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Even though our room is very quiet (and somewhat dark due to a lack of natural light) we both woke up early this morning. Breakfast wasn’t served until 6.30am so we relaxed until then and ended up being the first people at breakfast. The breakfast wasn’t too bad although there weren't a lot of options for juices or vegetarians. After Ted left to go to the gym during breakfast, I noticed my phone was missing and thought Ted may have picked it up accidentally before leaving. As it turned out, he had sat back at the wrong table during breakfast (which I hadn’t noticed either) meaning all our belongings were still sitting idly on a table nearby!

    Clearly Ted’s lack of direction continued because he then went back to the wrong room (606 instead of 306), and woke us some poor Chinese man who was wondering who was ringing his doorbell! After getting ready, we walked down to the departure stop for the bus which, according to its itinerary, visited most of the places we wanted to see. Since we had some time before departure, we crossed the bridge across Hoàn Kiếm Lake to the Ngoc Son Temple, which has a tower and pavilions dedicated to the national hero.

    The bus tour was very handy, although the audio commentary was inaccurate sometimes, as it often didn’t match the place where you were. Either way, we still got a great overview of the city. We did the complete round trip first before disembarking back at the original stop to do the tour again, this time leaving the bus at the stops which looked most interesting. Rather than sit on the bus waiting for it to depart again, we walked across the street to Highland Coffee which was located in a high rise building right in the city square. The coffee was plain, but the view was great.

    We first decided to stop at St. Joseph Cathedral, although it wasn’t visible from the bus route. We found out later we should’ve headed right instead of left as we spent a good amount of time trying to find it! Even though most of the locals couldn’t speak English, Ted was able to use the photo from the brochure to ask, and ultimately find, the cathedral (including asking at a nearby hotel).

    Whilst in the area, we decided to have lunch at a nearby restaurant, so we settled on a Vietnamese restaurant named Vivienne which had a direct view of the cathedral (slightly painful when the bells tolled on the hour)! Clearly we paid for location though as the cost of the lunch was more than twice of the pho we had last night. It wasn’t until later that I saw it has the dubious distinction of being ranked #2487 of the 2490 restaurants in Hanoi.

    After re boarding the bus, we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which covered a huge area of land which we needed to walk around just to reach the entrance. The grounds were interesting but not particularly amazing, although I thought the mausoleum itself was impressive. We weren’t able to get close enough to the Presidential Palace to get a good photo as the security guard shooed us away, so the best we could do was one from a distance. We saw the Changing of the Guard ceremony too before rejoining our bus tour.

    We disembarked next at the Chùa Trấn Quốc Pagoda, which is located on a busy highway. If we thought that crossing the street in downtown Hanoi was terrifying enough, crossing this highway felt like suicide. We made the mistake of wearing shorts today which meant we couldn’t enter the pagoda, but all was not lost. There was a pub across the road so we had a lukewarm beer and soft drink whilst waiting for the next tour bus to arrive.

    After the pagoda we returned to the original embarkation point and our hotel room to relax, before deciding to treat ourselves to a massage at a nearby business who often tried to get us in when we would walk past. To be honest the massage was a bit unusual! Most of it was enjoyable, but towards the end they did some weird jerking movements which included cracking Ted’s neck and twisting my back. They also brought a complete stranger into our room for a massage whilst we were still getting ours!

    For dinner, we weren’t feeling like Asian food so we found a Mexican restaurant which was simple and very nice. The bus ticket we’d bought entitled us to a nighttime tour of the city but when we boarded the bus, I realised I’d left the ticket back in the room. I was very disappointed until Ted went to the nearby ticket office and asked the lady for another ticket, providing proof that we had purchased one that morning. She gave us each a spare ticket and we were on our way!

    We didn’t disembark the whole tour, mainly because most the sights were closed and it was just wonderful seeing the city at night. I did make sure I sat lower in my seat this time though as a tree branch nearly decapitated me on the previous tour! When we arrived back to the original stop, we looked through some clothing shops before coming back to our hotel. Another day in Hanoi tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 5

    Day 5

    March 15, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Today we had planned to see some more of the sights we’d experienced yesterday however, the weather had other ideas as it rained or drizzled consistently throughout the day. Ted woke up early to use the hotel gym and came back later so we could go to breakfast together. The breakfast here is reasonable, however it’s not easy trying to determine what’s vegetarian and what isn’t!

    Since the coffee in the hotel is just the standard American type, we went out first for a Vietnamese coffee. We’ve had it before in Ho Chi Minh City and loved it and sure enough, it didn’t disappoint. It’s a very strong coffee served with condensed milk and is the best coffee I’ve had since starting this holiday.

