Bruce and Marija go to Southeast Asia
Apr 3rd, 2013, 02:40 AM
#61
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It is there, VB, but not where those of us used to North American or European currency are used to looking for it. I have to say that on a trip that has taken us through Thai baht, Vietnameses dong, Indian rupees, and Bhutanese ngultrum, I am finding my current currency experience in Luang Prabang to be the most challenging. Or maybe it's that 7.8 multiplier that is boggling me.
Apr 3rd, 2013, 05:42 AM
#62
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Thanks for the correction VB. I didn't pay attention to labeling differences in the denominations. I just remember that there were bills whose values I couldn't find easily. From the link below it appears that, besides the 1000s, at least some of the 50,000s are also not labeled in Arabic on both sides.
http://www.bol.gov.la/english/kipmodel1.pdf
http://www.bol.gov.la/english/kipmodel1.pdf
Apr 8th, 2013, 08:36 AM
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<B>Hue</b>
At the Hue airport we were met by a guide and driver. Since the main sights in Hue are out of the city center and our time was limited, we asked Tonkin to make the arrangements ($128 for two half day tours for the two of us, including entrance fees). I'm sure we could have hired a guide cheaper in town or just hired a taxi for the day but it seemed like a good idea to have everything in place before we arrived.
We stayed at <b>Hotel La Residence</b>, a much updated home of the French Governor.
http://www.la-residence-hue.com. It's a bit out of the city center, on the Perfume River and features a pleasant outdoor pool, a spa, and a large restaurant with outdoor terraces. Our riverview room was quite comfortable, though the river, or at least the parts we saw, is neither scenic nor interesting. Overall a very pleasant place to stay, though the food was rather ordinary.
Before beginning our tour of the Citadel, the home of emperors past, we had a 20 minute break at the hotel. Predictably Bruce thought this an opportunity for nourishment of some type but I convinced him we should yet again search all of our belongings for the missing wallet. After half an hour our search was interrupted by a call from the guide who was anxious to get started.
By way of explanation for our tardiness, in the car I related (briefly!) the saga of the runaway wallet. The guide immediately declared that it was stolen, a scenario I hadn't even considered since I never left my purse unchaperoned between the bank and the hotel room. Then I remembered the elevator ride to the room. The only other person on the elevator was a middle aged man who stood behind me. Ever the astute judge of character, I assumed he was part of the Argentinian security detail that had invaded the hotel.
What was memorable about the short ride was that before my companion got off on the floor before mine, in the doorway, he turned around and stared at me. Twenty years ago I would have interpreted that as an admiring glance but, alas, not any more. And surely from the back of my head he didn't recognize me as the author of his favorite college textbook whose autograph he craved. Nope. I think he was considering whether he could get away with not just the wallet he had lifted, either in the elevator or in the lobby, but whether he could also grab my entire bag which was securely strapped across my chest and which contained a large pouch that was velcro sealed and chained to a hook. (No doubt he had encountered the pouch while visiting my purse.) Fortunately my powerful biceps must have frightened him and he retreated. At least now I had a credible explanation of what happened and could cease looking for the stupid wallet. Bruce was relieved that no more meals would have to be sacrificed.
At the Hue airport we were met by a guide and driver. Since the main sights in Hue are out of the city center and our time was limited, we asked Tonkin to make the arrangements ($128 for two half day tours for the two of us, including entrance fees). I'm sure we could have hired a guide cheaper in town or just hired a taxi for the day but it seemed like a good idea to have everything in place before we arrived.
We stayed at <b>Hotel La Residence</b>, a much updated home of the French Governor.
http://www.la-residence-hue.com. It's a bit out of the city center, on the Perfume River and features a pleasant outdoor pool, a spa, and a large restaurant with outdoor terraces. Our riverview room was quite comfortable, though the river, or at least the parts we saw, is neither scenic nor interesting. Overall a very pleasant place to stay, though the food was rather ordinary.
Before beginning our tour of the Citadel, the home of emperors past, we had a 20 minute break at the hotel. Predictably Bruce thought this an opportunity for nourishment of some type but I convinced him we should yet again search all of our belongings for the missing wallet. After half an hour our search was interrupted by a call from the guide who was anxious to get started.
By way of explanation for our tardiness, in the car I related (briefly!) the saga of the runaway wallet. The guide immediately declared that it was stolen, a scenario I hadn't even considered since I never left my purse unchaperoned between the bank and the hotel room. Then I remembered the elevator ride to the room. The only other person on the elevator was a middle aged man who stood behind me. Ever the astute judge of character, I assumed he was part of the Argentinian security detail that had invaded the hotel.
What was memorable about the short ride was that before my companion got off on the floor before mine, in the doorway, he turned around and stared at me. Twenty years ago I would have interpreted that as an admiring glance but, alas, not any more. And surely from the back of my head he didn't recognize me as the author of his favorite college textbook whose autograph he craved. Nope. I think he was considering whether he could get away with not just the wallet he had lifted, either in the elevator or in the lobby, but whether he could also grab my entire bag which was securely strapped across my chest and which contained a large pouch that was velcro sealed and chained to a hook. (No doubt he had encountered the pouch while visiting my purse.) Fortunately my powerful biceps must have frightened him and he retreated. At least now I had a credible explanation of what happened and could cease looking for the stupid wallet. Bruce was relieved that no more meals would have to be sacrificed.
Apr 9th, 2013, 06:24 AM
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The Citadel is a short drive from La Residence, on the other side of the Perfume River. The moat surrounding the Imperial City, a World Heritage site, was not adequate to protect it from destruction by the French and the Americans and much of it has been badly damaged, especially the Purple Forbidden City which housed the Imperial family. Reconstruction is underway.
Although the sun was replaced by ominous clouds the heavens stayed shut and we were able to wander unimpeded, except for the droning of the guide. The Citadel required more imagination of the visitor than the Forbidden City in Beijing so we appreciated being told what we were looking at but the details did get to be excessive. Can't blame the guide. He's just doing his job. (We only hired guides for Hue and the Mekong .)
Since I had read some good reviews of the dining room at La Residence we stayed put for dinner, starting with drinks and snacks on the terrace. Dinner was an appetizer plate, asparagus soup and crab soup, Bun Bo Hue , in honor of our location, and then a crème brûlée assortment. It was all good but nothing was outstanding.
