Welcome to the land of motorcycles. If you want to test your faith, try walking across eight lanes of traffic with no crosswalk. This is normal and as long as you keep a steady pace, you won’t get hit.
As with most of Asia, Grab reigns supreme in both Cambodia and Vietnam, typically offering rides within the cites for $2-4 and rides to the airports around $10. Lastly, getting a simcard was easy and available at the airports and most convenience stores. In Vietnam I paid $10 for one month of unlimited data and in Cambodia I paid $3 for one week of unlimited data.
Both countries accept dollars for most purchases. Be careful when using the Vietnamese dongs though, as the exchange rate is 1:23,000+ which can make keeping track of the extra zeros difficult during transactions. In Cambodia, transactions are a little easier with an exchange rate of 1:4,000 Cambodian riel, making it easier to convert in your head.
Ho Chi Minh
After arriving at the airport, we ordered a Grab ride, which was inexpensive and could be charged to our credit card. Lesson learned: Make sure to have some local currency handy, as we had to pay for the parking when exiting the airport. This was our first taste of Vietnam traffic. And boy! were there seas of motorcycles everywhere.
The city architecture has a strong French colonial feel, reminding of Vietnam’s strenuous history. The Park Hyatt Saigon (built in the same style) is perfectly situated in the heart of Ho Chi Minh next to many sights, shops, restaurants, and the river. Unprepared to drive on the busy streets, we decided to explore the amazing city by foot. As mentioned before, crossing the streets can be quite daunting and not for faint-hearted. Being new to it, we dared not to test a belief that you can cross with your eyes closed as long as you keep a steady predictable pace.
We wanted to see the historical sites of the city. It was very easy and safe to walk around. Next to our hotel we saw the amazing Opera House, which is lit up beautifully at night. Just a few blocks away is the ornate City Hall, which stretches down a long boulevard leading directly to the river. The city hall was closed for Sunday but was still worth the view from the outside. Next we walked over to Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, which was modeled after the late Notre Dame in Paris, it was a somber reminder of how we need to enjoy our architectural wonders while we can.
After taking in the church, we wondered to the old Saigon Postal office, which still serves as the main post office and houses coffee shops, local merchants.
On the backside of Notre Dame is the Thong Nhat Park, which provides a nice escape from the hot sun. The park was filled with locals, among whom was a group of young folks playing guitar and singing songs, a throw back to good old hippie times.
At the edge of the park is the Independence Palace, which serves as a reminder of Vietnam’s freedom. The locals utilize the grounds for different festivals and speeches. The building was large and was built in a more modern architectural style than the majority of downtown.
Around the corner of the Independence Palace is the Vietnam War Remnants Museum ($2 per person), which opened our eyes to a time period that we wanted to know more about. It was a take on the war from the perspective of the people who were most greatly impacted. The museum’s exhibits did not shy away from showing the atrocities of war, the use of Agent Orange, and the aftermath. Similar to Nagasaki and Hiroshima, this was a very humbling experience for us. We finished our morning historical walk by swinging by Ben Thanh Market, which was packed with shops and local food. The next day, Julia treated herself to an amazing Vietnamese spa day, including manicure and pedicure at an unbeatable price.
We wanted to enjoy the city by river, so we found the perfect option. Instead of taking more touristy boat rides we opted for the local Saigon Waterbus! We timed it perfectly taking a ride up river ($1.50 per way) at 5pm. The temperature was cooler and the sun was setting over the many markets, neighborhoods, and the spectacularly new 1,500’ Landmark 81 Skyscrapper. A stark contrast from the old parts of the city, shining at night as a symbol of the future for Vietnam.
The ride was breathtaking. When the boat stopped we got off for a 30-minute break before our ride back to the city center, where I got a true taste of Vietnamese street food! Just a few minutes from the waterbus terminal, there was an open parking lot packed with merchants cooking food and people enjoying it. When trying to order a few seafood skewers, I found out that you just had to grab what you want and hand it to one of the cooks, a la cart style, and they will cook it for you. We enjoyed a delicious meal of lobster balls, fish balls, and crab meat, served with veggies (total was less than $2).
