Day 1: Singapore - Ho Chi Minh City - Tay Ninh - HCMC
Day 2: HCMC - Cai Be - Vinh Long - Can Tho
Day 3: Can Tho - My Tho - HCMC
Day 4: HCMC - Dalat
Day 5: Dalat
Day 6: Dalat
Day 7: Dalat - Nha Trang
Day 8: Nha Trang
Day 9: Nha Trang
Day 10: Nha Trang - Hoi An (overnight bus)
Day 11: Hoi An
Day 12: Hoi An - Hue
Day 13: Hue - DMZ - Hanoi (overnight bus)
Day 14: Hanoi - Mai Chau
Day 15: Mai Chau - Sonla
Day 16: Sonla - Dien Bien Phu
Day 17: Dien Bien Phu - Sapa
Day 18: Sapa
Day 19: Sapa - Lao Cai - Hanoi (overnight train)
Day 20: Hanoi
Day 21: Hanoi - Hoa Lu - Tam Coc - Hanoi
Day 22: Hanoi - Halong Bay - Cat Ba Island
Day 23: Cat Ba Island - Halong Bay - Hanoi - Singapore
DAY 1 (15 December 2007, Saturday)
Tiger Airways TR326 arrived in Tan Son Nhat Airport at 0700hrs local time, but it took half an hour for the luggages to appear on the baggage belt. On collection of my backpack, I got on a meter-taxi and told the driver to get to the backpacker's area at De Tham Street. The morning traffic in Ho Chi Minh City is real slow. By the time I arrived in Sinh Café in De Tham Street, it was already 0810hrs.
I went into Sinh Café and booked a full day tour of the Cao Dai Great Temple & Cu Chi Tunnel for US$6(S$9), which begins at 0815hrs. Timing was so perfect that by the time I walk out of Sinh Café, the bus arrives and I hopped onto it.
Being with a tour group, the only thing I dislike most is when the bus brings you to some souvenir shops or some handicraft shops where it is not stated in your itinerary. Our first stop here is a Handicap Handicraft Centre.
Here, a lot of the handicrafts are made of egg shells.
Continuing on the bus journey for another hour, we arrived at the Cao Dai Great Temple. Cao Daism is a fusion of religion between the Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, native Vitnamese spiritualism, Christianity and Islam officially founded in 1926.
We spent about 45minutes watching the noon ceremony before proceeding for lunch at a nearby restaurant where prices are reasonable.
The long bus ride, coupled with the filling lunch got everyone sleeping soundly on the bus journey to the Ben Dinh Tunnel (part of the Cu Chi Tunnel System).
This was the base of the former leadership and Party Committee of Cu Chi District, for their accommodations and meeting, a place of unique tactical deployment contribtuting to the national defending resistance against the enemy. Entrance Fee at the tunnel is 70,000VND(S$7). We watched a little documentary of the tunnel on video and then the tour guide briefed us on the tunnel interiors. It was an amazing network underground.
This is the actual tunnel entrance. At least I am slim enough to enter.
An M-41 tank on display.
Arriving back at Ho Chi Minh City at 1900hrs, I booked my tour for the next day, and then got a room at Hotel Mai Phai for US$14(S$20). The room is decent and clean, with a nice view of the city on the 8th floor. However, the lift stops at the 6th floor and I have to walk up to the 8th floor!
After unpacking, I went to Bo Kho for Pho Bo (beef noodles) followed by a not so appealing roadside stall for steamed bamboo clams dipped with chilli and salt. This is the best Pho in Saigon.
DAY 2 (16 December 2007, Sunday)
I had breakfast at the hotel at 0740hrs and went on to Sinh Café to join the 2D/1N tour to the Mekong Delta. The 3hrs bus ride took us to Cai Be where we were transferred to a boat to see the Cai Be Floating Market.
We also went to see rice paper making, rice crispies producing process, and coconut candy making in the town.
Moving on, it was a super boring 1hr boat trip to a kelong restaurant owned by Sinh Café for lunch. It was a simple lunch that consist of salad, rice, deep fried pork, Vietnamese spring roll, vegetables, and some fruits. After lunch, the ‘live band’ came to perform some traditional Vietnamese music.
From there, we continued the boat trip to the Vinh Long and transferred back to our bus, where we crossed the lower Mekong Delta River onto Can Tho.
By 1600hrs, we got ourselves checked in at Hoa Phuong Hotel. I shared my room with Yi Eng, whom is also a Singaporean.
Sunset view from the hotel
Together with Yi Eng, a Chinese, a Vietnamese and a Japanese, we went out together for dinner. We had quite a sumptuous dinner consisting of deep fried frog legs, sour soup, catfish in soya sauce, squids with ketchup and stir fried eel. The meal was fantastic, coupled with a Vietnamese white coffee.