The included breakfast buffet, which we ate at an outdoor table, was extensive with both local and Western dishes, though it was marred by strangely underpowered coffee. Together with our guide we set off for the tomb of Tu Duc, spectacularly situated among pine trees, on the shore of Luu Khiem Lake. Today we appreciated the guide's commentary and his sheperding us through the many nooks and crannies. Since the other notable tombs were more difficult to access by foot and we had already spent a lot of time at this tomb, we decided to proceed to the Thien Mu pagoda with a quick stop at the market. We weren't too keen on seeing the market but it was on the list of places the guide was to take us. I'm an impaired shopper who doesn't know have the patience to look for treasures or recognize them when I stumble on them, so we were in and out of the market before the guide returned to the car with his coffee.
After admiring the pagoda we set off by boat for the return to the hotel. This was one of the least pleasant boat rides I've been on but at least we weren't expected to row. The moment we sat down the boat owner's wife started her sales pitches. Every five minutes she would try to sell us something. Very annoying. The river may have scenic parts but we certainly didn't see them. It was a relief to reach the hotel.
We set out for our lunch at Les Jardins de la Carambole by cab. I had read good reviews of the restaurant and, unlike the Perfume River, it did not disappoint. Truly one of the best meals of our trip. (Don't confuse Les Jardins de la Carambole which is close to the Citadel with the La Carambole restaurant which is in town.) In a charming room, we feasted on shrimp and pork wrapped in banana leaves, squid fried with spicy batter, morning glory Vietnamese pancakes and banana fritters. That boring boat ride did stimulate our appetite! (Thanks loncall for the recommendation and great report.
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...ur-vietnam.cfm. )
Instead of continuing to tour Hue we decided to return to the hotel where Bruce had some sort of cup massage. It took a couple of weeks for the inflamed looking red rings to disappear. At least there were not as many red circles as when he got attacked by the red ants in the Pantanal. After the glorious lunch we had a light dinner of octopus , followed by a green tea mousse and ice cream creation, at the hotel. Again, nothing special. I regret that we didn't eat at Les Jardins de la Carambole more than once.
While planning the trip I wondered whether we should include Hue. I'm glad we did.
Although the sun was replaced by ominous clouds the heavens stayed shut and we were able to wander unimpeded, except for the droning of the guide. The Citadel required more imagination of the visitor than the Forbidden City in Beijing so we appreciated being told what we were looking at but the details did get to be excessive. Can't blame the guide. He's just doing his job. (We only hired guides for Hue and the Mekong .)
Since I had read some good reviews of the dining room at La Residence we stayed put for dinner, starting with drinks and snacks on the terrace. Dinner was an appetizer plate, asparagus soup and crab soup, Bun Bo Hue , in honor of our location, and then a crème brûlée assortment. It was all good but nothing was outstanding.
The included breakfast buffet, which we ate at an outdoor table, was extensive with both local and Western dishes, though it was marred by strangely underpowered coffee. Together with our guide we set off for the tomb of Tu Duc, spectacularly situated among pine trees, on the shore of Luu Khiem Lake. Today we appreciated the guide's commentary and his sheperding us through the many nooks and crannies. Since the other notable tombs were more difficult to access by foot and we had already spent a lot of time at this tomb, we decided to proceed to the Thien Mu pagoda with a quick stop at the market. We weren't too keen on seeing the market but it was on the list of places the guide was to take us. I'm an impaired shopper who doesn't know have the patience to look for treasures or recognize them when I stumble on them, so we were in and out of the market before the guide returned to the car with his coffee.
After admiring the pagoda we set off by boat for the return to the hotel. This was one of the least pleasant boat rides I've been on but at least we weren't expected to row. The moment we sat down the boat owner's wife started her sales pitches. Every five minutes she would try to sell us something. Very annoying. The river may have scenic parts but we certainly didn't see them. It was a relief to reach the hotel.
We set out for our lunch at Les Jardins de la Carambole by cab. I had read good reviews of the restaurant and, unlike the Perfume River, it did not disappoint. Truly one of the best meals of our trip. (Don't confuse Les Jardins de la Carambole which is close to the Citadel with the La Carambole restaurant which is in town.) In a charming room, we feasted on shrimp and pork wrapped in banana leaves, squid fried with spicy batter, morning glory Vietnamese pancakes and banana fritters. That boring boat ride did stimulate our appetite! (Thanks loncall for the recommendation and great report.
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...ur-vietnam.cfm. )
Instead of continuing to tour Hue we decided to return to the hotel where Bruce had some sort of cup massage. It took a couple of weeks for the inflamed looking red rings to disappear. At least there were not as many red circles as when he got attacked by the red ants in the Pantanal. After the glorious lunch we had a light dinner of octopus , followed by a green tea mousse and ice cream creation, at the hotel. Again, nothing special. I regret that we didn't eat at Les Jardins de la Carambole more than once.
While planning the trip I wondered whether we should include Hue. I'm glad we did.
Apr 10th, 2013, 09:03 AM
#66
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Thanks for reading, Kathie!
<B>Hoi An</b>
Since we had hauled ourselves out to Hue, it was very little effort to include Hoi An. Tonkin arranged a driver who picked us up at 9:00 and got us to Hoi An before noon. The drive over the Hai Van Pass was beautiful and we made several stops to take photos. The itinerary included a visit to Dong Hai, the "Marble sculpture village", at the foot of Marble Mountain where we didn't linger since we weren't going to relocate massive marble sculptures to our home and we didn't want to chance missing lunch.
Tonkin recommended the <b>Life Heritage Resort</b> in Hoi An and we went with their recommendation
http://www.life-resorts.com/index.ph...ort&nav2=hoian
The resort is located on the river on the edge of the old city. Rooms are spacious, though walls are thin. We finally encountered weather in Vietnam that was pleasantly warm so we spent several hours at the pool, our only pool time during the entire trip.
Our lunch destination was the acclaimed <b>Morning Glory</b>,
http://www.restaurant-hoian.com/inde...estaurant.html ,
where we ordered so many dishes that I couldn't keep track of what we were eating. Everything was excellent and the open kitchen added to the fun. Don't miss Morning Glory if you're in Hoi An!
