Vietnam – Half-Day Tour to Cu Chi Tunnels

I’ve seen (on TV and internet) and read about the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam. I finally got my chance to visit when I was in Ho Chi Minh City in December 2014.

There are many tour agencies that organise half-day and full-day tours to the Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City and the prices range from US$10 up to US$100 depending on whether one follows a group tour or choose a private tour. A friend recommended Ben Thanh Travel Agency so I booked my half-day tour with them for US$17.

At 7.45am, the mini-van picked me up from my hotel in District 1. I was the 2^nd person on the van and we went on to other hotels in the vicinity to pick up other guests. About 20 minutes later when the mini-van was full with about 20 passengers, the van finally started to make its way to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

About 1hour into the drive, we stopped at a dilapidated Handicapped Handicrafts factory for a toilet break for 15-20minutes.

Apparently this is a “must-stop” for most of the tour groups going to Cu Chi Tunnels. Even though it felt like a forced stop, especially to some of my fellow tour members, I thought it was good. Not only did I get to stretch my legs, the break gave me a chance to look at how acrylic panels that were widely sold in the city were made, without anyone hassling anyone to buy anything, which is a rarity in this city. And I enjoyed the opportunity to just walk around the small factory watching what the workers were doing.

Handicapped Handicrafts Factory

From the Handicapped Handicrafts factory, it was about another 20-30minutes drive to Cu Chi Tunnels. Our guide showed us a short introductory video of the Cu Chi Tunnels on the van since we were running late. The old video explained that the 250km of elaborate and complex underground tunnel system were hand-dug by the Cu Chi people with simple tools during the French Occupation in the 1940s and then expanded during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. The tunnels allowed the Cu Chi people to live their lives underground despite all the fighting and bombings going on.

The entrance fee to the Cu Chi Tunnels was at a standard price of 90,000 VND (not included in my tour cost) but I think some people in the tour group were worried that they may be ripped off and decided to get their own tickets even though our tour guide was doing the same. As a result, there was chaos and confusion! I just stood at one side with a few others and waited for the guide to calm them down… before the tour began.

Ticket office

Cu Chi Tunnels Map

We walked through the forest and came to one of the most photographed area. Here, we were shown one of the entrances to the tunnels, camouflaged if not for the number of tourists surrounding it and jumping in and out of it. I had to give it a go too right? So that I can tell you what it was like! 🙂

Now you see me, now you don’t!

It was a small entrance, dark and it felt really damp inside especially after I closed the cover. Have to admit that it could get really scary if I was stuck in there! And not to mention what creepy crawlies there were hiding in there as well. Someone bigger (read: with a big belly) tried going in as well and ALMOST couldn’t get out! It was pretty hilarious.

As the tour guide brought us around, we saw holes in mounds constructed to provide ventilation for the tunnels, more camouflaged entrances to the tunnels and many booby traps that were meant to kill the enemy.

Hole for ventilation

More ventilation

Another entrance / ventilation hole

Booby traps!

There was an exhibit of an old tank destroyed during the war and many people were fascinated by it – some even climbed to the top for a photo-op.

Destroyed tank

We also visited their hospitals, artillery rooms and even went inside one of the fighting bunkers, i.e. walked /crawled inside one of the tunnels!

Typical roof for the different ‘buildings’

Hospital – too dark inside, that was the best I could do

Going in! Excited!

This is what it looked like inside the Cu Chi Tunnels – widened for tourists

It was too dark inside the tunnel to continue taking a video so in order to prove that I went in, here’s a picture of me inside.

Me inside the Cu Chi Tunnels

After touring the Cu Chi Tunnels, tourists were given the opportunity to shoot with all kinds of weapons available.

Price list for shooting

Since I already had experience firing pistols and air rifle back in the schooldays, I didn’t try. But, while walking to towards the firing range, I took this video to show you my what it felt like out in the forest hearing gunshots, something probably what the Cu Chi people experienced everyday of their lives.

Before the end of the tour, our tour guide brought us to get some lunch (included in the tour cost). When we reached the communal area set up to resemble the dining area during the war time, we were provided tapioca with some peanuts and sugar (I was too hungry and totally forgot to take a picture!). We thought it was a joke when the tour guide said that that was lunch until she gathered us to leave after that!!

I didn’t see other food provided to other tour groups as well so we all assumed that it was the “lunch” everyone was talking about. So if you are going to the Cu Chi tunnel in the morning with “lunch” included in your tour package, do bring something to eat on the journey back to the city…

Apparently, there were rangers at the site to bring tourists around and giving free guided tours. That means if you can find your own way to the Cu Chi Tunnels without joining a tour group it could actually be cheaper and more flexible. However, you run a risk of meeting rangers who are not fluent in English.

For those interested to take your own transportation, bus number 13 is available from the city with a change at the Cu Chi bus station.

Notwithstanding the so-so only tour guide I had, it beats going in a group of 50 people or more in a busload (yes I’ve read that in some Tripadvisor forums). I would say go for the experience at the Cu Chi Tunnels if you are in Ho Chi Minh City, it is interesting and I am still amazed by how the people dug and lived in those tunnels!

Have you been to the Cu Chi Tunnels? Tell me about your experience. Check out Hanoi and Sapa too if you are going to Vietnam.