We then walked around the town and and explore the sleepy town. We found this on a roadside stall and decided to give it a try. It's actually a duck egg with a full-grown ducklet inside. Not for the faint-hearted!
DAY 3 (17 December 2007, Monday)
After breakfast, we left the hotel at 0800hrs and went to the Cai Rang Floating Market, about 6km from Can Tho. This is the biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta. The Cai Rang Floating Market is very very different from the floating markets in Thailand. Here, it is pure trading between boats, where sellers hang their products on a bamboo pole vertically on their boat, and buyers do not have a bamboo poles on theirs. The ones in Bangkok are too commercialized where the government built them intentionally to attract tourists. Furthermore, most of the sellers only sell souvenirs to tourists.
This is a monkey bridge over the river. Notice the single narrow wooden pole used as a bridge? This explains the people crossing this bridge balances like a monkey!
We had lunch back in Can Tho and then head to Vinh Long local market to see some of the best local stuffs on sale, ranging from fresh vegetables, to meat, to hardwares, and cigarettes in cartons.
On the way back to Ho Chi Minh City, the bus stopped at My Tho for quick stopover. Here, the shop sells souvenirs and behind the shop is a lovely garden and a small pond.
We soon arrived back in Ho Chi Minh City and I got myself a room at Hotel 265 for US$13(S$19). As usual, I went to my favourite Bo Kho Pho Bo stall and the clam stall by the roadside for dinner.
DAY 4 (18 December 2007, Tuesday)
At 0700hrs, I checked out of Hotel 265 and went to Sinh Cafe for breakfast. I had a satisfying almond croissant and a white coffee for 35,000VND(S$3).
The bus left on time at 0730hrs with a lunch stopover at Boa Loc where the cafe provides free wifi. I arrived in Dalat and was greeted with some nice cool weather. A check on my GPS indicates that Dalat is about 1500m above sea level.
After alighting the bus at the Sinh Cafe office, I walked about 50m and found My Hanh Hotel for just 100,000VND per night. The room is small, but decent enough with hotwater shower and cable tv.
The lady owner of the hotel.
I came out of the hotel only to discover some great BBQ food next to the hotel. Here, I met Phuong Ann, who is the only English speaking lady at the stall. She told me that they sell Vietnamese pancake and Pork Roll. I had one each.
It was delicious!
After dinner, I asked Phuong-Ann about getting an 'Easy Rider', which is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by the Lonely Planet Guidebook. She instantly picked up the phone and a member of the Easy Rider group arrived in 10 minutes!
Phuong being a member of the Easy Rider showed me his itinerary that he does and even few of his 'guestbooks' or 'testimonials' written by his customers who had engaged him for his services. It was remarkable! I had a short discussion with him and then confirmed hiring him for the next 2 days.
Walking along the road, I found an internet cafe with a super bargain price of 3000VND(S$0.28) per hour! I used the internet for an hour and then continued my free and easy day in the chilling weather.
I went for a 1hr massage at US$8(S$12) and then back to the hotel for an early night's rest.
DAY 5 (19 December 2007, Wednesday)
I got up at 0730hrs, and went across the street for a quick breakfast for 20,000VND(S$2). This is the local noodle Soup with pork.
Back to my hotel lobby for my 0830hrs appointment with Phuong, I waited.... and waited..... but he did not arrive. After 20mins of waiting, I gave up and walked onto the streets in search for another 'Easy Rider'. I found 2 of them at the side of the road, preparing themselves with 2 westerners on a road trip from Dalat to Hoi An. With their help, they got me another rider.
Chung is a veterian in the Easy Rider team and he pillioned me on his 125cc Bonus. We agreed on the standard price of US$20(S$29) for the countryside tour and we hit off immediately.
First stop is Dragon Pagoda.
This is on the mountainous road overlooking #6 Village and Lady Mountains.
This is the K-Ho minority village where the people make these mats for selling. In one day, each person can make 1.5 mats.
We stopped by at this Quoc Thinh Cotton Factory to see how the people make cloths with simple machines.
Here is an interesting visit to the silk weaving factory. The larvae are boiled and soaked in lukewarm water, and the worker uses her finger to hook one of the threads onto the machine, which automatically pulls the thread from the silkworm larvae.
The silk are then rolled up with this machine.
This machine uses the thread and makes them into a piece of silk cloth with embroidery designs/patterns on it.
Linh An Tu Pagoda, where the thousand-hands buddha and smiling buddha is situated.
We stopped over at Elephant Waterfalls for some picture taking. Apparantly, I could not find a good spot for a nice shot.
Chung then brought me to this place for lunch and it was wonderful with 11 dishes including rice...........guess how much??? It's just 60,000VND(S$6) for the meal!!!! This was one of the best meals I had in Vietnam!