Across the street from Morning Glory is <b>Hòa Nhập</b>, a handicraft shop featuring items made by the disabled
www.reachingoutvietnam.com
I was looking for a tablerunner that is much longer than the factory made runners displayed in all of the shops so we stopped for a quick look. They had an unusual runner that was of the correct size but I wasn't allowed to take a photo to send to my sister who was the intended recipient, so I wasn't daring enough to buy it. The shop does feature hand made items different from the standard tourist stuff in the shops. On the longish walk back to the hotel, along very congested streets, I continued my search for the nonstandard sized runner but none was to be found.
Hoi An is littered with tailor shops so I opted to have a custom runner made at the first shop that had a suitable fabric. The owner struck out in convincing me to order additional clothes, though that seemed to be a major activity for many of the tourists. I picked up the runner the next day and was pleased to have my sole shopping task out of the way.
We spent what remained of the afternoon at the pool, since walking in the old city Hoi An was not pleasant--way too many tourists and cookie cutter shops. Dinner was close to the hotel at <b>Brothers</b>,
http://www.brothercafehoian.com.vn/i...act=/en/24/25/
The river setting was delightful, though the outdoors magnified my dengue fear.
The surroundings probably made the food appear to be better than it really was, but we enjoyed the pumpin and seafood soups and shrimp with tamarind and octopus, accompanied by beer for Bruce and a cocktail for me. We still avoidied ordering wine in Vietnam having been traumatized by the terrible bottle at Green Tangerine in Hanoi.
The next morning we skipped breakfast because we had signed up for the <b>Taste of Hoi An Food Tour </b> and we wanted to be as hungry as possible since we were paying $60 per person,
www.tasteofhoian.com
We were picked up at the hotel as promised at 7:15. The other three tour members and Neville the Aussie owner were already in the van. Neville indicated that we were very fortunate to have a group of five since most of the time the groups are substantially larger. I think doing this tour in a large group would make for a lot of wait time for everyone.
This tour was tripadvisor's number 1 activity in Hoi An at that time so I should be gushing about it, but we were a bit less enthusiastic than most takers seem to be. (It's number 2 now, with the craft shop mentioned above as number 1. Strange.) We've always felt compelled to pass up street food in Asia due to questionable sanitary practices but it's often so very tempting and it requires great willpower, and recall of some unpleasant incidents in the past, to keep on walking. Finally we would have a chance to eat preapproved safe street food in a city known for food. And the food was great and plentiful!
The downside was that this was not a tour conducted by a native or a long time resident with an authentic food background. The "teacher" is a jovial loquacious retired Aussie who figured out a good gig. He walks the market and streets patting street vendors on the back, kissing children and acting like a politician running for office, while sprinkling details about the food. In particular I was taken aback by his claim that all street food in Vietnam is safe because if it wasn't people wouldn't buy it. With that statement as the lead in to the morning, I couldn't help but view him with scepticism. The grand finale where he tries to sell you bibs, biscuits, coffee presses and other items, albeit for his charity, also didn't add to his credibility. We both enjoyed sampling the food and there was lots of it but at $60 a person for the experience I felt like what I was--a gullible tourist. For $120 we could have ordered a lot of food at Morning Glory!
Hoi An had its charms but it was our least favorite city of the trip. I wish we had added those two nights to some other place.
<B>Hoi An</b>
Since we had hauled ourselves out to Hue, it was very little effort to include Hoi An. Tonkin arranged a driver who picked us up at 9:00 and got us to Hoi An before noon. The drive over the Hai Van Pass was beautiful and we made several stops to take photos. The itinerary included a visit to Dong Hai, the "Marble sculpture village", at the foot of Marble Mountain where we didn't linger since we weren't going to relocate massive marble sculptures to our home and we didn't want to chance missing lunch.
Tonkin recommended the <b>Life Heritage Resort</b> in Hoi An and we went with their recommendation
http://www.life-resorts.com/index.ph...ort&nav2=hoian
The resort is located on the river on the edge of the old city. Rooms are spacious, though walls are thin. We finally encountered weather in Vietnam that was pleasantly warm so we spent several hours at the pool, our only pool time during the entire trip.
Our lunch destination was the acclaimed <b>Morning Glory</b>,
http://www.restaurant-hoian.com/inde...estaurant.html ,
where we ordered so many dishes that I couldn't keep track of what we were eating. Everything was excellent and the open kitchen added to the fun. Don't miss Morning Glory if you're in Hoi An!
Across the street from Morning Glory is <b>Hòa Nhập</b>, a handicraft shop featuring items made by the disabled
www.reachingoutvietnam.com
I was looking for a tablerunner that is much longer than the factory made runners displayed in all of the shops so we stopped for a quick look. They had an unusual runner that was of the correct size but I wasn't allowed to take a photo to send to my sister who was the intended recipient, so I wasn't daring enough to buy it. The shop does feature hand made items different from the standard tourist stuff in the shops. On the longish walk back to the hotel, along very congested streets, I continued my search for the nonstandard sized runner but none was to be found.
Hoi An is littered with tailor shops so I opted to have a custom runner made at the first shop that had a suitable fabric. The owner struck out in convincing me to order additional clothes, though that seemed to be a major activity for many of the tourists. I picked up the runner the next day and was pleased to have my sole shopping task out of the way.
We spent what remained of the afternoon at the pool, since walking in the old city Hoi An was not pleasant--way too many tourists and cookie cutter shops. Dinner was close to the hotel at <b>Brothers</b>,
http://www.brothercafehoian.com.vn/i...act=/en/24/25/
The river setting was delightful, though the outdoors magnified my dengue fear.
The surroundings probably made the food appear to be better than it really was, but we enjoyed the pumpin and seafood soups and shrimp with tamarind and octopus, accompanied by beer for Bruce and a cocktail for me. We still avoidied ordering wine in Vietnam having been traumatized by the terrible bottle at Green Tangerine in Hanoi.
