Blogs from Chau Doc, Mekong River Delta, Vietnam, Asia

Hello everyone, Thank you so much for my lovely birthday messages, it´s been really nice to hear from you all and to have your well wishes. :) Yesterday I slept in late as I was actually sleeping well and then I went for a walk around Ho Chi Minh City. I went to the war museum and the reunification palace. After wandering back through the market and the parks, I went to the hotel where my tour was starting, met my room mate and had the welcome meeting. After that I went out for dinner with some friends I had made the day before and then we went swimming in the pool of a five star hotel (We weren´t staying there but no one stopped us!!). I then went for some drinks and had a very ... read more

I know it has been a while and i have flown through Vietnam, everyday there was something to do and then once we were done with the days activities it was back on a night bus. I have now become 1 of 6 we all met up on the overnight bus from Kunming to the border and we have just stuck together ever since. So I will keep all this very brief, first stop was Hanoi and HaLong Bay, we ended up on a 3 day two night stay, 1 night on Cat Ba Island & the second night on the boat in the bay , with a few caves and some Kyaking as well and of course the floating villages. I will be totally honest it all looks fantastic on the pictures but at least ... read more

We crossed the border to Vietnam where we actually had to cross the border by foot. Cue more stamps, arrival cards, forms and visa’s. The border crossing broke up the bus ride a bit and it took about an hour more to get to our hotel. We stayed the night in Chau Doc, which is a town on the Mekong Delta to break up the journey to Ho Chi Minh City a little. However, we had an awesome evening in Chau Doc! We all got motorbikes (don’t worry, we had a driver each and just sat on the back) and rode up Sam Mountain to sit in hammocks, drink beer and watch the sun set. It took 40 minutes each way so we had a great time on the bikes. On the way we saw loads ... read more

The journey from Saigon to Phnom Penh took 2 days and was allegedly a 2 day river cruise to the Cambodian capital. This included a night in a “froating hotel” and having some flunky do all the boarder legwork and us just having to fill out a form but the reality was somewhat different but great fun and an amazing way to see the country. We left Saigon at 7am and boarded a bus and headed to a small town on the Mekong Delta to go out in a boat and see some villages and the river wholesale market. Once again in my ignorance I did not realise the sheer scale of the Mekong river. The river starts in China and runs all down through the Thai/Lao border to Cambodia, through Cambodia and then through Vietnam ... read more

Taiwan General Impressions: Taiwan is full of friendly and overwhelmingly hospitable people with human rights. Everyone seems really happy and they really just want you (as a tourist) to enjoy your time there. Do’s and Don’ts: Don’t wear your shoes inside someone’s home, and after that it’s pretty much the same do’s and don’ts of mainland China. Favorite Place: Taroko Gorge (specifically riding mopeds and hiking through it) Favorite traveler met: Canadian who gave me a lift from the airport to Taipei. He was from Vancouver, really easy going, loved the outdoors and the environment. Favorite phrase: “Ok le ba?” Literally meaning “Ok (completed action) (rhetorical question)?” Massage: Head Massage – 9 out of 10. Oils, salts, and shampoos rubbed in your hair with a stone for 30 minutes. Heavenly. Local Beer: Taiwan Beer - ... read more