Ho Chi Minh was an amazing city, that made us yearn for more, as we wished we spent more time exploring not only Southern Vietnam, but northern Vietnam. We will have to return!
Phu Quoc
We left our hotel in Saigon just after 2pm for our 5:25 PM flight to Phu Quoc. Knowing it would only take about 45 minutes to get to the airport, we were sure we built in plenty of time. Upon arriving at 2:50 PM, we went to a self-help kiosk to finish the check in procedure and get ready for our flight only to learn that the check in process stops 30 minutes prior to departure. Confused, we looked around for customer service and check-in desks and saw a line of 250 people long that did not seem to be moving. So, I went to the nearest airline person I could find, showed him our flight confirmation email, and asked why we could not check in. He tried the self-help kiosk but to no avail. Then we went over to the flight board to look for our flight, only It was not showing. In fact, the only flight to Phu Quoc was at 3:20 pm, less then 30 minutes from then...
The attendant was as confused as we were as it already was 3:01 pm now. He pointed to the long line suggesting we wait our turn, but I frantically tried explaining to him that if Phu Quoc only had one flight in 20 minutes we would miss it. After a while, he opened up a line barrier and took us to the front check-in desk. I handed the check-in attendant our flight confirmation and passports. They were looking for our flight as well and could not find it either. With a puzzled look they quickly scribbled something on a piece of paper and directed us to the customer service help desk.
As we rushed over to the customer service desk, I was already expecting the worst; running through my head the various backup plans we needed to make. At the help desk, the lady took the piece of paper, looked at the clock, and quickly printed us two tickets for the 3:20 pm flight and took our bags.
I wish I could say that we were all set for our flight, but as we turned around we saw another 250+ person security line that was moving slower than molasses and it was now 3:08 pm. Thinking on our feet, we cut through the pilot and priority line trying to plead our case to the security guard. He took a quick look at our tickets and waved us through. As we were rushing through the metal detector, we forgot to take out our laptop from Julia’s backpack. Somehow instead of getting yelled at by the Vietnamese equivalent of TSA, we were allowed to just go.
We quickly looked up our gate number and started running in that direction as we heard over the loud speakers: Last call for a Mr. Michael Walsh and Ms. Julia Walsh. We picked up our pace. As the guard was getting ready to shut the gate door, we were waving our hands and yelling we are the Walsh’s. They held the door.
We finally made our “flight”. We checked our watches it was 3:20 pm. While we were very upset with the airline for either cancelling our flight or moving it up 2 hours without any notification, cough VietJet Airlines cough. We were amazed at the help the airport staff showed us, helping us check in, check our bags, go through security, and make the earlier flight in less than 25 minutes in a busy airport.
Another reason we were so worried about missing our flight was because we were meeting someone in Phu Quoc - our reoccurring travel companion aunt Sheila, who previously explored Switzerland and Bulgaria with us back in our first section of the Trip. We met at the Intercontinental Phu Quoc, a brand new resort right in the Bay of Thailand. We enjoyed the pools, aqua yoga class, personal fitness lesson, and the beach as we relaxed after our crazy journey getting there.
We also wanted to explore Phu Quoc and learn more about the island itself. We arranged a day trip with a local driver. It was a great deal 8 hours and 80km of travel for $30 total. He drove us around to all of the sights where we witnessed a variety of places supporting the local economy:
- A pearl farm,
- A honey farm,
- A black pepper farm, and
- A fish sauce market.
All four stops offered free tours and showed us how each place functioned providing jobs for the Vietnamese. It was fascinating to see and we even had a chance to try the different honeys and black peppers. If you want to try mango/garlic flavored pepper or ginger honey, this is the place.