The next morning we skipped breakfast because we had signed up for the <b>Taste of Hoi An Food Tour </b> and we wanted to be as hungry as possible since we were paying $60 per person,
www.tasteofhoian.com
We were picked up at the hotel as promised at 7:15. The other three tour members and Neville the Aussie owner were already in the van. Neville indicated that we were very fortunate to have a group of five since most of the time the groups are substantially larger. I think doing this tour in a large group would make for a lot of wait time for everyone.
This tour was tripadvisor's number 1 activity in Hoi An at that time so I should be gushing about it, but we were a bit less enthusiastic than most takers seem to be. (It's number 2 now, with the craft shop mentioned above as number 1. Strange.) We've always felt compelled to pass up street food in Asia due to questionable sanitary practices but it's often so very tempting and it requires great willpower, and recall of some unpleasant incidents in the past, to keep on walking. Finally we would have a chance to eat preapproved safe street food in a city known for food. And the food was great and plentiful!
The downside was that this was not a tour conducted by a native or a long time resident with an authentic food background. The "teacher" is a jovial loquacious retired Aussie who figured out a good gig. He walks the market and streets patting street vendors on the back, kissing children and acting like a politician running for office, while sprinkling details about the food. In particular I was taken aback by his claim that all street food in Vietnam is safe because if it wasn't people wouldn't buy it. With that statement as the lead in to the morning, I couldn't help but view him with scepticism. The grand finale where he tries to sell you bibs, biscuits, coffee presses and other items, albeit for his charity, also didn't add to his credibility. We both enjoyed sampling the food and there was lots of it but at $60 a person for the experience I felt like what I was--a gullible tourist. For $120 we could have ordered a lot of food at Morning Glory!
Hoi An had its charms but it was our least favorite city of the trip. I wish we had added those two nights to some other place.
Apr 10th, 2013, 10:10 AM
#68
I'm still reading too. I, too, was not especially charmed by Hoi An (although I enjoyed the food at Brothers, glad to hear it's still there). I thought the best thing was an early morning visit to My son (it needs to be early to avoid the tours). I did have a couple of items made, as I had been traveling for a while and needed some new clothes, but I was not impressed with the result.
Apr 10th, 2013, 01:53 PM
#69
Still following along too. Absolutely loved Morning Glory - we ate there twice. Thought the food at Brothers just so so, but the ambiance along the riverside was lovely. We enjoyed My Son mid morning and it wasn't horribly crowded. Glad we stopped at Museum of Cham Sculpture in Danang on the way from Hoi An to Hue. It was a great extension after seeing the architecture at My Son - the art was very nice.
Too bad about the food tour. I had been sorry to have missed that in Hoi An until reading your description.
Too bad about the food tour. I had been sorry to have missed that in Hoi An until reading your description.
Apr 11th, 2013, 02:53 AM
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Hi Marija,
As you know from my trip report we experienced the "Original Taste of Hoi An" tour very differently than you and, for us, it was one of the very best highlights of our trip. Hence just providing a bit of a counterbalance to your comments for other readers as we learnt a huge amount about typical local foods and how and in what circumstances it would be traditionally eaten. Our impression was that Neville and his tour group were welcomed in the lanes and markets, not least for gearing tourist money into sustaining traditional foods and local stalls rather than the more prosperous western style restaurants in the main part of town.[albeit we enjoyed these places a lot as well !]
We experienced absolutely no hard sell of the local food items and on our tour he purely vaguely waved at a table where they were laid out as people were leaving at end and said they were there to buy with proceeds for his charity if we chose. We bought for less than a pound some sweet gingery tasting strands that we subsequently had with our coffee on Christmas day in memory of our trip. I would however agree that Neville's style is a tad theatrical.
Personally we are happy to eat street food the world over and have never had any problems at all [always frequenting popular places where food does not sit about] and we really wished we had done this tour earlier in our Vietnam holiday as we would have known more about what we were looking at as we passed so many interesting options on the side of the street and in little one room outlets !
I am glad that you enjoyed Jardins de Carambole in Hue, which still stands out in my mind as being a great local venue. Just reading your report makes me want to return.......
As you know from my trip report we experienced the "Original Taste of Hoi An" tour very differently than you and, for us, it was one of the very best highlights of our trip. Hence just providing a bit of a counterbalance to your comments for other readers as we learnt a huge amount about typical local foods and how and in what circumstances it would be traditionally eaten. Our impression was that Neville and his tour group were welcomed in the lanes and markets, not least for gearing tourist money into sustaining traditional foods and local stalls rather than the more prosperous western style restaurants in the main part of town.[albeit we enjoyed these places a lot as well !]
We experienced absolutely no hard sell of the local food items and on our tour he purely vaguely waved at a table where they were laid out as people were leaving at end and said they were there to buy with proceeds for his charity if we chose. We bought for less than a pound some sweet gingery tasting strands that we subsequently had with our coffee on Christmas day in memory of our trip. I would however agree that Neville's style is a tad theatrical.
Personally we are happy to eat street food the world over and have never had any problems at all [always frequenting popular places where food does not sit about] and we really wished we had done this tour earlier in our Vietnam holiday as we would have known more about what we were looking at as we passed so many interesting options on the side of the street and in little one room outlets !
I am glad that you enjoyed Jardins de Carambole in Hue, which still stands out in my mind as being a great local venue. Just reading your report makes me want to return.......
Apr 11th, 2013, 06:25 PM
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Just catching up. VN has long been on my list and this report will prove invaluable when the planning begins.
Re: TA - yes, it is very hard to read through the lines re: activities. (I have found that you need to make judgments based on where the posters are from.) Lodging is slightly easier because of the photos.
This intrigued me: <<the author of his favorite college textbook whose autograph he craved.>>
No surprise, of course, that you're an author.
So I did some googling, and, because of your alt first name spelling, was able to find your book on Amazon. I am in awe: A little out of my league, but wouldn't surprise me if it were indeed my graduating son's favorite textbook (besides whatever he's using for his hip hop course this semester).
Re: TA - yes, it is very hard to read through the lines re: activities. (I have found that you need to make judgments based on where the posters are from.) Lodging is slightly easier because of the photos.
This intrigued me: <<the author of his favorite college textbook whose autograph he craved.>>
No surprise, of course, that you're an author.
So I did some googling, and, because of your alt first name spelling, was able to find your book on Amazon. I am in awe: A little out of my league, but wouldn't surprise me if it were indeed my graduating son's favorite textbook (besides whatever he's using for his hip hop course this semester).
