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Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
  • Matt Treanor
  • Simi Treanor
  • Arushi Treanor
  • Millen Treanor
  • Eashan Treanor

Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia

3 weeks from the South to the North of Vietnam via Siem Reap in Cambodia En savoir plus
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  • Début du voyage
    14 juillet 2023
    Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Meal on the plane
    Doha AirportEnjoying a TV to myself!2Gleeful Simj with some Champagne

    Landed in Vietnam! By Matt

    14 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    After a worrying moment at Gatwick check in when they couldn't seem to find our tickets on the system, we boarded the flight to discover to our delight that we were in premium economy. Before our excitement was over a flight attendant came over and asked if we were all together. Our hearts sank thinking we were going to be moved back into regular economy where we belong. To our utter astonishment she asked if we would mind giving up our seats and going into club class. With the 'downside' that we wouldn't be next to the kids. It took us a fraction of a nano second to decide and 5 minutes later we were stretching our legs out in our club class beds ordering champagne!! It was unreal. We'd gone from a seat where you could see about 30 people without moving your head to one where I could just about see Simi's shoulder. The only people I saw on the flight was an occasional Millen with a manic grin on his face and the stewardess asking me if I wanted a champagne top up, food from the menu, chocolates, wine, more food, more chocolates and more wine! I put my footstool down, wrapped up in the duvet, relaxed onto the giant pillow and blissfully dozed imaging every flight would be like this from now on.

    7 hours later we were turfed out of club class into Doha airport, bustling, full of glitzy shops and, bizarrely, a giant yellow bear. Our 3.5 stopover became 4.5 hours then 5.5 as our plane was delayed due to technical problems. Sadly there were no upgrades on our next flight and we fell asleep on each other, exhausted and dreaming of club class comforts.

    We landed in Ho Chi Minh city 8 hours later alongside hundreds of others and it took us another hour to get through passport control. Finally we met Tango, our friendly tour guide for our brief stay in the city. He cheerily started filling us in on facts about the city, housing over 10 million people, pointing out sites along the way and a noodle place round the corner from our hotel. Breakfast at 645 and pickup at 715 he declared and left us to relax for what was left of the evening. As we sorted ourselves out in our rooms, a thunderstorm blew in and we watched the lightening and sheeting rain out of the window, a walk for some dinner less and less appealing.

    Judging the worst of the storm to have passed we stepped out into the rain to walk round the block to Tango's recommendation only to discover it closed at 8. We tried another place with the same result and struck third time lucky. As we sat down a cockroach the size of a well fed cockroach scuttled by our table but no one seemed bothered, least of all the waiter dancing to the beats of local pop music. It sounded like Gangnam style to me but that's probably like saying the Beatles sound like the Stones.

    After noodles, egg fried rice, prawn rolls and fried chicken we headed back to the hotel to collpase into bed after a very long journey.
    By Matt    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Planes outside
    Planes outside

    War Remnants Museum by Matt

    15 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    After a whistle stop tour of the Notre Dame cathedral and Old Post Office- we stepped barely 5m from the mini bus to look left at one then right at the other- our first major stop was the War Remnants Museum.

    On the outside, those remnants consisted of the iconic Chinook and Huey helicopters plus a collection of tanks, jeeps and planes left by the Americans. Impressive though they were, their emotional impact was dwarfed by the pictures, accounts and facts on the war that lay within the museum.

    Tango took us through the facts that led to the American invasion, following on from the departure of the French colonists from South Vietnam and threats from the North to expand their communist regime, with the support of the Soviet Union and China. This included the falsification of an attack on a US destroyer by North Vietnamese torpedo boats on August 4th 1964. President Johnson could then use this as legal justification to send troops and engage in open warfare with North Vietnam.

    Some of the information felt decidedly one sided, including comparisons of financial and human costs with other wars, but there was no denying a war that lasted nearly 20 years changed the way the world viewed both countries forever.

    The next room demonstrated that transformation in tragic picture after picture of dead or dying soldiers, women and children inconsolable and abandoned. There was a series of heroic photographers that lost their lives showing the world the atrocities, including several 'last roll of film' shots they took. But the pinnacle of horror was the infamous My Lai Massacre, the brutal killing of several hundred unarmed civilians, many of whom were women and children, by US soldiers.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Bomb shelter
    One of the large rooms for entertaining

    Reunification Palace by Matt

    15 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    When the Americans evacuated in 1975, the South Vietnamese president hastily departed the palace and the VC soldiers smashed through the gates in their tanks, still present in the garden, and symbolically unfurled their flag on the balcony.

