Andrew's Travels

Andrew's Travels

traveled in 66 countries Read more🌍Cambridge

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Southern India Traveler
Tamil Nadu; Mahabalipuram
February 8 in India ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Our train arrives in Chennai at 6:45 am, having left Mysore at 8 pm yesterday evening; it stopped at many places, including Bangalore. It was a second-class sleeper and a long night. From Chennai, we travel south along the shores to Mahabalipuram on the Bay of Bengal, stopping off for a well-deserved dosa breakfast.

Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram, was once a major port built in the 7th century by Mamalla, a Pallavas king; it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to masterful rock carvings from that time - these still exist today. The area is a boulder strewn landscape, and these were used for the rock carvings

We visit Panch Rathas (Five Rathas - a Ratha is a processional chariot), a 7th century complex of monolithic rock shrines to honour the five Pandara brothers (see captions on photos for details).

Next, we visit the Shore Temple; dedicated to Vishnu. It was built by Mamalla on a promontory by the sea; it used to be accessed by the beach, but the 2004 tsunami led to the building of walkway access. There is also a smaller shrine dedicated to Shiva that was added later.

We then go to Arjuna's Penance, aka The Descent of the Ganges, a celebrated bas-relief carved on an immense rock with a natural vertical cleft symbolising the River Ganges; the story depicts the Sacerd River's descent from the sky, made possible by the penance of the sage Arjuna (Bhagirata).

There are other smaller temples, monuments, and cave-temples in the area around Arjuna's Penance, and we walk around to see these.

Later on in the evening, we walk down into Mahabalipuram to the Santana Fish Restaurant by the beach for our farewell dinner. Helen and I shared a fish curry, grilled fish with French fries, and washed it down with some British Empire beer.

It's been a fantastic trip.Read more
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Southern India Traveler
Mysore 2; Chamundi Hill / Mysuru Palace
February 7 in India ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We drive 13 km to the eastern outskirts of Mysore to the Chamundi Hill; at the top of the 335m high hill is the Hindu Chamundeshwari Temple dedicated to the Goddess Chamundeshwari (Durga), the patron Saint of the people and kings of Mysuru - she slayed the Demon King Mahishasura, the ruler of the hill.

The hill can be accessed by a 1,000 step ascent, but this is done by devotees only who pat each step with a mix of red and yellow spices . We drive to the top and do a few only! We see the Temple (only Hindus can go inside) and are fortunate to see part of a festival as it leaves the Temple (good planning by our guide, Jojan).

Later on, we return to the Mysuru Palace, also known as the Amba Vilas Palace, to see it in the daylight (there are seven palaces in Mysore); it was originally built and rebuilt (it was wooden) by the Wodeyars Dynasty, inside an old fort, but kept burning down - the current structure was constructed between 1897 and 1912 and designed by Henry Irving with a mix of architectural styles, after the Old Palace burnt down. It is the second most visited tourist attraction in India, after the Taj Mahal.

We go in and follow the route through the downstairs interior, including the beautiful Pulblic Durbar Hall, and up to the seating gallery and the Private Durbar Hall. It is magnificent, with exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world.

We have some downtime in the hotel lobby before going to dinner. Then it's all aboard the Mysore to Chennai overnight train.....Read more
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Southern India Traveler
Mysore 1; Centre / Mysuru Palace (night)
February 6 in India ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Mysore is known as the City of Palaces and is the cultural capital of Karnataka; situated at the foothills of Chamundi, it was the centre of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1947. It is now the second most populated city in Karnataka (1.3 million).

We arrive in Mysore (Mysuru) soon after midday and visit the Deveraja Market: the Dufferin Clock Tower stands in the square outside the market's entrance. The market was constructed above the Dewan Poirnaiala Canal that supplied water to the Mysore Palace; it is bounded by walls on all four sides and has three main aisles within. There are many fruit, vegetable, flower, and spice stalls, both inside the covered market and outside. We see these and walk around the surrounding area.