Apr 12th, 2013, 12:05 AM
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Hi Marija,
I'm still following along too and very much enjoying reading. I have Vietnam in my sights so I'm making notes.
One of the great things about Fodors is the feeling that you get to know a poster and so have a better idea of whose opinion you value. It makes it a lot easier to decide whether a place or activity might suit my own requirements. Not foolproof of course but what is. Much better than TA reviews from that point of view.
I'm still following along too and very much enjoying reading. I have Vietnam in my sights so I'm making notes.
One of the great things about Fodors is the feeling that you get to know a poster and so have a better idea of whose opinion you value. It makes it a lot easier to decide whether a place or activity might suit my own requirements. Not foolproof of course but what is. Much better than TA reviews from that point of view.
Apr 22nd, 2013, 10:19 AM
#74
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Thanks for reading!
@loncall, I appreciate your comments about the food tour. We seem to have had different reactions to Neville. Maybe he performs differently depending on his mood and the group? For example, we had to sit through a lengthy description of each of the items that he was selling and we had to watch plates of food cool off while he carried on endlessly about his personal theories of the history of MSG use.
<b>Ho Chi Minh City but everyone calls it Saigon</b>
It took only half an hour to get from Hoi An to the modern new airport in Da Nang. The road between them, along China beach, is abloom with new hotels and retirement communities which are targeted to Americans and Brits. Money trumps history.
On the road to our hotel from the airport in Saigon, we quickly realized that we had left Kansas behind. It was the same excitement as when we arrived in Shanghai towards the end of our China trip. I know it's fashionable not to like Shanghai and Saigon, since they're not the "real" China and Vietnam, but to us they are an essential part of the whole. Can you tell that we like big cities?
Upon arrival at the historic <b>Majestic Hotel</b> we were upgraded to a suite overlooking the Saigon River, www.majesticsaigon.com.vn
The hotel is at the beginning of one of the main shopping streets in Saigon, a short distance from the cluster of hotels that surround the ornate Opera House. It features an openair rooftop bar/restaurant where you can have breakfast in the morning or in the evening sit with a drink watching the activities on the river. The Majestic has particular significance for fodorites, since it was from here that dogster embarked on his epic search for Jayarvarman:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...ayarvarman.cfm
Dinner was so-called Vietnamese fusion at the trendy, windowless <b>Xu </b>
www.xusaigon.com.
Bruce had the six course menu with unlimited wine, I had to choose the 4 course with only 2 glasses of wine, so that I could lead us back to the hotel. Food was good but not inexpensive. There seemed to be few tourists, and the staff spoke little English, which made it seem like an upscale Saigonian experience instead of a tourist trap.
We spent the next day wandering, checking off the main sights. The city was elaborately decorated in preparation for Tet, the streets jammed with shoppers and bridal parties. Our attempt to buy inexpensive eyeglasses was a bust, probably because we were in an expensive mall. It was also possible that what we assumed were fake designer frames were actually real.
For lunch we headed to <b>Nha Hang Ngon,</b> the Saigon branch of the Hanoi street food restaurant that we liked so much. We were lucky to get a table without too much of a wait, since on a beautiful Saturday afternoon the place was jammed. A Vietnamese tour agent that was sitting next to us helped us choose from the extensive menu but we missed having our Hanoi kids with us, since they put together a much better meal. Of course we had double the ordering power with them since we were a foursome.
Saturday night is Earth Night at the Metropole; electricity is shut off for a couple of hours in the guest rooms, but not in the common areas. Candles illuminate your room and the hallways and free ecofriendly drinks are served to residents at the very crowded roof top bar. Seemed like an odd balance of public safety and earth saving!
Since we wanted to claim our free drinks at the Metropole, we decided on a early light dinner. I had read that the Park Hyatt has a wood burning pizza oven and turns out great Neapolitan pizzas. Wanting to share our Saigon pizza experience with our local pizzaiolo, we ignored our stick- with- local -food culinary mantra. Either the reviewer had never eaten a Neapolitan pizza or the lauded pizzaiolo had left. Enough said.
<B>Day trip to the Mekong Delta</b>
Before arriving in Vietnam we had booked with Tonkin an all day private tour to the Mekong Delta ($166 for the two of us with driver, guide and all activities.) It seemed like a good use of a day, especially since we feared getting stuck in the Chu Chi tunnels.
In retrospect, even if you ignore having to be ready for a 7:30 AM pickup, a daytrip was a poor decision. It took close to 3 hours to reach Cai Be, our destination, and it wasn't, as I had naively envisioned, a scenic ride through picturesque countryside. Instead we inched our way through congestion and dust on potholed roads. We quickly understood the need for the numerous eat and sleep-in- a- hammock stops along the road.
Once we arrived we settled into a boat and set off for the rather anemic floating market. Since it was late on the Sunday morning the market may not have been at full strength. Next up were stops at a brick factory and coconut candy producer. We passed on both, remembering dogster's restrained admonition:
<I>What gargolic monster decreed that every tourist to Cai Be would have to suffer the fascinating history of Vietnamese popcorn, from birth to a disgusting death by stir-fry? Why did he think the metamorphosis of sugar and grease into caramel candy is worth a trip half-way around the world? Just what is it about this airless tourist-trap, these hideous junk souvenirs, the raging cauldrons of candy, the sweating slaves made to stir gunk into candy that is such a must-see? </i>
www.thedogster3.wordpress.com/the-cai-be-shuffle
We didn't dodge the tourist song and dance show because we thought we were heading to a fruit orchard. Instead the two of us were seated at a rickety table at which we watched a handful of singers and dancers perform just for us. I hate these forced encounters with the "natives" and I'm certain they hate putting on these shows for ignorant tourists. We declined their refreshments and sought refuge in our boat.
We bobbed around in the boat for quite a while, contentedly looking at other more colorful but less seaworthy vessels and anything else we could make out on the shore. For lunch were taken to a large restaurant for a meal of elephant fish spring rolls and prawns. Having observed the water quality of the Mekong, even without sophisticated pollution measuring devices, we knew to just eat the fish, without worrying about its provenance. Lunch was very tasty and the waterfront restaurant was most comfortable.