    Nowadays, the grand reception rooms are used to greet foreign dignitaries and host banquets. Upstairs are the living quarters, which retain their 60s vibe, and the animal skulls on the walls include their tails to symbolise long life, something the owners presumably didn't have.

    A bomb shelter lies in the basement, with gray walls and gray rooms containing old gray transmitters and typewriters, which were all very military and, well, gray.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Eashan peeking out
    Map of the various army campsTraps on displayEntering the tunnelsAbandoned tank

    Cu Chi Tunnels by Matt

    15 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Tango led us on a tour round the tunnels to learn how the Viet Cong lived in the jungle during the war with Americans.

    Following on from the educational but harrowing museum, this is a small sample of the huge area where the VC laboriously dug 200km of an underground city using nothing but small spades. We learnt of many tactics to evade the enemy, such as fake termite mounds to disguise the air vents and special shafts to disperse the cooking smoke like morning mist. Just as ingenious, though horrifying, there were mocked up booby traps on proud display, with names such as the seesaw, fish hook and armpit, their gruesome purpose to impale the enemy with as much pain and ensnarement as possible.

    There included an opportunity to crawl through some of the tunnels which, although had been enlarged for tourists, still forced me on my hands and knees in the dirt. The kids then tried a real tunnel size which was a squeeze even for them!

    To think that so many people lived and fought for their country for so many years in these conditions was unimaginable. An on-site firing range only served to accentuate the horrors they went through with the bursts of AK-47s and sharp rifle shots.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia

    Leaving for Siem Reap by Matt

    15 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    HCMC airport, referred to as SAG for Saigon, was mercifully quicker on exit and a short 1 hour flight deposited us in Siem Reap where we arrived into a much drier heat after the humidity. We had to pay a visa on entry, a process which involved about 10 smartly dressed officials each with his or her very specific duty, whether that was collecting the passports, calculating the cost, taking the money, sticking the visa or even scamming us out of $10… luckily we noticed but was that a scam or a genuine mistake.. I guess we will never know!,

    Eventually we walked out of the smart wooden building to be met by our smiley guide for Siem Reap, Narim.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    The pool
    Eashan and me playingArushi reading

    Siem Reap Hotel by Millen

    15 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Please note this entry to the blog is just about the bits in between the main events!
    This hotel was spectacular, after a tiring day of flying we deserved a rest, so we took a quick dip in the cool pool and relaxing on the sunbeds. Unfortunately for us the next day was an extremely early start to go to Angkor wat and we had to wake up at 4 in the morning- luckily they provided us with a to go breakfast which completely filled our empty bellies,. We got back around in the afternoon after trekking around different temples and after yet another tiring day we finished it off with a nice swim and at at this place on beer street and after for dessert we had ice cream rolls and went around the market.
    The second night we finally had our first lie in a while, the breakfast was an enormous buffet with excotic fruits, any type of eggs, and lots more. Kian and Narim picked us up with a big smile and we did a couple more temples that day and went OX CART riding . For dinner we went to this fantastic place where the beer was only 75 CENT and the food was sooooo good as well.
    The next day we had another great breakfast at the buffet, making us alll full and we went on an amazing boat trip and then to the colourful market, but our flight was delayed so because the dinner we had yesterday was so cheap and amazing we went to the same place for lunch and then of course we went for another swim and got on our flight to Hanoi!    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Pub Street
    Cambodian beerWalking down pub streetIce cream rolls being madeArushi and her ice cream rolls

    Pub Street by Matt

    15 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    A colourful, noisy and vibrant area of Siem Reap with many bars and restaurants, happy hours, tourist tut and the obligatory feet munching fish tank. We ate noodles and rice, choosing by pictures, and sat enjoying some cold beers, people watching and the occasional blast of heat as a nearby chef threw something very flammable into his oversize wok.

    Whilst Millen and I contemplated the feet fish, the others queued for some 'ice cream rolls'. This is essentially similar to a crepe machine but as they chop and spread the mixture over the pan it freezes rather than cooks. Once thin enough, they scrape it into rolls and serve.