Back towards the city, we stopped at the 'Crazy House' where Mrs Dang Viet Nga, an architect that dresses in the 60s, has an air of mystery about her. She designed this guesthouse with caves, giant spiderwebs, concrete tree trunk, etc, with each room being a unique theme.
Not too far from the Crazy House, is the Cathedral of Dalat, also known as the Chicken Church by the locals.
The countryside tour of Dalat ends at 1500hrs and I got Chung to stop me at the 2007 Dalat Flower Festival, where the event is held once every 2 years. There were lots of flowers on display. Some are for decoration, some for competition, and some for selling. During the one week long festival, it's the most talk-about event anywhere in Dalat.
Back at the stall next to my hotel, I met Phuong-Ann and told her about the rider who did not show up the morning. She was shocked and felt apologetic for getting me into this. She then offered to bring me around tomorrow. I was flattered of course, and I did not reject her offer. We set a deal to meet up at 0800hrs the next morning.
I went for a quick 1hr internet use and then proceeded to Xuan Huong Lake for some sunset shots. It was the best sunset I've seen in my whole life.
Dalat at night
The night market at Cho Dalat
I then came across this 'Shell' stall and had a plate of huge clams, a plate of scallops, 2 duck eggs and a Saigon Beer. All for 80,000VND(S$8).
DAY 6 (20 December 2007, Thursday)
I had a coffee at Phuong-Ann's stall and waited for her at 0800hrs. She stayed at the house above the stall. Aparrently she is still sleeping when her mom met me after her grocery shopping and was about to setup the stall. She made breakfast for me without charging me anything for it. Wonderful mom eh?
She told me that her daughter has never brought any tourist out for sightseeing and I am the first. So am I supposed to feel honoured or feel worried about the bike trip? Haha.
She got ready in a while, and off we went for sightseeing!! We stopped first at the Valley of Love. It's a valley with a nice lake beside the Lang Biang Mountains.
We had quite a tiring walk through the valley where we see Vietnamese dressed as cowboys to offer horse rides around the lake.
Then she brought me to Ve Tham Quan, another peaceful and quiet lake where many locals go for photography.
And a visit to the Dalat Railway station to see an old Russian steam train on display.
We went to the cable car station but sadly, it's closed for lunch. So no cable cars run between 1130hrs and 1330hrs.
On the same route downhill, we arrived at Datanla Waterfalls. There are 3 waterfalls and trekking course in the forest. The cascade is 350m high from a path that first passes through a forest of pines and then continues steeply down the hill into a rainforest. You can choose to walk or take the roller coaster if you decided to let the machine take you through the forest for just 20,000VND(S$2) one way, or 30,000VND(S$3) both ways.
She brought me for lunch at a local chicken rice stall and we end the day back at her stall.
At night, I went to the Central Market area (Cho Dalat), to do some shopping. There are many local products on sale, and managed to get a bottle of Dalat red wine, where it is produced locally. The taste is kinda wierd though!!!
DAY 7 (21 December 2007, Friday)
Dalat is a very nice place where many locals go there for their honeymoon. But sadly, I have to leave Dalat today. I had a quick breakfast and boarded the open bus from Sinh Cafe at 0715hrs for the dizzy downhill bus trip down the mountains. There were lots of bends and the bus was swaying badly from side to side. Thank god I did not vomit!
After 2hrs of downhill journey, the bus stopped for half an hour at the Po Ro Me Charm Tower where I had a shot of this interesting tower named after the last ruler of an independent Champa, King Po Ro Me.
We had a lunch break and then arrived in Nha Trang at about 1400hrs. Seaview Hotel is just next to Sinh Cafe, as recommended by many tourists online. This hotel is simply great value for money..... the room is only US$12(S$17) but it looks like at 3-star hotel with balcony, swimming pool, free internet/wifi, laundry service, etc.
I strolled around the beach area during sunset and caught a couple of beautiful scenes at the Nha Trang Bay. The blue skies and clean/clear seawater makes the picture so perfect.
Following which, I found Rainbow Divers who offered me a 3 days Open Water Dive Course. As they are the only 5-star PADI Diving Centre in Vietnam, I signed up for the basic open water course for US$280(S$404) and began immediately.
I spent about 4hrs watching video and studying some manuals that night. It was a long and tiring day for me, and its the first time I am so tired/stressed out during a vacation!
DAY 8 (22 December 2007, Saturday)
I moved over to Truc Linh Hotel in the morning as the location is nearer and at the same time, the room cost just US$8(S$12).
Lesson at Rainbow Divers began at 0700hrs and I continued my video/quiz session for about an hour. Soon, my instructor Dimitri set me up for the full day pool session where I learnt confined water skills at a neaby swimming pool.
