Vietnam
In March 2014 I took a small group of 16 on a 16-day tour of Vietnam. Vietnam is such a country of contrasts. With such an interesting yet conflicted history, the Vietnamese are very gentle people with warm smiles and strong backs. They work hard and their families are the centre of their lives. We started our tour in Hanoi – an incredibly bustling hive of a city – before heading to Halong Bay for an overnight stay in our gorgeous wooden junk boat. Halong Bay has the most ethereal scenery it not only looks beautiful, it feels almost mystical. While on Halong Bay we took the small raft boats into Luon Cave and also enjoyed Sung Sot Cave which is one of the largest on the bay with the most interesting formations – it’s well worth the hike.
From Hanoi we flew to Hue – a quaint city on the Perfume River – and after an overnight stay we headed down the coast over the winding mountain Hai Van Pass offering stunning views at every turn. We settled into Hoi An – my favourite spot on our tour – where we could walk out of our hotel and straight into the market of Hoi An that is the pulse of this coastal city. We enjoyed food and market tours and a visit to a local café which offered lovely fresh food and coffee along with crafts which were all made and served by hearing impaired locals, offering opportunities for locals that in time gone by would not be considered. One very interesting and hands on day tour is the fishing village offering a cruise in a Basket Boat or “Thung Chai” which is very popular among the local fishermen because it is very mobile and convenient as it can easily transport people from their big boats to the land. The fishermen use just one long pole-like oar and can make the Basket Boat spin on a 50 cent coin – and they did! And they love to sing while they make the boat spin it’s all very light hearted and a lot of fun! There was much to take in during our stay. Many of our group also made the most of the tailors choosing fabrics and designs that you could get made and also get shoes made to order along with the most tempting array of silver jewellery.
After a culture rich five days in Hoi An we flew to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for some intensive war history and a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Saigon is fast becoming a very modern city as they are trying to emulate Hong Kong. Saigon has a very different pulse to the rest of the country with businessmen and women all striving for ‘modern success’. The local women go to great lengths to have pale white skin to distance themselves from the working class women with their tanned skins from working in the fields.
In contrast to the city of Saigon we then headed south along the Mekong to Can Tho where we were back in touch with locals of the area and yet while we floated along the river among the shanty floating villages we couldn’t help but notice that while their homes were made of corrugated iron, they had TVs and mobile phones, the times they are a-changing! It was down on the Mekong that I first had Cripsy Fried Elephant Fish – quite a sight to see a fish served up whole, crispy and placed vertically between bamboo shoots with a flower in its mouth. It was delicious though and served with local fresh salads and fruits – yum!
The contrasts and complexities of Vietnam are what make it such a wonderful holiday destination. This beautiful country has so much to offer anyone with an interest in culture, history, cuisine, photography or history (both social and military).