A 15-day adventure by Adventure Awaits...
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  • Day 3

    Hello Hanoi

    July 3, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We've finally arrived in Hanoi for the start of our Vietnam Adventures. We went to the hipster Hanoi Food Culture for a gorgeous Vietnamese dinner and tried a signature Hanoi egg coffee - not as bad as it sounds! Onto Halong Bay tomorrow ☕️☕️☕️

    Food:
    Hanoi Food Culture, 60 Ngõ Phát Lộc, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
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  • Day 5

    Halong Bay

    July 5, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Towering limestone pillars and tiny islets topped by forest rise from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Designated a World Heritage site in 1994, Halong Bay's spectacular scatter of islands, dotted with wind- and wave-eroded grottoes, is a vision of ethereal beauty and, unsurprisingly, northern Vietnam's number one tourism hub. (Lonely Planet)

    Wonderful day cruising Halong Bay on our own little junk boat. Kayaking, trips to the private Ti Top Island, swimming and exploring the beautiful Surprising Cave, not to mention gorgeous food and unforgettable karaoke - we will definitely be back! The trip of a lifetime!

    Cruise Company: Starfish Cruises
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  • Day 6

    Water Puppets, Temples & Overnight Train

    July 6, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We said a sad goodbye to Halong Bay today and made our way back to Hanoi. Following a quick visit to the Temples of Literature, we watched a traditional Vietnamese Water Puppet Show before boarding our overnight train to Hue. The less said about our train journey the better, but it was definitely an "unforgettable" experience with our new friends! 🦎🐭🐜🚂

    Lonely Planet

    Temples of Literature

    Founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, the Temple of Literature is dedicated to Confucius (Khong Tu). Inside you'll find a pond known as the 'Well of Heavenly Clarity', a low-slung pagoda and statues of Confucius and his disciples. A rare example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture, the complex honours Vietnam’s finest scholars and men of literary accomplishment. It is the site of Vietnam’s first university, established here in 1076, when entrance was only granted to those of noble birth.

    Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

    The world-famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi has its roots in an art form that dates back to the 11th century. The tradition of water puppet theatre stems from a time when rice paddy fields were flooded and villagers would make entertainment by standing in the waist-deep water with the puppets performing over the water. Using large rods to support the puppets it appeared as if they were moving across the water with the puppeteers hidden behind a screen.

    Shows at this modern theatre are performed in a pool of water as the stage for the puppets. The puppets are controlled by no more than eight puppeteers hiding behind a bamboo screen. The renowned Thang Long Water Puppet show is considered to be one of the cultural highlights of Northern Vietnam dating back to a tradition that first started in the Red River Delta. Today’s performances usually include a number of short sketches rather than one long story, taking the audience on a journey of ancient village life, agricultural harvests and dances of mythical creatures. Most shows also feature the famous Legend of the Restored Sword of King Le which tells the tale of Hoan Kiem Lake and the giant tortoise. The live music plays an integral part of the show with singers often shouting words of encouragement to the puppets.

    Food:
    Thanh Hop, 12 Đinh Liệt, Hàng Đào, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

    Helio Coffee Shop, 57B, Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hang Bac Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
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  • Day 7

    Hué

    July 7, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    Pronounced ‘hway’, this deeply evocative capital of the Nguyen emperors still resonates with the glories of imperial Vietnam, even though many of its finest buildings were destroyed during the American War.

    Hue owes its charm partly to its location on the Perfume River – picturesque on a clear day, atmospheric even in less flattering weather. Today the city blends new and old as sleek modern hotels tower over crumbling century-old Citadel walls.

    Journalist Gavin Young’s 1997 memoir, A Wavering Grace, is a moving account of his 30-year relationship with a family from Hue, and is a fine literary companion to the city.

    A few touts are a minor hassle, but Hue remains a tranquil, conservative city with just the right concentration of nightlife. (Lonely Planet)
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  • Day 8

    Hoi An

    July 8, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Graceful, historic Hoi An is Vietnam’s most atmospheric and delightful town. Once a major port, it boasts the grand architecture and beguiling riverside setting that befits its heritage, and the 21st-century curses of traffic and pollution are almost entirely absent.

    The face of the Old Town has preserved its incredible legacy of tottering Japanese merchant houses, Chinese temples and ancient tea warehouses – though, of course, residents and rice fields have been gradually replaced by tourist businesses. Lounge bars, boutique hotels, travel agents and a glut of tailor shops are very much part of the scene here. And yet, down by the market and over on Cam Nam Island, you’ll find life has changed little. Travel a few kilometres further – you’ll find some superb bicycle, motorbike and boat trips – and some of central Vietnam’s most enticingly laid-back scenery and beaches are within easy reach. (Lonely Planet)

    Food:
    1.hongphuc2 @nguyen thai hoc st.
    2.Green chilli @nguyen thai hoc st.
    3.morning glory @nguyen thai hoc st.
    4.green mango @nguyen
    5. Dublin gate bar
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  • Day 11

    Cu Chi

    July 11, 2017 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    If the tenacious spirit of the Vietnamese can be symbolised by a place, few sites could make a stronger case for it than Cu Chi. At first glance there is scant evidence today of the vicious fighting, bombing and destruction that convulsed Cu Chi during the war. To see what went on, you have to dig deeper – underground.

    The tunnel network of Cu Chi became legendary during the 1960s for its role in facilitating VC control of a large rural area only 30km to 40km from HCMC. At its peak the tunnel system stretched from the South Vietnamese capital to the Cambodian border; in the district of Cu Chi alone more than 250km of tunnels honeycomb the ground. The network, parts of which were several storeys deep, included countless trapdoors, constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapon factories, field hospitals, command centres and kitchens. (Lonely Planet)
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  • Day 12

    Saigon

    July 12, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is Vietnam at its most dizzying: a high-octane city of commerce and culture that has driven the country forward with its pulsating energy. A chaotic whirl, the city breathes life and vitality into all who settle here, and visitors cannot help but be hauled along for the ride.

    From the finest of hotels to the cheapest of guesthouses, the classiest of restaurants to the tastiest of street stalls, the choicest of boutiques to the scrum of the markets, HCMC is a city of energy and discovery.

    Wander through timeless alleys to incense-infused temples before negotiating chic designer malls beneath sleek 21st-century skyscrapers. The ghosts of the past live on in buildings that one generation ago witnessed a city in turmoil, but now the real beauty of the former Saigon’s urban collage is the seamless blending of these two worlds into one exciting mass. (Lonely Planet)
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  • Day 13

    Kampong Khleang

    July 13, 2017 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Kampong Khleang is located on the northern lake-edge about 55 km east of Siem Reap town, more remote and less tourist than Kampong Pluk. Visitors to Kampong Khleang during the dry season are universally awestruck by the forest of stilted houses rising up to 10 meters in the air. In wet season the waters rise up to one or two meters of the buildings. Like Kompong Pluk, Kompong Khleang is a permanent community within the flood plain of the Lake, with an economy based in fishing and surrounded by flooded forest. But Kompong Khleang is significantly larger with nearly 10 times the population of Kompong Pluk, making it the largest community on the Lake. (Tourism Cambodia)Read more