    We decided to forego the fish for now and headed back to the hotel for some much needed sleep 💤.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Angkor Wat before sunrise
    The crowd!Angkor Wat from afarSome columnsTemple detailingFamily picFamily picture in front of the templePeek-a-boo!Yet another family picThe monkeyd paying a visitIt had been a long day...

    Angkor Wat by Matt

    16 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Arriving just before sunrise, the famous stupas slowly revealed themselves, towering above the jungle. We stood behind the crowd of people trying to get a photo of the reflection in the small pool in front of it. Despite all the people it was very serene and a collective awe grew as the daylight brought out more and more detail of the temple.

    Once the sun was fully risen we briefly explored an ancient library before walking along the causeway flanked by the serpent goddess Naga. We slowly walked around the perimeter of the temple as Narin patiently explained the meaning of the reliefs etched into the walls.

    Originally a Hindu temple, but since converted to Buddhism, it was built to worship Vishnu in the 12th century, when Angkor was the centre of the ancient Khmer empire boasting a population of 1 million people. Hundreds of temples survived in this area, a protected UNESCO site, a lot of which has been methodically restored but much is in grand ruin.

    We entered the temple, which has a massive grass courtyard with the huge towers, representing mountains, on a platform in the middle. We climbed up to the next level from where we could climb some very steep, dizzying steps into the towers themselves. The views of the surrounding jungle were amazing but unfortunately Eashan was too young to go up so we waved to him from one of the windows.

    Representing a mini universe, with mountains, continents and oceans, seen by the surrounding moat, it is truly breathtaking.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Ruins
    Headless Buddah (the heads were often stolen)Statue in the templeDevil churning the seaNever ending path

    Preah Khan Temple by Matt

    16 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Preah Khan temple is named after the Sacred Sword once housed in one of the outer buildings. It is deceptively long as we walked down a never ending corridor through door after door, room after room the sunlight streaming through gaps in the roof. This path had been cleared and restored, the windows and doors proving views of the moss covered jumble of stone blocks either side.En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    South Gate
    Corner of the templeTemple exteriorTemple interior

    Angkor Thom by Matt

    16 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Built by the king Jayavarman VII, Angkor Thom was the capital of the Kymer empire covering 10 sq km. We entered at the South gate, of which there are 5, flanked by 54 gods and 54 demons engaged in an epic tug of war, known as the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. They collaborated in this event to turn a mountain to churn the ocean and create a nectar of immortality.

    Each gate has a different face of Buddha representing the four principles; sympathy, compassion, charity and equality. Carved into the base is a 3 headed elephant which emerged from the Ocean of Milk and symbolises luck.

    We drove inside and visited the Terrace of the Elephants, a viewing platform from which the king could watch the public ceremonies and his army gather in their splendor before heading to battle through the victory gate.

    Nearby is the Terrace of the Leper king, who supposedly contracted leprosy from a snake that spat at him. We walked to the small Baphuom temple which was inside the Kings palace complex and would have been for his private prayer and meditation. Meticulously rebuilt it has a long causeway.

    We were starting to flag at this point as the heat and 4am start were taking their toll. Our little tour bus provided welcome relief with air conditioning and cold water and the reclining seats were going further and further back!

    At the heart of the citadel is the Bayon temple, also known as the 'face temple' due to 216 giant smiling faces decorating the 54 towers. Around the outside is 1.2 km of bas relief depicting life in 12th century Cambodia, such as a woman picking nits out of her child's head, another giving birth, cock fighting, pig roasting and hunting. I think Narin was sensing our exhaustion by this point as we didn't do the whole thing!    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Rooftop dinner

    Dinner in Siem Reap by Matt

    16 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Delicious food- Amok fish, green curry, chicken satay, prawn and vegetable tempura finished off with banana and chocolate spring rolls! The owner was very welcoming and apologetic for the steep stairs, though well worth the climb to the chilled out rooftop 🍻En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Crazy tree growing
    And another treeAnd anotherAnd you guessed it... another tree

    Ta Prohm by Matt

    16 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    If a temple is abandoned in the jungle the plants reclaim the site and erode the ancient stone work. At Ta Prohm huge trees have rooted amongst the buildings, becoming part of the temple, constantly changing its shape.