In the evening, we visit Mysuru Palace to attend the Sound and Light Show, depicting and describing the 400-year history of Mysuru City and Mysuru Palace (we visit the Palace properly tomorrow). The buildings are illuminated in coordination with the sounds and music, and there is a lovely light show at the end.

A full day.Read more
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Southern India Traveler
1
Karnataka; Bandipur Tiger Reserve
February 5 in India ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
Bandipur National Park is also known as Bandipur Tiger Reserve (a special name to reflect this status, as there are tigers here) and the area was once the hunting ground of the Maharajahs of Mysuru (now Mysore); it became known as the Venugopala Wildlife Park in the 1930s and became part of the Tiger Project in 1983. It has an area of 874 sq km.

We leave our accommodation in the park at 5:40 am to be in time to transfer to the Forest Safari Transport outside the park for the dawn safari back in the park!. We travel offf piste see some wonderful animals, including the Indian Elephant and, very fortunately, a Bengal Tiger!! Others included Spotted Deer, Peacock, Mongoose, Painted Stork.

Then it's back for a late breakfast. Helen and I have a walk up to see a small local community close to the accommodation and en route to Mangala Village before it gets too hot. Then, it's back for RnR, followed by lunch.

Later in the afternoon, we leave at 4 pm for the afternoon safari. We see more Indian Elephants, as well as Spotted Deer, Langur Monkeys, Turtle. An animal we saw yesterday, but not today, was the Indian Gaur. A short while after we get back, it's dinner.

In the morning, before breakfast, we go on a local nature walk close to the accommodation led by a guide; it is a great way to start the day, and surprisingly chilly at the start (7:15 am).Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi Wow 😮
2/6/25Reply
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Southern India Traveler
Ooty (short for Udhagamandalam)
February 4 in India ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We walk into Ooty from the railway station. Ooty was known as the Queen of the Hill Stations and as "Snooty Ooty" because officials from the British East India Company came to rule from here in the 18th century to escape the lowland heat.

We have a walk round, but the main focus is to visit the Government Botanical Gardens, occupying 64 hectares in a terraced layout on the lower slopes of the Doddabetta peak; they are extremely attractive; see captions on photos for details.

We leave Ooty and drive towards Bandipur National Park (in the state of Karnataka) via the Mudumalai National Park (still in Tamil Nadu); the two parks border one another via the same forest and the two states are separated by a bridge over a small river. We do see some wild animals en route.

We check into our lodge style accommodation near Mangala village in the Bandipur National Park and watch Sir David Attenborough's "Wild Karnataka" natual history programme (2019) before a late buffet meal.Read more
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Southern India Traveler
Nilgiri Hills; Coonoor to Ooty by train
February 4 in India ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We leave the hotel early (7:15am) to travel to Coonoor in the Nilgiri Hills. It is a spectacular drive, with many sharp hairpin turns, as we ascend the Western Ghats towards Coonoor (1,700m). Coonoor is a hill station known for its tea estates and coffee plantations.

From Coonoor, we take the Nilgiri Mountain Railway to Ooty (another hill station); it was built by the British in the 19th century to negotiate the difficult mountain terrain and dense green forest between the two hill stations (the original train line from Mettupalayam ended at Coonoor). There are many fabulous views as we take this scenic journey to Ooty, rising from 1,700m to 2,200m above sea level and a travelling distance of 12 miles (see captions on photos for details).

We get off at Ooty (see next post).Read more
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Southern India Traveler
Palakkad Fort / Tamil Nadu; Coimbatore
February 3 in India ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
We leave Kochi and head north, eventually taking a tunnel through the Western Ghats; this mountain range stretches 1,600 km along the western coast of India from Kerala to Gujarat.

We reach the town of Palakkad and visit Palakkad Fort; this was built in the 18th century from granite and is one of the best preserved forts in Kerala.