During which, I had choked a few times when I had to remove my mask under the water to perform some kind of 'mask loss drill' underwater.
By the time the pool session ended at 1500hrs, I felt exhausted and my body was like a jelly. Back to the Dive Centre, I continued with some more theory lessons and an evaluation assessment before finishing the day at 1700hrs.
I returned to the hotel for a nice hot shower and lied in bed for some free wifi internet session on my bed.
DAY 9 (23 December 2007, Sunday)
Today is an exciting day as this is my first open water dive in my life. Hurray!
I had bew stew (Bo La) for breakfast at one of the roadside stalls near my hotel. It’s beef stew served with carrots and is eaten with a baguette.
We moved out of Rainbow Divers at 0700hrs and went to the pier for the boat ride to Moray Beach.
Weather was perfect though the underwater visibility was only about 5m. Together with Adam and Rosie, we went into the ocean with our instructors Sean and Hiro. We were required to perform several drills which we have learnt in the swimming pool yesterday.
On our second dive at Madonna Rocks an hour later, we were also required to perform several underwater drills. All of us passed though.
Back at the Dive Centre in the afternoon, we sat for our final theory exams and all of us managed to score well to pass it.
In the evening, I went for dinner at Cycle Café for some Italian cuisine, have a walk around Nha Trang at night, followed by a soothing massage.
DAY 10 (24 December 2007, Monday)
I got up for Bo Ko today at the same stall. Bo Ko is similar to Bo La, just that there is an additional fried egg at the bottom of the pan, and the same stew sauce/meat is used for the dish, served with baguette.
Today I was even more excited because I will be getting my Open Water Diving Licence if I can pass my 3rd and 4th dive sessions. Dive 3 was done at Debbie’s Beach and Dive 4 at Rainbow Reef. As usual, all of us went through the dive and underwater drills smoothly.
Hiro then led us for some underwater sightings to see the different types of fishes and corals. It was an eye-opening experience. If only I have an underwater casing for my camera to show what I have seen underwater!!!
With Hiro and Dimitri's leg
With Sean and Hiro.
Our Open Water Diving Licence were prepared in the afternoon back at the Dive Centre and we celebrated our joy with a round of beer on the house! Seen with Sean, Hiro, Adam and Rosie.
With Hoa from Rainbow Divers.
It’s sad to leave, but my bus is leaving Nha Trang at 1930hrs to Hoi An. It left me deep memories with the fun people at Rainbow Divers. I then boarded the overnight bus and made my way to Hoi An.
DAY 11 (25 December 2007, Tuesday)
I arrived in Hoi An on Christmas Day at 0630hrs and immediately booked a day trip to My Son Holyland with Sinh Café before walking down the street to get a room at Binh Minh Hotel for US$7(S$10).
The road trip to My Son Holyland takes about an hour from Hoi An town. My Son is a valley surrounded by mountains, 48km west of Hoi An. It was chosen as a place where religious center was built in the late 4th century under the dynasty of Cham King Bhadravaman. The ruins of the My Son Holyland gives me a feel of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat ruins.
After we have completed the My Son Holyland tour, the tour guide brought us to the River for a river cruise to the Kim Bong Village. The village showcases many handmade handicrafts for sale.
We completed the tour back at Hoi An ancient town, by the riverside and I had a walk around the small ancient town, well known for its narrow lanes and wide variety of goods for shopping. Because Hoi An was relatively untouched by the American War, it serves as a museum piece of Vietnamese history.
Thu Bon River
The Japanese Covered Bridge was constructed in the 1590s by the Japanese community of Hoi An in order to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream. It was constructed with a roof so that it could be used as a shelter from both the rain and sun.
Beer in Hoi An starts from as little as 3000VND(S$0.28) per glass, and pubs/bars along the river are plentiful. A great way to pass the night away.
DAY 12 (26 December 2007, Wednesday)
I continued my open bus ticker from Hoi An to Hue at 0800hrs. The journey goes through the Dong Am Phu (Marble Mountain), Danang City, Hai Van Pass and Lang Co Beach, and then arriving in Hue at around 1230hrs.
Dong Am Phu
Lang Co Beach
I found a room at Huong Vy 2 Hotel for US$8(S$12), and then proceeded for lunch. The city of Hue lies along either side of the Perfume River. The north side of the river has a few places to stay, making for a pleasant and quiet stop. However, its the south side that has most facilities and a greater selection of hotels and restaurants.
In the afternoon, I took a walk to the Citadel at the northern side of the Perfume River. The Citadel has a 10km perimeter, built in 1804 on a site chosen by Emperor Gia Long's geomancers.
