This is an XML content feed of journal entries and reviews that have recently published by RealTravel members within Vietnam. Use one of the buttons on the right to add this feed to your feed reader. tag:realtravel.com,2005:1698 RealTravel members http://realtravel.com/images/logo-for-feeds.jpg (c) 2006 RealTravel.com 2008-06-15T20:11:45Z 340055http://www.feedburner.comThis is an XML content feed of journal entries and reviews that have recently published by RealTravel members within Vietnam. Use one of the buttons on the right to add this feed to your feed reader. tag:realtravel.com,2008-04-13:6846634 2008-04-13T08:09:21Z 2008-06-15T20:11:45Z Traveling Nomad http://realtravel.com/member-m5631087-traveling_nomad.html <p>a entry by Traveling Nomad from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20625.html">Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.</a></p> <p>We had the opportunity to disembark two days in a row in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), I suspect because the port is very close to the city and the ship can stock up on supplies. The temperature got to 36-37 degrees centigrade in Hue/Danang the previous day, and in Saigon, it was 32 degrees centigrade both days. Hot is hot.</p><p>The night before we arrived in Saigon, the ship had a very accomplished and cultured man, Mr. Anh, from DaNang speak to us about Vietnam, the people and their customs and culture, the history of the war and Vietnam's recovery and current political situation, and what to ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6846634.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_87jEBQhtGeAZ8XRJeyrA.ISbX7M_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/87jEBQhtGeAZ8XRJeyrA.ISbX7M_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_87jEBQhtGeAZ8XRJeyrA.ISbX7M_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=87jEBQhtGeAZ8XRJeyrA.ISbX7M_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6846634.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6846634.html tag:realtravel.com,2008-03-19:6722151 2008-03-19T08:01:47Z 2008-03-24T11:40:00Z Luisita http://realtravel.com/member-m5859038-luisita.html <p>a entry by Luisita from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/dac_lac-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d903087.html">Dac Lac, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>I am officially a biker chick. It is just the best feeling to ride a motorbike. I am deffinately going to miss it!! It was just 3 amazing days. Although we had sore buts, they tried to help a little with many walking brakes to stretch our legs. We saw amazing waterfalls, even baded in one (which is something i will miss on return to denmark, the lack of waterfalls!! and rivers). We saw small villages, even the one with the original population of Dalat, before the French made them move. "Da" meens their dialect and "lat" meens stream. Originally there was a small stream going through Dalat. But ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/dac_lac-journals-j6722151.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_fiSRc3ZPl162fMzeOCZBM6y3m78_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/fiSRc3ZPl162fMzeOCZBM6y3m78_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_fiSRc3ZPl162fMzeOCZBM6y3m78_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=fiSRc3ZPl162fMzeOCZBM6y3m78_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fdac_lac-journals-j6722151.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/dac_lac-journals-j6722151.html tag:realtravel.com,2008-02-19:6568465 2008-02-19T13:19:50Z 2008-02-19T13:25:10Z Sam and Steph http://realtravel.com/member-m4806664-sam_and_steph.html <p>a entry by Sam and Steph from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20625.html">Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.</a></p> <p>Our only option to leave our comfort zone of Hoi An was via an overnight bus. We booked the 12 hour journey to Nha Trang , arriving at 6 am the following morning. Everything was closed when we arrived, so we wandered the streets and beaches assessing how we were going to take on this city. It reminded us of a not-so-nice Ft. Lauderdale, and we found out that hotels were triple what we were paying in Hoi An, so we decided to just spend the day there. We booked overnight train tickets departing for Ho Chi Minh City at midnight, giving us the entire day to see Nha Trang . We tried to catch up on ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6568465.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_-c3bpRFbTf.geiamzehrX5Napw0_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/-c3bpRFbTf.geiamzehrX5Napw0_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_-c3bpRFbTf.geiamzehrX5Napw0_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=-c3bpRFbTf.geiamzehrX5Napw0_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6568465.