Dariel 3 March, 2015 Southeast Asia, Vietnam No Comments

Reviews of Nikkivinsi Boutique Villa in Siem Reap

How many times have you arrived at a hotel and realised it is nothing like what the advertisements say? To help you avoid that sticky situation, here are my honest opinion and independent reviews.

Note: This post contain affiliate links where I will earn some commission if you book hotel through the links at no additional cost to you.

Siem Reap – Nikkivinsi Boutique Villa

This Nikkivinsi Boutique Villa hotel is located about 5 minutes away by tuk-tuk from the Angkor Temples ticket office and about 10-15 minutes away from downtown Siemp Reap. They offered free pick-up (by tuk-tuk) from the airport which was great!

There is no lift in the Nikkivinsi Boutique Villa but the staff will gladly help with your luggage up and down the stairs. The staff at the front desk all spoke basic English and they were all friendly and helpful. I booked my Phare Circus ticket from the hotel at no additional charges even though they get commission for that, so it was a win-win scenario.

I booked a double room through Agoda and look what I got – all for myself!

The room was basic with air-conditioning, a TV, clothes rack, chair and slippers. The toilet was big and clean but it was pretty dark with only 1 light bulb just above the sink. The hot water was reliable although the water pressure wasn’t great. I ended up using the tap with cold water so that I can get out of the shower quicker.

Everything in the room was clean and I loved the fact that there was plenty of sunlight. My room looked out to a construction site but it wasn’t noisy; if an extremely light sleeper like me was able to take a nap at 4pm, you should have nothing to worry about.

The Managing Director Mr. Mony was extremely helpful and always happy to receive any feedback from his guests. His staff, including his family who were helping out in the hotel, were following his example and tried to accommodate the guests’ requests to the best of their ability. They offered to prepare some toast and fruits for me when I needed to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat at 5am. Mr. Mony even offered to drive me to the airport in his own car when there was no tuk-tuk available.

The hotel is relatively new, just over a year old and they are working hard to improve the facilities, for example getting new pump to improve the water pressure and changing all the television sets to flat-screen ones. Even though the hotel is about 2km away from downtown (it cost between US$2-3 one-way on tuk-tuk), I would stay here again if I do come back to Siem Reap. I paid just over US$100 for 5 nights when I was there over the New Year period so it was definitely value-for-money.

Note: This is not a sponsored post.

Dariel 18 February, 2015 Cambodia, Reviews, Southeast Asia No Comments

Siem Reap – Kampong Khleang Floating Village

To many people, Siem Reap is equivalent to Angkor Wat and it’s just that. No doubt the Angkor Temples in the massive Angkor Archaeological Site are very impressive, they are not the only attractions in this city. To avoid being “templed out” (which I’m sure many visitors to Siem Reap are), I opted to visit the Kampong Khleang floating village on the Tonle Sap lake. I also joined a volunteer programme to break the monotony and to also better understand a part of the real Cambodian life.

Kampong Khleang Floating Village

There are three main floating villages on the lake with Chong Khneas being the nearest to Siem Reap. However because the place has turned too commercialised, it has received some bad reviews. With that reason, I chose to visit Kampong Khleang. It is probably the most remote and least visited floating village located furthest away from Siem Reap (about 40km).

Since I was travelling alone, I needed a driver whom I would feel safe with. After reading the reviews based on Neverending Voyage’s recommendation, I contacted the Kim brothers for my trip to Kampong Khleang. Kim Seng, the younger of the 2 brothers, agreed to be my driver cum tour guide.

It was a very dusty and at-times bumpy 1.5-hours tuk-tuk drive from Siem Reap. But I enjoyed the scenery and was busy taking photographs of the life of the locals whilst trying to shield my camera from the dust! When we finally reached our destination, I felt like I could shake off a bucket full of sand and dust off me!!

Whilst Kim went to arrange for our boat ride, I wandered outside the school where the tuk-tuk parked. The kids were having their break and they waved at me. One nosy kid was curious about my camera. He posed for me (the grumpy-looking guy). After I showed him the photo on my camera, he broke into a smile and called his friends to join him. I had the opportunity to take these fun photos of the local kids.

Kim then collected me from the school and we walked to the pier for our boat ride.

Kampong Khleang Pier

After hopping past a few boats, I realised that we had the boat all to ourselves! We then slowly made our way out to the middle of the Tonle Sap lake with Kim providing me with information of the village, the lake and the lives of the people. When I had a question that he couldn’t answer, he would turn to the boatman and then translate the answer to me.

There’s even a lifting bridge!

The water level on the lake will rise during the wet season so many of the houses are built on stilts, as high as 10 metres above ground, to avoid having their houses being flooded.

Without a doubt, the people here are poor and they depend on fishing for survival. However, I was told that due to over-fishing activities, the fishes are now usually not that big.

The poorer villagers who cannot afford a proper stilt house have to have floating houses on the lake which means they literally go with the flow of the lake.

Floating Houses

It was the dry season when I visited in late December 2014 so the water level was pretty low (about 3 metres deep at the deepest end) and vast amount of land was visible. During these dry periods the villagers grow crops like cabbage and soya beans on the land.

