Monday, November 15, 2010

Phu Quoc, Vietnam

If you are visiting Vietnam and are looking for a quiet beach to chill on for a few days, fly or bus your way down to PhuQuoc Island.  We spent the last five days of a three week vacation here with four friends and we couldn't have picked a better place to finish off our vacation. There are nice beaches and interesting local flavour to experience. It's a short flight from HoChiMinh City (Saigon), or if you are adventurous or on a tight budget - you can also take a bus and ferry.
   

 


Ask at the front desk of your hotel about day trips. We did a fishing/snorkelling day trip which also took us to another beach on the island on the way home. You can also inquire about renting motorbikes at the front desk, which you should definately do if you feel comfortable on a motorbike. It's the best way to go see the crazy local market area. Or you can happily spend the day lounging on the quiet beach. There are ladies selling fresh fruit, and offering massages, but they don't hassel you like in Thailand. If you are looking for the party atmosphere similar to Koh Samui's Chaweng beach - then this might not be the place for you, but if you are seeking a quiet and beautiful paradise to relax and explore - there's no better place! 
You can check out more pictures of Phu Quoc Island here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=222271&id=665145491&l=577956cc1d

More Angkor Wat Photos

You can check out more photos of Angkor Wat here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=220215&id=665145491&l=f2c2c0bae1

Monday, November 1, 2010

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia



Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia is a breathtaking place to visit.  I traveled here in 2008 with five friends, and we were all in awe.  We flew into Phnom Phen and spent a couple of days there, then took the ferry to Siem Reap, we bought the ferry tickets from the hotel concierge. (You can also fly from Phnom Phen to Siem Reap, but I would suggest booking in advance). Like many Southeast Asian countries' guesthouses, you can always find the tourist information you need for anything at the modest front desk. If you are adventurous and have the time (it takes about 5 hours), I would recommend the river ferry, as you get to see the real life of the Cambodian river people as you meander along the river.  If the sun is shining, you can sit on top of the boat, where you are guaranteed to get some fantastic pictures along the river, and they have beer and snacks for sale (they even have 'Angkor Beer'!). We had booked a room at a hotel in Siem Reap on-line and arranged with our hotel for a tuk-tuk transfer upon arrival at the docks in Siem Reap, but it's not necessary as there are tons of tuk-tuks available.  It is nice to have your accomodations set up in advance though.  We chose a hotel with a pool, which I highly recommend due to the humidity!  To get to the Angkor Wat temples, we found a tuk-tuk simply by walking out to the street directly in front of our hotel.  We needed two tuk-tuks since there were 6 of us - and they agreed to pick us up in the morning at a designated time and stay with us all day to take us from one temple to the next - which is definately needed. The first day we even got them to take us back to the hotel for a cool off swim in the afternoon, then they brought us back for sunset.  It was about $10-$20/day for the tuk-tuk (my memory fails me) - split between 3 of us - so a great deal. We did a two-day pass - most people agree that 1 is not enough and 3 is unnecessary - I believe it was $20 and that gives you access to all the temples. We put our trust in our tuk-tuk drivers, Van and Pros, and they didn't disappoint us.  They took us to all the major temples, and a couple of small ones with some commentary along the way.  I definately recommend going by tuk-tuk, it's a great way to see everything, experience something unique, and have a little adventure along the way.