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6568465.html tag:realtravel.com,2008-02-12:6530443 2008-02-12T04:27:10Z 2008-02-14T01:32:44Z Jes & Al's Travels http://realtravel.com/member-m5453182-jes__als_travels.html <p><em>"I was impressed with the service (with a smile) and the fact that the dress fits me so well :o)."</em></p> <p>a entry by Jes &amp; Al's Travels from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/da_nang-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d1095951.html">Da Nang, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>Jes here.</p><p>The only way it seemed to get out of Ho Chi Minh City during Tet was to Fly. It cost around 30 pounds each, which for locals here is about four or five months wages! But we were happy to pay it to continue our travels further afield.</p><p>We arrived at Danang airport at 7.30 after a 3 hour flight on a ATR 72 (a small 2x2 seats across with 16 rows!) it was a small plane! Once we arrived, we had the task of getting a taxi to our chosen hotel. As per the guide book we knew it should cost about $3usd, however when we approached the 10 or so Taxis they were asking for $10usd! after ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/da_nang-journals-j6530443.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_R2xM5LZ4Akl4tJWPZxH01u8.ZVg_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/R2xM5LZ4Akl4tJWPZxH01u8.ZVg_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_R2xM5LZ4Akl4tJWPZxH01u8.ZVg_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=R2xM5LZ4Akl4tJWPZxH01u8.ZVg_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fda_nang-journals-j6530443.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/da_nang-journals-j6530443.html tag:realtravel.com,2008-02-12:6532069 2008-02-12T12:10:35Z 2008-02-12T14:51:22Z Jes & Al's Travels http://realtravel.com/member-m5453182-jes__als_travels.html <p><em>"Magical SNICKERS"</em></p> <p>a entry by Jes &amp; Al's Travels from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/hue-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20635.html">Hue, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>Jes here (again),</p><p>We decided to travel here to Hue (or as said huYEEEEE) however this was an experience we were not expecting and to be honest we were not in the mood for!</p><p>I thought the old met line trains in London were a mess and old, but its nothing compared to the trains out here. We were on the FAST TRAIN, the SE2, which took forever (3hrs)to cover the smallest amount of distance (103km) from Danang to Hue! The train was busy, but we didn't have a problem finding our seats. People were crammed into their seats however, and everyone seemed to travel with half their belongings ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/hue-journals-j6532069.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_-mfRkiYUPlKcAGQ4Wvqly9DOGk8_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/-mfRkiYUPlKcAGQ4Wvqly9DOGk8_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_-mfRkiYUPlKcAGQ4Wvqly9DOGk8_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=-mfRkiYUPlKcAGQ4Wvqly9DOGk8_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhue-journals-j6532069.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/hue-journals-j6532069.html tag:realtravel.com,2008-02-04:6488502 2008-02-04T16:33:23Z 2008-02-04T17:42:06Z Mel's sister http://realtravel.com/member-m5453027-mels_sister.html <p>a entry by Mel's sister from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20625.html">Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.</a></p> <p>Before I started travelling I had a rough plan of where I was going but only 3 things were fixed - the 35 day trip around Nepal, the month volunteering in India and the 3 weeks volunteering in Ho Chi Minh. I'm now in the 3rd week of 3 weeks volunteering at the orphanage in Ho Chi Minh so I figured I'd give you an update on where I'm at and what it's all like.</p><p>The orphange is called 'Long Hoa' and is based probably only 10 miles out of the city centre but as I get local buses in and out it takes about an hour and a quarter, hour and a half to get to and from it each day. The orphanage is ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6488502.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_pwCE4AKkmDRL2x.jRz2HrLSmJSA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/pwCE4AKkmDRL2x.jRz2HrLSmJSA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_pwCE4AKkmDRL2x.jRz2HrLSmJSA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=pwCE4AKkmDRL2x.jRz2HrLSmJSA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6488502.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6488502.html tag:realtravel.com,2008-01-28:6451528 2008-01-28T14:35:41Z 2008-01-29T14:45:44Z Ian and Magda http://realtravel.com/member-m3221581-ian_and_magda.html <p><em>"Before we had a chance to ask where we were, they sped off."