    I had considered visiting the Vietnamese military museum hoping it would be a good representation of the history of the Vietnam War, but most reviews I read said it was more a display of weaponry which I’m not so interested in. We decided to make today a relaxing day instead meaning we would take it easy.

    When the weather was rainy, we stayed inside and watched Australian Survivor via YouTube, and then went for pho again for lunch. When the weather was dry, we browsed through clothing shops where Ted and I both bought some wet weather jackets, and then had a much needed foot massage, providing some relief from all the walking we did yesterday. When we’d checked into the hotel, they gave us drinks vouchers for the rooftop bar, so we enjoyed the view of the city despite the drizzling rain.

    Our dinner wasn’t so original as we went to the same Mexican restaurant we went to last night but considering that we both liked it, it was a nice change from Asian food. Tomorrow we leave Hanoi to do our cruise of Halong Bay, so this evening we packed our bags back up and watched some comedy clips of Fast Forward on YouTube. Hanoi has been good albeit somewhat busy, so I’m looking forward to seeing some of the more peaceful places in Vietnam as our travels continue.    Read more

  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 6

    Day 6

    March 16, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Today we bade farewell to Hanoi, as we finished packing up and had breakfast before being picked up for our 2 hour drive to Halong Bay. It’s a good thing we’re organised because the driver came before 8am as expected. After driving around and collecting two more couples, we left the craziness of Hanoi before reaching the outskirts, and then the open countryside of Vietnam.

    The drive was mostly uneventful but just before reaching the port area, all the drivers made a stop at a pearl outlet (cleverly referenced to as a toilet stop). The toilet stop wasn’t even necessary considering we were only seven minutes from the port! We obviously didn’t buy any pearls, so we joined the tourists from the other 30+ buses in the organised chaos until we continued on.

    Once at the port, we were dropped off at the Genesis cruise desk to check in and pay for the cruise. We needed to wait about half an hour before taking a boat out to our cruise, so I walked to a pop-up shop nearby which was selling drinks and snacks. Since there weren’t any great options, I bought some peanuts to tie us over until lunchtime.

    The transfer boat was an experience, as we all donned life jackets for the half hour journey to our cruise. The ships director Sunny provided some commentary regarding Halong Bay (a UNESCO protected sight) as well as the cruise itself. Upon arrival we were each given a welcome juice before making our way to our cabins. The cruise has two levels of cabins, complete with a dining room and deck on top with a bar.

    We like our cabin a lot, with a king size bed, huge bathtub and good sized bathroom. The balcony is also great, which can be seen through the panorama window while lying in bed. Whilst enjoying the view, we noticed a huge pole that seemed to be coming from the cabin next to us going down towards the water. We assumed they weren’t fishing from over their balcony, but got a surprise when we saw a Vietnamese couple in a speedboat selling snacks over the side of the boat! The long stick was so money and items could be transferred to the cruise passengers. They asked if we would like anything, but apart from being amused, we politely declined.

    After settling in, we went upstairs to the dining room for lunch. Since this cruise only takes about 40 people, the dining room was small but elegant. We were seated next to a Dutch couple, Simone and Robin, who are similarly doing a tour throughout Vietnam. The lunch was amazing as there were so many different courses delivered. Since I’m pescatarian, they replaced the other meat options I had with calamari and fish. And with Vietnamese coffee too!

    After lunch, we tried to have a nap in our room, but a PA, phone call and door knocking reminded us that there was going to be an excursion to see nearby caves via rowboat. We joined about half of the other passengers and were transferred to a nearby pier where we were separated into boats of 8. We loved the cruise - the guide was funny and we saw the limestone cliffs and even monkeys. The tour was even more complete by the Vietnamese hats we wore during the excursion.

    Upon arrival back onto the cruise, we showered and changed before going to the top deck for happy hour. The weather has been a bit hazy but I think it’s a nice change from stifling heat anyway! I didn’t drink much at happy hour, but just being able to enjoy the scenery and company whilst cruising Halong Bay was wonderful.

    Just like lunch, dinner did not disappoint as there were at least five courses of food. Some of the dishes I had included lobster and two types of fish, so I definitely got my fill of seafood. This cruise has definitely been a highlight so far, so I’m hoping we have many more like this.    Read more

  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 7

    Day 7

    March 17, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Today was definitely not how we had expected but it was interesting nonetheless. The sleep on our cruise was very relaxing and mostly quiet, although you could sometimes hear coughing in the cabins next door. I had seriously considered doing sunrise tai chi this morning but didn’t end up waking as early as I’d planned. I did however do my morning stretches up on the top deck. According to Simone, she had been on the deck earlier and no one else did the tai chi either!

