Legend has it that long ago a large battle between the Vietnamese and Chinese invaders culminated in the bay. The gods sent dragons to help the Vietnamese and they launched their pearls into the water to create the numerous islands that blocked and destroyed the invading ships and brought victory to Vietnam. Halong Bay is thus translated to "Bay of Descending Dragons". The scenery here is breathtaking, with hundreds of limestone rock formations jutting out sharply from the depths and continuing as far as the eye can see. Sadly this place has become a tourist trap but judging from the beauty found here, it isn't difficult to see why. I booked a tour through the hostel I stayed at in Hanoi, and left in the morning, heading east to the coast and arriving about three hours ... read more

Hoi An is an ancient port city with a strong Chinese influence and is now a UNESCO heritage site. Although all the major shipping moved to nearby Da Nang, the main draw place is to see the scenic old town and the countless tailor shops found throughout that make all sorts of custom clothing for cheap (by western standards) prices. Once numbering about a hundred just a few years ago, there are now over four hundred to be found! Talk about overkill. I arrived on the sleeper bus in the early morning. Tim had also taken the same bus, so together we took off to a hostel and then checked out the old town till about noon. Lanterns hung above most of the streets and Chinese temples were abound. The old town seemed nicely preserved in ... read more

When one thinks of Vietnam, Dalat's landscapes would not be something that comes to mind. Set 2000 meters up in the Central Highlands, Dalat has unique scenery and much cooler weather than anywhere else in the south. Pine trees replace palms, everyone seems to wear jackets (although still too hot for that I think), and architecturally is a fusion between Vietnamese and French cultures. In fact you could say it resembles more a town in the French mountains than a town in southern Vietnam. During the French colonial days, the colonists went to these hills to escape the heat. The town has always been known as a place of learning as well, with universities and colleges abound, students could study without sweltering. I arrived and checked into a pretty nice hotel room considering the price, and ... read more

Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon as it was once known before the north swept in, took over and renamed it, and as it is still insistently called by the locals here, a bustling metropolis of nine million people and the commercial capital of Vietnam, and indeed one of the most important cities in the region. The city is a mass of human life, motorbikes rule the streets and crossing an intersection can be an adrenaline rush just in itself. Buildings are large and any and all sorts of shops and comforts are here. Vietnam has a population of 85 million people, quite a lot considering its thin and long size. It's definitely becoming a powerhouse of the region, especially after the 1995 embargo was lifted. The Chinese had ruled this country for about a thousand ... read more

Phnom Penh is the biggest city and capital of Cambodia, a rough and hectic city, and one with some brutal history to go along with it. I arrived with a few of the others I'd been traveling with lately and made our way to the lakeside area where many budget guesthouses could be found. Poverty is abound, and although there is a rising upper class, the divide between rich and poor is astounding. Although not quite as dirty as I was expecting, the city is very dusty and lacking in infrastructure. The humidity during the day was almost unbearable. I walked the city for a while the first day and got my bearings of our part of town. The riverside catered towards an emerging tourist class and decent and expensive cafes and hotels can be found, ... read more