</em></p> <p>a entry by Ian and Magda from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/vinh_long-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d3221998.html">Vinh Long, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>We boarded a public bus, massive backpacks and all, and were ushered to seats by our fellow passengers who in return may have received some undeserved slaps from pack straps. It rumbled toward a small bus station outside of Saigon through a tangle of traffic. Once at the station, we pretty easily found tickets to Vinh Long, the major town in the Mekong delta. We climbed aboard a rusty mini-bus and after shoving the packs into a very small space behind the back seat we were ready to go. The driver and the 'contactor' the guy who shouts, cajoles and convinces people standing alongside the road ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/vinh_long-journals-j6451528.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_JTLGOKDjkrjl.g9mgVynCmv4pr8_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/JTLGOKDjkrjl.g9mgVynCmv4pr8_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_JTLGOKDjkrjl.g9mgVynCmv4pr8_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=JTLGOKDjkrjl.g9mgVynCmv4pr8_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fvinh_long-journals-j6451528.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/vinh_long-journals-j6451528.html tag:realtravel.com,2008-01-20:6399859 2008-01-20T16:39:42Z 2008-01-29T14:35:13Z Ian and Magda http://realtravel.com/member-m3221581-ian_and_magda.html <p><em>"Here the customer is never right, unless they haven't paid yet"</em></p> <p>a entry by Ian and Magda from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/hoi_an-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d4139312.html">Hoi An, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>We had promised ourselves that if it was still raining in the morning we'd take a taxi to the train station in Hue. Occasionally we treat our selves to such luxuries, like not walking two kilometers in the rain, but for some reason today we did not. I was peeved with our hotel's staff for trying to overcharge us for train tickets and to set us up with an over-priced and awful looking hotel in Hoi An, so I didn't want to give them the pleasure of making a commision off of a called cab.</p><p>I figured we'd just hail one along the way. One thing we should know though as baby New Yorkers is that ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/hoi_an-journals-j6399859.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_L.mVyc61iMZ-kbXmgJ-SrfmcsVA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/L.mVyc61iMZ-kbXmgJ-SrfmcsVA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_L.mVyc61iMZ-kbXmgJ-SrfmcsVA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=L.mVyc61iMZ-kbXmgJ-SrfmcsVA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhoi_an-journals-j6399859.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/hoi_an-journals-j6399859.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-12:6178085 2007-12-12T08:48:32Z 2008-01-27T06:44:38Z jcdaggettco http://realtravel.com/member-m5727400-jcdaggettco.html <p><em>"...or was it Tong Dau or Hong Mo Loung?"</em></p> <p>a entry by jcdaggettco from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/mai_chau-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d6178045.html">Mai Chau, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>This was the highlight among many highlights for the trip.</p><p>The night of the 6th turning to the 7th was horrible. A cold from a foreign germ pool has always been one of my worst nightmares, and this one hasn't disappointed.</p><p>You can actually function during the day, but when night comes, "Oh Boy!" You remember the feeling of standing on your head when you were younger? Well, just add a whole lot of face pain so you can't sleep and you about have the feeling of this one.</p><p>For those of you who are as old or older than I, just bend over and touch your toes and stay there awhile.</p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/mai_chau-journals-j6178085.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_vTx8-w.34slwy5cW4icVl1PtSOg_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/vTx8-w.34slwy5cW4icVl1PtSOg_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_vTx8-w.34slwy5cW4icVl1PtSOg_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=vTx8-w.34slwy5cW4icVl1PtSOg_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fmai_chau-journals-j6178085.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/mai_chau-journals-j6178085.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-17:6209584 2007-12-17T19:57:08Z 2008-01-27T06:30:20Z jcdaggettco http://realtravel.com/member-m5727400-jcdaggettco.html <p><em>"We were hopelessly lost!"