    It's a perfect mix of man-made and nature, the massive trunks and their roots twisting into the walls of the temple. An extremely photographic place, it has also featured in Tomb Raider. I thought it was used in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, but that is a myth. In any case, the area would have been too dangerous in 1984 as there was still a civil war raging after the collapse of the Kymer Rouge.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Stirring
    More stirringLots of coconuts

    Palm Sugar by Simi

    17 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We all slept in until 825am and dragged ourselves to breakfast as we were due to head off on our day trip at 9am.

    Hotel breakfasts are always a joyful time! What’s not to like? A zillion options, eggs made however you want and everyone just helping themselves! Happy days! The fresh fruit and yoghurt is the highlight for me- some wonderful tropical fruit- watermelon, mangoes, passion fruit, papaya and dragon fruit although sadly I’m not a fan of the latter two! The children seem to always find the sweet treats with each of them having the unusual choice of a doughnut this morning!

    We headed off to a small
    Farming village where we saw rice palm cakes aka Cambodian muffins being made. Actually maybe I shouldn’t say Cambodian… the people from this beautiful country are actually known as Khmer ( pronounced kuh- maya) and their food is Khmer and their country is Kampuchea. The French have named it.. and the English derivation is Cambodia.

    Anyway we were able to see the different stages of how these
    Rice palm cakes were made . Such a labour intensive process so made us appreciate them so much. We bought 4 of them for a dollar to have for lunch later! ( addendum…. Now sampled… a gelatinous type sponge with a sweet dollop of coconut rice inside… pretty good!)

    We went to another stall
    to see the process of the palm sugar being made and sampled some very sweet palm juice and some sour plums. We bought a jar of palm sugar to bring home and use in our curries!    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    The dusty red exterior
    Three kids in a doorframeTemple interior

    Banteay Sreo by Simi

    17 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    This temple is one of our favourites so far. Smaller and quieter—also this was very old yet had lots of its carvings very well restored.

    It was actually built under the reign of two Angkorian kings in the late 10th century. To give this some context, other places we have visited that are around as old as this place are..Borobadur in Central Java ( 9th century) , the main pyramid in Chitchen Itza (10th century) and Notre Dame ( started in 1163 but not completed until early 14th century)!

    In Khmer, Banteay Srei means the citadel of women. But this is a contemporary name deriving from the phonetic pronunciation of Banteay Sri , the auspicious city! This temple is dedicated to Shiva. The main idol was located in the central Sanctuary tower was a linga, the phallic representation of Shiva.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Peanut smoothie feature
    Mint juiceOne of the many egg coffees we hadSunset lemonadeDad and the love of his lifeSmoothies

    Drinks by Eashan

    17 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ 🌧 31 °C

    In Vietnam and Cambodia, we have been treated to incredible food and delicacies but what was even more delicious was the amazing, exotic drinks. Each one was even better than the last and they were gone within 5 seconds. Some of our favourites included a peanut shake which Arushi and I both had. It tasted exactly like peanuts and paired with the cold ice it was to die for. One to the left of the peanut shake was Simi's mango and passion fruit. It was a sweet blend with a clear distinct taste of mango before a fresh passion fruit aftertaste. In the middle was Millen’s chocolate milkshake with very strong chocolate and some cream to top it off. One more to the left was Dad’s Mango Shake which, along with the ice and mango too, got devoured. On the photo with the green drink, there is a mint juice from a restaurant called "try me". The drink was refreshing and cool and had a lovely yet herbal taste which also was all gone very soon which both Millen and I had. We also had lots of coffees and teas in loads of different cafes or restaurants. The most interesting restaurant was a small restaurant with stickers that you could write on and put up on the cafe walls. Those walls were plastered on stickers however the tables and chairs and stairs and windows were also all covered in them with loads of different messages old and new. Arushi, Millen and I were often treated to exotic smoothies while Dad was always opting for a beer with Mum. On the bus we were always supplied with water to keep us going in the heat.En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    The temple

    Preah Ko -Sacred Bull Temple by Simi

    17 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Preah Ko, “the sacred bull”, is one of the oldest monuments in Angkor. The Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva is named after the bull Nandi, the mount of Shiva.

