Month 8 & 9 Catch-Up - Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi, Vietnam
While traveling long-term you experience plenty of moments of pure ecstasy. Moments that you believe will never be topped until the next one rolls around providing that same feeling again. However, what a lot of travelers won't tell you about are the low moments that come while traveling as well. These low’s might be for a specific reason or they may be completely unexplainable. For the first few weeks during my travels of Month 8 I found myself experiencing plenty of low moments. I had a few laughs here and there but for the most part I wasn't enjoying traveling anymore. There were multiple things going on that had me in a serious funk, some in my control and others not. It was all affecting me in such a negative way. I didn't want to be around anyone nor share my travel stories anymore, hence the hiatus. I didn't know what to do to get myself back on track. Luckily while traveling I've learned, just like in life, things have a way of working themselves out without my help. With a simple visit to an ice cream parlor accompanied by an awesome young woman from Australia, who I had just meet in my room, I was reminded that “It’s All Good”. After that moment it seemed like everyday got a little bit better then the next. With Month 9 turning out to be one of my favorite travel months of the trip! So follow along below and see how the lows of Month 8 took me to the highs of Month 9…
Where I've Been
Pakbang / Laos
Luang Prabang / Laos
Vang Vieng / Laos
Vientiane / Laos
Don Det / Laos
Siem Reap / Cambodia
Phnom Penh / Cambodia
Otres Beach / Cambodia
Koh Rong Samloem / Cambodia
Koh Rong / Cambodia
Ho Chi Mihn City / Vietnam
Nha Trang / Vietnam
Hoi An / Vietnam
Hue / Vietnam
Phong Nha / Vietnam
Halong Bay / Vietnam
Hanoi / Vietnam
Highlights
The 4000 Islands aren't as frequently visited as other places in Laos and I believe this is a major mistake. Don Det is the most popular island of the bunch and it was my favorite part of Laos. There's a little “beach” to relax on, a couple swimming pools to take a dip and plenty of activities to keep you busy. Plus the island has one of the best Indian restaurants I've ever been to, Jasmine’s.
Returning to Cambodia was a real joy! I started my trip in Siem Reap, a place I had visited before and fell in love even more the 2nd time around. Let us get this out the way now, I did not visit Angkor Wat. I had been before and instead wanted to relax, while exploring other parts of Siem Reap. I’m sure some of you are thinking “But Alex, you could spend a lifetime exploring Angkor Wat”. In which I’ll remind you the name of this blog is AJB Travels. Meaning AJB will do as he pleases. Siem Reap is a cool city with more to see than just Pub Street even if it is good fun at night. I rented a tuk tuk for an afternoon, and the driver, Lucky, drove me around to his favorite parts of the city. Haha he also made an attempt to sell me weed along the way. Hey what good tuk tuk driver in Cambodia doesn't also double as a drug dealer? Rest of my time was spent eating, getting a massage and chilling at the pool!
As a backpacker, long road trips are the norm. When in Southeast Asia being cramped into an uncomfortable bus or minivan is expected. I booked the VIP minivan down to Phnom Penh and wow was I surprised when this thing turned out to be an actual VIP minivan. Large comfortable leather reclining chairs, proper cup holders and air conditioning. This was by far the most comfortable journey I've had while traveling in SEA. Unfortunately, I was so excited that I forgot to take a photo as proof of comfort.
Calling this a highlight seems a bit wrong but visiting the Killing Fields and S21 Prison in Phnom Penh was a rewarding and sombering experience. If you don't know much about the genocide that took place in Cambodia I recommend researching it or better yet visiting Cambodia. To receive a thorough history and understanding about the Killing Fields and S21 Prison you are provided with an audio guide tour. Quietly walking around listening to the stories of those who had suffered, I learned a great deal about what happened in both locations and across the entire country during this horrific time period. The whole experience was a sad reminder of what humans are capable of doing to other humans. It was also a reminder that we can all do better in making sure these kinds of awful tragedies do not continue to take place.
Can you believe I had been in SEA since November and hadn't seen a beach once until mid February? I’m not sure what I was doing that whole time now that I look back. Hitting the beach and islands were at the top of my list of things to do when arriving in Cambodia. I was in dire need of some sun, crystal clear water and an umbrella drink! First stop was Otres Beach, which is the only beach you should visit because Sihanoukville is awful. Otres Beach had the right mix of party and relaxation. The beaches weren't too overcrowded, people seemed to be way more chilled out and there is an awesome night market on Saturdays. If only I could have stayed longer but I had a date with island life!
