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Published: September 2nd 2017
The View from Our Room
Looking down onto the very tranquil and lovely Metropole pool areaThis is a first in a series of blogs covering my Vietnam & Cambodia Dave-Ventures!
Ama’s Vietnam & Cambodia adventure is much more than a cruise and land package, it is a carefully planned and thoughtfully selected combination of sightseeing highlights, cultural experiences and culinary delights designed to give you a look into the lives and histories of one of Southeast Asia’s most interesting and complex places. I have taken this trip with Ama twice and have
another journey planned for January 22, 2019. I will talk about cabin selection in a separate blog post about the ship, but if you are able to book early enough to get a Category B cabin or one of the precious Suites, you should do so.
For now, let’s talk about the trip itself. It is divided into very specific and unique parts: Hanoi & Halong Bay, Siem Reap/Angkor, the cruise itself and Saigon. I have always chosen to start my journey in Hanoi and end in Saigon, although you can certainly go either way.
Personally, I like having the Hanoi, Halong Bay and Angkor part of the experience first so that I better appreciate and understand what I am seeing as
The BEST Pho!
Vietnamese Pho has to be one of the best soups in the world! I sail down the Mekong. I also think finishing up in the modern and exciting city of Saigon is a beautiful and poetic ending to this trip: starting with old fashioned and traditional Hanoi, still with its French colonial character blended with centuries of change and growth, and finishing with a good look at Vietnam’s future.
These are some of my thoughts about my last trip and for upcoming adventures about the typical Ama program. Keep in mind that they make slight adjustments each season.
HANOI HOME BASE Ama’s choice of the Metropole Sofitel as the home hotel for the Hanoi portion of the tour sets the tone for the whole trip. Seeped in history and elegance and blended with a new modern Opera wing, you’ll step into a hotel with an unparalleled history, visited by world leaders, home to the world embassies before and during the war, and home to Joan Baez and others during the Tet Offensive. (Take the Hotel tour!!!!) A member of the Sofitel Luxury Hotel group, Accor Club Gold members will receive early check in and a room upgrade based on availability. We were also welcomed
A Happy Pho Boy
Thierry was in soup heaven... we followed some guides and went to a truly authentic local Pho maker and had brekkie like a local... with the locals! with a beautiful tea service and a complimentary drink in the bar.
The hotel covers an entire city block with the front side being the old historic hotel, the pool and club lounges are in the middle courtyard, and the modern Opera wing encircles the rest of the block and houses several restaurants and a bar. We enjoyed the Chocolate Buffet at Tea Time as well as eating by the pool when we were too weary to venture out after a day of touring. I always organise a Welcome Drink cocktail here so that my group can get to know each other. There are countless great restaurants in easy walking distance of the hotel and it is easy to get around. We LOVED the Club Opera restaurant around the corner from the hotel and went there twice with two different groups of guest who all adored it as much as we did. We highly recommend it for the fantastic food and great service..
I have a list of my favourite restaurants in my Vietnam Cruise Planner for all of my booked guests. Your Ama cruise manager will also always have a list of fantastic restaurants. Reservations are recommended and the hotel concierge is happy to help.
If you are planning to arrive a day or two earlier than the start date of your package, it is better to book the extra nights yourself than thru Ama. You will pay dearly thru Ama! The Ama Hanoi city tour takes you on a bus tour of the broader city, a tuk tuk ride through the historic centre, and it is safe and convenient to walk around yourself, SO LONG AS YOU LEARN THE PROPER WAY TO CROSS THE STREET!
(Look at the oncoming traffic, walk slowly and strait across, never take your eyes off the oncoming cars and never stop or change direction. They move around you.) You earn a badge of honour once this skill is properly mastered. As part of your Ama tour, you will see the interior of the Hanoi Hilton Prison, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum*, Ba Dinh Square, and The Temple of Literature. You will also have the chance to enjoy a traditional water puppet show with your Ama tour. Anything else you might want to do such as a cooking course,
Amazing Grace
My favourite Vietnamese food in one delicious starter at Club Opera visits to any other museums, etc. should be planned for your free time or early arrival. In all honesty, Ama does a good job of showing you the highlights, so one extra day for early arrival and relaxation is plenty. *The mausoleum visit depends on local authorities and can stop at a whim.
Lastly, keep in mind that Hanoi is in North Vietnam and can be cool in the winter months compared to the hot south in Saigon so a light jacket/pullover is suggested.
This is another reason I like to make this journey in January… Hanoi is still pleasant and Saigon is not too hot, yet.
KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU WILL NEED A MULTIPLE RE-ENTRY VISA FOR THIS AMA TOUR. WHEN ARRIVING IN HANOI OR SAIGON IT IS POSSIBLE TO USE THE E-VISA SYSTEM AND PICK UP THE VISA ON ARRIVAL. PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL VIETNAMESE EMBASSY TO BE SURE. (I suggest stopping on your way to Hanoi in a city like Hong Kong or Singapore for a few days to break up the journey and to adjust to the Asian time zone.) HALONG BAY I Had to Steal Some!