    This one again was lovely and quiet and a sweet, small size. … unless we are getting better at dealing with the 32 degree heat.. we seem to be taking more on board now and learning more facts. Narin our guide is super impressive with his facts, being able to reel off dates, super long names of kings and answer a multitude of questions from the children about how heaven , hell and reincarnation works…all not in his mother tongue!En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Entrance to the temple
    Buddha flagThe very photogenic sign.. just in case we forgot

    Bakong Temple by Simi

    17 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    The structure of Bakong took the shape of a stepped pyramid, popularly identified as a temple mountain of early Khmer temple architecture. The striking similarity of the Bakong and Borobudur temple in Java, going into architectural details such as the gateways and stairs to the upper terraces, suggests strongly that Borobudur was served as the prototype of Bakong.

    Matt and I have been lucky enough to have visited Borobudur.. not sure I could see the resemblance that much though!!

    This temple Was dedicated to Buddha complete with Buddhist flags - a change to the others that all seem to be dedicated to the Trinity of the Hindu Gods: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. But while Vishnu and Shiva have followers and temples here, Brahma is not worshipped as a major deity for some reason and this is the case in India too i believe.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Off we go!
    Always time for a selfieMatt isn't looking too comfy!Entrance to the templeThe templeThe boysWonky picture of the interiorFamily pic

    Ox Carting and Banteay Samre by Simi

    17 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We deffo looked like stupid tourists doing this but to be fair we were the only people in this teeny hamlet and there wasn’t another tourist in site! Arushi, Eashan and I quickly and wisely plucked the fatter tyre cart- the fact they were made out of rubber was a big plus. Millen and Matt went down the more authentic model route- wooden wheels! They had cows and we had buffaloes .. so not an ox to be fair.. which led to the debate about what is the difference between these creatures?

    A male cow that has been taught and used as a draught animal is called an ox, also known as a bullock. Castration reduces testosterone and aggression in adult male cattle, making them docile and safer to handle.

    A mature female bovine is referred to as a cow, whereas a mature male bovine that has not been castrated is referred to as a bull. A bull aids in the reproduction of calves and can be used for meat, whereas a cow is herded as livestock and gives birth to calves. The name “bull” is used to describe the males of buffaloes and bovines, while the term “cow” often refers to the females of many big mammalian species. Bulls are perceived as being violent and dangerous, whereas cows are a calmer, more gentle part of the bovine family.

    In comparison to an ox, a buffalo is bigger and has more hair. The male of the mammal cow is called an ox. It lacks an udder and is castrated once it reaches adulthood. Although not castrated, a buffalo is also a man!

    Clear… hope so!😂

    Being outside the main temple circuits, sadly Banteay Samre is often overlooked while it is actually one of the more beautiful sites featuring impressive lintels and holding on to much of the ornate decorative features adorning the vestibules and shrines.

    The name Samre refers to an ethnic group of mountain people, who inhabited the regions at the base of Phnom Kulen and were probably related to the Khmers. No inscription has been found for this temple, but the style of most of the architecture is of the classic art of the middle period similar to Angkor Wat. The monument most likely dates from the same period, or, perhaps, slightly later, although there are additions attributed to the Bayon style!

    This one was like a mini Angkor Wat and both are dedicated to Vishnu the preserver/ protector . There are also images of Laxmi his wife as well as the Garuda - the mount of Vishnu.. the divine Bird.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    View from the boat
    Water buffaloes cooling off in the LakeThe village's floating churchCrocodile skin hanging in the restaurantBottled snakes for sale in the restaurantCrocodile enclosure in the restaurantBoats propped up for repairView of floating homes from the rear of the boatFloating homeThe village's floating shop

    The Tonlé Sap Lake by Arushi

    18 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    This morning we embarked on a boat ride on the biggest freshwater lake in South-East Asia, home of around 150 species of fish - the Tonlé Sap lake.

    As we made our way down the ramp to the lake, a camera was shoved in our faces and a quick snap was taken by an unfamiliar lady who ran between us capturing everyone’s faces in a very peculiar rapid manner. We puzzled this strange behaviour, but soon forgot it as we arrived at the boat.

    The journey started off in a man made area housing many boats, such as for the several tourist trips that take place here. The brown murky water (due to mud from other rivers) seemed unappealing, but is in fact the source of life for these floating villages. As we cruised along, it was evident the hustle of life here, from the waving children playing in the water to the organised floating homes bursting with colour. We passed by many various sights, such as water buffaloes bathing, the construction of a new home being built and even a barbers shop floating on the river!