Part-time farmers who can’t help but do what they do best – go fishing

People use boats for almost everything around here in Kampong Khleang and they were steered by people of all ages.

Some sort of sale going on

Oh hello kids!

Take a nap, why not?

Kampong Khleang is still a very authentic floating village with few tourists. While I was there, I saw only 3 other boats carrying tourists and a few kayakers on the entire lake.

Our boat stopped in the middle of the lake for tourists like me to enjoy the view. Kim and I chatted casually, talking about cultures, his life and how he learned English. It was really nice and relaxing with the tranquility of the lake. The lake was calm except for the occasional waves coming from passing boats.

Fishing on the Tonle Sap Lake

On our way back to the village, I asked Kim whether the locals required any license to drive the boats. After getting a “nope” from our boatman, I then asked if he would be willing to let me try since it looked easy. Although a little hesitant in the beginning, our boatman seemed happy to let me do his job for a while and even helped to take photographs!

Kim the driver and me the part-time boatman 🙂

What I like about Kampong Khleang is the simplicity and calmness. Everyone was very friendly and curious about us foreigners; they would smile with sincerity and wave. There’s no touting, no tourist traps, no scams. There’s no entrance fees required to visit the village, no shopping for tourists and most importantly the money for the boat rides went straight to the boatmen – I know because I saw it with my own eyes.

Part-time farmer was fishing

I was sure he asked his mum whether it was ok to wave at me 🙂

After the boat ride, Kim brought me to visit the “dry” part of the village, including the local market which was quiet, probably because it was lunch time. The “market” was essentially the villagers’ homes with shop-fronts selling almost anything you want, including a Dior bag (fake of course).

Kampong Khleang Market

Further down the road, we saw the locals working hard. They were cutting and preparing the fish to be smoked. Some were laying out the smaller fish by the roadside to be dried which would then be fed to the pigs.

We also saw people selling the bigger fishes they caught for their own consumption.

The villagers’ lives are really simple. They also encourage their children to go to school to hopefully get them out of the vicious cycle. It seems the kids loved going to school as well.

We drove back to Siem Reap after spending about 3 hours at the Kampong Khleang floating village. I have to admit it was a pretty mind-blowing experience since I’ve never seen anything like it. If anyone is heading to Siem Reap, I highly recommend a trip down to Kampong Khleang before it too becomes commercialized.

Do you think more people should visit the floating village or should it be kept away from the tourists to prevent it from being ‘tainted’? Click here to find out what other things can you do in Siem Reap.

Dariel 13 February, 2015 Cambodia, Southeast Asia 5 Comments

Reviews of Sapa Cozy 2 Hotel

Note: This post contain affiliate links where I will earn some commission if you book hotel through the links at no additional cost to you.

Sapa Cozy 2 Hotel

The smile of the receptionist, Quan, greeted me when I arrived at the hotel. The bright, clean and spacious lobby was a welcomed change from the Hanoi hotels I’ve stayed in. There’s no lift in the hotel but Quan helped to bring my luggage upstairs to my room.

The room is big (think he mentioned I was upgraded?) with a big double queen size bed. The toilet is clean and big as well. There was a TV, fan, hair dryer, kettle, free tea and coffee. Slippers were also provided, which I needed because even though the room was clean, the floor was a bit dusty. I was afraid of mosquitoes at night and tried to close the windows, however one of them couldn’t close properly. But I realised that mosquitoes wasn’t an issue at all.

Sapa Cozy 2 Hotel is conveniently located at just a few minutes’ walk to the Sapa Stone Church (centre of the town) and 1 street away from the Sapa Lake. Local grocery stores, shops and food outlets could be found along the same street of the hotel or just opposite. Even though the hotel sits along one of the main streets, it is quiet at night although you can hear the traffic starts at around 7am in the morning.

The hotel also allowed me to use their guest bathroom on the ground floor when I came back from my hike for a shower before leaving on the night train.

For US$14/night, booked through Agoda it is value for money no doubt. I will consider staying here again if I return to Sapa but like in Hanoi, remind me to get a room not facing the street!

Going to Sapa? Find out what you can do by clicking on this link.

Dariel 6 February, 2015 Reviews, Southeast Asia, Vietnam No Comments

Volunteer at a Panda Reserve in China

Did you know you can become a volunteer at a Panda Reserve?

To be a volunteer at the Bifengxia Panda Reserve in Ya’an, visitors are allowed to sign up on the Panda International website on their own. We included this part of the trip in our tour package. We had a 2 day 1 night stint including a stay at the Bifengxia Xiaoxitian Hostel located right next to the Reserve.

Bifengxia Xiaoxitian Hostel

We checked into the hostel upon arrival and was horrified to find the conditions of the hostel to be as bad, if not worse, than what had been described on the internet. The room was basic and incredibly damp (because of the high altitude) but that’s all still acceptable. What was the deal-breaker – the horrible smelling toilets!!! All our rooms have attached bathroom and most of them stink, REALLY BAD!

After leaving our luggage in the rooms, we proceeded to the Panda Reserve.

Short road to the Panda Reserve where hawkers were selling food and souvenirs

Bifengxia Panda Reserve

Office of the Bifengxia Panda Reserve

One of the caretakers then issued the volunteer overalls and our volunteer passes.