A lot of people are unaware of the beautiful islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem in Cambodia. For me they were what I was looking forward to the most. Koh Rong has a reputation as a party island but you can find some quiet strips of beach to get away from it all as well. Koh Rong Samloem is complete isolation away from any and everything! Try staying at Mad Monkey on Koh Rong Samloem. You've got your own beach and party with 60 other cool travelers. Don’t forget to take a dip in the water at night to witness the bright sparkles of the plankton! Compared to many of the islands in Thailand the islands in Cambodia are far less touristy and developed which was too my liking. I met a bunch of awesome people visiting and working on both islands. Waking up to the sound of waves crashing and beautiful blue water didn't get old once. It was a great way to end my time in Cambodia.
After hearing so many great stories about Vietnam from other travelers, I was excited to finally arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. By coincidence I had arrived during the start of Tet, which is the Vietnamese New Year. The city was absolutely buzzing with people and events going on everywhere. I’ve been to plenty of major cities but HCMC was an entirely different experience. It was mass chaos that seemed to flow perfectly. Amongst the chaos I ran into a friend I made in Bangkok randomly in the busy streets. Along with some new friends, we had a great time celebrating Tet and watching the fireworks show surround by Vietnamese locals. So far Vietnam was living up to all my expectations!
No way I could visit Vietnam and not have my first meal be a steaming hot bowl of pho. I pointed to a picture of a bowl that looked good on the menu. When the lovely lady brought out my bowl along with an assortment of condiments, I looked around to see what others were doing. I watched as the locals went to work, adding a touch of this and sprinkle of that. I gave mine a try with nothing added and it tasted magical. I then did as the locals did adding just the right amount of flavors to make the bowl of pho my own!
I headed to Nha Trang to meet my good buddy I met traveling in Myanmar. We had grand plans to motorbike through Vietnam! I’ll tell more about that adventure later in this post though. When I met my buddy, at our hostel in Nha Trang, it was as if no time had passed since seeing each other. We instantly were throwing back beers, sharing stories and making friends with everyone at the hostel. Nha Trang wasn't our favorite city on the trip but we made the best of it with the help of two hilarious Danish girls in our room.
Hoi An was a beautiful city and one of my favorite places in Vietnam. The yellow buildings and colorful lamps looked like something from a postcard. These days the city is mostly geared towards tourist but not in an overbearing way. The locals were lovely and full of smiles. Which was matched by tourist taking in the sights and sounds of the city in a respectful manner. Hoi An had plenty to offer in the food category from cheap local spots to tasty sit down meals. A favorite of ours was the cau lao served up by Ms. Ha’s. We ate there at least twice a day. What I also like about Hoi An was that you could go from a busy riverside town to a relaxed beach vibe in about 10 minutes. I’ve already promised myself that I will visit again!
No trip to Hoi An is complete without visiting one of the many tailor shops to have your own custom clothing or shoes made. When I sat down at Tony’s Tailor, which I highly recommend, the lovely ladies there gave me a fashion catalogue to pick out what I wanted. I repeatedly asked, “Can you make this?”. Which they always respond with an, “Of course!”. I felt like a kid in the candy store. All said and done I walked out with a custom fitting suit, two dress shirts, two pair of chinos and shoes for the grand total of $300. I've never had my clothes fit better! I needed to get out of Hoi An before I spent every last dollar I had on new clothes.
Hip Hip Hue! Haha my buddies I was traveling with loved hearing me yell that every chance I got. On our way north we stopped in Hue for a fun packed afternoon and evening. We checked out the main sites and then decide to play tourist and ride back in those rickshaw things. With a long motorbike ride ahead of us it would have been smart to take it easy that evening. However, a couple games of match box and a happy hour later we were in full fledge party mode. As you're probably guessing, we did not leave early for the next day's ride.
The natural beauty of Phong Nha was breathtaking. It’s the kind of place where you would film a movie like King Kong 2. Oh wait they were filming King Kong 2 while we were there. We didn't see any oversized apes but we did visit the enormous Paradise Cave and ride through stunning peaks and valleys carved out by mother nature. Because I know you're thinking it, yes we saw a few stars from the movie. Apparently the actors who played Eazy E and Dr. Dre in the movie Straight Outta Compton think they are real life rappers, as they were entertaining the bar crowd with some karaoke. Still disappointed I didn't get to see Samuel L. Jackson!