    After travelling along a channel like part of the lake, it opened out into a wide expanse so large the other side of the lake wasn’t even visible to us. We turned back around stopping off at the restaurant. This restaurant housed several catfish, which darted at the surface of the water, swarming to any food that was dropped in. There was also a crocodile enclosure, containing around 10 crocodiles, lying so still any movement from these huge animals would send shivers down your spine. These mighty creatures were doomed for an unfortunate death, whether it’s becoming an expensive wallet or maybe even a meal. The ominous crocodile skin hanging in the restaurant as decoration, or maybe even a sign of triumph was unsettling and made our stomachs turn at the poor fate of these helpless animals (especially for the vegetarians!)

    As we disembarked from our boat and climbed up the ramp, we were almost immediately greeted with hawkers, brandishing souvenir ‘Angkor Wat’ plates with our faces on! The strange photographer from the beginning was part of a slightly comical and clever money making scheme, which left us very surprised!

    We then all piled back into the van and pulled away from the lively lake and I think we all felt our eyes were opened from this experience, having the rare opportunity to be this close to another way of living. Floating houses neatly positioned with hammocks for bed, no such thing as front doors, restaurants showcasing crocodile skin and a constant flow of fishermen speeding away to earn their living.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Lots of veggies
    Lots of clothesCat napLots of things on sale

    Markets by Millen

    18 juillet 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Narin and Kian dropped us off near the market, but first we had to cross the treacherous road, the tuk tuks, motorbikes and the odd car zoomed past us,
    As I stepped in bright arrays of colours hit me, and whiffs of exotic spices snuck up my nose. As I ambled down the busy aisles the sellers stood lively with huge smiles on their faces, their beckoning calls pleaded for me to buy something. One quick glance at a t shirt and they would have all the sizes and colours of that t-shirt in your hand in a second.
    In the third photo was something I came across at the food stalls, this adorable cat was sleeping in the fruit baskets, the fact that nobody tried to disturb it or touch it makes these countries even more magical.
    Mum with her excellent haggling skills managed to buy three gifts ; one for our home stay hosts which was incense, one for our baby cousin which was a dinosaur jigsaw puzzle and one for ME which was a north face bag.
    A good tip given to us by Niran is to get the price fifty percent less than the original price.
    When we got back Niran and Kian told us that our flight had been delayed by around 3 hours by the cyclone meaning that we got to spend so much more time in the pool but we got to Ha Noi at around one in the morning.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    One of the 5 courtyards at the Temple of Literature
    Another courtyardWriting chinese characters is not easy!Arushi's chinese character symbolising happinessEashan chose skilled and cleverOfferings to BuddhaQuick coffee breakThe mausoleumSome government building

    Waking Up in Hanoi by Simi

    19 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    Having checked into our hotel around 1.30am we indulged ourselves with a lie-in as wet weather had been forecast.
    As it happens the rain was pretty light so headed off for for an explore around Vietnam’s capital city.

    It hit us massively the difference between HCM city aka Saigon and Hanoi- HCM city was the US base during the Vietnam War ( or the American war as the Vietnamese understandably call it) and since the country’s unification has transformed into a modern thriving metropolis- Hanoi on the other hand , having been the capital city for over 1000 years still proudly retains its ancient history and charm. It’s a crazy and noisy place which is a feast for all senses and actually I loved it and 100% reminded me of what it’s like to go travelling - you don’t necessarily need to do anything - just going for a meal and booking a bus ticket can be the biggest adventure ever sometimes!

    We navigated our way to the Temple of Literature taking in a quick glance at Train St ( but more of that later).

    Crossing the road in Hanoi is definitely not like crossing the road at home but actually as long as you followed the advice we were given then we were ok!
    Almost every tourist who arrives here has faced the famous problem of crossing the road in Vietnam and it’s become something of a rite of passage for every visitor.

    At the beginning of our explore we spent a while standing at the side of the road watching dozens of cars and scooters honking and whizzing past. It became apparent that the drivers don’t follow the Highway Code.

    The most important rule on crossing the road is to keep going. Once you’ve stepped out, you must commit to the crossing. Do not stop. Do not turn back. Even though you probably want to freeze or run back, this is actually more dangerous than forging ahead to the other side. Somehow the vehicles go round the back of you and if you walk at an even pace you actually manage to cross unscathed. It just takes confidence and belief. I felt we were like old pros by the end of the day!