Bifengxia Panda Reserve Volunteer Pass

It was a pity that our tour guide didn’t really know what was going to happen for the rest of the day and we spent the afternoon roaming around the Reserve like a headless chicken (i.e. wasting our time) but we did see some baby and young pandas in their respective enclosures.

Young pandas playing playfully

Can you spot the panda?

Baby pandas sleeping inside their baskets!!

After getting through the night in the almost unbearably bad smelling room, we headed out early back to the Reserve the next morning. I was definitely ready and excited to be a volunteer at the Panda reserve.

We were driven to one of the panda enclosures that housed the pregnant or mother pandas. The caretakers split us into groups of 4, each led by a caretaker who was in charge of a few pandas. The caretaker’s instructions were short and precise – 2 to each enclosure, take the broom, clean the enclosures then wash and scrub. So we did what we were told. I was lucky (or unlucky depending on how you want to see it) that there was a pile of panda poop in “my enclosure” to be scooped. Well, how many people get the opportunity to do that??!! 🙂

Cleaning the poop (and the enclosure) happily!

All clean and sparkling!

A a volunteer at a panda reserve, the job scope would also include sweeping the corridor which was littered with a lot of bamboo and bamboo leaves. We never had so much fun sweeping floor in our lives!

Happy travelling mates (who do not wish to have their faces featured) sweeping the corridors

… and the driveway

We had some free time to roam around after all the hard work so we checked out the pandas. Those with babies inside the same enclosures were sensitive and protective so we had to contain our excitement and keep our voices down.

Oh hello!

Baby panda resting on mummy panda… shhh…..

Are you dancing?

Photo credit: Melanie – Umm… monkeying around with one of the pandas

Most of the other pandas were feeding (read: stuffing!) themselves with bamboo and bamboo leaves. It was really adorable!

Literally stuffing her face with bamboo

Like a boss

The bamboo and bamboo leaves provided to these pandas were fresh and of better quality than some other panda reserves in the country. These animals have a lot of space to move around, always free to go in and out of their enclosures and the “parks” designed specially for them. I think they were treated like kings and queens here.

Photo credit: Elayne Low

Fresh bamboos for the pandas

Photo credit: Celine Yeo

As volunteers, we also had the opportunity to feed the pandas, by hand no less! Apparently other than bamboos, the pandas were fed with carrots, apples, panda bread and nutritional biscuits. The biscuits looked like a very dense cake made of special ingredients in order to supplement their otherwise deficient vitamins from just eating bamboo.

Photo credit: Melanie

Look at the panda looking at me so lovingly hahaha

Getting ready to be fed!

It was an amazing experience to be able to put food into the panda’s mouth and then see her “take over” feeding herself. It was fun!

Just like a baby!

Sitting NEXT to a Panda!

Beside signing up as a volunteers, the Panda Reserve allow visitors to sit and/or play with the pandas after paying a fee. My travelling mate Jackie decided to do it. I was in a dilemma because the fee was RMB 1,500 (about S$300)! After some consideration, I decided to join her. I didn’t want to have any regrets in my life. Who knows when will I ever get the chance to do it again, right?

Jackie and I were led to a shed-like area and were instructed to put on the protective clothing provided. We put on the gloves and covers for the shoes before being introduced to Jiajia the giant panda. Once we got through the gate, we saw Jiajia sitting on the pavement with carrots in his hands (I’m assuming it’s a boy) munching away! First Jackie was ushered to sit beside Jiajia and all the cameras and iPhone just started clicking away. Jiajia wasn’t too bothered about the human being next to him, he was more interested in getting more food from the caretakers.

When it was my turn, I sat down beside Jiajia and very lightly put my hands around him, turned to look at him every now and then before getting back to the cameras. I was actually a little bit nervous because you really don’t know what these wild animals can do.

Photo credit: Jackie Poh – Just like friends 🙂

After what seemed like just under 30 seconds, the photo-taking session ended and we were again ushered back out. Everything went past very hurriedly. We were later told that because carrot is not the best food for pandas’ digestive system, they tried to limit the amount of time the pandas spend with tourists / visitors in order to avoid giving too much snacks as a way of distracting them.

It was a really amazing experience to be sitting beside a real panda, touching it and even smelling it! From this invaluable (and expensive) experience, I learnt a few trivia facts:

1) Pandas smell quite bad because they don’t bath! The natural dirt on their fur is good protection against parasites.

2) Even though panda fur looked soft and fluffy, they are actually rough, like brushes!

For our efforts as volunteers, we were presented with a certificate and a pin each.

If you are interested to become a volunteer at a Panda Reserve, try getting in touch with the Panda International organisation. However, due to a recent epidemic, which already killed a few pandas, the Volunteer Programme has been suspended (until further notice?).

Also if you wish to take pictures with baby pandas as opposed to an adolescent (Jiajia was a 2 year old), do note that the price quoted to us was double! Check and ask before you pay. (Prices valid as at October 2014)

Do you want to become a volunteer at a Panda Reserve? Click here, here and here to check out other things we did in Chengdu.