Sunset at Trang Tien Bridge
There is also a casino at the Imperial Hotel near the Perfume River. I went in to take a look out of curiousity. Al the games in the casino are machine operated as the Vietnamese law does not permit 'human bankers' in local casinos.
I had Italian pasta and Hue Beer for dinner at 'Why Not Bar'. The weather is getting chilly as I sat in the open area under the stars. Temperature goes down to about 15deg celcius that night. Feeling pampered, I went for sauna and massage at a Health Spa to relax myself.
There are quite a few cafes that offer free wifi service in Hue. I brought my lappy to one of the nearby cafe and spent the night catching up with my emails.
DAY 13 (27 December 2007, Thursday)
I checked out of the hotel at 0600hrs and got myself ready for the tour to the Demilitary Zone. The bus came late and we have to wait till about 0645hrs. We had a stop in Dong Ha town for breakfast, followed by a tour along Highway 1 to see the Hien Luong Bridge and Ben Hai River.
Then it was a visit to the Vinh Moc tunnels where we went into the tunnel to see how the Vietnamese lived in the tunnels for years. It was a wonderful experience inside the stuffy and hot tunnel.
Lunch followed and we made our way to Highway 9, where we visited the Rockpile. In the past, there was a US Marine Corps look out on the top of the Rockpile, named after what can only be described as a 230m high pile of rocks.
Dakrong Bridge spreads across the Dakrong River 13km east of the Khe Sanh bus station. This road was once a branch of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Our next stop is up the mountainous winding roads to the Khe Sanh Combat Base and the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It sits on a barren plateau, surrounded by vegetation-covered hills that are often obscured by mist and fog. In 1968, the bloodiest battle took place here, at the Khe Sanh Combat Base.
At the end of the tour, the bus dropped me off at Dong Que Restaurant in Dong Ha town where I catch the sleeping night bus to Hanoi. I paid US$3(S$4) more to get the sleeping bus as the seats are able to recline down like a bed you experience in the first class flight. The bus operated by Camel Bus was exceptionally new and clean. The bus driver ensures that all footwears are removed before you are allowed to get on the bus.
It was however a disappointing journey as the bus was playing loud Vietnamese music and the driver stops at anywhere whenever some locals wave at him. These locals would board the bus and sleep on the floor at an agreed price where the driver would pocket the extra pocket money himself. It gets irritating whenever the bus stops to pick up someone as they would talk loudly and cause distraction to my beauty sleep!
DAY 14 (28 December 2007, Friday)
The Camel Bus arrived at the outskirts of Hanoi at 0630hrs and we were told that the bus could not get into Old Quarters in Hanoi due to the fact that there were heavy traffic congestions.
When we alighted from the bus, tens of taxi drivers and motorbike taxis came to us and asked if we wanted a taxi ride to hotels in Hanoi. My GPS showed that I am 3.63km away from the Old Quarter area and I definitely wouldn’t want to walk 3.63km with my luggage on my shoulders.
I hopped on one of the motorbike taxis and paid 15,000VND(S$2) for a taxi ride to Hanoi Old Quaters. In the cold weather in Hanoi, I had a delicious bowl of hot Pho Bo at one of the stalls before going to Cuong Motorbike Rental for a 125cc Honda Future for US$10(S$14) per day.
I deposited my passport, had a quick refuel and made my way out of the jam packed Hanoi City. Soon I was on a muddy and wet Highway 6 into the mountains towards Hoa Binh. It has been raining in the past few days in Hanoi, hence the road is wet and dirty at certain areas.
The weather starts to chill even further after Hoa Binh as the road goes into the mountains. At some point of time, visibility drops to less than 5m when the cold fog gets thicker and rain dews starts covering my visor on my motorbike helmet.
After I passed through the mountains, a scenic view of the Mai Chau Valley awaits.
While I was busy taking photos, I was greeted by 2 Thais, who offered us accommodation at their Thai Stilt Houses in Lac Village, deep in Mai Chau Village, for 50,000VND(S$5). Most people here are ethnic White Thai, said to be distantly related to tribes in Thailand, Laos, and China.
At 1700hrs, I took my bike out and roamed around Mai Chau Village, only to be disappointed by a lazy town that sleeps at 1800hrs. There at the Stilt House, I met Tony and Matthew who are father and son from Aussie. They too rented a motorbike to do the northwest loop. We shared some topics about biking that night at the stilt house till late.
DAY 15 (29 December 2007, Saturday)
I left the stilt house at 0730hrs and head towards Moc Chau along Route 6. I had a bowl of hot Pho Bo in Moc Chau town and proceed towards Yen Chau and Sonla. Along Route 6 near Moc Chau, there are plenty of minority people. These are common sights along Route 6.