</em></p> <p>a entry by jcdaggettco from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20620.html">Hanoi, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>We returned to Hanoi by mid-afternoon staying at the Metropole. Our last day in the big city had to have a heavy dose of the Old Quarter. We set out straight for it with the streets lined with scooters on every sidewalk. In fact, Hanoi must be the scooter capitol of the world although I must say I haven't been to China.</p><p>I'd estimate there must be some three million scooters in the city - maybe more though I have no empirical evidence that's true. It's hard to tell the reason why the air is so fouled here, but perhaps it has to do with the millions of "lawn mowers" that start up every ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-journals-j6209584.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_WZ8PanYqbZjL2GZhIHs73PFDBVg_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/WZ8PanYqbZjL2GZhIHs73PFDBVg_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_WZ8PanYqbZjL2GZhIHs73PFDBVg_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=WZ8PanYqbZjL2GZhIHs73PFDBVg_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhanoi-journals-j6209584.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/hanoi-journals-j6209584.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-28:6265163 2007-12-28T10:36:26Z 2008-01-26T12:10:34Z dungroovin http://realtravel.com/member-m4613964-dungroovin.html <p>a entry by dungroovin from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/nha_trang-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20660.html">Nha Trang, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>We had a slight altercation with a cabby leaving Hanoi as he tried to bump the price up, we had him stop and pulled all our luggage out in the middle of the road and we stomped off leaving him looking a little confused and p****d off. The flight to Nha Trang is straightforward and Viet Airlines win the prize for most grim on board meal, a piece of rock hard cake and small plastic cup of water.... Mmmmmm. Nha Trang is a stunning place, a really golden beach backed by palms with huge rollers crashing in off the South China Sea, it's much much warmer than Hanoi and the whole town has a really ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/nha_trang-journals-j6265163.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_O1vy.cJqLVmFwnua3CBT6mf.-0I_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/O1vy.cJqLVmFwnua3CBT6mf.-0I_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_O1vy.cJqLVmFwnua3CBT6mf.-0I_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=O1vy.cJqLVmFwnua3CBT6mf.-0I_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fnha_trang-journals-j6265163.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/nha_trang-journals-j6265163.html tag:realtravel.com,2008-01-18:6386171 2008-01-18T06:32:46Z 2008-01-23T10:29:33Z Mic & Cal http://realtravel.com/member-m5381888-mic__cal.html <p>a entry by Mic &amp; Cal from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20625.html">Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.</a></p> <p>'Sin Jauw' from Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) in Vietnam !!! Having opted for a more 'guided' exit from Cambodia we left on a toured bus to HCMC.Fearing that I would not spot the weird and wonderful dietary foods of Cambodia I was pleased to snap a quick shot of marinated snakes from the bus as we boarded a ferry across one of the many rivers. On the bus a great old vietnam lady offered us her bamboo snack, which was hard to decline and fearing the worst we hacked our way into it to find it filled with sticky rice, some brown bean and coconut shreds which tasted half decent to say the ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6386171.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_zUs08hsApnk2-GIuufI8SDdQNro_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/zUs08hsApnk2-GIuufI8SDdQNro_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_zUs08hsApnk2-GIuufI8SDdQNro_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=zUs08hsApnk2-GIuufI8SDdQNro_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6386171.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6386171.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-12:6180053 2007-12-12T12:35:21Z 2008-01-20T03:16:55Z kate n adam in nam http://realtravel.com/member-m6176873-kate_n_adam_in_nam.html <p><em>"In more ways than one, Cambodia seems a desperate place."</em></p> <p>a entry by kate n adam in nam from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/chau_doc-an_giang-reviews-hotels-d6179994.html">Chau Doc, An Giang.</a></p> <p>Bright and early start again, this time for an all-day slow boat up the mighty Mekong and into Cambodia. It's the only way to do the delta!