    Breakfast this morning ended up being a buffet instead of table service but was still enjoyable. The main activity this morning was kayaking but since the weather wasn’t the greatest, Ted and I decided to stay behind and relax on the top deck and enjoy the serenity. Apparently the kayaking was more physical than most had anticipated so relaxing in the quiet Halong Bay still sounded like the better option to us.

    We needed to have our bags outside the cabin and check out by 9am, but since this cruise loves to spoil us with food, they offered us a “lunch” at 10:30am! It was actually somewhat difficult eating again so soon but a free lunch is a free lunch. I felt bad though when I ordered a Vietnamese coffee and when the waitress said she didn’t have sufficient change, I said “that’s okay” but she thought I meant that she could keep all the change! I felt embarrassed about the confusion and left a tip!

    We then all boarded a tender to take us back to the cruise port. I spoke to one of the waitresses on the tender back who was returning home who asked us about our itinerary and travels. Google translate was a huge help in and it reminded me to use it more frequently to avoid any future confusion. Back at port we bade farewell to the crew, as well as Robin and Simone, and caught a Grab to our next accommodation here in Ha Long.

    When I originally booked this holiday, the area where we were staying in Ha Long looked like a beautiful modern resort-type area. As our car came closer to the hotel, we were somewhat confused by the huge hotels, casinos and restaurants…and no people. It was even more obvious when we pulled onto the street where our hotel is located which was lined with empty restaurants and sidewalks. Somewhat confused, we entered the hotel to check in.

    As we’d suspected, this area has been hit very hard by Covid. We were beginning to regret coming here, but when the receptionist told us about how all the nearby business had been abandoned, and the area was struggling with only 10-20% occupancy, we felt bad about this, and grateful that we could offer our small contribution to help.

    After a short wait, we were taken to our room which is small but beautiful. We were unsure about what to do with our time, as Ted had also spoken to someone on the cruise who had mentioned there was nothing open here in Ha Long. We walked down to the nearby beach area which was quite sad to see, due to the amount of work done and huge potential for this area, which was now devoid of people.

    We decided to walk two kilometres towards the nearby town as we had seen what looked like some business open. Most of them, that were only frequented by locals, didn’t seem very appealing although we did have lunch at a boutique style pasta restaurant where we were the only customers. Google translate has been so helpful in telling the locals that I’m vegetarian because trying to use diagrams and hand signals doesn’t seem to be quite working! We also went to a shoe store to buy myself some new shoes (mine are wearing thin) but the largest size they had was only size 8!

    We took a taxi back to the hotel (no seat-belts!) before relaxing…a lot. We are still in two minds about having come here. Whilst it was good to come and support local businesses, the lack of activities has made it dull. I’m trying to convince myself that this is a good, quiet change of scenery after Hanoi.

    We walked to a nearby corner restaurant for a simple dinner (the owner was very appreciative) before taking a walk along the beachfront. Strangely there were a lot of beach parties still running, with only a small handful of people in each.

    Tomorrow night we head off on our overnight train to Hue and, with all due respect to Ha Long, we will be grateful to move on.    Read more

  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 8

    Day 8

    March 18, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Today was definitely not an enjoyable one, but I guess it has to happen occasionally. The beds in this hotel were very comfortable, but sleeping wasn’t as easy as we’d hoped due to the noise of someone talking in the room next door, and the elevator bell ringing every time someone arrived on our floor! Breakfast wasn’t served until 7.30am, and was table service as opposed to buffet. They offered us two breakfasts for the price of one, and I think they were grateful for the business.

    Ted walked down to the beach to do some exercise, whilst I continued writing this blog. When he returned, he suggested we go for a walk but this time we turned right at the end of the street not left, like yesterday.

    Well it turned out there was a whole tourist area we had no knowledge of! To be fair, the receptionist at our hotel hadn’t told us anything about it, there was nothing highlighted on Tripadvisor, and Ted had spoken to someone on our cruise who had similarly said there was nothing to see. Whilst it wasn’t exactly Disneyland, it was still a collection of restaurants and cafes, with a small amusement park and cable car as well (not the same amusement park with the huge Ferris wheel which is still closed). Whilst we were disappointed we only discovered this on the same day we’re leaving, at least it was better than not seeing it at all.