Dariel 4 February, 2015 China, North East Asia 2 Comments

Leshan Giant Buddha – Daytrip from Chengdu

Four of us had a free day in Chengdu before the rest of our group arrived in China so we decided to take a day trip out to Leshan and visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Leshan Giant Buddha carved out of a cliff face.

Many people choose to take a public bus from Chengdu’s Xinanmen bus station to Leshan’s Xiaoba bus station and change to bus number 13 to get to the Leshan Giant Buddha tourist site. We wanted to take a detour to the elusive Thousand Buddha Cliff so we booked a mini-van in advance for the whole day (which cost RMB1,200 including tips). We left Chengdu city centre at about 8am and the drive to the Grand Buddha took slightly more than 2 hours (with no traffic jam). Our mini-van was a bit old and the driver didn’t speed so it might have took a little longer than usual.

On arrival, the driver dropped us at the car park directly opposite the ticket office, which was really convenient.

The entrance fee was RMB 90 for an adult (as at October 2014).

I think we entered from the North Gate. There was no queue at the ticket office and it was a considerably quiet walk towards the Buddha. A good start!

It was drizzling and the steps were somewhat slippery, but the climb itself wasn’t too bad. I love that the air was fresh and clean.

Leshan Giant Buddha

Soon we saw 2 temples and many people praying and burning joss sticks. We decided to head straight to the Giant Buddha first since that was our priority. A lot have been written and commented (on Tripadvisor) regarding the super long queues to climb the steep stairway to see the Buddha so we made a beeline for it. I was really excited when I saw no one in the queue!

The happiness was shortlived because after we made a turn we saw the crowd.

I’ve read that many people had to wait for 1 or even 2 hours before they could make it to the beginning of the stairway. We were lucky and managed within 20 minutes with all the typical mainland Chinese style of people cutting queues and squeezing their way to the front. I REALLY hate it when people do that.

The queue was moving at a snail pace and we wondered why… until we reached the front. The Giant Buddha was visible at the turn of the corner. Here at the beginning of the stairs everyone was trying to take pictures.

Leshan Giant Buddha

The biggest stone buddha in the world

The Giant Buddha is 71 metres tall – the biggest stone Buddha in the world – so the climb down from the top of the Buddha’s head to his feet was long and steep.

Photo by: Celine Yeo

There are a couple of look-outs (note: just a couple!) along the way down where the platform extended a little bit outwards for less than 10 people to get some nicer pictures, i.e. without being photo-bombed.

A selfie with the Giant Buddha

From here, visitors can also take a closer look at the Buddha. The stone statue hasn’t been spared from the natural elements and there were definitely signs of weathering on the amazing architecture works. Weeds and grass were growing on the Buddha statue and the colours on the Buddha were somewhat dull. I hope the Chinese Government are taking measures to protect the statue from further deterioration.

There are also carvings on the rock along the way down although many of the statues had already been damaged and destroyed. What a shame.

At the top, we saw ferries transporting tourists to see and take pictures of the Buddha on the Qingyi river. It cost RMB70 and is an alternative to climbing the steps. But looking at the current, I was glad that we decided to do some workout instead!

After about 20 mins, we reached the foot of the Buddha. From this angle, the Buddha looked really massive. I couldn’t help but wonder how the people in the past managed to create something so remarkable with the technology they then possessed.

It is massive!

After paying our respect and taking a few more pictures, we climbed our way back up to the top of the mountain from the other side. The climb probably took us another 20-30 minutes with a group of Chinese tourists singing along the way and disturbing the serenity! I seriously felt like killing somebody but we managed to get away from them.

The entrance fee we paid allowed us to roam the National Park compound which included a couple of temples, ponds, pavilions, statues, stone carvings from ancient times, etc. The place was big with signs everywhere.

Looks like something from a kungfu film

It was a nice walk (especially the quiet and peaceful parts). The temples were busy but not too crowded.

In total, we spent almost 3 hours at the Emei Mt-Leshan Giant Buddha National Park.

So is it worthwhile to drive 2 hours from Chengdu to see the Giant Buddha? If you plan to visit, I would suggest adding a side trip – for example to the Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff like we did. Many travellers visit the Dujianyan Irrigation System as part of their Leshan day-trip while others travel to Mount Er-mei which requires 2 more days to explore. So if you have time, do check out this UNESCO World Heritage site and witness the stone sculpture artistry of the ancient Chinese.

Have you visited the Leshan Giant Buddha? Tell me what you think! Click here if you want to read about me being a volunteer at a Panda Reserve.

Dariel 28 January, 2015 China, North East Asia 21 Comments

Reviews of Hanoi Hotels

Note: This post contain affiliate links where I will earn some commission if you book hotel through the links at no additional cost to you.

Reviews of Hanoi Hotels

I stayed in 2 hotels in Hanoi in October 2014, both booked through Booking.com. I experienced a world of difference in the level of customer service between just them 2. Here are my reviews.

Hanoi Lucky Guesthouse 2 – Terrible service

I arrived in Hanoi at 11:00am in the morning and planned to take the night train out to Sapa on the same night. Basically I just needed a place to leave my luggage, rest and take a shower before getting on the overnight train at 9pm.