We carry on into Tamil Nadu towards Combiatore, the third largest city in the state, and a convenient base or stop-off for visiting the Nilgiri Hills (where we go tomorrow). We have a short tour of the market area before heading off to our hotel.Read more
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Southern India Traveler
Kochi 3; Kathakali dance / Boat trip
February 2 in India ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Some of the group go to the optional Khatakali dance performance, a "story-play" that is said to be the very essence of Kochi; the concept is almost 400 years old, and melds dance, drama and music (both vocal and instrumental). We will see only a short extract, as the real thing goes on all day!

The actor dancers are all male; there is no speaking, just symbolic hand gestures, eye movements, and face movements. Music is supplied by a vocalist marking the beat with a chengi (small gong) and rwo percussionists with drums.

Our show comprised watching make-up being applied in part (this can be a 3 hour process, as heavily empasised features are created).

We see a short extract from the Narakasura Vadhan in which Nakrathundi, the demon sister of the demon Narakasura, reaches heaven to kidnap beautiful women for her brother. Unfortunately, she falls in love with Jaynatan (green face) there and disguises herself as Lalitha (yellow face). Lalitha flirts with Jaynathan but is rejected, so she reverts to Nakrathundi (fangs, different hair) to battle with him; she loses, and he cuts off her breasts, nose and ears.

The half-hour performance was really good with excellent singing and drumming; the facial expressions and eye movements were amazing to see.

Later, we all set off on a boat trip at 4:30 pm from Fort Kochi to see the harbour area and some of the surrounding islands; this was really good and pleasant after a hot day (see captions on photos for details); we are very fortunate and see some interesting things.

Then it's dinner! A full day.Read more
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Southern India Traveler
Kochi 2; Mattancherry
February 2 in India ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Mattancherry forms the other part of Kochi Old Town and contains both the Mattancherry Palace and the Jewish Quarter.

Mattancherry Palace is a colonial gem and was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and given to the ruler of Cochin as a gesture of goodwill. It later underwent extensive renovation by the Dutch and became known as the Dutch Palace. The two storied, quadrilateral structure is built around a courtyard and is today a museum with murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana and other legends. In the so-called Dunbar Rooms, hang portraits of the Kerala rulers. An interesting visit.

We walk up the road to the Jewish Quarter; it is home to many antique warehouses and spice rooms, which we see on our way to the Paradesi Synagogue, India's oldest active Synagogue The first Jews in India settled in the 1st century at Shingly, but persecution by the Portuguese in the 16th century made them move to Cochin, dividing into two groups, the Malabari Jews (black, descended from the original settlers) and the Paradesim Jews (white, who came from the Middle East). In 1940, there were 2,400 Jews here, but now only a few families remain. The Paradesi Synagogue has a tiled roof and a Clock Tower and was rebuilt with Dutch help in 1664 - there are many treasures here.

Afterwards, we go to the interesting Ginger House Restaurant for lunch.Read more
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Southern India Traveler
Kochi 1; Fort Kochi
February 1 in India ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
After the short walk in Alappuzha, we set off in the minibus for Kochi, stopping off to see some of a festival at a small Hindu Temple en route. Later, we stop again to visit Chellanham, a fishing village and suburb of Kerala; it is interesting to see their colourful fishing nets being repaired and the quirky church in the form of a fishing boat.

We reach Kochi (formerly Cochin); the city is built around a saltwater lagoon of the Arabian Sea and is actually a collection of narrow islands and peninsulars. It has a beautiful natural harbour and was originally founded on trade from the Jewish and Arabian Spice Traders in the 1st century. It grew in importance in the 16th century with the arrival of the Portuguese, then Dutch,and then English; it has an eclectic heritage.

Kochi City is divided into 3 main regions; Fort Kochi, Mattancherry (both have old-world charm, with a blend of Dutch, Portuguese, and English buildings and form the Old Town), and the modern Ernakulam (shopping malls and glitzy apartment buildings). We focus on the first two, apparently!