    Our first stop was the tranquil Temple of Literature. Again this place did not take card but luckily the boys were free and Arushi was half price with her student ID!

    Tucked behind a walled compound with five separate courtyards, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was built under Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty in 1070 to honour Confucius. It became Vietnam’s Imperial Academy shortly after – a prestigious school for top academics. Today, the temple honours Vietnam’s finest scholars and signifies the beginning of a uniform educational system in Vietnam. We loved learning all about the super hard exams the students need to put themselves through. We had a go at writing some of the Chinese characters and this was hard enough for us! .. so much to learn! We spotted a silent monk skilfully brushing calligraphy style stokes to write aChinese aspirational characteristics- this clever entrepreneurial designer had a brochure showcasing a huge variety of traits you could choose! Arushi and Eashan both bought one!

    It was clear to see how this lovely oasis in the middle of the bustling city made us feel restorative and peaceful yet it was time to move on!

    Hanoi is notorious for its coffee so we had a pit stop where Matt and I had a coffee each and the children enjoyed some juices. Thumbs up all round!

    Our next stop was Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum but not for Arushi sadly.. she had short shorts on so wasn’t allowed to the area. Ho Chi Minh’s body is preserved in the cooled, central hall, with a military honour guard. The body lies in a glass case with dim lights…. Seems quite unusual being able to go and see him like this but it’s the same for other communist leaders such as Lenin, Stalin and Mao. Apparently HCM didn’t want anything like this though for him and wanted to just be cremated.

    The mausoleum is closed occasionally for restoration and preservation work on the body and this was one of those times however you can still wander into the square to look at the building as long as you didn’t cross the infamous yellow line ! There are strict rules regarding dress, such as covered legs, and behavior, such as silence and walking in two lines, when visiting the mausoleum. The rules are strictly enforced by the staff and guards and we felt quite terrified to hear the menacing whistle being blown constantly ! They were quick
    To instil fear in us all!
    After that we decided it was time for a little repose and headed to find some lunch!    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Walking through the streets
    All the notesMillen and ArushiSimi and MillenQuick selfieWalking back downstairsThe red bridgeWalking over the bridgeThe lake pagodaOn the lake

    Hanoi Old Quarter by Matt

    19 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    Located in the east of the city, the Old Quarter is bustling with locals and tourists seeking out food, coffee or a wide array of market items, from shoes to tin boxes and everything in between.

    After a morning spent sightseeing, we'd worked up an appetite so we headed back into the Old Quarter, where our hotel is located, and found ourselves wandering down a picturesque street with lanterns hanging from the trees and plenty of Pho restaurants. We picked one, purely based on the fact that there was a western couple sitting there, and ordered our first bowls since arriving.

    Pho (pronounced fuh named after the French for fire, because of the cooking method not a spice heat) is the Vietnamese version of fast food. A simple but delicious broth with noodles and your choice of meat, or tofu for the veggies, add some lime, coriander and chillies if you like then slurp away!

    Unfortunately, during lunch, Millen's coffee kicked in and, being something he's not used to, induced a bit of a panic attack style reaction. The sensory overload of the streets of Hanoi wasn't helping to pacify him so we steered him back to the hotel and applied some damp towels and lavender oil (courtesy of BA club class!) until his heart rate had returned to normal and he was back to his happy self.

    It was a short walk to the Hoan Kiem, one of the lakes in the city. We found the water puppet venue, purchased our tickets for the next available show and wondered round the nearby streets, occasionally entering a barter but not buying anything.

    We came across Note cafe, so called as it was full of sticky notes left by customers with some words of wisdom and messages for future visitors. We tried egg coffee, a local speciality using yolk rather than milk, and a coconut cold coffee. Both were delicious, though Millen avoided trying either! We stuck our words of wisdom then headed back to the lake.

    In the middle of the lake is a small island with a temple on it. Neither are particularly special but you have to cross a cute red bridge to get there and it provides a moment's respite from the crowds and scooters.

