Chau Doc When you cross the border between Cambodia and Vietnam, an invisible line is passed and the kramas disappear only to be replaced by conical hats, flowing ao dais and mono-print pyjamas. The river's banks become more industrious, and then, as we take a right to head south from the Mekong to the Bassac River somnolent Cambodia is left behind and boisterous Vietnam arrives. Chau Doc sits at the junction of this bridging canal and the Bassac River. A thriving trading hub, Chau Doc is incredibly brightly coloured -- as if a container-load of pastel paints were dumped on [View Full Entry]

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Long Xuyen If you're planning on spending two to three months in the Mekong Delta, remember to set aside at least five minutes for the provincial capital of An Giang, Long Xuyen. Last time I went there we struggled to find a hotel which would accept foreigners and ended up staying in a brothel. This time around the situation isn't much better -- one place I checked, the Thai Binh 2, had a second floor karaoke bar that was going off at two in the afternoon. I braved the screeching din and peeked inside to see the place was packed [View Full Entry]

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We arrived here a couple of days ago, and suffice to say I hardly recognise the place at all. We arrived in by local bus from My Tho in the midst of a monsoon downpour at the Cholon bus station and then jumped on a couple of cyclos for the 30 minute ride across town to Pham Ngu Lao St -- Saigon's very own Khao San Rd. Sitting in the cyclo, whirling between the waves of motorcycles, under Saigon's towering tree-lined streets was a wonderful introduction to this fascinating town. The backpacker's ghetto of Pham Ngu Lao centres around the [View Full Entry]

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