</p><p>Our slow boat turned out to be somewhat of a marathon experience. Leaving Chau Doc at 6:30am, we didn't arrive in Phnom Penh until 6:30pm! This is despite the travel agents telling you that you will arrive at 4pm - they sneak in an extra 1.5 hour bus leg into the journey, so you end up taking 2 boats and a bus.</p><p>Before we left Chau Doc, we were treated to a tour of a floating village, which make their livelihoods from fish farms. The farms are ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/chau_doc-journals-j6180053.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_vMhS.Iq8YtVEOiIdsiJ9FDICr8Q_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/vMhS.Iq8YtVEOiIdsiJ9FDICr8Q_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_vMhS.Iq8YtVEOiIdsiJ9FDICr8Q_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=vMhS.Iq8YtVEOiIdsiJ9FDICr8Q_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fchau_doc-journals-j6180053.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/chau_doc-journals-j6180053.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-19:6215381 2007-12-19T04:51:49Z 2008-01-18T07:32:02Z jcdaggettco http://realtravel.com/member-m5727400-jcdaggettco.html <p>a review of Green Tangerine, a place to eat in <a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20620.html">Hanoi, Vietnam</a>.</p> <p>It a truly Frech place with a French chef and a French clientele. I has reasonable prices for food that tastes sooo very good. We shared a Frech pastry stuffed with delictable veggies as we'd eaten just a few hour before stumbling to get away from street vendors. There is a photo of the restaurant attached to this entry of the blog.</p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-reviews-c6215381.html">[Read full review]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_c9NNyWFvCUWvV1gJkneJcw7WAj4_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/c9NNyWFvCUWvV1gJkneJcw7WAj4_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_c9NNyWFvCUWvV1gJkneJcw7WAj4_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=c9NNyWFvCUWvV1gJkneJcw7WAj4_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhanoi-reviews-c6215381.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/hanoi-reviews-c6215381.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-14:6191911 2007-12-14T10:52:16Z 2007-12-29T10:37:14Z sarahs http://realtravel.com/member-m2874430-sarahs.html <p>a entry by sarahs from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/mekong_delta-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d1291739.html">Mekong Delta, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>The Mekong Delta was a highlight of Vietnam, we met some fun people, saw how life is lived here and even stayed with a family on An Binh island.</p><p>We started by visiting one of the islands of the Mekong called unicorn island, we tried all kinds of fresh fruit like dragon fruit, pineapple dipped in chilli salt, logan berries and rambutans, the last two are like much sweeter lychees. We also saw how they make sweets out of coconut milk and tried honey tea. It was all quite touristy but fun. We got on and off so many different styles of boat, we were rowed down a narrow stretch of the brown ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/mekong_delta-journals-j6191911.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_CM8sUhG.ypesPv6isgQAV9R80gY_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/CM8sUhG.ypesPv6isgQAV9R80gY_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_CM8sUhG.ypesPv6isgQAV9R80gY_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=CM8sUhG.ypesPv6isgQAV9R80gY_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fmekong_delta-journals-j6191911.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/mekong_delta-journals-j6191911.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-13:6183496 2007-12-13T04:20:26Z 2007-12-21T09:55:15Z Scott & Nancy http://realtravel.com/member-m4179993-scott__nancy.html <p>a entry by Scott &amp; Nancy from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/hue-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20635.html">Hue, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>We looked forward to the calmer side of Vietnam in Hue (pronounced Hwhey). After our final overnight train in Asia to arrive in Hue, we spent the morning searching through yet another busy market, we had a great lunch at a famous spot where we rolled our own spring rolls and had an egg pancake with meat and shrimp which they are famous for. Quite yummy – especially when the owner hand makes a bottle opener for each of us as a souvenir of our visit. All you need is a small piece of wood and a bolt. He even demonstrated his skill when opening five beers at one time using his special opener.</p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/hue-journals-j6183496.