It is not easy to keep one's chopsticks to one's self in Club Opera After Ama's introduction to Hanoi, it was time to make our way to Halong Bay for a special overnight tour of that beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site.
Ama divides passengers into three or four families (Blue, Green Yellow, Red, etc) and that will be your bus and Chinese Junk excursion colour for the next couple of days.
When checking out of the Sofitel Metropole, you will be advised to pack an overnight bag with 2 days worth of clothes into your carry on bag (along with all medicines and valuables) as you will be taken by tour bus up to Halong Bay. The large suitcases will stay locked away inside the bus as you and your carry on/overnight bag are brought to your traditional Chinese Junk for an overnight sailing through Halong Bay. No worries, the buses and the luggage are all locked up tight and the bus driver stays with your things during this wonderful activity.
Each Junk holds about 30 people and your cabin on the main AmaDara ship will be matched to a cabin on the Junk for your overnight stay. Keys are given out and after a
chance to freshen up it was time to eat! Upon arrival, we were treated to an absolutely delicious and very well presented North Vietnamese lunch. The flavours and selection were out of this world: truly delicious and I am a picky eater! We set sail as we were lunching and started to get our first glimpse of the massive and gigantic limestone mountains and peaks which emerged from the water and towered over us like ancient sentinels.
We sailed like this for a few hours when our junk anchored and we had some excursions to choose from for the afternoon. Since I had been here before, this time I enjoyed a visit to one of the islands for a beach party and a chance to climb up to the peak of one of the hills for an indescribable view on the bay below. Everything is done in small and intimate groups and there truly is something for everyone.
That evening we were provided with traditional royal, silk wedding robes and hats so that we could all dress for the cocktail party and dinner. Another very well prepared and presented dinner followed and we all
The True Royal Wedding
While on board our Chinese junk Ama provided everyone with traditional wedding garb for our special dinner! We had so much fun! had a great time dancing and posing in our wedding gear. After dinner, the night was ours to enjoy: some people went up on deck although most people retired to their comfy little cabins and enjoyed a good night’s sleep to the sounds of revellers in the distance.
Early risers were invited onto the top deck for Tai Chi… I just had some coffee and grunted in wonder and enjoyed a nice pastry. After breakfast, there was a tour to the wondrous caverns and caves for a light hike and afterwards we set sail back for the mainland and the drive back to Hanoi airport for our flight to Siem Reap.
People were reunited with their luggage upon arrival at the airport and we had an area to re-pack a bit, get ride of liquids, etc. We checked in as a group for our Intra Asia flight to Siem Reap and had a “cafeteria” lunch that seemed quite bland after the beautiful food we’d just had in the junk before boarding our plane.
AS YOUR AMA CRUISE MANAGER WILL REMIND YOU OVER AND OVER, BE SURE THAT WHEN YOU ARE GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS ON THE WAY TO SIEM REAP THAT YOU BE SURE TO SAY YOU ARE COMING BACK TO VIETNAM. DO NOT LET THEM STAMP YOUR VISA USED!
SIEM REAP Cambodia also requires a visa, but this can be obtained directly in the airport upon landing if it proves difficult to get one before hand. Upon arrival in the small airport at Siem Reap, people who already had their visas could get their luggage immediately and those who still needed the Cambodian visa has to take their form passport photo and $20 and stand in a short line. It took about 15 minutes for everyone, but it is much easier if you have this visa already.
We were told to stay in our colour families in Siem Reap. This is where being part of Dave’s DNA Family really has its advantages. We generally have our own bus for just DNA people and everyone was always jealous of how much fun we had. Once luggage and our group were loaded into our bus, we were brought to our beautiful Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort. This beautiful resort has
a large main building with a bar and restaurant and the rooms are located in various back buildings which you reach on winding walkways past tropical ponds, flowers and a huge main pool area. The sounds, smells and atmosphere let you know that you are somewhere truly special.
We had dinner on our own at a fabulous restaurant close to the hotel. We had the Concierge get us a tuk tuk which was provided for free and we each gave a $1 tip as recommended. Our dinner was phenomenal and our tuk tuk driver was very happy to wait and bring us back.
Touring the Angkor Complex over the next two days is like stepping into a fantasy world.
You do not have to do anything to prepare for your time in Angkor… Ama has your pass and your tours all arranged and well timed. If you want more time to explore, there is free time in the afternoon and it was very easy to arrange a tuk tuk for a private journey through this massive park. We also enjoyed using the hotel pool facilities after a long morning of touring… it was
the perfect balance of adventure and pampering. Hell, give me a swim up bar and delicious Vietnamese Spring Rolls and I’m in heaven!
The second evening included a special show and dinner in the WONDROUS Sofitel restaurant. This is a buffet with never ending stations of flavour, choices, and a plethora of traditional dishes and Western favourites. I heard people exclaim “Wow” so many times I started saying it for them. Our breakfast buffet every day elicited the same responses as it was just as bountiful!
