In an old city, Hoi An !

Apparently Hoi An is one of the only city that have not been destroyed by the French or by the Americans during the wars. So the center is quiet nice, many buildings look a bit the same and that give to the town a very nice look.

Next to Hoi An there is a place call marble mountain, that some very small mountains ( or really big rocks) only made by marble. It’s possible to go up the mountains to see the view from the top, or to visit some caves inside the mountain.

There is also some nice beach and some ruins of an old temple, but I didn't had time to see that as my visa is only 1 month and I have still many things I want to see in Vietnam.

At the beach between two bus

After dalat I went to nha trang on the cost, I didn’t really want to go there but didn’t have much choice with the bus.
Basically it’s just a big beach town full of travelers  it feels a bit like Miami beach, or surfer paradise, or la grande motte for example, a big city next to a beautiful beach, it really don’t feel like Vietnam at all.

As I check in a hostel before checking the bus to continue my trip I had to stay one more day as there is only night bus to get to my next step. so I went in the islands around to do some snorkeling during the day before my bus, it was cool

Cooling down in Dalat

So after Saigon, I went a bit more inland and higher altitude so the temperature was lower and much more enjoyable!!!
Data is small city, but really nice, they have a little. you have many small touristic attraction like some waterfalls, a lake, many factory or farm to visit, ( coffee, flower or cricket farm for example) a bit like everywhere, and all this is possible almost only as part of a tour, so I decided to skip that. Instead I went for a day cannoning in a very nice river. Going down big waterfalls, cliff jumping, water slide…. A very good day !!!

In Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Saigon is a really big city with about 7 million people and at least 4 Million motorbikes
The amount of motorbike is really very very impressive, and it make the crossing of the road very interesting, as if you wait for the road to be clear, you will never get through.
Basically you have to go even if there is still heaps of motorbike or car. Just walk slowly, looking at the coming motorbikes, and don’t stop; that way is very easy.

I walked around the city during a whole day to see the main attraction. I was a bit disappointed by the war museum that wasn't like I was expected. The independence palace was cool. there is a big market, a cathedral, a big  river.. it is quite nice to walk around.

The next day I went to the the cu chi tunnels, It is a very big network of underground tunnels, very small, that was used during the war by the Vietnamese  There is two different area that you can visit, one were all tourist tour goes that was described to me as “Disneyland”, and one much less touristic and more authentic. So instead of getting a tour from the city to Disneyland, I decided to make my own way to the tunnel using the public buses and find the less touristic tunnel. Arriving there, there was no tourist (during the whole day I saw only one couple of  non-Vietnamese), just few big groups of Vietnamese student. I didn't understand exactly everything, but I think they were here because that day, it was like a holiday for young people ( 18 to 30 yo).
At the beginning of my visit one group invited me to join them during their picnic and having “few” beers. Only one of them speak a bit of English and they were very very nice, they even offer me a present, and share with me all their food and beers!!! so I end up spending the whole day with them and visit the tunnel and the area with them.

After this awesome day, it was time to move on to my next destination!!!

In The Mekong delta

So, when I arrived in Saigon, after a loooong journey from Cambodia over 24h, at about 8am I finally reach my hostel.
But As I was walking up the stairs to reach the reception a small group of tourist talk to me (it was the first time I saw someone that speak English since 24h). they were about to go for a 2days tour on the Mekong delta, and explained that one girl that was supposed to be on that trip couldn’t come and they didn’t find anyone to resell it, so They ask me to join them with this ticket. I was very tired and all dirty, I had absolutely no clean cloth and not any idea about what to do in Saigon and around, I was thinking only about a shower and a bed, But they were really nice, and it was a very good opportunity to visit the Mekong delta for almost free. So I decided to go with them, I just had the time to leave my bag at the reception and run with them to catch the bus as it was about to leave already.

The tour was ok, but that remind me that I don’t like tours, we visit few place over the Mekong delta, a fabric of coconut candy, and a fabric of rice noodles. Some fruit plantations, a big floating market which was really cool; and a lot of bus and boat to between all different places.
It was good to see most of the Mekong tourist attraction quickly and without having to plan or worry about anything.

After these two days, I finally managed to get passed the reception of the hostel, take a shower, do laundry and start thinking about what to do in Vietnam.

In a loooooong trip to reach Saigon

to left Banlung, I went in a minivan to pleiku (a city in Vietnam close to the border, it was really fun trip as I was the only European in the van, and no one speak any English, also we stop at sooo many place to pick up and drop off peoples or food, or beverage, or many kind of things.

The border was very small in a middle of a dirt road, very quiet, and more enjoyable than the crossing in Poipet where I get from Thailand to Cambodia.

Pleiku Is really not touristic place, so when I arrived there, absolutely no one speak any word of English, so it was a big challenge to find my way to the bus station on the other side of the city, find an ATM to get some local money, and buy the ticket, for a night bus to Saigon.

When I get in the bus to Saigon I get really surprise to see how it was inside, can’t really describe it so here is some pictures.

And after 11h in the bus, at around 5:30AM we arrived in the bus station in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), from there as It was really early I took my time and decided to get to where I wanted to go using the public bus instead of the motorbike taxi. It was a bit of a challenge to find which bus to take, were to take it, and get there. And then I just had to walk about 15min to get to an hostel that looks cool, and when I finally arrived to that hostel …… it was FAR from being the end of this journey, but that’s another story …. Coming Soon !!

About to leave Cambodia

When I arrived in Cambodia the first things I saw was to border crossing from Thailand, and With all the scam and the chaos, it was really weird and not really fun, but as soon as I get to Siem Reap I was really surprised to see how nice everyone are !!!  Everyone is smiling making jokes, very friendly, I really loved it, during my first days, some people proposed me to play soccer with them, when I buy some food in the street, the lady teach me few basic word in Cambodian…

There were some not nice people too, like at the guest house I was staying in Phnom Phen, but overall, I really love Cambodian people. The only bad part is that there is still few assholes that only want your money, so you still have to be a bit careful  and sometimes that make you being very rude with very nice people that only want you to like their country and be happy.

One of the big problem in the country is the corruption, and the inequality between few very rich people (usually government people) and the rest of the country. (je pense que Jean Charest se ferait traiter d’amateur au cambodge) almost every interesting part of the country are sold to big company like almost all the islands that are sold to big tourist company. Next to Banlung I went swimming in a small and beautifull lake. And I talk with one guy from a minority group that live close to the lake, and they have to fight all the time to keep it like that, away from big touristic complex and to keep their land !!

It is much less touristic country than Thailand, so usually the places are well preserved. Except a small town on the coast that is known as backpackers place, and good place to relax and party. There are really a lot of tourists there…. There was sooo much garbage on the beach that you don’t really want to go swim in it.

As conclusion, I really loved people and the country, But I think if the tourism develop too quickly it will become very bad. And with all the corruption, there is nothing that rally stop the big company to come here if they want to …