By 1230hrs, I arrived at Sonla and got into Sao Xanh Hotel for 150,000VND(S$14). Sonla town is predominantly populated by the Black Thai, Meo, Muong, and White Thai. There is nothing much to do in the town, and most people stop here as an overnight stop between Hanoi and Dien Bien Phu.
I took about an hour to climb up the stairs to the lookout tower, where it offers a sweeping overview of SonLa and the surrounding area. The climb is very very tiring but its worth the view.
I then rode about 5km south of the town to get to Suoi Nuoc Nong (hotsprings). There are a few privately run concrete cubicles where water is pumped into private bathtubs and you only need to pay 5000VND(S$0.47) for the usage.
Nightlife is not Sonla's selling point, so I had dinner and then bought some beers back to the hotel for consumption and slept early.
DAY 16 (30 December 2007, Sunday)
I set off at 0700hrs from Sonla, expecting to reach Dien Bien Phu early to see the battle site that took place in 1954. The journey started well for the first 10km, and it was hell of a ride from there to Tuan Giao and Dien Bien Phu. Sealed tarmac roads never existed, almost 95% of the journey, I was travelling on broken debris, muddy paths, or dusty red tracks.
To make things worse, I rode through some cold and misty mountains where visibility is so bad that I cannot even see anything more than 5 meters. I was riding in cold, and hunger till I reached the valley near Tuan Giao, where the scenery of rice paddy fields dominate.
I had 'tit cho' (some wild meat) at one of the stalls there.
I arrived at Dien Bien Phu at 1600hrs and got a room at Thuy Linh Hotel with a river view for US$8(S$12). The journey is only 165km, but it took me 9hrs of travelling on those rocky and muddy terrain.
Dien Bien Phu is famous the world over as the site of a battle that can truely be called decisive. The French colonial forces were roundly defeated at the hands of the Viet Minh in 1954 and the days of their Indochina empire were finally numbered. History is the main attraction here and the scenery is better than the journey to/from Dien Bien Phu than around the town itself.
The bunkers headquarters of the French Commander, Colonel Christian de Castries.
A memorial to the 3000 French troops burried under the rice paddies was erected in 1984 on the 30th anniversary of the battle.
The old Muong Thanh Bridge
The Dien Bien Phu Cemetry commemorates the Vietnamese dead
Sunsetting in the background in Dien Bien Phu
There are lots of restaurants in the town that serves Tit-Cho and home-made rice wine, and having Tit-Cho combined with rice wine for dinner is not exceptional to keep my body warm against the cold climate.
DAY 17 (31 December 2007, Monday)
Today's journey will be the longest, with a total of 287km to be covered by the time I reach Sapa, and setting off early surely helps. I got off to a cold morning ride at 0630hrs and hit off towards Muong Lay for breakfast.
By 1300hrs, I had reached Lai Chau town on the finest roads in NorthWest Vietnam along Route 12. I guess I was pretty much ahead of time, so I stopped quiet often for photography from Lai Chau to Tam Duong to Sapa. The ride from Tam Duong to Sapa along Route 4D going through the Fansipan Mountain Range and the China Border, is a beautiful stretch of road.
The road between Lai Chau and Sapa crosses the Tram Ton Pass on the northern side of Fansipan, 15km from Sapa. At 1900m elevation, this is the highest mountain pass in Vietnam. On the Lai Chau side the weather is sunny and warm, however as I gain altitude above the Tram Ton Pass on the Sapa side of the mountain, the weather is cold, foggy and nasty. Ferocious winds come ripping over the pass, given the temperature difference, where Sapa is the coldest place in Vietnam while Lai Chau is the warmest, so Tram Ton Pass is the dividing line between the 2 great weather fronts.
After much photography, and battling through the wet, misty, foggy, muddy, cold temperature and nasty roads, I arrived in Sapa at 1800hrs shivering in the 3 degrees celcius temperature. I got a room at CatCat Hotel for US$8(S$12) where it comes with a heater.
Weather is so cold that I almost did not want to leave the room. Eventually I did because I was hungry and the hotel does not have any room service! I went to this restaurant for dinner and I was invited to join this group of Vietnamese at the next table. They offered me to join their New Year Eve party where food and Sapa apple wine is served free flow. As I was one of the only few foreigners, I had to drink with them and I almost got knocked out by the strong alcohol content in the Sapa apple wine. Not long later, someone started leaving the party and I too thanked the host and left the place before I got drunk.
DAY 18 (01 January 2008, Tuesday)
Waking up in the morning of a brand new year, I got myself ready to go trekking into CatCat Village to see the Hmong and Dzao people, the largest ethnic groups in the region. Most of them are poor and had no formal education, but many of the youngsters have a good command of English due to the touristic destination. Lots of women and young girls have gone into souvenir business, selling colourful ethnic pouches, musical instruments or even coloured threads.