I booked a bed in the 4-bed dormitory in Hanoi Lucky Guesthouse 2 for US$6/night. They provided a locker for each bed and there’s a shared bathroom downstairs. I thought it was a perfect arrangement although there were some negative reviews on the Tripadvisor.

The hotel arranged the airport pick-up for US$18 and I arrived at the hotel without any problems. Upon arrival, the staff were really friendly and even helped to bring my luggage up to the room. It was a small room with 2 double-decker beds plus one foldable bed squeezed just right behind the door. This is where all the niceties end.

The locker in the room couldn’t close properly and there was no lock for them. The worse thing was the door to my 4-bed dormitory had no lock either and I didn’t receive any key the whole time I was there. Even though I had the whole room to myself (no one else booked the dorm), I didn’t feel safe and had to bring my valuables with me.

Hanoi Lucky Guesthouse 2

There was air-conditioning in the room but it wasn’t cool. It just provided some air circulation in the otherwise stuffy room. But for US$6/night, I shouldn’t be asking for too much right? Wrong!

After the manager (I think) realised that I had already made my tour and train bookings myself, her attitude changed instantaneously. From being super friendly to ignoring me and not addressing my simple request (see below). The stark contrast in attitude could be seen when she was explaining very patiently some tour routes to a couple at the reception area whom I presume, booked a tour from them. How materialistic!

After roaming around Hanoi in the afternoon, I just wanted to take a nice shower before boarding the train. Unfortunately there was a power outage along the street where the hotel was located. Not their fault, I understand. However, when I asked for a candle so that I can pack, the manager very rudely told me that they have run out of candles and told me to “use your mobile phone”! This was just seconds after a boy came around and took a candle out of the drawer full of candles behind the reception. I didn’t want to waste my time arguing with her so I left the reception.

All I can say is AVOID this hotel unless you are willing to be ripped-off by booking tours with them.

Hanoi City Hostel – Yes I will come back

On the flip side of my terrible experience with Hanoi Lucky Guesthouse 2, Hanoi City Hostel reinstated my faith in the service level of the city. A month before I left for the trip I emailed them requesting for a late check-out. They responded that it depended on the availability, which was fair.

My train from Sapa arrived around 6:00am in the morning. When I reached the Hostel, I had to knock and wake one of the staff sleeping in the reception area to let me in. After giving me the room key and telling me where the room was, he went back to bed, without any unhappiness at all 🙂

The room was big with 1 double bed and a single bed. The bathroom was relatively big. Although the room looked a bit dated, it was clean and comfortable. There was even a safe! The water pressure was great and the hot water was reliable.

After getting some rest, I decided to check out at 11:00am to grab some food and explore the city some more. At the reception, the soft-spoken owner (I think) remembered that I asked for late check-out (!) and told me that the room was available. Even though I didn’t need it anymore, I was really impressed. The place where they kept luggages for guests was inside the reception area, behind a set of wooden doors. That I would say, is a place I would feel safe to keep my belongings unlike Hanoi Lucky Guesthouse 2 that leave their guests’ luggages on the 2nd floor in the open! Finally the Hostel arranged a taxi to the airport for me at US$15.

For US$16/night, this will definitely be one of my choices if I ever return to Hanoi, just remind me to get a room not facing the street!

Going to Hanoi? Find out what you can do by clicking on this link.

Dariel 24 January, 2015 Reviews, Southeast Asia, Vietnam 2 Comments

Off-The-Beaten-Path: Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff

Even though I am usually on the normal tourist-tracks when I visit a new place, I also like to explore the lesser-known, less touristy places as much as I can. I like the fact that these off-the-beaten-path places offer different views, different vibes and very often, fewer crowd. The Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff in Sichuan is one such place I visited recently.

Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff

The Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff (千佛岩) in Jiajiang county (夹江) Chengdu is a 2A rated attractions by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) based on the code “Categories and Rating Standard of Tourist Attractions” (1A being the lowest and 5A the highest or the best). There is very little information on the Cliff available on the internet which made it quite mysterious and the photographs I saw intrigued me. Even our driver didn’t really know how to get there exactly. We had to drive through some industrial park at some point.

When we finally reached the “front gate” we had to walk through a small village first.

First signage of the Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff

No Thousand Buddha Cliff in sight. Just keep walking

There’s no signage whatsoever so we just kept going straight. I had to ask a local which way it was – just in case. I later got to know that the street inside the village linking to the Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff was where scholars gather in the ancient times.

Ancient Street

At the end of the street, we saw a gate / gantry. After passing through the gate, we saw the Qingyi river on the left, it was a pleasant sight.

Qingyi River

There are a couple of stone signs along the way which tried to provide short explanations of what the Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff is about. Apparently the statues on the rocks were carved by the Chinese commoners during the prosperous Tang Dynasty and there are more than 2,470 statues within 162 niches. These carvings were dated earlier than the Leshan Giant Buddha.

After paying for our tickets at RMB5 each, we proceeded inside the park towards the Cliff.

Ticket office

Road leading to the Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff

Entrance to Thousand Buddha Cliff

Once we stand beside the Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff, we were very impressed – statues and statues of Buddha carved inside the rock. Although many had missing heads, a lot are still intact. There’s a whole lot of variety of Buddha with varied postures and gorgeous colours. The workmanship was intricate and displayed the superior skills of the stone sculpture back in the ancient time.

