Hanoi Airport Shuffle

3 Comments / September 10, 2013

Bus and Taxi Passengers Beware

Arranging the 45 minute ride from the Hanoi International Airport into the city looked at first like it would be a slam dunk, but turned out to be the only negative experience on my entire visit to this beautiful country. After a short, pleasant flight from Luang Prabang, Laos I landed around 5 PM at the modern Hanoi Noi Bai Airport. I quickly cleared customs with my prearranged visa and was able to change some money before making my way outside where several buses were waiting to take visitors into town for a small fee. The bus I selected had several people already on board and the driver indicated he would be leaving momentarily. After waiting about twenty minutes we realized that he was out looking for more passengers and probably wouldn’t be leaving until he filled the bus. Four of us decided to share a cab instead and were soon heading into the city for a predetermined fee of $6 each.

Taxi Shenanigans

I had decided to try the Hoa Binh Hotel based on a good review from Frommer’s Southeast Asia guide book and told the driver that was where I wanted to be dropped off. Everything was going fine as we let the first and second passengers off at their hotels…and then came my turn. The driver suddenly demanded quite a bit more money than we had agreed upon and when I protested he threatened to call the police, taking out his cell phone to make his point. I stood my ground and handed him six dollars, all the while wondering if I would end up staying at the Hanoi Hilton that night, instead. He backed off when I said we would have the concierge at the hotel help us resolve the situation. The remaining passenger was a young lady who looked nervous about continuing on alone with this driver and I suggested that she get out, pay him off and get another taxi…which she did. I stayed with her until the disagreeable cab driver was gone and she was safely ensconced in another taxi. Lesson learned…in Hanoi, best stick to the taxi companies recommended in your guide book and beware of the shenanigans some of the less scrupulous drivers might try to pull.

Friendly People, Beautiful Places

As luck would have it, there was a nice room available for me at the Hoa Binh Hotel for $65 a night with breakfast, so I booked it for two nights. It was an elegant, historic old hotel in a perfect location near the train station and within walking distance of many of the major sights. By now it was nearly 7 PM, but the hotel reception was still able to book me a seat on a tour to Halong Bay for the next day. Future postings will feature a full report on my visit to this World Heritage Site, as well as a detailed review of the Hoa Binh Hotel. After a rocky introduction to Vietnam, the rest of my time in this wonderful country was filled with friendly people and beautiful places. Be sure to join me on my journey from Hanoi in the north to Saigon in the South with a stop at Hoi An right in the middle.

Halong Bay, Vietnam — Beautiful Places of Vietnam…Halong Bay

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Luang Prabang, Laos

2 Comments / August 3, 2013

Luang Prabang, Crown Jewel of Laos

Located at the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers in the hill country of northern Laos, Luang Prabang is arguably one of the most important tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. With its small, but modern airport this resort city can easily be reached from Vientiane, Hanoi, Bangkok and Siem Reap, but the adventurous traveler will want to arrive by bus from Vientiane. If you choose this route you will be rewarded with a ride through some incredibly beautiful country and will pass through the limestone studded sportsman’s paradise known as Vang Vieng.

After an 11 hour bus ride costing $22, I arrived in Luang Prabang at 8 PM to find the town still bustling with activity. Just a short walk from the bus station into the center of town, I easily found a nice hotel (for $15!–see below) and was surprised to find shops and travel agencies still open. After purchasing a $150 plane ticket to Hanoi, Vietnam on Lao Airlines for the following afternoon I walked around until I finally made the difficult choice of where to eat from among the many outstanding French style restaurants in town.

Resort Atmosphere

My first impression of Luang Prabang was that it was a quaint little resort town and that it had more visitors than I expected for being so far out in the hinterlands. That first evening I encountered as many young backpackers as I did well-heeled tourists out enjoying the pleasant weather and the French provincial setting. With few motor vehicles in the confines of town, the air was clean and fresh and there was a peaceful quiet that was soothing to a weary traveler. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang has retained its timeless charm with a mixture of Buddhist temples and French colonial buildings which line the four main streets located within the confines created by the confluence of the Nam Khan tributary flowing into the mighty Mekong River.

In the Laotian language Luang Prabang literally means ‘royal Buddha image’. Its colorful history dates back many centuries and took it through numerous stages including periods where it was part of an independent kingdom, the subject of surrounding empires, a French protectorate and finally the communist country it has become today following the Pathet Lao takeover in 1975. With the subsequent introduction of capitalism in Laos, Luang Prabang, indeed all of Laos, has made an impressive comeback after many years of depredation and neglect.