Cat Cat Village is steep and beautiful in a downhill hike. The ethnic people are friendly and tries to sell you things wherever you go. Kids are plentiful and they certainly makes my day.
Waterfall in CatCat Village
Busy shooting with my camera
After a long day's trekking, I went back to the town to do some shopping and sightseeing around Sapa town. Bulls and bullshit along the roads are a common sight
Sapa Church
Roadside stalls that opens till late, selling souvenirs and winter clothings.
As temperature gets colder when night falls, I decided to look for steamboat for dinner but surprisingly, steamboat is not common in Sapa. Nevertheless I managed to find a restaurant that serves steamboat. It was served with seafood, meat, and lots of vegetables!
DAY 19 (02 January 2008, Wednesday)
Breakfast at the Sapa Market was interesting and delicious. They layout the food they sell on the table, and you choose what you like and the stall owners will cook them to your liking.
I checked out of the hotel at 1330hrs and headed downhill towards Lao Cai. The downhill ride was smooth and fast, I simply love the bends and corners. I then got to Thanh Son Restaurant where Mr. Thanh is the boss of the restaurant cum travel agent. He helped me to get the train tickets for my bike and myself. The train tickets for shipping the bike cost 131,000VND(S$12) and the tickets for myself cost US$20(S$29). Prior to the bike boarding, they removed and cleared my entire fuel tank as they claimed that it is a fire hazard.
While it was still pretty early waiting for my 2055hrs night train, I went to the He Kou - Lao Cai Border. The border is popular with travellers making their way between Yunan and northern Vietnam. Most of the people in Lao Cai can speak Chinese, because of the Chinese influence.
Coincidently at the border I bumped into Tony and Matthew! They are on the way into Hekou and they are very positive to bring the Vietnam bikes in as well.
The overnight train was pretty cool. It's at least clean and comfortable, with air-conditioning.
DAY 20 (03 January 2008, Thursday)
The train arrived in Hanoi at 0445hrs and I left my baggage at Hilton Hanoi Opera before going out for breakfast, and then return the bike back to Cuong. I had also booked my tour to Tam Coc and Halong Bay for the next 2 days, at Sinh Cafe.
The HCM Mausoleum is the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh. His body is there for exhibition. However, strict rules applies at the Mausoleum.
The Ho Chi Minh Museum is just next to the Mausoleum
The Presidential Palace is a restored colonial building constructed in 1906 as the Palace of the Covernor General of Indochina.
The One Pillar Pagoda was built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25m in diameter, is designed to resemble a lotus blossom.
House of Stilts, is where HCM lived from 1958-1969 built in the style of Vietnam's ethnic minorities.
The Temple of Literature is a rare example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture.
In the afternoon, I went over to Hotel Intercontinental to meet Minh for lunch. She was formerly the Reservations Manager at Hilton Hanoi, but has recently moved to Hotel Intercontinental. She showed me around the newly-opened hotel prior to our lunch date.
After lunch I went back to Hilton Hanoi Opera to check in, and I was given a room with a view of the Hanoi Opera House.
At night, I met Minh for dinner after her work. She rode a motorbike and took me to Cha Ca La Vong at the Old Quarters for dinner. It is claimed to be the oldest restaurant in Hanoi Old Quarters. They serve fried fish on a pan with a charcoal base. You are then requried to add in some vegetables into the pan and eat it together with steamed rice.
After dinner, she took me to a pub to meet and chat with some of her friends who were already there. We had few drinks and chatted a while there.
DAY 21 (04 January 2008, Friday)
As instructed, I waited at the hotel lobby at 0730hrs for my tour leader to bring me to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc for a day trip. He arrived at 0830hrs, and claimed that we are the last pickup point for the group of 14 pax.
After a 2hr journey, we arrived in Hoa Lu at about 1045hrs. Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam between 968 and 1009. There, we see Yen Ngua Mountains providing a scenic backdrop for Hoa Lu's 2 remaining temples, the Dinh Tien Hoang and the Le Dai Hanh.
We then continue the journey to Tam Coc for lunch and then hopped on to a rowing boat that takes us on Ngo Dong River through the underneath of the 3 caves. Tam Coc is often termed the 'Halong Bay on the rice paddies' as the huge rock formations jutting out of a sea of green, resembling those classic landscapes in Guilin, China.
By 1730hrs, we got back to Hanoi and I was the first to be dropped off from the tour group. I got myself a nice clean shower before I proceed down to meet Tu, Luan, and Minh for dinner at Ba Mien Restaurant where I had sky views over dinner in the glass-enclosed exterior of this Hanoi restaurant. Nice company with great food is what makes the dinner an enjoyable one.
