Travelog - A travel guide to Vietnam

This journal covers sights we saw along the 205k journey between Dalat and Nha Trang. It features the scenic market gardens on the mountain slopes leaving Dalat, our stop at the top of Ngoan Muc Pass, and then our descent from the mountain toward Nha Trang, with stops at the amazing Po Klong Garai Cham Towers complex, and the Long Son Pagoda, both near Nha Trang.

Here’s some background information about the Champa empire: The Chams were of Malayo-Polynesian descent. They were described by a 4th-century Chinese traveler as “possessing a large, straight nose, dark, curly hair, and practicing a funeral rite that uses incineration to the sound of a drum.” (Fodor’s Exploring Vietnam.) [This may explain the purpose of the Fire Tower? It may have been the cremation incinerator?]

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Introduction
The first thing you need to decide is whether you’ll go the the Mekong on your own, or on an organized tour. I advise you to go on an organized tour for these reasons:

• It’s much easier: I spoke to an Israeli who spent 6 weeks in Vietnam doing everything at his own pace, trying to do everything independently. He told me it was almost impossible to travel alone in Mekong. F.i. he asked for a bus to a certain place, a Vietnamese accompanied him to the busstation but didn’t find the bus himself…
• It’s much cheaper: hiring a boat on your own will prove more expensive
• It’s much faster
• The tours will show you the highlights, and you will also go into houses of people they know. Since few tourists are visiting Mekong in general, and certainly not the big tourgroup, it still remains an unspoiled region.

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Introduction
Saigon is a bustling city full of motorbikes.

For the budget tourist, there are 2 centers:
-The real center with some big hotels like the Rex
- The budget center along Pham Ngu Lao where all the budget accommodation, restaurants, travelagencies and internetcafés are situated. You can go by foot from the one center to the other in 15 minutes, a taxi will cost you 5000 VND.

For more info, buy the Lonely Planet Ho Chi Minh City guidebook (11/2000) price 11.99 US$
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Introduction
Nha Trang is the usual stop for most travellers on their way from the South to the center or vice versa.

We liked the place, just to relax for 2 days on the beach, and go diving or take a boattrip.
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Introduction
Most people will agree that Hoi An is one of the most beautiful and relaxed places to visit, so don’t miss it.
Getting there

• By plane

Hoi An doesn’t have its own airport, but most people fly to Danang (regular flights from Saigon, Nha Trang, Hanoi). From Danang airport, most people take a taxi at a fixed rate of 10 US$. It is usually possible to find other tourists to share a taxi. The ride to Hoi An takes 45 minutes.
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Highlights:

Vietnam is an amazing country full of traditional history and culture. Not as modern as Bangkok, KL and Singapore, one should visit this unique city before it becomes a characterless, modern metropolis. Try these when you are there:

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Highlights:

If you love this place, you’ll always call it Saigon, aka the Pearl of the Far East. All the things you might have associated with this city will most likely vaporize the moment you arrive. The pace here is much faster than Hanoi: a literal avalanche of motorbikes and other two-wheeled vehicles pour into the streets daily. The smiles are more abundant, and as Hanoi’s sister, Saigon is more sultry. And yes, the French influence is definitely felt by way of patisseries embodied in the unforgettable Pat’A Chou , better bookstores, such as the Xuan Thu Bookshop and fabulous restaurants including the informal Paris Deli on posh Dong Khoi Street and Le Givral which is situated directly across the street from the Continental Hotel. Notre Dame Cathedral, built by the French, sits alongside pagodas, temples and communal houses.

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You are bound to hear about the Cham while in Vietnam. They are an ancient civilization that had its influences mainly in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam and Cambodia. Their domain was called Champa, and their architecture and art style is unmistakable. Though we did not see My Son, it is reported that the finest examples of their architecture is to be found there. The Cham were influenced by the Khmer, who, in turn, were influenced by India’s Buddhism, so that one can easily make the connection between Angkor Wat and the buildings found in My Son and Nha Trang. The Cham ruled Vietnam for 10 centuries.

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Most people stop at Nha Trang for its beach. However, we learned that for the finer beach experience and sojourn, one should stay in the resort town of Mui Ne (the beach in nearby Phan Thiet is deemed excellent). The water rivals the popular resorts of Thailand’s Phuket or Bali’s Kuta Beach; the sand is quite clean and soft and welcomes everyone. If you’ve come to spend the day, you can rent lounge chairs and umbrellas from any of the resorts that border on the water’s edge. Otherwise, you will encounter the popular palapas that are always found in beach resorts. Another permanent fixture of the beach is the vendors that make their living selling their wares.

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Highlights:

Nha Trang City is the principal city in the south central Vietnamese province of Khanh Hoa. With less than 48 hours to make an impression, we crammed our day with what we felt were activities different enough from one another. But within each of these, I was already formulating in my head other activities that could be enjoyed. The train ride is definitely worth it, as you will pass Da Nang, and its historical significance cannot be ignored. However, stay awake for the Hai Van Pass segment of the trip, where the view will bewilder you.

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