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_FXRx58m5Eoib.obt5j15VC2oMaE_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/FXRx58m5Eoib.obt5j15VC2oMaE_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_FXRx58m5Eoib.obt5j15VC2oMaE_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=FXRx58m5Eoib.obt5j15VC2oMaE_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhue-journals-j6183496.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/hue-journals-j6183496.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-17:6209450 2007-12-17T19:46:12Z 2007-12-19T17:54:31Z Carla V http://realtravel.com/member-m5790720-carla_v.html <p><em>"...we realized the sanctuary we had unknowingly entered..."</em></p> <p>a entry by Carla V from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20625.html">Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.</a></p> <p>We actually made it to the free breakfast this morning, enjoying Vietnamese coffee before a relatively full day of sightseeing all over the large city, which is more romantically known as Saigon. The midday sun was HOT. I began to appreciate even more my little village in Thailand which was warm, but where the sun never felt like it was beating down on me. Our first stop was the Jade Emperor Pagoda. A maze-like building which included an especially eerie room with wood carvings depicting the Hall of Ten Hells. How this hasn't made its way into an Indiana Jones movie, I don't know. ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6209450.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_7qWKOgruUj2lJQnMhnKYU5A4WiU_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/7qWKOgruUj2lJQnMhnKYU5A4WiU_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_7qWKOgruUj2lJQnMhnKYU5A4WiU_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=7qWKOgruUj2lJQnMhnKYU5A4WiU_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6209450.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6209450.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-14:6191787 2007-12-14T10:06:58Z 2007-12-14T10:39:17Z sarahs http://realtravel.com/member-m2874430-sarahs.html <p>a entry by sarahs from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20625.html">Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.</a></p> <p>Wow is the only thing you could say about arriving in Ho Chi Minh for the first time. I think you would either love it ( really love it) or hate it. On the way from the airport my jaw was dropping open at the amount of motorbikes on the road, it was just amazing like a huge monster roaring through the streets. There seems to be no rules at all, very few traffic lights but I have seen no accidents. Saigon is difficult to describe to anyone who hasn't been here but I will try.. firstly it is hot, really hot especially having arrived on a plane from Beijing. There are hardly any cars, the roads ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6191787.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_nUc4gJQSWcBpOHF5t3cMkYl-Jak_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/nUc4gJQSWcBpOHF5t3cMkYl-Jak_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_nUc4gJQSWcBpOHF5t3cMkYl-Jak_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=nUc4gJQSWcBpOHF5t3cMkYl-Jak_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6191787.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/ho_chi_minh_city_saigon-journals-j6191787.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-14:6191183 2007-12-14T08:03:43Z 2007-12-14T08:47:27Z Sam&Nen http://realtravel.com/member-m5696219-samnen.html <p>a entry by Sam&amp;Nen from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20620.html">Hanoi, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>Arrived in Hue - Pouring it down! It continued to sheet it down for our entire stay. We ventured out just the once to explore the city, got soaked to the skin so warmed ourselves up with a bowl of Pho (noodle soup). Camped out in the hotel, and got a shock when we looked out in the morning and the water was ankle deep (and we were 3 streets away from the river!) A guy on our overnight bus to Hanoi told us the famous citadel was waist deep in water.</p><p>Thought we could stretch out on the 12hr bus ride but NO! It was rammed with locals (inc snoring warthog, screaming baby and chain smoker). A ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-journals-j6191183.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_EYPeY0qyD1.PlYpH2ny1tUXmtEo_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/EYPeY0qyD1.PlYpH2ny1tUXmtEo_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_EYPeY0qyD1.PlYpH2ny1tUXmtEo_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=EYPeY0qyD1.PlYpH2ny1tUXmtEo_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhanoi-journals-j6191183.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/hanoi-journals-j6191183.