PART 1
Maree is currently travelling through Vietnam & Cambodia with her group and she has sent through the following update and images above on their time so far in Hoi An. Please enjoy the read below and tune in for the next update which will include the Viking cruise!
How wonderful it is to be back in Vietnam! I’m here with a group of 9 fun loving Lifestyle Clients and we are having the most wonderful time.
We journeyed to Saigon/Da Nang with Vietnam Airlines and were very pleased with the Premium Economy service offered by them. Plenty of leg room, good food and attentive crew.
A very warm welcome was extended by our guide from Trails of Indochina Travel, a company I have used in Vietnam for many years. Hau a very special guide. He was extremely knowledgeable, caring, generous with his time and most importantly fun to be with.
Our first stop was the World Heritage town of Hoi An. I have been there several times in the past but was absolutely delighted by the changes that have happened. The new Bay Hotel, situated on the opposite side of the river to the ancient market was a great place to stay. During the “extra busy hours” the traffic in the old town has been restricted making exploration much safer and far more enjoyable. The other enhancement that I loved was the now nightly show of floating lamps and illuminated boats on the river. Once only seen on full moon, this is a spectacle not to be missed.
The other enhancement that I loved was the now nightly show of floating lamps and illuminated boats on the river. Once only seen on full moon, this is a spectacle not to be missed.
Excursions included a day at Ba Na Hills – WOW! What a place this is. Five cable cars take guests to great heights where an area of replica “worlds” awaits, all set in the most beautiful gardens – as clean and as well organised as any Disneyland! You may recall photos of a bridge held up by two huge hands carved from stone! This is Ba Na Hills!
Over many years of touring Asia, I have participated in many cookery classes. None have come near the experience that we had in Hoi An. After a very interesting visit to the fresh food market, we proceeded to Miss Lys cookery school at the Markt Restaurant. We visited and observed the morning production of many types of Dim Sum and then it was time for us to put aprons on, take up our individual cooking stations and get to work. Delicious dishes were created and each consumed after completion.
Hoi An is famous for “tailoring” and so off we went to be measured, pinned and primped! The outcome – some amazing pieces of perfect clothing in some instances plus some items destined for the op-shop bag on our return. Overall, we had a load of fun and left with happy memories of the experience, the Banh Mi lunch (famous sandwiches ordered in by our guide) and washed down with beers compliments of the tailors!
We were sad to leave Hoi An but a new adventure awaited. We returned to Saigon and were soon welcomed to the Viking Family. We transferred to the beautiful Sheraton Hotel and commenced their touring program.
PART 2
Maree has shared the latest update from her Group Tour to Vietnam. After encountering some rough weather over the last 3-4 days of the trip, they landed back in Melbourne late last week. Please read on below for an update on the group's time in Hanoi.
I promised that the adventures of our Lifestyle Group, exploring life along the mighty Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia with Viking would be continued. Well please allow me to “fast forward” to our final days with a promise to tell more next week.
We arrived in to Hanoi from Siem Reap one day earlier than scheduled to avoid potential flight chaos due to a pending super storm. The Central Government had already announced that the Hanoi airport would be closed on Saturday the 7th of September! Viking were amazing! Imagine finding 70 airline seats at late notice, but they did. They settled us on the 15th floor of the Pan Pacific Hotel, a safe and mostly dry place to ride out the storm.
Typhoon Yagi did follow us as promised. After causing great destruction in other parts of northern Vietnam and a day of heavy rain in Hanoi, it hit us between 7 and 9pm.
We are told that Vietnam experience up to 12 typhoons each year (strangely Yagi only the third this year, very late in the season and the strongest for 10 years) so they were well prepared. As mentioned, airports were closed, public events and tourist attractions closed. For a city known for traffic chaos we looked down on empty streets as the Government demanded people stay at home with messages via loud speakers up and down the soon empty streets.
As we ate dinner we could hear the winds roaring, see the trees outside bending and torrential rain moving sidewards, an amazing experience. At bedtime it was a little scary when we found that just one of 10 lifts was working to get us to the 15th floor!
From our vantage point above, who would have known that such destruction would greet us the following morning. Once again Viking revised our program and bravely took us touring. Uncle Ho was peacefully resting in his mausoleum so we made a visit there but the remainder of our morning was spent negotiating the streets covered in storm debris. Teams of people including the army and volunteers were working harmoniously to clear the mess as residents returned to the streets and everyday life. We are told that just one death had been reported, the greatest victims being the 5000 plus trees that came down.