I think there's a standard tourist circuit in this area and all tours take you to the same places, perhaps changing the order. After lunch, our guide offered us another factory stop but again we declined, in part because we didn't want to climb the steep steps from the boat to reach it.
As we headed back to the dock, we crossed paths with a cruise boat. It was the legendary Jayarvarman. A drop of its spray rolled down my cheek.
The ride back to Saigon was even more tedious than the morning ride. There seems to be but one road and we already had ample opportunity to view the sights along it. Destinations such as the grottos at Da Zu in China or the caves at Ajanta in India warranted the long drives we've taken to reach them. This daytrip did not. If we had spent more time in the Delta we may have felt very differently about the experience.
Dinner was at the <b>Temple Club</b>, www.templeclub.com.vn. Since we made reservations only an hour before arriving we had to eat at a hightop along the bar but we didn't mind, especially when so many people were being turned away. This was one of our favorite restaurants of the trip.
Bangkok was to be our last stop and for some reason Tonkin thought we should be at the airport three hours before flight time. The ride to the airport at dawn took 20 minutes and we had to wait for an hour for the Air Asia counters to even open. I had splurged $5 each for priority boarding and first row seats since I couldn't pass up a good deal. That's barely enough for potato chips on United!
@loncall, I appreciate your comments about the food tour. We seem to have had different reactions to Neville. Maybe he performs differently depending on his mood and the group? For example, we had to sit through a lengthy description of each of the items that he was selling and we had to watch plates of food cool off while he carried on endlessly about his personal theories of the history of MSG use.
<b>Ho Chi Minh City but everyone calls it Saigon</b>
It took only half an hour to get from Hoi An to the modern new airport in Da Nang. The road between them, along China beach, is abloom with new hotels and retirement communities which are targeted to Americans and Brits. Money trumps history.
On the road to our hotel from the airport in Saigon, we quickly realized that we had left Kansas behind. It was the same excitement as when we arrived in Shanghai towards the end of our China trip. I know it's fashionable not to like Shanghai and Saigon, since they're not the "real" China and Vietnam, but to us they are an essential part of the whole. Can you tell that we like big cities?
Upon arrival at the historic <b>Majestic Hotel</b> we were upgraded to a suite overlooking the Saigon River, www.majesticsaigon.com.vn
The hotel is at the beginning of one of the main shopping streets in Saigon, a short distance from the cluster of hotels that surround the ornate Opera House. It features an openair rooftop bar/restaurant where you can have breakfast in the morning or in the evening sit with a drink watching the activities on the river. The Majestic has particular significance for fodorites, since it was from here that dogster embarked on his epic search for Jayarvarman:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...ayarvarman.cfm
Dinner was so-called Vietnamese fusion at the trendy, windowless <b>Xu </b>
www.xusaigon.com.
Bruce had the six course menu with unlimited wine, I had to choose the 4 course with only 2 glasses of wine, so that I could lead us back to the hotel. Food was good but not inexpensive. There seemed to be few tourists, and the staff spoke little English, which made it seem like an upscale Saigonian experience instead of a tourist trap.
We spent the next day wandering, checking off the main sights. The city was elaborately decorated in preparation for Tet, the streets jammed with shoppers and bridal parties. Our attempt to buy inexpensive eyeglasses was a bust, probably because we were in an expensive mall. It was also possible that what we assumed were fake designer frames were actually real.
For lunch we headed to <b>Nha Hang Ngon,</b> the Saigon branch of the Hanoi street food restaurant that we liked so much. We were lucky to get a table without too much of a wait, since on a beautiful Saturday afternoon the place was jammed. A Vietnamese tour agent that was sitting next to us helped us choose from the extensive menu but we missed having our Hanoi kids with us, since they put together a much better meal. Of course we had double the ordering power with them since we were a foursome.
Saturday night is Earth Night at the Metropole; electricity is shut off for a couple of hours in the guest rooms, but not in the common areas. Candles illuminate your room and the hallways and free ecofriendly drinks are served to residents at the very crowded roof top bar. Seemed like an odd balance of public safety and earth saving!
Since we wanted to claim our free drinks at the Metropole, we decided on a early light dinner. I had read that the Park Hyatt has a wood burning pizza oven and turns out great Neapolitan pizzas. Wanting to share our Saigon pizza experience with our local pizzaiolo, we ignored our stick- with- local -food culinary mantra. Either the reviewer had never eaten a Neapolitan pizza or the lauded pizzaiolo had left. Enough said.
<B>Day trip to the Mekong Delta</b>
Before arriving in Vietnam we had booked with Tonkin an all day private tour to the Mekong Delta ($166 for the two of us with driver, guide and all activities.) It seemed like a good use of a day, especially since we feared getting stuck in the Chu Chi tunnels.
In retrospect, even if you ignore having to be ready for a 7:30 AM pickup, a daytrip was a poor decision. It took close to 3 hours to reach Cai Be, our destination, and it wasn't, as I had naively envisioned, a scenic ride through picturesque countryside. Instead we inched our way through congestion and dust on potholed roads. We quickly understood the need for the numerous eat and sleep-in- a- hammock stops along the road.
Once we arrived we settled into a boat and set off for the rather anemic floating market. Since it was late on the Sunday morning the market may not have been at full strength. Next up were stops at a brick factory and coconut candy producer. We passed on both, remembering dogster's restrained admonition:
<I>What gargolic monster decreed that every tourist to Cai Be would have to suffer the fascinating history of Vietnamese popcorn, from birth to a disgusting death by stir-fry? Why did he think the metamorphosis of sugar and grease into caramel candy is worth a trip half-way around the world? Just what is it about this airless tourist-trap, these hideous junk souvenirs, the raging cauldrons of candy, the sweating slaves made to stir gunk into candy that is such a must-see? </i>
www.thedogster3.wordpress.com/the-cai-be-shuffle
We didn't dodge the tourist song and dance show because we thought we were heading to a fruit orchard. Instead the two of us were seated at a rickety table at which we watched a handful of singers and dancers perform just for us. I hate these forced encounters with the "natives" and I'm certain they hate putting on these shows for ignorant tourists. We declined their refreshments and sought refuge in our boat.