This afternoon, we visit Fort Kochi; we enjoy lunch at the Fort Paragon restaurant before exploring the area with our guide - see captions on photos for details. Of particular interest is the Chinese style of fishing; they are fixed installations operated from on or near the shore, with nets set up on bamboo and teak poles and held horizontally by huge mechanisms, which lower them into the sea.

Our hotel is on Willington Island, a man-made island using soil dredged from the long Vembanad Lake (the other end is Alappuzha, see previous post - Vembanad Lake is the longest in India); it is home for the port of Kochi and the Naval Base, as well as many other port related trusts. After some downtime, Helen and I pop into the Maruthi Vilas Vegetarian restaurant near the hotel.Read more
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Southern India Traveler
Kerala Backwaters Tour from Alappuzha
January 31 in India ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
We set off after breakfast from Thekkady and stop off at a tea plantation in Pattumaly on our way to the town of Alappuzha (aka Alleppey) in the Kerala Backwaters; we are going to an area of low-lying waterways, lagoons, and rivers running parallel to the Arabian Sea.

We board our Gold River Houseboat, a converted rice barge, just after 1pm and head via waterways to Vembanad Lake; we cross the bottom most tip of this to the other side and circle round more waterways and then double back the other end of the long, narrow Vembanad Lake is at Kochi). We catch glimpses of the local lifestyle, seeing houses that back directly onto the waterways.

We moor at about 6 pm, and then have a short walk locally, visiting a banana chip manufacturer and a coconut milk supplier. We return to the houseboats (there are two for the group) and eat together on the larger one, enjoying a splendid meal. There has been a lot of sitting around today, which is very tiring, but it's been another good one.

During and after breakfast on the houseboat, we do another short trip back to the Alappuzha "harbour", visit a tourist shop, and have a short walk before travelling to Kochi.Read more
Wolfgang und HeidiWhat a nice trip !
2/1/25Reply
TravelerYes, we're enjoying it very much. 16 in the group.
2/1/25Reply
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Southern India Traveler
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Kerala; Thekkady
January 30 in India ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
We set off early for Thekkady so that we can stop off at some interesting places en route (see captions on photos for details).

There are good views as we near the Western Ghats that separate Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is a steep ascent to the top, where we cross into Kerala; surprisingly, the minibus has to stop for paperwork checks.

Kerala is known for its coconut groves, paddy fields, hills, backwaters, and rainforests; the religions of Hindu, Christianity, and Islam are all practiced here. It is a very political state and has the highest literacy rate in India.

At Thekkady, we visit a spice plantation; the tour is very informative and interesting. India is the world's largest exporter and consumer of spices, and the soil composition in Kerala is ideal for cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

After checking in at the hotel, we go to a house (Bar-B-Que) for an Indian food cookery class. It is a lovely evening, and we prepare and eat;
Beans Thoran / Pineapple Curry / Alumni Masala / Fish Curry / BBQ Masala (chicken) / Okra Roast / Paratha.

It was an amazing meal and experience.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi 👍😂
2/1/25Reply
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Southern India Traveler
Madurai
January 29 in India ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Madurai is at the heart of the Tamil and Dravidian cultures, as well as being very important to Hindus; it was the Pandyan Dynasty capital from the 7th to 13th centuries, and Nayakan Dynasty capital from the 16th to 17th centuries. Religion and culture remain an important part of city life to this day.

We visit the Thirumaki Nyakar Palace, where the power and wealth of the Nyakan Dynasty is evident in the remains of this once grand Palace - only the spacious courtyard and a few adjoining buildings remain now (see captions on photos). After a walk in the local area, we have lunch and return to the hotel.

Later on, we go to the Meenakshi Sundareswarer Temple (aka Minakshi Temple); this is a historic Hindu Temple Complex dedicated to the Goddess Meenakshi, whose consort was Pavarti, a form of Shiva. It was originally built by the Pandyan and extensively added to by succeeding dynasties. It is within a high walled enclosure, and we walk around its perimeter wall, seeing the four main Gopura, which unfortunately for us are undergoing extensive renovation. We also get good views from the roof of a tourist shop, where we have the opportunity to buy Indian carpets (see captions on photos). We go inside for a tour and witness daily ceremonies.