    Our vegetarians were getting a little tired of the limited rice/noodle options so we sought out a pizza place for some variety, which also served a decent burger 😋    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    The puppeteers and orchestra
    The phoenix danceThe phoenix danceBehind the curtains (photo from google)

    Water Puppet Show in Hanoi by Arushi

    19 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    For a total of 650,000 VND (around £21.50) we watched a fascinating puppet show in Hanoi, consisting of wooden puppets dancing in water controlled by puppeteers. We bought tickets in the early afternoon, finding there was only one show left that wasn’t sold out, and very limited seat options. We managed to buy three and two seats about 2 rows apart and went off to explore the surrounding areas until the show.

    The opening was a beautiful piece of music from the orchestra and the incredible traditional instruments, such as one which made a sound that could even be mistaken as someone singing it was so harmonious, as well as a few singers who accompanied the orchestra with both an instrument and their voice. The orchestra was colourfully adorned and were a smiley group who were clearly enjoying themselves. Then the first puppet arrived, the narrator who shared various conversations with the singers.

    Although the show was in Vietnamese, the general plot was somewhat followable, consisting of fishing, children playing, and a regatta to name a few. The most interesting parts I found were the various dances - dragons dance (which even had a bit of fire), unicorn dance, fairy dance etc… These scenes were filled with melodic music from the orchestra as well as enchantingly artful movements from the puppets. The puppets could thrash with the rapid tense music, or sway gracefully with the soothing sounds, synchronise together or chase each other.

    A particularly impressive part was the ‘catching frogs’ scene, showing the narrator chasing the leaping frogs that jumped so realistically and quickly it was easy to forget these creatures were just wooden puppets.

    The engineering of the entertaining lively puppets was something we puzzled over. You could just see through the water the poles attached to the puppets allowing the puppeteers to control the former from afar, but still we were questioning how they managed to not tangle up the poles, or exactly how the various attachments of the puppets moved (such as the arms). A quick search on google did not provide entirely satisfactory results, only showing a picture with the other side of the curtain where a shallow pool of water was, allowing the puppets to be placed in the water.

    The show lasted for about an hour and I found it very captivating and it really proved that the magic of these shows can be enjoyed even from someone who doesn’t understand any Vietnamese!    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Train street at night
    The train arriving!The trajn going pastThe train leavingTrain street at nightTrain street at daytimeFirst sighting of the train.

    Train Street in Hanoi by Arushi

    19 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    We stopped at Train street on our walk this morning, only to be met with stony faced guards who refused our entry whilst simultaneously letting in others (maybe they lived on the street or owned shops there?). So, we carried on with our day, peeping glances of the infamous street here and there, a narrow alleyway crammed with bars and cafes with the main attraction of the rail tracks running down the middle of the street.

    Walking back after dinner . the whole zone was lined with touts, pamphlets and signs shoved in our faces offering drinks and food with promises of access to Train street.

    Wow, it was just full of life, lights illuminating all the nooks and crannies of this narrow street, with the tracks tucked in the middle, looking rather out of place. We snapped a few pictures, and found out the next train would be coming in 30-40 minutes, around 10 o’clock so we chose somewhere for drinks. Once we were settled in and orders were placed (2 beers and a lemonade), we sat and waited.

    After around 5 minutes there was a rush of excitement, as all the locals were yelling at people to get off the tracks, bar owners were moving things behind a yellow line (that we could barely squish behind) and everyone quietened down a bit, even the drunk Irish men who had been yelling opposite us.

    Soon, we could hear a faint chugging and could see hazy lights glowing around the corner, and then, the train arrived! It was literally inches away from us, flying by. It was a very long train, and the whole ordeal lasted for about 3 minutes as we sat dumbfounded by this strange occasion (mum kept saying how weird it is that we paid money to sit near a moving train). After what seemed a lot longer than 3 minutes, the train finally came to an end and the whole street resumed its usual hustle and bustle, the Vietnamese weren’t even phased! We stayed for a few more minutes before leaving, satisfied the 4th time lucky.    En savoir plus

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  • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
    Classic Hanoi scene
    Family whizzing by

    Leaving Hanoi by Matt

    20 juillet 2023, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    After a short but eventful encounter with Hanoi we packed our bags, with a brief trip down the street to replace Arushi's broken suitcase with a new one, met our new guide Sunny, who certainly was, and headed out of the city.

    It rained most of the journey, heavily at times, and, as Sunny filled us in on the itinerary for the next 6 days, we were very glad to be in the tour van, dozing, chatting and catching up with the blog.    En savoir plus

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