    We ate lunch at this new area (I was craving something healthy like broccoli) before taking a taxi back to the hotel to pack up and wait for our transfer to Hanoi. Unfortunately this didn’t turn out as planned - when our limousine bus I’d ordered didn’t turn up within ten minutes, I asked the hotel receptionist if she could check with the car company if it was still coming. As it turned out, they had forgotten to collect us, and was already on the way to Hanoi!

    After my shocked face prompted a response, the receptionist also said that another vehicle was coming to collect us as it was the responsibility of the car company. We relaxed slightly although we were advised we just needed to wait another half an hour. Well the wait certainly wasn’t worth it. Instead of the limousine I’d ordered, a 30 seat tourist bus turned up 50 minutes late instead.

    When we boarded, we realised there were literally only two seats left (not together) and whilst I have travelled on some poor transportation before, this was undoubtedly the most uncomfortable vehicle I have ever travelled on. The seat was so small there was no room to move, with no legroom either. And we would have to be on it for 3 hours!

    Within ten minutes my back was badly hurting and I tried to move around in the small space I had. We had a comfort stop halfway and I asked some of the other passengers if the bus had needed to turn back just to collect us. Luckily it hadn’t, otherwise it would’ve meant that we had inconvenienced everyone.

    I managed to get through the rest of the trip by crossing my arms over the seat in front and resting my head on my arms, trying to watch a Harry Potter movie to distract myself. We were the last passengers to be dropped off, made difficult due to the Hanoi traffic, but at least it was right out front of the train station.

    We were still a few hours early to check in for our train journey so we walked across the street to have some dinner at a local eatery. Ted walked to a nearby convenience store to buy some snacks for our trip before going back to the hotel across the street where the check in for the train journey was.

    We booked the Laman Express carriage for this journey, which has the high-end 2 berth cabins. When it was time to board, the attendant collected the passengers from the hotel waiting room and walked us all directly to our cabins, which are quite nice, with snacks, water and a packed breakfast included.

    We settled into our cabin before the train departed about 20 minutes later. To be honest, the train is quite noisy so we’ll definitely need ear plugs tonight. It was pretty cool seeing the city at night from the train and once we were on the outskirts of town, got ourselves ready for a night in.    Read more

  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 9

    Day 9

    March 19, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Ugh, last night was not a good night's sleep due to a number of reasons. For starters, the train is horribly noisy so, even with ear plugs, it wasn’t easy to relax and get some sleep. Also, the air conditioning is very sporadic, going from cold to warm, back to cold again, meaning you woke constantly to either remove or pull on your blanket. It’s slightly disappointing because this has always been a rail journey I’ve wanted to do but, even in the higher class Laman Express, it wasn’t as enjoyable as I’d hoped.

    We were both up by about 6am, and watched the passing scenery as we ate our modest breakfast of a croissant and banana. There was a lady who also did a food/drink service with a trolley, although I only bought a Vietnamese coffee which I’ve become addicted to. Very strong and sweet, but definitely a heart starter. Reviews of this train warned travellers about the state of the bathroom but after experiencing the train through Russia, it was better than I’d expected. One thing we did find amusing was how the attendant didn’t change the blankets or pillows after we left - she merely refolded them again for the passengers who would be joining the train. Ugh!

    We arrived at Huế at about 9am and I’m very grateful that I booked a driver to take us to the hotel because it meant we didn’t have to wrangle a taxi fare whilst we were half asleep. The driver had very good English and told us a bit about the town and some of the sights worth seeing. Already Huế has impressed us - much quieter than Hanoi with tree lined streets and the beautiful Perfume River waterfront.

    The hotel we have picked is great too, with beautiful gardens and a swimming pool at the rear of the building. Even though we’d arrived at the hotel before the check in time, we only had to wait half an hour before being able to go to our room. Even though it took a while to find, it was worth it - we have a huge room with a balcony which overlooks the city. The bathroom is similarly large and beautiful. We wasted no time in showering and changing clothes to try and make ourselves feel human again after last night's train ride!

    We decided to explore the Imperial City tomorrow and just enjoy the city today, but first bundled up all the laundry we’ve accumulated over the last few days and walked to a nearby laundry. Not only would they wash our clothes for us, but also deliver them back to our hotel for an extra 10000 đồng (about $0.63). Such a good deal!

    One thing we’ve noticed since arriving here in Huế is the change in temperature as it’s more humid than Hanoi, however there is also much less traffic, is less hectic, and also cleaner. We went to a corner cafe selling street food for lunch and I tried my hardest to ask for something vegetarian. When my meal came, it was an egg on the left, with mince and bolognese on the right. Not quite the vegetarian experience I was after!