The biggest sculpture is a Buddha at about 2.7 metre tall. People still pray to some of these Buddha and there’s an old lady selling incense and joss-sticks at the Pavilion.

Biggest Buddha at the Thousand Buddha Cliff

After we prayed and burned some incense we walked on and came to a small wooden bridge erected right next to the cliff. Even along these cliffs, there are carvings, some of Buddhas and others ancient Chinese phrases.

There is also a temple at the top of the mountain which we didn’t visit because it was getting late and dark.

Photo by: Celine Yeo

On our way back out, we saw one last sign bidding us farewell and reminded us of where we were and what we had just seen.

We took more than an hour to walk around the whole place, which is about 600m long. We took our time to admire the carvings and surroundings. There were like 15 local (mainland Chinese) tourists the whole time we were there and we were the only foreigners!

The Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff was quiet and peaceful, a very welcomed change from the rest of China tourist sights. I also think that this is a beautiful place with some amazing history and stories waiting to be told. This attraction certainly has a lot more potential than what it is now and I hope more travellers will pay a visit before it becomes more popular and crowded. It is definitely one of my favourites.

Also read about our visit to the Leshan Giant Buddha here. What are your favourite off-the-beaten-path attractions?

For other things to do in Chengdu, click here.

Dariel 21 January, 2015 China, North East Asia 26 Comments

Taxi Scam-ed in Ho Chi Minh City

Before leaving for Vietnam in October for my Hanoi trip and in December for my Ho Chi Minh holiday, I’ve done a lot of research about avoiding being scammed by taxis in Vietnam. I sort of managed to avoid that in Hanoi but couldn’t really say the same for Ho Chi Minh.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh has been said to be a prime location for taxi scams. I prepared myself to the fullest (or so I thought) and followed every advice I could find on the internet and from my friends who frequent the city. After getting out of the airport, I saw a taxi queue on the left side with many taxis waiting, including what they called “the most-reliable taxi companies” Vinasun and Mai Linh. But I decided against joining the queue and follow what some people advised – walk to the Vinasun / Mai Linh counter to ask for one.

At first I came to a counter for airport shuttle, they were asking for 250,000 VND. I thanked them and walked away. Then I saw another counter across the road. I went over and asked. It was a Vinasun counter – Bingo! I said I needed a taxi to go into town then a guy told me “ok, we call a limousine for you” pointing to a 7-seater. I wasn’t sure how much that would cost so I replied that I have no need for a limousine, just a normal car ( I meant to say sedan). Somehow that statement made him become uninterested and he just turned away!

At this point, another guy who was standing around the whole time when I was having the conversation with the Vinasun guy walked to me and said he would get me a taxi, a normal car. Since he was there the whole time, I thought he belonged to either the Vinasun or Mai Linh taxi companies. Then he quoted – 300,000 VND. When I heard that, I told him no, it’s too expensive and I want a car with meter (like what everyone said on the internet). The guy replied “Madam, now is peak hour, traffic jam, you take meter, the taxi will go round and round. 200,000 VND for the taxi and 100,000 VND for the car park, ok?” I thought the “round and round” thing made some sense and tried to have a conversation with him (all the while still thinking he was a Vinasun / Mai Linh staff). However, with the limited English on his side, it proved to be difficult. And I was getting confused about the car park he was talking about.

Then all of a sudden he took my luggage and brought me to a silver cab and went on to put my luggage inside the boot before I could stop him. Then he said “300,000 VND ok, you give the driver”. It was a lady driver and for a moment I thought that’s better than a guy bringing me to god-knows-where, so I boarded. I actually got into the cab!

While in the cab, it suddenly dawned on me what had happened – I have been taxi scammed!! Even the airport shuttle was asking for only 250,000 VND! The trip to my hotel took about 20 minutes so I definitely paid more than what it was supposed to cost. To make things worse, my hotel arranged for my transport back to the airport at the end of my trip for a mere 150,000 VND, in a Toyota Fortuner no less!

The difference of 150,000 VND (about US$7) is not a big deal but I just don’t feel good about being scammed, just because I am a foreigner! I definitely used either a Vinasun or Mai Linh taxi after the experience.

Have you been taxi-scammed before? Share your experience with me!

Dariel 12 January, 2015 Southeast Asia, Vietnam 5 Comments

Homestay with Red Dao Ethnic Minority Family in Sapa

homestay

After our first day of trekking through the Sapa mountains, we arrived at the house of a local ethnic minority family. This is where the local homestay will take place for us.

Co, our Sapa O’Chau guide, brought us into the house and introduced us to the owners and their beautiful children who also speak basic English. We were then brought to the balcony where we could chill and enjoy some drinks. We changed into the slippers provided (hello smelly feet!), sat there and chatted.

Balcony

Co came around and showed us our bedrooms. I shared a room with the 2 American ladies but had my little bit of privacy since there’s a divider between my room and theirs. The bedroom had beds with mosquito nets, mattresses, pillows and thick blankets. No frills, just the basic necessities.

Fellow trekker’s beds

My bedroom and bed – it was so dark that I needed to use my iphone to create a focus point to take the pictures!

