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Southeast Asian Adventure
  • Marina Neyer
  • Marina Neyer

Southeast Asian Adventure

Marina discovering Southeast Asia - let’s get the adventure started 🛫 Read more
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  • Trip start
    December 28, 2023
    Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Hong Kong

    Dec 29–Jan 2, 2024 in Hong Kong ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After a 17 hours flight with a stopover in London, I finally arrive safely in Hong Kong - the city with the largest number of skyscrapers in the world. 🏙️

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Lantau Island

    December 30, 2023 in Hong Kong ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Well rested, I make my way to Lantau Island - the largest island in Hon Kong.
    After a 2-hour queue, I'm finally on the cable car up the hill - it was worth the wait! 🚠

    At the top, in the village of Ngong Ping, I visit the temple and the Tian Tan Buddha.

    Then it's back down again just in time for sunset. 🌅    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Hong Kong from above

    January 1, 2024 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    getting up early to see Hong Kong from above without having to queue for ages. 😅

    I take the Peak Tram up the highest hill on Hong Kong Island - Victoria Peak.

    Once I reach the top, I am amazed - what a view! Just a bit windy up there. 💨Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    bye China 👋🏼

    January 2, 2024 in Hong Kong ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Hong Kong was loud, big, colorful, crazy, and very exciting! 🏙️💥

    The fast-paced city is one of the top 10 most expensive cities in the world and now has around 7.4 million inhabitants. Hundreds of thousands of people live there in tiny apartments.

    On the other hand, there are incredibly rich people in this city. Shopping mall after mall with expensive luxury brands are lined up here - they are really everywhere!

    Would I want to live here? Definitely not, but definitely worth the trip!    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Good morning Vietnam

    January 2, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    After Hong Kong, I head to Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon). When I arrive, I quickly realize that the city is anything but more relaxed and smaller than Hong Kong - which is what I actually had expected. Quite the opposite! The bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh actually has 2 million more inhabitants than Hong Kong.

    I quickly learn the basics of crossing Vietnamese roads but still have to get used to the hustle and bustle, the countless scooters and the constant background noise.
    You are also constantly approached by street vendors and tour guides who want to sell you something.    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    A street food experience

    January 3, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Street food has been part of the Vietnamese cultural landscape for a century. From cities to remote villages. From vendors on bicycles to pushcarts and stalls. In Vietnam, street food rules the country.

    Ho Chi Minh in particular is known for its street food. Hesitant at first, I try my way step by step through what the streets have to offer. 🍜🥖🧇    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Mekong Delta

    Jan 4–6, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    3:40am and the tour can start.
    Two hours later, we reach our first stop by boat - a small floating market. Ms. Ha - our tour guide - provides us with fresh exotic fruits, Vietnamese sweets and, of course, her valuable knowledge about life in the Mekong Delta.

    Everything grows here, from bananas, mangoes and coconuts to jackfruit, durian, dragonfruit and other exotic delicacies. 🍌🥥🍍🥭🍉🌴    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Can Tho

    Jan 4–6, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    In Can Tho, I feel like I'm the only tourist. There is mainly street food and hardly anyone speaks English. Most communication takes place via Google Translater. 😄

    I have my laundry washed here for the equivalent of around €1.90 and treat myself to a pedicure. 🫧🧺💅🏼

    I then take the VIP sleeping cabin bus on the Futa bus line back to Ho Chi Minh, from where I continue by plane.
    (I preferred this to a 10-hour bus ride overnight).    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    ..the tour continues

    January 5, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We visit a small village and eat pho with the locals. such incredibly warm people!
    We learn how chili is grown there and visit several noodle factories. 🍜🌶️🥬

    We meet locals singing karaoke and get to try our hand at singing ourselves. 🎤

    Finally, our boat driver gives us a flower made from water coconut leaves, which she made herself during the trip.

    Life is still very different here in the Mekong Delta. Food and other goods are traded and sold from boat to boat. 🛶
    It was incredibly nice to get a deeper insight into the lives of the locals. Getting up early (or in my case, not sleeping at all) was definitely worth it!    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    48h in Nha Trang 🏝️

    Jan 6–8, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    After the hectic and eventful last few days, I treat myself to two days at the beach. 🌊

    Nha Trang is also known as the Ballermann of the Russians, and I meet a few of them, but this is kept to an absolute minimum. Nha Trang is generally very touristy, but there's not much going on at the beach. 🏝️

    I visit the Ponagar Cham Towers and the Long Son Temple, relax on the beach and work by the hotel pool. 👩🏼‍💻

    After treating myself to a hotel room for the last two nights, I spend the night 9 hours on the bus and then it's time for a backpacker-style hostel marathon.    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Hoi An

    Jan 9–11, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    After a 10-hour bus ride in a less comfortable overnight bus, the day starts in Hoi An with a shopping tour in the market, a boat trip through the coconut forest and a cooking class afterwards. 🥥🛶

    Do you know how to tell if shrimps are fresh?
    “If they are still moving” 🥲

    👩🏼‍🍳We learn how to prepare Vietnamese specialties:
    Bánh xèo (pancakes)
    Cao lầu (noodles)
    Nem choun hoi an (spring rolls)
    Banana Blossom Salad

    Delicious!! 😋

    Afterwards, I check out the beach, a 1-hour walk away, and catch up on my sleep deficit.    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    The City of Lanterns

    January 10, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Day 2 in Hoi An: I drift through the old town, visit some temples and try the very famous "coconut coffee" 🥥 ☕️