A must for everyone visiting Vietnam is a trip to one of the new 7 natural wonders of the world, Halong Bay. Let me tell you right now there isn't a picture that does this place justice. I'll never forget sitting on the boat staring out into the bay at all the islands and all the bay's beauty. Through our hostel in Hanoi we booked a 3 day tour of Halong Bay which included accommodation on a private island. The whole trip is on the pricey side but totally worth it. We had a great group that made sure we enjoyed ourselves from start to finish! Haha I will say there are a few parts though of the trip I wish I could erase from memory.
Last stop of the Vietnam road trip was Hanoi. Sadly I didn't get to see much of Hanoi outside the Old Quarter but I did enjoy my time there. Made some awesome friends, explored the area and ate non stop. Can you believe I even found a Popeye's Chicken? Not a bad way to end a trip in Vietnam!
Lowlights and Takeaways
The famed 2 day slow boat journey down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang was not the adventure I had envisioned. I saw myself surrounded by other backpackers floating down that river with a Beer Laos in hand, relaxing and enjoying the scenery. What I got instead was sardine can type seating with a mix of backpackers, families and locals being ushered down the river with only a slight view of our surroundings. For the first few hours the ride was fairly nice but once I realized I had a whole day and a half left I quickly regretted boarding the boat. After a while, looking out at the river and trees got old fast.
The minute you reach Luang Prabang you instantly see the influence of French colonization in everything from the architecture to baguettes and cheese. It was nice to finally get some decent bread and pastries! For the most part I found the city to be boring and left earlier than intended. I’d recommend visiting for older travelers and families. There’s a viewpoint to watch sunset but unless you get there very early you'll just be watching the back of people's heads. Wish I knew this before paying to go up there. Main attraction I think is a trip out to the waterfalls particularly Kuang Si. Oddly everything shuts down at 12am except, the bowling alley? The only place to hang out late is the bowling alley where you can buy bottles of booze only. We enjoyed ourselves but I'm sure you can imagine how buying bottles of booze at midnight can escalate the night very quickly. Overall, if you're in Laos it’s likely you will find yourself in Luang Prabang, how long you should spend there is open to debate.
Next stop in Laos was the infamous city of Vang Vieng known for being a party spot for backpackers. It’s tubing during the day and Sakura Bar at night. The tubing isn't as wild as it once was, of the ten bars on the river only two are allowed open each day. I enjoyed the whole experience but can definitely picture what it must have been like in its heyday. Today there are fewer drunk Western backpackers and more Koreans kayakers (a couple Korean reality shows were filmed in Laos making it a popular vacation spot now). After tubing I found little else to do in the Vang Vieng. I also got really sick there which might be why my time there has found it’s way to the lowlights.
I can't say much about Vientiane other then that I had some really good pizza. The city has an excellent food scene but I can't say it has much beyond that. It’s one of those places backpackers stop briefly enroute to other cities. I guess it’s worth a day of your time just to get a quality meal.
My first sleeper bus experience was from Vientiane to Don Det. Those things were honestly made for extremely short people or small children. You and hopefully a friend, if not it'll be a complete stranger, are squeezed into this little cubby. Cramped space coupled with the awful driving makes for a restless night. My one piece of advice, if you're sleeping next to someone you know have one person turn the opposite way. This will give you far more room just make sure to keep your feet out the other person's face!
If you're starting to notice a trend, that I didn't enjoy my time in Laos, you are correct. Laos wasn't the place for me and I was happy when I left. I’m certainly not telling any of you not to visit because I've met people who loved Laos. However, I also met a lot of people who had the same feelings as me. The locals weren't as friendly as in other surrounding countries and most cities did not have much to offer. Maybe your experience will be different so don't let my negativity put you off from visiting.
It was an awesome experience being in Vietnam for Tet but it did make our motorbike plans a lot more difficult. During Tet everything shuts down for at least a week, which made it very difficult to buy a motorbike. I searched all over Ho Chi Minh City while my buddy searched Nha Trang. Through complete luck we got a tip from reception at our hostel and just like that I was the owner of a new motorbike!
When I packed for Southeast Asia I figured everywhere would be hot. Boy was I wrong. Heading up to northern Vietnam was a cold and wet affair when riding through the mountains. This is one of the reasons we cut our motorbiking trip short.
Having to say goodbye to friends you make traveling is always the toughest part. I didn't want to part ways with my two motorbike buddies. The three of us had really bonded and had the most amazing time on our journey through Vietnam. Hopefully I'll see those guys again soon then later.
Only While Traveling
As I mentioned before my trip through Vietnam was done via motorbike. For fear of hearing my parents constant worrying I “forgot” to tell them about this part of the trip. Don't worry I had friends at home who knew where I was and what I was doing. I'm not totally irresponsible. The trip was meant to start from Ho Chi Minh City but due to difficulties finding a bike during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) I met my buddy in Nha Trang. After much effort and energy searching for a bike, we finally found the right bike at the right price! I was excited but also extremely nervous. All I could think was “What had I got myself into?” But it was too late to turn back now.
