Marco's Travel Update: 2009

Phu Quoc Island - Vietnam best kept Secret <2009.10.10>

Shhh … can you keep a secret?

If yes, than here it is: Phu Quoc Island, a tropical retreat, where roads are hardly paved, beaches are pristine and deserted and reefs are untouched and full of Marine life.

Soon it might become a second Phuket but as of today it is still an insider tip to Vietnam travelers.

We took the speed boat from Rach Gia which just takes you 2 hrs for the 60kms and a half hour drive to our lovely resort. We left our belongings there and took a scooter around the island.

Our first stop brought us to Ham Nimh fishing village where we got the tip to try the fresh BBQ crabs – they were delicious! Never thought we could manage a whole kilogram of them :-p)

Not only the food also the scenery is a highlight for itself. Here you can feel a different life beat than on the mainland … that`s really refreshing.

Beside exploring waterfalls and lonely beaches Phu Quoc is also a famous for the diving grounds at its south islands.

With Vietnam Explorer we spent a great day out there having our best dives here in Vietnam.

I can`t imagine a better place for our last days here in Vietnam where we watched the sunset and sip on our cocktails rewinding our adventures we had in this beautiful country.

Goodbye Vietnaaaaaaaam

More on:
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Mekong Delta - The Rice Bowl of Vietnam <2009.10.18>

Another highlight of Vietnam is the Mekong Delta where one third of the population is living and were the prosperity of the country comes from. The easiest way to explore this area is via a organized 2 or 3 day trip from Saigon.

But be cautious there are countless operators running those tours for less than 10U$ a day – remember you got what you pay for. We did a 2 day cross-country with a home stay for one night.
After the trip I recommend to do this on your own where you can escape the crowds and cramped busses like ours as we where a group of 40!

We started with boat trip on the Mekong to some of the four Islands. Here you can try local specialties like honey wine, fresh fruits while listing to local music or dancing with little King Pythons … a normal day for Vietnamese.

Leaving this place in traditional nut shells along on the river highway we made our way to our resting place at a local family close to the city Can Tho – a so called home stay.

We stayed there with a nice American Couple from the Virgin Islands which become our talking mates as the family couldn`t speak any word English and was just observing us from a distance.

Our luxury river bungalows where awaiting us with millions of mosquitoes which kept us entertained over the night. Protected by the scary dog we felt safe and fell asleep quiet quickly.

We got up early next morning and the landlord took us on his boat to the local floating market where we could see the traditional way of selling around this area.

Everyone can sell anything here – just tie up your good on the wooden stick high above your boat and wait until other boats approach you. And as easy it is – many are doing this – so it can get really busy here.

Here the trip ends for us and we move on to the east side of the Mekong Delta awaiting our ferry to our last destination.

Leaving Mainland

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The Streets of Saigon <2009.10.15>

Here we are Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City – the place where wars were fought in recent days – where millions of people are living with one common goal … business. And I forgot one thing to mention: more than 2 million scooters are registered here … so we are prepared for some action!

But we are surprised – we expected a second Hanoi, but instead we got a well organized traffic, where people blow the horn only when really necessary and not with the rhythm of their heart beat.

The streets are clean, the roads are wide enough to walk safely on the pavement and traffic lights where respected in the way are used too.

We quickly liked this place with a good mix of shopping places, street side restaurants and countless number of Chinese and Buddhist temples.

The city walk brought us the parliament house which when it fell was the end of the Vietnam War on 30.4.1969.

The brutality of the war is very impressive shown in the war museum which is a must see of Saigon.

One day we dedicated to the other china town which has a rich history and collection of the most beautiful temples and pagodas.

The perfect place to remember your ancestor and to pray to the higher power from the countless Chinese spirits.

Bewitched

More on:
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Sand Dunes and Endless Beaches in Mui Ne <2009.10.12>

Most people take the direct bus from Nha Trang to Saigon, but you would miss a real highlight of Vietnam – the hidden Gem Mui Ne.

Getting popular by Saigon`s expats as closest beach resort area it offers a 10km white powder beach with a good infrastructure of resorts and restaurants. The perfect place to escape the buzzing city life over a weekend or more.

So we lay back in one of the sleeping busses and in less than 5 hours we reached the main beach area where we got a beachfront bungalow at Indochina dreams for just 30U$.

This is the place to relax and unwind…

After a day on the beach our restless souls were already asking for more to do and see. So we rent a motorbike and hiked the fairy springs walk to the famous red sand dunes where you have a great view during the noon hours.

On the way the huge sand dunes we pass the fishing village which looks like a Roland Emmerich Epic Move with thousands of fishing boats. Not only the view as well the smell was impressive ;-)