There is strictly no photography inside the complex. We enter via the North Gopura after dropping off cameras, bags, shoes, etc, and visit the Thousand Pillar Hall (now a museum) and its beautifully decorated columns. We then go to the Kambattadi Mandapa (aka Flagpole Hall) and see an evening ceremony. We are not able to visit Sundareswarer Shrine being non-Hindus, but we did see its gold roof from the tourist shop; nor can we visit the Mibakshi Shrine (also with a gold roof). Next, we go to and sit at the Potramarai Kulam (the Golden Lotus Tank), surrounded by pillared corridors. Finally, we exit via the North Gopura and are very fortunate to see the chariot with an image of Shiva bring transported to join his consort in another part of the temple, a nightly ritual

Then it's back to the hotel for a late meal.Read more
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Southern India Traveler
Srirangam; Ranganatha Temple Complex
January 28 in India ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
After breakfast, we set off on the long drive to Madurai via Srirangam, a river island that is a neighthood of part of the city of Tiruchirapalli. Srirangam is a 2-mile long river island formed by the confluence of the Rivers Kaveri and Kollidam; the Ranganatha Temple here makes the town a Temple Town as the Temple Sanctuary, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, totally dominates it.

The religious complex of Ranganatha is enclosed by fortress like boundary walls (prakaras) that are entered via ceremonial gateways (gopuras); it is the largest religious complex in the world that is used for active worship. It has a total of 21 gopuras and many pillared halls (mandapa), and it is built in the Dravidian style.

The outer three boundary walls comprise residences for priests, hostels for pilgrims, and shops selling offerings. The Sacred Precinct begins from the fourth enclosure, and this area contains, amongst others, the most important shrines, including the inner sanctum with its gold plated roof; these can not be visited by non-Hindus, but the outer shrines and enclosures can be.

We see what we can, led by our tour guide, Jojan, and afterwards, we visit the river ghats at Amma Mandapam, which is a short distance away on the river edge; this is where devotees come to bathe and have their heads shaved for ceremonies.

We then carry on to Mandurai, arriving at our hotel at about 7:30pm. It's been along, but good, day!Read more
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Southern India Traveler
4
Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry)
January 27 in India ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Pondicherry is now known in the Tamil language as Puducherry and was established as the former capital of the French territories in India in 1674. It is located on the east coast of Tamil Nadu and is now the administrative capital of a union territory founded in 1926.

After checking into our hotel, we cross the now dry canal (originally the demarcation between the French and Tamil areas) into the French Quarter; Pondicherry remained under French rule until 1954, and the French Quarter is laid out in a grid pattern.

We visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram; this is Pondicherry"s best known landmark and is a restful retreat - inside, there is strictly no photography, and absolute silence has to be observed. The focal point for disciples and followers of Sri Aurobindo is the flower festooned samadhi (his memorial) in the main courtyard under a frangipani tree.

Next, we go to the Manakula Vinayaker Temple; this Hindu Temple is dedicated to Ganesha and has walls portraying his 40 different forms. It is very interesting inside, with good music but no photography.

We walk through the attractive French Quarter, with its colonial buildings and street signs in French, to the Goubert Solai, the main promenade along the Bay of Bengal. We walk along this to the Old Lighthouse; close by is the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. We then see the Church of Our Lady of Angels (Notrre Dame) before going to the Rendezvous Restaurant at the top of a building for food. Another good day.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi 👍😍
1/28/25Reply
Lovely bougainvillea! [Liz Fred and Richard]
1/29/25Reply
Or is it the frangipani tree? [Liz]
1/30/25Reply
Traveler We're not sure either. Mr G might help...
1/30/25Reply
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Southern India Traveler
1
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
January 27 in India ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
After breakfast, we drive through Chennai to stop off at the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary on our way to Puducherry. Based around a freshwater lake, it is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in India (it was established in 1936), but also one of the smallest.