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-13:6184711 2007-12-13T10:48:30Z 2007-12-13T10:48:30Z kate n adam in nam http://realtravel.com/member-m6176873-kate_n_adam_in_nam.html <p>a review of Same Same But Different, a place to stay in <a href="http://realtravel.com/chau_doc-an_giang-reviews-hotels-d6179994.html">Chau Doc, An Giang</a>.</p> <p>A well-situated place on the lake in Phnom Penh, the staff are friendly and the food is good. Also they are generous with their weed! The only drawback is that the staff are constantly trying to organise things for you - they really put the hard word on you to take a tour with them in a tuk tuk, or to book a boat or bus - also they do you a tab at the guesthouse, which I know some people like, but I find you are tempted to spend more than you normally would, and instead of going out for food you just get lazy and eat there.</p><p>But for the money - $US4 per night - it's definitely worth it!</p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/chau_doc-reviews-b6184711.html">[Read full review]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_YXN4k3qz02vi0i6RnKoz.tH3xTw_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/YXN4k3qz02vi0i6RnKoz.tH3xTw_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_YXN4k3qz02vi0i6RnKoz.tH3xTw_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=YXN4k3qz02vi0i6RnKoz.tH3xTw_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fchau_doc-reviews-b6184711.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/chau_doc-reviews-b6184711.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-12:6180692 2007-12-12T17:36:08Z 2007-12-12T17:36:08Z Carla V http://realtravel.com/member-m5790720-carla_v.html <p><em>"Ho Chi Minh more affectionately known as Uncle Ho is very "revered"."</em></p> <p>a entry by Carla V from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20620.html">Hanoi, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>We had one day to tour around Hanoi and I think we did a relatively good job of it. Our first mission was to book a quality tour to see Halong Bay; there are tourist offices EVERYWHERE offering all kinds of promises but after reading online message boards and guidebooks, we knew these promises rarely come to fruition. We splurged and went with Handspan; it turned out to be an excellent decision which you can read about in the next blog entry.</p><p>The city of Hanoi is not organized in a grid pattern, but putting Dan in charge of map duty meant we didn't get lost on our way to Puku cafe; an ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-journals-j6180692.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_nn6D.7kwcmQQm9PkP--K16T5V.Y_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/nn6D.7kwcmQQm9PkP--K16T5V.Y_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_nn6D.7kwcmQQm9PkP--K16T5V.Y_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=nn6D.7kwcmQQm9PkP--K16T5V.Y_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhanoi-journals-j6180692.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/hanoi-journals-j6180692.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-12:6180676 2007-12-12T17:03:29Z 2007-12-12T17:03:29Z Carla V http://realtravel.com/member-m5790720-carla_v.html <p><em>"Halong Bay is an impressive place just from the dock and that's well before you get into the thick of massive, jutting limestone islands."</em></p> <p>a entry by Carla V from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/halong_bay-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d646203.html">Halong Bay, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>The agreed upon time of 7am for the completion of our laundry of course did not come through. This meant Dan waited around for 50 minutes desparately hoping it would arrive quickly, so we wouldn't miss our tour while I waited at a nearby cafe for a food order that took seemingly forever to make. A mad dash at 8am brought us to Handspan headquarters just a few minutes late, but perfectly on time as tours like this don't ever appear to actually leave on schedule.</p><p>Eight of us piled into a minivan that wasn't roomy for me let alone the two tall Australians sitting behind us. The ride out to ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/halong_bay-journals-j6180676.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_vq4W4tLxJL0N-EAH2pzhKiSCsVI_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/vq4W4tLxJL0N-EAH2pzhKiSCsVI_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_vq4W4tLxJL0N-EAH2pzhKiSCsVI_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=vq4W4tLxJL0N-EAH2pzhKiSCsVI_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhalong_bay-journals-j6180676.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/halong_bay-journals-j6180676.