We bobbed around in the boat for quite a while, contentedly looking at other more colorful but less seaworthy vessels and anything else we could make out on the shore. For lunch were taken to a large restaurant for a meal of elephant fish spring rolls and prawns. Having observed the water quality of the Mekong, even without sophisticated pollution measuring devices, we knew to just eat the fish, without worrying about its provenance. Lunch was very tasty and the waterfront restaurant was most comfortable.
I think there's a standard tourist circuit in this area and all tours take you to the same places, perhaps changing the order. After lunch, our guide offered us another factory stop but again we declined, in part because we didn't want to climb the steep steps from the boat to reach it.
As we headed back to the dock, we crossed paths with a cruise boat. It was the legendary Jayarvarman. A drop of its spray rolled down my cheek.
The ride back to Saigon was even more tedious than the morning ride. There seems to be but one road and we already had ample opportunity to view the sights along it. Destinations such as the grottos at Da Zu in China or the caves at Ajanta in India warranted the long drives we've taken to reach them. This daytrip did not. If we had spent more time in the Delta we may have felt very differently about the experience.
Dinner was at the <b>Temple Club</b>, www.templeclub.com.vn. Since we made reservations only an hour before arriving we had to eat at a hightop along the bar but we didn't mind, especially when so many people were being turned away. This was one of our favorite restaurants of the trip.
Bangkok was to be our last stop and for some reason Tonkin thought we should be at the airport three hours before flight time. The ride to the airport at dawn took 20 minutes and we had to wait for an hour for the Air Asia counters to even open. I had splurged $5 each for priority boarding and first row seats since I couldn't pass up a good deal. That's barely enough for potato chips on United!
Apr 22nd, 2013, 12:19 PM
#76
I loved Saigon -- after all I had read about it I expected to not care for it, but thought it was a buzzy, cosmopolitan city. Thoroughly enjoyed it as the last stop on our trip in 2012.
We had a very different experience on the Mekong, but we didn't do a day trip. OTher than a floating market, we didn't see any of the stops you made. We had a great guide who had fascinating stories to share with us & enjoyed our time with him. I thought the cafe's with the hammocks were fabulous and thought a chain should be started in the USA! That said, I wasn't wowed by the Mekong trip and not sure why it's so popular.
We had a very different experience on the Mekong, but we didn't do a day trip. OTher than a floating market, we didn't see any of the stops you made. We had a great guide who had fascinating stories to share with us & enjoyed our time with him. I thought the cafe's with the hammocks were fabulous and thought a chain should be started in the USA! That said, I wasn't wowed by the Mekong trip and not sure why it's so popular.
Apr 23rd, 2013, 05:28 PM
#78
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<b> Bangkok</b>
Our Air Asia flight from Saigon arrived at Don Mueng airport where a prearranged driver was waiting for us. We couldn't coax any of three airport ATMs to dispense baht and gave up since we had enought baht to pay the driver from the more cooperative machines we encountered on our first visit to Bangkok three weeks earlier. I arranged a limo because I was afraid that we would be confronted with a long, slow taxi line upon arrival and I would feel stupid for not having made arrangements to avoid the inconvenience. That didn't seem to be the case midday on a Monday. The limo to the Peninsula cost about six times the 250 baht fare for our return taxi to the almost equidistant Suvarnabhumi. Maybe the Bangkok regulars can tell us when, if ever, a limo service is necessary?
I read so many what-side-of-the-river-to-stay-on threads and agonized over making the correct choice. What a ridiculous issue to worry about! It takes five minutes to cross the river on one of the ever present hotel boats. The Mandarin Oriental and Peninsula will ferry you across regardless of where you're staying. Both also offer regular transport to the Royal Orchid mall, with the Mandarin offering more frequent shuttles on this route. Taxis are very inexpensive.
We stayed for five nights at the Peninsula and were pleased with our choice primarily because we were upgraded to a gorgeous corner grand deluxe suite on the 25th floor. It didn't matter that we couldn't get anyone at breakfast to pour us a cup of coffee or that we were turned away from the riverfront bar because someone had reserved all of the tables. I don't know where the legendary service hid during our stay but the spectacular suite atoned for all shortcomings. Compared to the Mandarin Oriental across the river the Peninsula was dead, especially in the evenings, inhabited almost exclusively by corporate meeting attendees.
Our first lunch in Bangkok was at Mazarro, a restaurant just across the river from the Peninsula recommended by the concierge. I wanted to go to Face at Lana Thai , but we changed our minds when we were told it would take an hour to get there. The Pat Grapow Nua Sai Khai Daow at Mazarro, a nondescript hole in the wall, was much better than the same dish at the Oriental. Our first dinner was an uninspired duck curry and fish at the Thai restaurant at the Peninsula. Except for breakfast, we found the food at the Peninsula disappointing.
We covered the usual tourist stops: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Traimit and the Jim Thompson house. Upon request the Peninsula arranged an an enjoyable hour long klong tour along the small canals. Our best lunch was at <B>Krua Apsorn</b>, a restaurant known for its (shelled) crab dishes. When we arrived the entire restaurant was full but we waited for a table to open up. We ordered the crab curry and the crab omelet but they were out of the omelet so instead we ordered the lotus stem yellow curry dish which was a little too sour for our taste.
Dinners at the bustling Oriental and at an almost empty Tongue Thai were OK but our most memorable dinner was at <b>Gaggan</b>. I had read that Gaggan was about 16 minutes from the Peninsula by taxi but the concierge recommended that we count on an hour to get there during rush hour by taxi. To make sure we arrived on time we left an hour and a half before our 8 o'clock reservation. The Peninsula doorman told the taxi driver where we were going and handed him a printout prepared by the concierge of how to get to our destination.
This was our first encounter with Bangkok traffic and it definitely exceeded expectation. Wow! Since we left so early and the fare on the meter was so low, we just relaxed and enjoyed being in a traffic jam whose equal we had never witnessed. I had a rough idea where Gaggan is and it seemed to me, based on some hotels we passed, that we were going too far. Nothing we could do about it since there was no way we could discuss this with our taxi driver and we were confident that he couldn't help but know Bangkok better than we did. In the worst case maybe he was running up the meter by a dollar or two.