As it was a Friday, I was told to go to the Old Quarters for the night bazaar on the streets. There were hundreds of stalls selling local products. Wow.... it took me like 2 hours to walk through the entire stretch of market!
DAY 22 (05 January 2008, Saturday)
For the trip to Halong Bay, the tour bus was late again. This time, they were over 2hrs late! When I asked the helpful Front Desk Agents for assistance, they called up the travel agent, only to discover that they had missed me out! Luckily they sent a private car over immediately and got me to Halong Bay to link up with the rest of the tour group.
I arrived at Halong Bay and boarded this boat, Phuong Tin #10.
The bottom level are bedrooms, 2nd level the restaurant area, and the top deck is the sunroof. Everyone loves the sun deck as it provides an unobscured view of the magnificent scenery. Halong translates as 'where the dragon decends into the sea'.
We arrived at Thien Cung Cave shortly to discover the beautiful limestone cave that is being enhanced with decorative lighting to creat a more dramatic feel.
By 1600hrs, we arrived at Cat Ba Island, being transferred to the hotel and it was free and easy from then onwards. I unpacked my stuffs and went to the beach for some sunset photos.
The town is pretty small and quiet during the off peak period. I only had a massage and some supper on the island that night.
DAY 23 (06 January 2008, Sunday)
After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel, and got on the bus that brings us back to the pier to board the same boat. The boat brought us to a small floating village where there are many fruit sellers on the waters and some small rowboats to row tourists around the floating village.
Back at Halong Port, lunch is being served at a nearby restaurant and then the boring 4hours journey back to Hanoi. I had a shower and a short rest at Hilton Hanoi before proceeding to the Noi Bai Airport for my flight back to Singapore on TR309 at 2030hrs.
MORE PHOTOS
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
FAST FACTS
Air Tickets: $188
Travel Insurance: $54
Accomodation: $206
Bike Rental: $87
Petrol: $23
Bus & Train: $81
Tours Fees: $196
PADI Open Water Diving: $404
Shopping & Massage: $95
Food & miscellaneous: S$326
TOTAL EXPENDITURE: S$1660
TRAVEL GUIDES / NEWS / MAGAZINES
Vietnam Travel Guide
http://www.guidevietnam.com/
Wikitravel
http://wikitravel.org/en/Vietnam
Threeland Travel
http://www.threeland.com/
Virtourist.com - travelling around the world
http://www.virtourist.com/asia/vietnam/index.html
WorldAtlas.com
http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/vn.htm
Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/vietnam/
Virtual Tourist
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Vietnam/TravelGuide-Vietnam.html
Hotels in Vietnam
http://www.hotels-in-vietnam.com/index.html
Tales of Asia
http://www.talesofasia.com/vietnam.htm
Sinh Cafe Vietnam
http://www.sinhcafevn.com/default.asp
Sinh Cafe Travel
http://www.sinhcafe.com/index.htm
Sinh Cafe Travel
http://www.sinhcafetravel.com.vn/
Sinh Cafe Travel.com
http://www.sinhcafe.net/sinhcafe/home.htm
Sinh Cafe Open Tour
http://www.sinhcafe-opentour.com/
Vietnam Open Tour
http://www.vietnamopentour.com/
Kim Travel
http://www.kimtravel.com/main.htm
Tropic Tour Vietnam
http://www.tropictourvietnam.com/index.asp
Vietnam Hotels
http://www.vietnamhotels.biz/index.htm
Delta Adventure Tours
http://www.deltaadventuretours.com/
Fidi Tour
http://www.fiditour.com/index.php?l=1&cid=1&f=1&tplid=3
T.M. Brother's Cafe
http://vngold.com/nt/tmcafe/index.html
Handspan Adventure Travel
http://www.handspan.com/
Frommer's
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hochiminhcity/0198020004.html
Footprint Vietnam Travel
http://www.footprintsvietnam.com/
MOTORBIKING IN VIETNAM
Golden Triangle Riders
http://www.gt-rider.com/
Adventure Rider Forum
http://www.advrider.com/
Minsk Club Hanoi Vietnam
http://www.minskclubvietnam.com/index.html
Voyage Vietnam - Mototours Asia
http://www.voyagevietnam.net/eng/38.php
Offroad Vietnam
http://www.offroadvietnam.com/eng/2.php
Explore Indochina
http://www.exploreindochina.com/
Free Wheelin Tours
http://www.freewheelin-tours.com/
Vietnam Rider
http://www.vietnamrider.com/
TRIP REPORTS & BLOGS
http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Hanoi/blog-124330.html
http://www.singaporebikes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103078&highlight=vietnam
http://www.singaporebikes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121471
http://thang-long.blogspot.com/
MAPS
http://www.indochinatour.com/vietnam/map/map.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/vietnam/
http://members.tripod.com/ScoutBird/maps.htm
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