My buddy had spent a few days biking with a guide and received loads of information to help plan the rest of our journey. He had this thing mapped out perfectly, on paper. We'd later find out mother nature and our inability to wake up early would throw a wrinkle in our plans. Before we set off from Nha Trang, we managed to pick up another guy who was riding north. He didn't have a plan and instantly decided to join us. A Brit, Irishman and American rode out of Nha Trang into a journey of a lifetime!
Before the story continues I'll just go ahead and mention that our Irish friend had bought the backpacker favorite Honda Winn. Long story short it's a cool looking bike but they're all knock offs at this point with cheap parts. You'll likely spend lots of time and money getting the bike fixed. Our Irish friend found this out the hard way. My recommendation is to opt for one of the many other bikes/scooters, like the locals ride.
Our next major destination would be Hoi An. We made a few overnight stops along the way which provided a glimpse into life in Vietnam anyway for the busy cities. The ride was peaceful and the landscape beautiful. The nervous feelings I had were still there but I knew right away I'd never regret the decision to see Vietnam this way. With very few tourists on the roads we were driving, we were like celebrities everywhere we went. Like when we went looking for a bar and instead walked into a booming party. For once in my life I knew what it might feel like to be famous. Young Vietnamese partygoers continually came over to cheers us and take pictures. We even had our own groupie who seemed to get upset if anyone else talked to us. It was a hilarious evening we laughed about throughout the trip.
Hoi An was my favorite city in Vietnam. It's definitely a tourist town now but it all flows nicely with the locals. My buddies and I probably had our best laughs in Hoi An. Haha we've got a few stories I'll leave out of this blog! Without saying the words I think we all agreed we'd never step into another bar named Why Not again.
Next stop on this road trip was Hip Hip Hue! The journey to Hue took us through the famed Hải Vân Pass, which has grown in popularity since being featured on the show Top Gear. It was an awesome ride with stunning views but not the best we would see. Plus since it is so well known now there's lots of motorbikes and tour buses doing the route as well.
The ride from Hue to this little town called A Luoi was the best ride of the trip. We stopped countless times to take photos and admire the beauty around us. These were moments we never would have got while crammed into a bus.
After some awful weather while riding through the mountains we finally reached Dong Hoi. Sadly it was here that our three man crew became just two. Our Irish buddy had a flight to catch home so he stuck his bike on a bus a went on to Hanoi. It sucked losing one of the crew and he was surely missed.
My British buddy and I pushed forward with a stop in nearby Phang Nha. That turned out to be a really cool part of the trip and I'm glad we didn't skip it. Riding through the mountains and exploring the caves were good fun. After this the ride into Hanoi was quite boring. Just a long stretch of highway, although the last 15km might have been the most dangerous. Between the traffic and crazy driving our lives flashed before our eyes a few times.
While I was happy to have reached our destination I was bummed the ride was over. I didn't want to part with my bike or say goodbye to my buddy and Vietnam. The whole trip was absolutely amazing and I can't thank my two new friends enough for providing me with memories and stories for a lifetime!
Mini Mailbag
Q: That's amazing, how much did it cost to motorbike through Vietnam?
What most travellers do is buy a motorbike either in HCMC or Hanoi and travel from one to the other. Depending on the type of bike and it's condition the price will vary. You’ll like pay nothing more than $300 usd and sell it for a similar price. Selling to other backpackers will net you more money as the buy/sell shops will rip you off. It's also said that you can get more selling in HCMC. I paid about $300 and sold for $225. Meaning that traveling 2+ weeks throughout Vietnam cost my $75! You can also hire a guide and/or rent a motorbike but I'm not sure of the pricing.
Q: There are beaches and islands in Cambodia?
Yes and they are some really nice ones in my opinion. Thailand is clearly a more well known tourist destination for beaches. But if you want something a little more laid back or not as touristy check out places like Otres Beach or Kong Rong Samloem. Oh and these places are much cheaper travel destinations as well.
Q: You're time on the road is coming to an end soon. Any idea what you're going to do next?
NOT A CLUE!!
Ok folks that was a long one and hopefully you stuck with me. Writing this made me remember how much I enjoy sharing my experiences with everyone. It also helps me remember all the awesome places I've seen and cool people I've met. Do me favor, go take a little trip of your own. You deserve it!
Where I'm headed next
Thai Islands
Malaysia
Sri Lanka