After an hour the taxi pulled up to of a congested lot in front of a restaurant, declared "Number 1 restaurant", and waited for us to pay the fare. I knew this wasn't Gaggan and realized that the driver had brought us to the restaurant of his choice, one that would pay him a kickback. We had no idea where we were, there were no hotels around whose English speaking concierges might bail us out and we had no cellphone. Even worse, we didn't have the Thai instructions for getting to Gaggan, the driver had them.
Our Air Asia flight from Saigon arrived at Don Mueng airport where a prearranged driver was waiting for us. We couldn't coax any of three airport ATMs to dispense baht and gave up since we had enought baht to pay the driver from the more cooperative machines we encountered on our first visit to Bangkok three weeks earlier. I arranged a limo because I was afraid that we would be confronted with a long, slow taxi line upon arrival and I would feel stupid for not having made arrangements to avoid the inconvenience. That didn't seem to be the case midday on a Monday. The limo to the Peninsula cost about six times the 250 baht fare for our return taxi to the almost equidistant Suvarnabhumi. Maybe the Bangkok regulars can tell us when, if ever, a limo service is necessary?
I read so many what-side-of-the-river-to-stay-on threads and agonized over making the correct choice. What a ridiculous issue to worry about! It takes five minutes to cross the river on one of the ever present hotel boats. The Mandarin Oriental and Peninsula will ferry you across regardless of where you're staying. Both also offer regular transport to the Royal Orchid mall, with the Mandarin offering more frequent shuttles on this route. Taxis are very inexpensive.
We stayed for five nights at the Peninsula and were pleased with our choice primarily because we were upgraded to a gorgeous corner grand deluxe suite on the 25th floor. It didn't matter that we couldn't get anyone at breakfast to pour us a cup of coffee or that we were turned away from the riverfront bar because someone had reserved all of the tables. I don't know where the legendary service hid during our stay but the spectacular suite atoned for all shortcomings. Compared to the Mandarin Oriental across the river the Peninsula was dead, especially in the evenings, inhabited almost exclusively by corporate meeting attendees.
Our first lunch in Bangkok was at Mazarro, a restaurant just across the river from the Peninsula recommended by the concierge. I wanted to go to Face at Lana Thai , but we changed our minds when we were told it would take an hour to get there. The Pat Grapow Nua Sai Khai Daow at Mazarro, a nondescript hole in the wall, was much better than the same dish at the Oriental. Our first dinner was an uninspired duck curry and fish at the Thai restaurant at the Peninsula. Except for breakfast, we found the food at the Peninsula disappointing.
We covered the usual tourist stops: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Traimit and the Jim Thompson house. Upon request the Peninsula arranged an an enjoyable hour long klong tour along the small canals. Our best lunch was at <B>Krua Apsorn</b>, a restaurant known for its (shelled) crab dishes. When we arrived the entire restaurant was full but we waited for a table to open up. We ordered the crab curry and the crab omelet but they were out of the omelet so instead we ordered the lotus stem yellow curry dish which was a little too sour for our taste.
Dinners at the bustling Oriental and at an almost empty Tongue Thai were OK but our most memorable dinner was at <b>Gaggan</b>. I had read that Gaggan was about 16 minutes from the Peninsula by taxi but the concierge recommended that we count on an hour to get there during rush hour by taxi. To make sure we arrived on time we left an hour and a half before our 8 o'clock reservation. The Peninsula doorman told the taxi driver where we were going and handed him a printout prepared by the concierge of how to get to our destination.
This was our first encounter with Bangkok traffic and it definitely exceeded expectation. Wow! Since we left so early and the fare on the meter was so low, we just relaxed and enjoyed being in a traffic jam whose equal we had never witnessed. I had a rough idea where Gaggan is and it seemed to me, based on some hotels we passed, that we were going too far. Nothing we could do about it since there was no way we could discuss this with our taxi driver and we were confident that he couldn't help but know Bangkok better than we did. In the worst case maybe he was running up the meter by a dollar or two.
After an hour the taxi pulled up to of a congested lot in front of a restaurant, declared "Number 1 restaurant", and waited for us to pay the fare. I knew this wasn't Gaggan and realized that the driver had brought us to the restaurant of his choice, one that would pay him a kickback. We had no idea where we were, there were no hotels around whose English speaking concierges might bail us out and we had no cellphone. Even worse, we didn't have the Thai instructions for getting to Gaggan, the driver had them.
Apr 23rd, 2013, 05:39 PM
#79
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Marija,
I have a condo on the same side as the Penn and during rush hour it would take about 45 minutes just to cross the Taksin bridge. Better choice, if the concierge had any brains, was to advise that you take the ferry across the river and catch a cab from the Oriental. The driving time would only be 30 minutes the most.
Sorry to hear about the taxi con game!
I have a condo on the same side as the Penn and during rush hour it would take about 45 minutes just to cross the Taksin bridge. Better choice, if the concierge had any brains, was to advise that you take the ferry across the river and catch a cab from the Oriental. The driving time would only be 30 minutes the most.
Sorry to hear about the taxi con game!
Apr 24th, 2013, 05:15 AM
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You have discovered what "the wrong side of the river" means. If the doorman at the Pen had thought at all, he would have sent you to the Oriental Pier to catch a taxi to Gaggan, as Hanuman says. Getting back and forth across the bridge at rush hour is time consuming. And you could easily have gotten to Lana Thai at Face in under half an hour by taking the Pen's shuttle to the pier and taking the skytrain. I'm really appalled at the Pen's "service." There is no excuse for that.
And I'm so sorry to hear about the taxi problem. In my many trips to Bangkok over an almost 30 year period, I've never had a taxi driver intentionally take me to the wrong place. I did have a driver who couldn't read a map take me to the wrong hotel, but the doorman there gave him instructions and it all worked out easily. I'm interested in the next installment of how you dealt with the errant taxi driver.
And I'm so sorry to hear about the taxi problem. In my many trips to Bangkok over an almost 30 year period, I've never had a taxi driver intentionally take me to the wrong place. I did have a driver who couldn't read a map take me to the wrong hotel, but the doorman there gave him instructions and it all worked out easily. I'm interested in the next installment of how you dealt with the errant taxi driver.