    The lack of sleep from last night really caught up with us, so we went back to our room for a quick nap before heading across the Perfume River to the markets. I have been keen on buying some new shoes since my current ones are falling apart, but the markets weren’t quite what we were expecting as they were more about food and clothing materials. Whilst walking back across the bridge we saw a strange sight on the other side of the road, as there was money flying about in the wind. We couldn’t cross the busy road to collect any of it, as it ended up blowing into the river!

    We were both feeling the heat by this stage (me especially!) so Ted suggested we stop for a drink before going back to the hotel. I had seen signs advertising the Vietnamese egg coffee, so I thought I would try the iced version. It was wonderful, although I think anything involving Vietnamese coffee is a winner. Before returning to our hotel, we tried another shoe shop to look for shoes and, after trying on a few pairs, finally found some I really like (although the sizes seem different to what we have back home!).

    Since arriving in Huế, I have been writing to the booking company in regards to the bus debacle that happened back in Ha Long, and the response from the bus company is that we received the bus we requested! I’ve provided copies of the receipts so we’ll see what happens next. This evening we went for dinner to nearby Walking Street which was recommended by our transfer driver. We loved it! It was a restaurant and pub district with a nice relaxed feel, popular with both tourists and locals. We have seen eating areas like this in other cities, but not this casual and pleasant.

    We went to a street side Mexican restaurant for dinner which was wonderful and, most importantly, healthy too! I usually have a pescatarian diet but after the seafood overload on the recent cruise, am going to go vegetarian for a while. We loved the atmosphere of Walking Street - already I like Huế more than Hanoi.

    As much as we would’ve loved partying all night (not!), we are going to settle on an early night to catch up on sleep.    Read more

  • TravelerVietnam and Cambodia
    Day 10

    Day 10

    March 20, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The bed and pillows in this hotel are wonderful, as we both had the best sleep we’ve had in a while. Equally impressive is the breakfast buffet offered, which is about twice the size of the buffet at the Hanoi hotel. One thing that has been consistent though is the Vietnamese service - always polite and very happy to please.

    We headed off just after 8am towards the Imperial City, which is the jewel in the crown of Huế. My intentions in starting early were mainly to beat the crowds and the heat, and whilst we did beat the crowds, the heat was still oppressive! The Imperial City was huge, with the options of seeing the tombs of various emperors, as well as (this tempted me) getting photographed on the Royal throne in regal garb and flanked by two servants!

    There was plenty to see such as gardens and temples but there was also a collection of rabbits which we were unsure of the purpose of! We were also both mobbed by groups of school children, asking us to write our names on a piece on paper and where we were from (for a school project?). The Imperial City seemed to have a special significance to the Vietnamese people too as some people came adorned in formal attire.

    After leaving the City, we caught a taxi back to our hotel to cool down, as the heat was really stifling. Since we had enjoyed Walking Street so much last night, we went back there for lunch. The atmosphere was not as good, mainly because more than half the businesses are closed during the day, but we did settle on an Indian restaurant. It did not disappoint - both the food options we ordered were tasty and absolutely huge, and I felt guilty not eating it all.

    Ted was keen to get another foot massage so we found a place nearby which we weren’t too thrilled with - it was like being massaged by some disinterested millennials who sent text messages in the middle of the massage! We should have read the reviews first as a lot of people wrote similar sentiments about the place. But a bad massage is still cheaper than back home!

    We relaxed back in the room, whilst wondering and hoping if the laundry we’d dropped off yesterday was going to get delivered at 6pm as promised! Rather than sit around wondering what to do if it didn’t arrive, I suggested we grab some dinner back at Walking Street. After the huge lunch we'd had, I was barely hungry so I just had a vegetarian pancake at a westernised restaurant, which was not as healthy as I'd expected, since it was basically just tofu covered in a deep fried batter!

    At Walking Street, there were several women selling Vietnamese greeting cards which we had always politely declined, but after seeing one lady drop her whole tray of cards, I felt bad and bought one from her (they are only about $1 each). When we returned to our hotel, lo and behold, there was our laundry waiting for us, although the receptionist did ask if we had taken a bathrobe from the room as apparently one was missing (we didn’t!).

    Tomorrow we are back on the train for the trip to Hội An, via Da Nang, but fortunately it’s a day train this time not an overnight one! We have loved Huế
    and can definitely see why it was recommended to us.    Read more

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