Except the balcony which had natural lighting, the whole interior of the house was dark and it appeared that the family was used to moving around in the dark. There was some light from the stove though, boiling hot water and cooking some food.

Photo taken with long exposure

homestay

Just right next to our bedroom, there was another big stove with a huge wok and a lot of leaves in it. That’s the herbs for our medicinal bath later.

homestay

Our hosts were busy preparing dinner – in the dark – whilst we chill out. Frankly, it was so dark that it was really difficult to take any pictures. I could barely see what was going on and had to listen to all the actions going on around the house. Things were clearer (for a split second) when the camera went off.

Our guide Co and our male host washing the ingredients beside the bathroom (where we take our medicinal bath) – iPhone 5

Our lady host cooking

Everybody helped!

I helped to wrap the spring rolls and the neighbour cooked them.

homestay

The light inside the house didn’t come on until the sun set. And whilst the food was still being prepared, we went for our medicinal bath. Technically it wasn’t a bath, it’s just soaking in a big wooden barrel with the water from the herb cooked AND a few of us shared the same water… I was the second in line so I guess it wasn’t that bad.

I got out of the barrel after less than 10minutes but was later told the effects would only be more visible if we soaked ourselves for at least 20 minutes. Anyhow, my “bath” was quite refreshing (just try not to think about what’s in the water after the first person went in).

[I didn’t manage to get the photos of me inside the barrel from the trekkers… boohoo….]

While waiting for dinner, we played with the kids and the puppies that have wandered inside.

homestay

Shortly after, dinner was ready and the whole table was full of food!

The beautiful daughter of our hosts

homestay

Only the adults were at the table. The children were having their dinner somewhere else (I couldn’t see because it was dark!)

At the dinner, we were offered rice wine and everyone took a sip. Boy, it was STRONG! The male host was really happy that Paul, the only male in our group was drinking with him. I guess it’s not often that he finds a drinking mate.

homestay

Everyone talked and laughed over dinner and it was really enjoyable. From the chatting session after dinner, we got to know that our hosts’ eldest daughter (who was married) was going to give birth that very night!

The children played with marble after dinner and 5-stones. It was so long ago since I last played 5-stones so I gave it a go. It wasn’t easy because they literally use stones and trying to pick the stones up from the uneven floor is a skill!
homestay

Everyone was tired so we went to bed pretty early. The thick blanket made sure we were kept warm but none of us got a good night’s sleep – the rooster calling at 1am in the morning and the puppies whining in the middle of the night are just 2 of the factors. I can’t really blame anyone for my lack of sleep since I’m a light sleeper. And to be honest, being a city-kid, I was having problem sleeping in such environment.

When we woke up the next morning, there wasn’t much to do so we played with the dog and checked out the family’s (pet) animals.
homestay

And…. we had breakfast – banana and crepe! The host family cooked everything – not fantastic but still delicious.

homestay

We also played with the children and the neighbour’s children.

Simple peek-a-boo game

“Lift me up”

Before leaving for our second day of trekking, I got to try on the traditional Red Dao costume. It was thick and heavy. But I thought I looked cute 🙂

Me in Red Dao traditional costume with my host

The homestay may not be suitable for everyone, especially those who prefer to have a comfy bed and a nice warm bath that you can only find in a hotel. However, I would highly recommend those who want to have a “local” experience to try it out. Our hosts were friendly and warm. I appreciate that they opened up their home to tourists so that people like us see and know what their live is all about, or at least a wee bit of that.

After-thoughts:

When the rest of the world was trying to get their hands on the newest gadets, the people here at Sapa were busy working in the fields trying to make ends meet. The younger children were playing marbles with their siblings and friends, coming up with imaginary games with the used bottle caps they found, disturbing their pets or even just having a peek-a-boo session with new friends (us) they met. They have no toys, no Ipad, no TV, no computer, no x-box but they seemed so much happier (and may I add healthier) than many of the children living in our very urbanised world who have everything they wanted.

I wouldn’t say that living with the locals for just 1 night changed my life; but it did give me a different perspective. To know and see what’s happening around the world shown only on TV, magazines or newspapers is unlike going through it yourself. I know I will treasure this invaluable experience for a long long time.

Have you tried homestay in Sapa or visiting the ethnic minority market? Tell me about it.

Dariel 24 December, 2014 Southeast Asia, Vietnam 4 Comments

Where's Dariel? – Travel Blog

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Vietnam – Half-Day Tour to Cu Chi Tunnels

Reviews of Nikkivinsi Boutique Villa in Siem Reap

Siem Reap – Nikkivinsi Boutique Villa

Siem Reap – Kampong Khleang Floating Village

Kampong Khleang Floating Village

Reviews of Sapa Cozy 2 Hotel

Sapa Cozy 2 Hotel

Volunteer at a Panda Reserve in China

Leshan Giant Buddha – Daytrip from Chengdu

Reviews of Hanoi Hotels

Reviews of Hanoi Hotels

Off-The-Beaten-Path: Jiajiang Thousand Buddha Cliff

Taxi Scam-ed in Ho Chi Minh City

Homestay with Red Dao Ethnic Minority Family in Sapa