The Bird Sanctuary is mainly visited by local people and is a protected area because it is an important breeding ground for large migrating birds such as herons, storks, cormorants, etc. Our visit coincides with the breeding season, and there are many birds here.

The Sanctuary is off the beaten track, and we see some interesting views en route back to the main road to Puducherry and a stop off for lunch.Read more
Wonderful place [Liz]
1/30/25Reply
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Southern India Traveler
Tamil Nadu; Chennai
January 26 in India ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Helen and I first visited India in Dec 1989 / Jan 1990 when we travelled independently through North India; our next visit was in early 2018 when we visited Central India with Explore Travel. So here we are, 35 years later, to complete our travels here (or have we....).

Chennai (population 20 million), formerly Madras, is the capital state of Tamil Nadu (population 73 million); Tamil Nadu is 70% Hindu, so there are many Hindu Temples in the region, but there are also examples if many other kinds of religious architecture in the region. Chennai is a large city with lots of traffic, and the tour doesn't spend time here (for some reason 🙂).

We had a good journey here, arriving at our hotel at about 7:45 am. By coincidence, today, January 26th, is India National Day, marking the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1950 and signifying India's status as a democratic Republic. Flags are unfurled in ceremonies throughout the country, and we were in time to witness such a ceremony at our hotel (Grand Chennai by GRT).

After rest, we have a short walk in the area around the hotel before meeting up with the others; after introductions, etc, we set up off in the minibus to the Mylapore area of Chennai. Here, we visit the Luz Church (built on 1516 by the Portuguese) and then go to the Kapaleeskwarer Temple; this Hindu Temple Complex was built in the 7th century in the Dracidian architectural style, and has a large tank in front of it.

We finish off Day 1 with a lovely vegetarian meal before crashing out at the hotel.Read more
Wolfgang und HeidiEnjoy your trip, will be fantastic! 😊
1/27/25Reply
Have a wonderful trip!! [Jill]
1/28/25Reply
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Vietnam Traveler
En route to Hanoi and Hanoi 3
November 26, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
On our journey back to Hanoi, we stop at Dong Treu and visit the Ceramic Village before heading on to visit the Hong Ngoc disabled people charity centre: here, disabled people, including second generation Agent Orange victims, can live, study and learn to make artistic products - some are astonishing, but photography of these is not allowed.

In Hanoi, we stop off at a pre-arranged and private water puppet show by Phan Thanh Liem, who was born in a family with a long tradition of performing water puppet theatre; his generation is the 7th.

After a couple of hours at the hotel, we head off to see Train Street, a narrow train bypass in Hanoi which sees a twice-daily train pass close to buildings on either side of the tracks (not while we were there), before going to our farewell dinner in the Old Quarter at the Hanoi Food Culture Restaurant and Cooking; another fabulous meal and the end of our Classic Vietnam tour with Intrepid Travel - we thoroughly recommend Vietnam, and this trip, to anybody reading this photojournal.Read more
TravelerThanks Andy! A great travel blog and fascinating photos. Hopefully I'll experience it one day🤞
12/2/24Reply
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Vietnam Traveler
Halong Bay
Nov 25–26, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
It takes about 4 hours to Halong City from Ninh Binh. Halong City faces onto Halong Bay and is very new, large, and developing rapidly. At the harbour, the Intrepid Group has a private boat (Bien Ngoc Cruise); there are many much larger boats here!

We set out into Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of outcrops, caves, and coves covering more than 1,500 square km that contains more than 2,000 pinnacle shaped limestone and dolomite karst outcrops; Ninh Binh, which we have just left, is said to be an inland Halong Bay. Halong Bay is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

We enjoy an excellent lunch as we sail through this magnificent seascape to Dao Titop; Tito Island is named after Marshall Tito, the Yugoslav communist who helped Vietnam in its time of need. The island has a small beach and a 400 step climb to a viewpoint over the bay.