The temples inside the vast Angkor complex are vast and many. Ama will take you to the major sites: Angkor Thom, The Bayon, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of Leper King, Ta Prohm Temple, Bantey Srei Temple, Angkor Wat, and a touching visit at AmaWaterways’ English-Language School where we met the children and brought supplies. They were thrilled to practice their English and it is a very educational stop for us.
I can’t honestly remember what we did for dinner on the third night’s meal, but I can say that I will never forget how the day began… with a pre-dawn visit to Angkor Wat
You Know I Love Me a Swim Up Bar!
No text required... swim up bar!!!!! to watch the sunrise. It was absolutely breathtaking, spellbinding and despite all the other people there… a singular experience. It’s not so much that the sun “rises” over Angkor, but the lightening of the day and the reflection of Angkor Wat in the pond is a once in a lifetime view. DO IT!
I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY OF THE BALLOON RIDES HERE! You lose what makes the sunrise special… save your money!
Our three days in Siem Reap sped by quickly and I am already looking forward to the next time I am there in 2019. As our buses pulled away for the drive to the ship, the hotel staff assembled outside to wave goodbye. It was touching.
The ride to the ship will vary depending on the water levels and how close the AmaDara can get to Tonle Sap lake. Each time I have gone in January, we have gotten on the ship in a town about 4 hours away called Prek Kadaam. The ride was interesting and informative and during the bathroom break, Ama had boxed lunches for us… which is great because one of the delicacies for
Sunrise at Angkor Watt is an UNFORGETTABLE Experience
Who cares if we had to get up at 4:45am... it was AMAZING!!!! sale to hungry tourists in the place we stopped was tarantula! (WATCH MY VIDEO!!!!)
THE AMADARA
Our home away from home as we sailed the Mekong was the AmaDara, the newest Ama ship in Asia (if you sailed Marguerite or AmaLotus they are now with the Australian arm of the company APT). The AmaDara is total luxury by local standards and it is clean, welcoming and charming.. but you should be aware it is not brand new, it is refurbished. The Ama Hotel Manager, Markus is one of the best in the whole company and the crew is one of the best and nicest! They make that ship shine as brightly as the smiles that greet you every day as you move around the vessel.
We had amazing accommodations and everything on board is well organised. Wifi is limited to certain areas of the ship UNLESS you do one of two things: book a Suite (each has their own wifI) or get your own Cambodian/
Vietnamese SIM card . We got local SIMS for my cell phone and also for our portable WiFi. Vietnamese and Cambodian signals are strong and we never once lost
connection. Some companies are better in some parts of the country though: ask your cruise manager.
The ship has three main levels for guests… the bottom level is cabins and the restaurant, the middle level is cabins and the guest lounge and the top level is Suites and the Pool Deck. I forget where the exercise room is (as I never looked for it) but the spa and massage rooms are actually below deck on the lowest level. Massage and ManiPedis were GREAT and reasonable (although you can surely get it cheaper on land).
I highly recommend the B level cabins in the middle deck. These are the most convenient of all cabins, but one thing I especially liked about the AmaDara is that there was no deck area above the Suites. All rooms are generally quiet.
SAIGON/ HO CHI MIHN CITY Our adventure ended in the bustling and modern city of Saigon. Ama now uses the Sofitel Saigon Plaza which is located on peaceful, tree-lined Le Duan Boulevard just a moment from the citys commercial centre with its fabulous shopping dining and landmark attractions like Notre Dame
Cathedral and Reunification Palace. What truly set this hotel apart from all the others was that absolutely jaw dropping and amazing Welcome Lunch buffet and morning breakfasts (included). The hotel is pretty, yes, and we were happy to get our Accor Gold member upgrades to the executive level and free access to the Business lounge, but we loved starting our day with their glorious breakfasts and people were gobsmacked at the lunch buffet choices and quality.
The Ama included city tour did a good job of showing us the city's highlights, but our absolute favourite activities here were the Hoa Tuc cooking school (a full half day activity that met at the local market where we shopped for ingredients and learned about the daily life of Saigon chefs and then a very hands on cooking experience that allowed us to make 4 separate dishes with time to eat and enjoy our finished product) and the Teh Dar Vietnamese acrobats (in a show that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time). Ironically, we dined in the Hoa Tuc restaurant on the evening after the acrobatic performance at the Saigon Opera house and were really
laughing when we were led to the upstairs cooking school. Truly, BOTH experiences were incredible and I would do them both again! Hoa Tuc is located in an almost hidden courtyard of several restaurants and an enormous outdoor hookah bar. We spend the whole evening here and had a memorable time!
A full list of my individual recommendations is in my Vietnam & Cambodia planner which all my booked guests receive. All in all, I can not WAIT to get back here in 2019 to enjoy it all again!
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Deidre Bender
non-member comment
Looks and sounds wonderful!
Great Blog, makes me wish I could join you on one of your fantastic trips.