So, Lifestyle travellers are resilient. We survived! Whilst very sad to witness the loss of so many beautiful trees and sorry to have missed a couple of tourist attractions, the greatest inconvenience was trying to order and pay for a Gin & tonic at the bar as the poor skeleton staff did their best to cover for their many colleagues who were ordered to stay at home. The Vietnamese once again proved that they are survivors!
We are told that Vietnam experience up to 12 typhoons each year (strangely Yagi only the third this year, very late in the season and the strongest for 10 years) so they were well prepared.
From our vantage point above, who would have known that such destruction would greet us the following morning. Once again Viking revised our program and bravely took us touring. Uncle Ho was peacefully resting in his mausoleum so we made a visit there but the remainder of our morning was spent negotiating the streets covered in storm debris. Teams of people including the army and volunteers were working harmoniously to clear the mess as residents returned to the streets and everyday life. We are told that just one death had been reported, the greatest victims being the 5000 plus trees that came down.
So, Lifestyle travellers are resilient. We survived! Whilst very sad to witness the loss of so many beautiful trees and sorry to have missed a couple of tourist attractions, the greatest inconvenience was trying to order and pay for a Gin & tonic at the bar as the poor skeleton staff did their best to cover for their many colleagues who were ordered to stay at home. The Vietnamese once again proved that they are survivors!
PART 3
After the action of the Typhoon in last week's Monday Mail, Maree is back to wrap up what was a great Lifestyle Group Tour!
As I was saying before too much fun and a typhoon got in the way of my writing...
What a difference a day makes! From the World Heritage town of Hoi An we ventured onto hectic Ho Chi Minh City or as many Vietnamese plus we older folk still say, Saigon! Here, there is a constant buzz of motor scooters and honking horns. These are not used with aggression but simply to alert others of their presence as they weave their way through the thousands of vehicles jostling for position in narrow alleyways and wide Parisian-style boulevards.
Many grand buildings such as the Opera House and Post Office are a legacy from the French occupation and of course there is a bustling Chinatown. We were soon aware of the recent war history as we visited the Reunification Palace, formerly Independence Palace where Saigon fell. All of these Saigon highlights were enjoyed on our included sightseeing, the commencement of our Viking Magnificent Mekong River Tour!
Too soon, it was time to move on, bound for our beautiful Viking Saigon river ship, awaiting us at the port of Cái Bè. Along the way we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, the underground living quarters of the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Congratulations to our Lifestyle “warriors” who bravely ventured underground to experience the tunnels.
We had such fun sightseeing each day with a morning activity, a return to ship for a midday siesta and lunch (all meals were fabulous) and then an afternoon excursion being the general plan.
Once welcomed on board we soon relaxed and delighted in all that our river ship offered. Just 80 guests at any one time enjoy this privilege. Very spacious light filled rooms, tall ceilings and modern décor plus walk in showers were amongst the features I enjoyed.
For those who have River Cruised in Europe, you will know the joys of such travel and the Mekong certainly is no exception. Unpack once, dine in fine style, travel in comfort, learn from “port talks” and enjoy all the must see attractions along the way, in this instance the lacework of waters of the Mekong Delta.
We had such fun sightseeing each day with a morning activity, a return to ship for a midday siesta and lunch (all meals were fabulous) and then an afternoon excursion being the general plan.
Our on shore transportation varied from several styles of rickshaw to tuk tuks and in Hanoi old town, modern electric carts, all organised with great care by our amazing Viking Tour Directors who at all times had our comfort and safety as a priority. Imagine the site with 70 rickshaws all lined up and ready on arrival. The skill of the drivers is amazing as they weave their way through chaotic traffic. In Phnom Phen I could not believe the number of huge “Ram like” trucks parked precariously on the narrow streets. The toys for “rich boys” to play with in the hills I am told. Ford “Raptors” literally stuck out!
For the journey through the countryside from Vietnam to our ship and then from our ship to Siem Reap in Cambodia, modern coaches were used and in addition to the amusement provided by the traffic, the village scenery and rich farmland provided a visual feast. Crops such as rubber, mangoes, dragon fruit, pepper, sesame seeds, cassava and cashew nuts were seen.
Of course Siem Reap the place known for the majestic Angkor Wat architectural complex, recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage is entirely another story. A story that can only be experienced by visiting.
And so I recommend that you take this Viking Magnificent Mekong journey without hesitation – it’s a journey not to be missed.
Maree