The tour also offered a lesson on the past and the future as we visited the following:
- The Phu Quoc Cable Car (the longest in the world)
All three were vastly different but equally fascinating. Of particular note is the war prison which was a leftover camp from the Vietnam War demonstrating yet again the horrors of war.
Overall, Phu Quoc seemed to be amidst some heavy construction all over the island as resorts, shopping areas, and theme parks are rising by the day. The islanders told us that the island’s construction and tourist boom will come to fruition in 2021 as a soft grand opening of the luxurious getaway spot. I would be interested in seeing the island when it is all completed nd can only hope the tourism positively impacts the environment and the people who live there.
Siem Reap
We left the land of motorcycles and arrived in the land of tuk tuks. Cambodia loves its tuk tuks and so did we. They offered the quickest way of getting around just a Grab App call away. We stayed in town at the Courtyard Marriott. Although we enjoyed our stay at the hotel, if I had to do it again, I would probably select a hotel closer to central district were all shops and restaurants are located.
We explored the fascinating downtown of Siem Reap by day and night. By day, it was hot but enjoyable. By night, with the cooler temperature, the area came to life with lights and even more people at the night market. We enjoyed the fresh fruits, especially the mangoes which you could be purchase 2 for a $1. By night we dined at local Cambodian and Indian restaurants. We enjoyed one restaurant, the Indian Gate, so much that we actually went twice, both times enjoying amazing vegetarian selections and fresh mango shakes for less than $4 total.
While the Siem Reap market and downtown area were amazing, we came to Cambodia for another reason. The temples of Angkor, which are located just a few kilometers north of town. We wanted to explore most of them because they offered a glimpse into one of the greatest civilizations, dating back to the 9th century. We hired a tuk tuk for the day on Klook for $10, who would take us around to the temples and offered us some history lessons.
The first stop was the ticket center. For the Angkor Temples Archeological Park area, you need to purchase a 1, 3, or 7 day pass at ($37, $62, or $72, respectively).
Next, we proceeded to the most grand and popular temple Angkor Wat, which sits on a massive piece of land, surrounded by a moat and perimeter wall. The sight was so grand that you could easily spend countless hours wandering the grounds. The temple along with many of the others is in relatively good shape for sitting unused for centuries, partially thanks to the amazing job the archaeologists have been doing, as they are still uncovering more sights in the greater surrounding area.
- The South Gate of Angkor Thom,
- Bayon Temple,
- Baphuon,
- Phimeanakas,
- The Terrace of the Leper King
- The Terrace of the Elephants,
- Ta Keo Temple,
- Ta Prohm Temple, and
- Banteay Kdei Temple
You would think with so many temples you would get temple fatigue or that they were all similar, but we found it to be quite the opposite. Each temple had its own unique charm. Bayon had hundreds of faces etched in its walls. Baphuon had a long bridge leading to it. Phimeanakas served as the royal palace, the terrace of the Leper King and Elephants stretching out in front of the temple as protection. Ta Keo was massive but unadorned. Ta Prohm (used as a filmset for the Tomb Raider movies) showed what vegetation in the jungle does to stone over time. The long temple Banteay was narrower than the rest but led to the reservoirs of Srah Srang.
Each temple was amazing, but our personal favorites were Ta Prohm and Bayon. Ta Prohm also held a special place for us, as we randomly ran into the couple whom we had previously scuba dove with back in Coron, Philippines (Section 7 of the trip). It showed us just how small the world is, and we enjoyed walking a few temples with them before parting ways.
Angkor exceeded our expectations, in large part thanks to our awesome driver who navigated us around the different temples.
To relax and sit for our final evening we saw the world famous Phare Circus of Siem Reap as they performed “White Gold.” It was an amazing acrobatic performance rivaling Circus Soleil but offering a more intimate feel with only 150-200 seats around the stage. The show was $18 pp and well worth it as the show told a unique tail about the history of the Cambodian people.
We said farewell to Cambodia and its rich history that is still being uncovered today. We watched as aunt Sheila left for home in one last Tuk Tuk, we hope to see her again on our travels!
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