We then stop at the Ha Long Pearl Farm; apparently, 1 in 1,000 oysters gives a pearl naturally, but here they are able to stimulate greater production by injection to irritate the shell. There is also the opportunity to go kayaking, which I do (without the mobile); we see some lovely sites close up on the base of karst pinnacles. Then it's back to the boat for beers and another amazing meal at our mooring point for the evening close to Bo Hon Island.

In the morning, we have an early start to beat the crowd for our visit to Bo Hon Island to Hang Sung Sot (Cave of Surprise). There are three caverns here and a vantage point with a great view over Halong Bay.

We go back to our boat for breakfast, whilst heading back to the harbour to meet our minibus.Read more
Wolfgang und HeidiHalong Bay was our favourite 🤩
11/26/24Reply
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Vietnam Traveler
Ninh Binh; Thung Nham Eco-tourism Park
November 24, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
In the afternoon, we go to the Thung Nham Eco-tourism Area in the Hai Nham valley; this is a major tourist attraction. We go to the Buddhist Cave by row boat; this is a natural cave that is 500m long with a statue of Buddha in the middle, but it is too dark to see anything. Next, we walk, stooping, along the Mermaid Cave with its system of stalactites. We walk through the attractive eco-park and are taken by larger rowing boats to see Bird Watching Island, where there are many Grey Heron and White Flamingo.

Then it's dinner in Tam Coc after a break; another full-on day.Read more
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Vietnam Traveler
1
Ninh Binh; Hang Mua and Bich Dong Pagoda
November 24, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
This morning we drive to the Hang Mua (aka Dragon's Den Cave) and the associated Mua Mountain viewpoint (aka Lying Dragon Mountain), which is part of the Trang Am Complex in Ninh Binh province; the cave is at the foot of the mountain. It is a climb of 500 steep steps to the two peaks of Mua Mountain, the highlight being a Buddhist statue and a lying stone Dragon (Ngra Long) protecting it. There are excellent 360-degree views at the top. At the base of the mountain are large lotus ponds, which we walk around. See captions on photos for details.

We return to our hotel, and after a break, I have a walk through our village, Dam Khe, to the local Pagoda. It turns out that this is an important site in Ninh Binh - the Bich Dong Pagoda and Cave. Located on a mountain, it is on three levels - Ha Pagoda, Trung Pagoda, and Thuong Pagoda (lower, middle, upper), with the upper two being partly in caves. Very interesting to see!Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi 👍
11/26/24Reply
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Vietnam Traveler
Ninh Binh; Van Long Wetlands and Hoa Lu
November 23, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
We drive to the Ninh Binh province and the Van Long Wetlands Nature Reserve (almost 2 hours); this is one of the few intact Lowland inland wetlands remaining in the Red River Delta. Here, limestone karst is surrounded by freshwater lakes, marshes, and swamps. We are taken out on row boats to see the area and are fortunate to see the rare Delacour Langur monkey. We enjoy fantastic views.

It is then a short drive to Hoa Lu; this historic site was the first capital of Vietnam from 968 - 1009. Dinh Bo Linh founded the Dinh Dynasty; this lasted for 12 years and was followed by the Le Dynasty, which lasted for 25 years - the founder of the Ly Dynasty transferred the capital to Thang Long (now Hanoi). The site is mainly ruins now, but Temples remain for the Dinh and Le dynasties.

After this, we have a home-prepared lunch and transfer to our hotel. Some of us go put for a cycle ride in the local area; a circular route from Dam Khe hamlet where the hotel is located to Tam Coc and back; this is most enjoyable.