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-12:6180591 2007-12-12T16:29:41Z 2007-12-12T16:29:41Z Carla V http://realtravel.com/member-m5790720-carla_v.html <p><em>"There was a renegade bus that had more than its share of close calls with us and all other types of vehicles on the road."</em></p> <p>a entry by Carla V from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20620.html">Hanoi, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>The generator's start at 6:30am worked as an effective alarm clock aboard our small junk boat on Halong Bay. Breakfast was nothing special, but the last stop of the tour was. The surprising cave wasn't particularly suprising; it was, however, HUGE. I haven't been in many caves in my lifetime, so I was easily impressed, but even the adventuresome Australian family had never seen a cave of its size before. It just kept going and with a fresh water pond collecting rainwater from the limestone island around it, appeared to be quite inhabitable as well. Turns out it was in fact a home to hundreds ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/hanoi-journals-j6180591.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_fBVFppvVUbALrbRI55E7iMfSG7A_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/fBVFppvVUbALrbRI55E7iMfSG7A_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_fBVFppvVUbALrbRI55E7iMfSG7A_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=fBVFppvVUbALrbRI55E7iMfSG7A_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhanoi-journals-j6180591.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/hanoi-journals-j6180591.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-12:6180499 2007-12-12T16:05:49Z 2007-12-12T16:06:13Z Carla V http://realtravel.com/member-m5790720-carla_v.html <p><em>"The dish award this evening went to a banana leaf with flour, meat, and shrimp dish that was served with some sort of cracker with seeds in it."</em></p> <p>a entry by Carla V from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/hue-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d20635.html">Hue, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>So many adventures, so little internet time. This morning Dan and I ripped ourselves away from a deep slumber to head to the Mandrian Cafe which was supposed to be a great place for tourist advice. There wasn't much advice, but we were able to sign up for a tour that was set to begin just fifteen minutes after our arrival. We wolfed down some breakfast and were sent to follow a women to the river's edge. There were joined a smattering of other tourists: a Dutch couple, a few French, some Koreans, and a very jolly Japanese couple in a double dragoned flat boat.</p><p>Hue is a small, quiet city ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/hue-journals-j6180499.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_WN5d4Bfg6efziPfte5siSOvX2zM_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/WN5d4Bfg6efziPfte5siSOvX2zM_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_WN5d4Bfg6efziPfte5siSOvX2zM_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=WN5d4Bfg6efziPfte5siSOvX2zM_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fhue-journals-j6180499.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/hue-journals-j6180499.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-12:6179804 2007-12-12T12:17:33Z 2007-12-12T12:27:07Z kate n adam in nam http://realtravel.com/member-m6176873-kate_n_adam_in_nam.html <p><em>"The Bia in question came out of this enormous pressurised vat, and better yet it cost about 30c for 2 litres!"</em></p> <p>a entry by kate n adam in nam from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/chau_doc-vietnam-reviews-hotels-d926782.html">Chau Doc, Vietnam.</a></p> <p>Left HCMC bright and early bound for the Mekong delta. But this first involved getting out of the city. Thinking that it may actually be safer in a mini-van than on foot, I was quickly proved wrong as we were ferried from the tourist office to the Mien Tay bus station, south of town. The further away from the centre we got, the proportion of buses and trucks versus scooters inexorably increased.</p><p>It was all fine going straight ahead down wide boulevards, until we hit these enormous roundabouts, big enough to rival the arc de triomphe. Here, 3 tonne trucks gracefully serenaded cars and ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/chau_doc-journals-j6179804.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_VSTztUpHlgzWvWZHiUda6BGqzYU_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/VSTztUpHlgzWvWZHiUda6BGqzYU_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_VSTztUpHlgzWvWZHiUda6BGqzYU_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=VSTztUpHlgzWvWZHiUda6BGqzYU_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fchau_doc-journals-j6179804.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/chau_doc-journals-j6179804.html