My trip to... Vietnam & Cambodia
They overflow with bustling streetlife and have a turbulent recent past, but Vietnam and Cambodia fascinate at every turn, says
From Heathrow to Hanoi at dawn and straight into the mad scramble that is Vietnamese traffic. There appears to be no rules and you can forget the Green Cross Code.
The best way to deal with it – and this doesn’t sound sensible – is to step off the pavement and stroll straight into it at a leisurely pace, letting the hundreds of scooters steer right around you. After a short time it feels completely natural.
Our base in Vietnam’s capital for two days is the centrally located Silk Path Hotel, in the atmospheric Old Quarter and a short walk to all the major sights. We take a rickshaw tour and stare in amazement at the great spider webs of overhead cables which power this area and its multitude of shops and tiny coffee houses.
It’s worth braving the big queues at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, if only to experience the adulation which many Vietnamese still bestow on the excommunist leader. Afterwards, we head to peaceful Hoan Kiem lake. The location for many wedding photos and morning workouts, it provides a calming contrast to the frenetic atmosphere elsewhere.
Karsting off
Whilst there’s plenty to see in Hanoi we take a day excursion to the stunning Tam Coc, location for the recent King Kong
Skull Island film and described as Halong Bay on land. The highlight is a gentle boat ride through the meandering waterways which carve through vast paddy fields dotted with imposing limestone karsts and caves. The journey is even more dreamlike thanks to our navigator, who uses just her feet to row and steer the boat through the mesmerising landscape.
Next up is the real Halong Bay and a onenight cruise with Paradise Cruises.
As we arrive the company puts the red carpet out – but alas it is not for us but down to welcome a catwalk procession of models and actresses.
The service and accommodation onboard is exceptional and we upgrade to a $200 package, which includes unlimited drinks, a relaxing hour-long massage in the ship’s spa and the use of a canoe for one of the three excursions.
We manage to tear ourselves away from the teak deck and cold drinks, visiting the weird and wonderful rock formations of Surprise Cave and braving an early morning hike to the top of Ti Top Island for a stunning panoramic view of the bay.
Temple time
From natural wonders to manmade splendour, the next morning we fly to Siem Reap in Cambodia and the Temples of Angkor Wat. Just like Halong Bay, this unique place is recognised by UNESCO and every effort is being made to protect the dramatic ruins which were once lost to the surrounding jungle.
It’s difficult to put into words how just how spectacular these ruins are – the pictures really don’t do Angkor Wat justice.
Our local guide navigates us around just three of many temples, including the Bayou temple with its 216 faces set in stone for hundreds of years. The highlight has to be Ta Prohm, the location for Lara Croft:
Tomb Raider. Muscular, snake-like roots penetrate the ornate buildings which act as
anchors for the ancient trees.
Angkor Palace Resort and Spa is our home for three days and after our temple tours we take the opportunity to rest and relax in the tranquil gardens and soothing waters of the landscaped pool, followed by a traditional Khmer massage in the spa.
Rejuvenated, we head back into Vietnam and the colourful ancient trading port of Hoi An. It’s an eclectic mix of French colonial architecture and traditional Vietnamese tube houses overlaid with Chinese and Japanese influences.
Fusion city
Mustard-painted restaurants and cafes line the canal and provide a perfect setting for long lazy lunches, but it’s at night when the city comes alive.
Those famous lanterns hang from every building, reflecting a rainbow of colours into the still water – a magical setting for romantic boat passengers who cast their candlelit wishes into the water.
This is not a city of late night parties –the old town closes down around 22.30 – but our hotel, Hotel Royal Hoi An, boasts the highest vantage point in town so we head to the 10th floor for a nightcap cocktail.
Most hotels in Hoi An offer free bike hire and just a few kilometres away is An Bang beach, where we recover from our exertions by relaxing on the white sand and sipping cool drinks in the casual bars.
Before flying home we negotiate another bustling metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. Formerly called Saigon, it has some impressive landmarks from the French
vietnam and cambodia