    In the evening, the city is illuminated by hundreds of lanterns (This is by the way coming from the Japanese - the locals began to imitate these in similar hopes of bringing good luck to their households)
    Boats and paper lanterns are floating along Hoai River. 🏮🎎🎏

    Although Hoi An is very touristy, the old town, which can only be entered on foot or by bicycle, was somehow quiet and relaxed and very beautiful.    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Hải Vân Pass

    January 11, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    The next day starts a little more stressfully. I miss the shuttle to the train station, so I book a GrabBike, which takes me to Da Nang train station in just under an hour. 🫠

    From there, I take the train over the Hải Vân Pass (Wolkenpass) to Hué. Highly recommended - really great views! 🌊🌴

    I only stay one night in Hué and fly to Hanoi the next morning, where I meet a friend who I spend the next few days traveling with.    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Hanoi

    Jan 12–15, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    When I arrive in the capital of Vietnam, I am greeted by rain and cooler temperatures. 🌧️

    After checking into my hostel, I meet up directly with Steffi to plan the next few days.

    The next day, with better weather, we start with a street food tour and try various Vietnamese specialties such as pillow cakes, pho and sticky rice with ginger. We finish off with the famous egg coffee - which is more like a dessert than coffee (so even for me as a non-coffee drinker it's delicious!) ☕️

    We totally fall in love with the fried bananas located at the corner of 📍2 Hàng Điếu! Sooo good 😋🍌    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    3 Vorarlberg girls in Vietnam

    January 14, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    By chance, we meet another girl from Vorarlberg at our hostel and visit Hanoi’s most famous street - Train Street together. 🚊
    It‘s super touristy and of course, the Vietnamese people took advantage of that. We figured out that you can only enter this street together with someone from a café/restaurant on the train street who will them guide you to a table.

    After the train has passed us by, we explore the less touristy areas of the city and find a restaurant for dinner - we have a barbeque.

    Despite all the hustle and bustle, also in this Vietnamese city, I like it here (even with the rain 😅). Hanoi is more modern, offers more vegetarian options and hipper cafés.    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Halong Bay Experience

    Jan 15–17, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    After a 3-hour bus and ferry ride, we reach our accommodation somewhere in the middle of nowhere, in the countryside on the island of Cat Ba. 🌴🌿

    Next to papaya trees and banana palms, we can relax here from the hustle and bustle of the city.

    The next day we get back on the boat. We pass by small fishing villages on the water, where whole families live in the small houses in the bay. Here they are protected from tsunamis and the monsoon. We visit a fish farm and wander through Lan Ha Bay and past Halong Bay. 🐟🎣

    We are very lucky with the weather, because this "winter" in this area is much warmer and milder than the last few years.

    We paddle through caves in the kayak and even see two different species of monkey. One is so endangered that the 3-4 monkeys we saw make up about 20% of the total population. 🐒

    Afterwards, we take the boat back to the island just in time for sunset. 🌅    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Cat Ba national park

    January 17, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The next day, we decide to visit Cat Ba National Park.
    We first take the moped to a cave and then continue from there to the starting point of the hike.
    After countless steps, we reach the top and meet some familiar faces from the boat tour along the way - Yes, you meet the same people again and again 😁

    Then it's back on the bus + ferry to our next destination - Ninh Binh.    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Vietnam‘s „dry Halong Bay“

    Jan 18–20, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We decide not to sleep directly in Ninh Binh, but in Tam Coc, because this is where most of the sights are. Starting with the Mua Cave and the Mua Peak, which you reach after about 500 steps and has a breathtaking view of the hilly landscape (the area is also called Vietnam’s „dry Halong Bay“) 🗻

    Without sturdy shoes, the last few steps up to the dragon were a bit wobbly and risky, but it was definitely worth it.

    We continued by bike to the Ancient Village, where I, as a blonde, was forced to take photos by several Chinese (or Korean?) women 🥴

    Exploring the area by bike is highly recommended. You cycle past countless rice fields and rocks. Unfortunately, it's not rice season at the moment, but we can imagine how beautiful the area is when everything is a vibrant light green. Definitely a reason to come here again! 🌱🚲    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Tam Coc

    January 19, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    The next day we go on another boat tour. Among other things, we drive through a 1 km long cave and make stops at various temples. Parts of King Kong - Skull Island 🦍- were also filmed in this area.

    Instead of cycling, we decide to visit the huge Bai Dinh temple complex by motorbike. You can spend a whole day here. There are plenty of opportunities to relax and recharge your batteries. You also have a great view from the highest tower! 🏯

    In the evening, we meet the Irish people we met a few days earlier in Cat Ba for dinner.    Read more

  • Marina NeyerSoutheast Asian AdventureTraveler

    Escaping the cold

    Jan 21–25, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Unfortunately, the weather in the north doesn't quite play along and I decide to spend my last few days in Vietnam in the south again (instead of the Sa Pa and Hajang Loop 🥲). Off we go to Phu Quoc - located in the Gulf of Thailand and southwest of mainland Vietnam.

    Opinions are divided here - on the one hand beautiful, on the other a lot of garbage, huge new hotel complexes and resorts standing empty.

    The island really has a lot to offer, especially tourist attractions, theme parks and beautiful beaches!
    I actually only wanted to stay 3 nights, but on the last day I was persuaded to add another night and take the cable car to the neighboring island to visit the amusement and water park. In the evening there was a huge show with fireworks in Sunset Town (although I was very skeptical about it, the show was great!). 🎆✨
    Sunset Town in the south of the island is inspired by the romantic style of European coastal destinations, such as Venice, Santorini and Monaco. So this was created to turn the once rather sleep fishing island into an attractive tourist destination. 🎣    Read more

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