We enjoy a simple meal with beer later.Read more
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Vietnam Traveler
Hanoi 2; Hoan Kiem Lake and Old Quarter
November 22, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
We meet up at 6 pm in reception for an evening walk across the French Quarter to Hoan Kiem Lake and up to the Old Quarter Night Market at the other end, before coming back on the other side of the lake; the captions on the photos describe the details of this walk.Read more
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Vietnam Traveler
Hanoi 1; Temple of Literature / Ba Dinh
November 22, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
We fly to Hanoi from Phu Bai Airport, Hue. Hanoi is a city situated on the Red River and founded in 1010 as a Citadel by Emperor Ly Thai To. The area of guilds around this eventually developed in the Old Quarter. The French destroyed much of the Citadel in the 19th to found the French Quarter. After the Indochina and Vietnam Wars, Hanoi became the capital of Vietnam, and it is now a thriving city with a population of 10 million.

KOTO is a social enterprise organisation founded by Jimmy Pham to provide an opportunity for at-risk and disadvantaged youth to break the poverty cycle, and we have a large lunch at the KOTO Van Mieu Restaurant; many graduate gone on to become top chefs. It was excellent.

The Temple of Literature is close-by; this is the oldest and finest architectural complex in Hanoi and dates from 1070. It is modelled on the Temple of Confucius in Qufu, China.

From there, we travel by minibus to Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh read the proclamation of independence in 1975; the Square is public but managed for security now. Ba Dinh Square had a number of sites of interest, including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the National Assembly Hall, and the One Pillar Pagoda.

We then go to our hotel to check in and have a break.Read more
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Vietnam Traveler
Hue; Incense Village, Walk, Home meal
November 21, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 27 °C
After visiting the Royal Tomb of Tu Duc, it is a short drive to the Thuy Xuan Incense Village; this provided incense for the ancient dynasties in the Hue Imperial Palace, and is now a major tourist attraction. There are many shops selling "joss sticks" and showing how they are made, as well as many other items.

After a delicious vegan lunch at a nearby monastery, our minibus takes us back to the hotel in Hue. We have some time to kill, so Helen and I go for a short walk along the Perfume River and then double back through part of the city to the hotel; the area is interesting as it is the hospital and medical part of Hue.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, our tour guide, Quang, and his cousin set up a coffee shop close to where his family and relatives live in the western area of the Citadel. His cousin runs it now, and we visit for an afternoon coffee; we had salt coffee, a local speciality - excellent. Then we walked a few houses down to where Quang's aunt and uncle live; it was originally his grandparents's house, and there is a family shrine on entering (this is unusual nowadays in Vietnam, as times change). We had an amazing 5 course home-prepared, market-sourced meal prepared by Quang's aunt on limited cooking facilities, so all courses follow on quickly - we are very a very fortunate group.

Then, it's back home by minibus in the rain - what a day!Read more
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Vietnam Traveler
Hue; Thien Mu Pagoda / Royal Tomb Tu Duc
November 21, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 25 °C
This morning, we visited a couple of important sites in Hue. See photos for details about them.

The first is Thien Mu Pagoda, which is situated on the NW bank of the Perfume River. This iconic Pagoda has an octagonal tower and seven floors - 7 is considered a lucky number in Buddhism - and is noted for its laughing Buddha and the car driven by monk Thich Quang Duc to Saigon where he immolated himself in protest against the Dien regime and its discrimination against monks; images were sent around the world, provoking strong reaction.

The second site we visit is the Royal Tomb of Tu Duc; only 7 out of the 13 Vietnamese emperors who reigned between 1802 and 1945 have their own Mausoleum; we visit that of Tu Duc, who was fourth in the Dynasty. He had it built in his lifetime (it took 3 years) ready for when he "retired"; he died 10 years later and was buried here. Everybody who was involved in the building of the Tomb and with the burial were poisoned at feasts to keep its location secret; they were all from prisons, and their families paid in recompense. The Tomb site, a beautiful location surrounded by ponds and frangipani trees, is UNESCO owned now and is being restored, so some of it could not be visited.Read more
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