A Walking Tour

The signature landmark of Luang Prabang is Mount Phousi, a steep hill which rises about 320 feet above the center of town. While there are temples located throughout the hill, the main attraction is Wat Chom Si with its golden stupa on the summit. For the admission price of $2.50 and a somewhat arduous climb of 350 steps to the top you get a spectacular 360 degree view of the town, rivers and surrounding countryside. Cat lovers, in particular, will not want to miss the hike up Mount Phousi, with lazy felines napping at every landing along the way!

A walk through the main streets of Luang Prabang will take you past many of the beautifully preserved buildings from the French colonial period. Along the way you will see the Haw Kham Royal Palace built in 1904 which is now a museum and the nearby Wat Mai built in the 18^th century, which is the largest temple in town. Other sights include Wat Wisunalat with its huge golden Buddha built in 1512 and Wat Xieng Thong near the confluence of the rivers. And if you are lucky you will have an opportunity to see the daily morning alms procession, where food is donated to the Buddhist monks clad in their brilliant orange robes. Your visit would not be complete without a walk down to the rivers to watch the fishermen and a walk across the Nam Khan River on the old wooden bridge.

Eating and Sleeping

It was a welcome problem to have so many small hotels and guest houses to choose from in Luang Prabang. The first one I walked into on the evening I arrived ended up being a winner and for $15 I got a nice big room with private bath in a quite section of the ThanaBoun Guest House. Located right on one of the main streets close to all the sights and restaurants, this small hotel is a great place to stay. It was clean and safe and the front desk staff members were friendly and helpful. An internet café is conveniently located in the lobby. And the price could not be beat. Southeast Asia is truly the budget traveler’s paradise!

For dinner I found a wonderful, open-air restaurant called The Pizza Luang Prabang right across the street from the guest house. It was located on the main floor of one of the quaint, old colonial buildings and the atmosphere on that balmy evening could not have been more pleasant. For $6.80 I had a delicious pizza and a Beerlao, which is a tasty beer based on locally grown jasmine rice. Many an evening since I visited Luang Prabang I have wished that I could magically transport myself back so that I can try every one of the fabulous restaurants to be found there. This wonderful little town is worth the extra effort it takes to get there and you will not want to miss it on your trip through Southeast Asia.

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Tree Growing from Ta Prohm Temple Ruins at Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Intro to Indochina

2 Comments / May 5, 2013

Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia

Having made my way up the Malay Peninsula from Singapore to Bangkok, it was now time to continue my journey into uncharted territory. Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia had long been on my bucket list of must-see destinations, but it was with some trepidation that I contemplated the logistics of traveling through the rugged countryside, crossing multiple borders into communist countries, and arranging suitable transportation and lodging, all the while grappling with several different languages. As I was soon to discover, my concerns were all for naught. I was able to easily navigate my way through some of the most beautiful country on earth, inhabited by some of the friendliest folks I have ever encountered in my travels throughout the world. In upcoming articles we’ll visit the cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang in Laos; Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon in Vietnam; and Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia. We’ll also explore two fabulous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Ha Long Bay and Angkor Wat.

The Charming Colonial City of Luang Prabang, Laos

History and Culture

Historically, Indochina refers to the three countries of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia on the Southeast Asian peninsula. This region was known as French Indochina during the period when these countries were colonies of France from about 1884 to 1954. The Kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia were granted independence from France in 1949, but Vietnam would have a much longer journey to becoming the country it is today. The Indochina War was largely a conflict between France and the Viet Minh in the north of Vietnam and began in 1946 shortly after the end of World War II. It ended in 1954 with the partition of Vietnam into North and South. Enter the Americans one year later and the rest, as they say, is history! While the peoples of Indochina are quite separate from those of both India and China, the name Indochina can be attributed to the location of this region between these two larger countries. While each of the three countries comprising today’s Indochina is ethnically diverse, the Khmers can be identified as the majority in Cambodia and the Kinh (Viet) in Vietnam. Laos, on the other hand, is a much more diverse conglomeration of many tribes and languages.

Hoa Lo Prison Known as the Hanoi Hilton, Vietnam

Indochina Itinerary

The major sights of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia can easily be covered by taking a circular route beginning and ending in the gateway city of Bangkok, Thailand. I traveled in a clockwise direction, starting with the overnight train ride from Bangkok to Vientiane, Laos. What I thought would be a complicated border crossing over the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai into Laos turned out to be quite simple and went exactly according to how it was described in The Man in Seat 61. You can purchase a visa on arrival for Laos there for $35. After an overnight in Vientiane, I took the 11 hour bus ride through the beautiful northern hill country of Laos to the incredibly charming UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang on the Mekong River. To save time and avoid the long, arduous bus ride over the mountains to Hanoi, I took the one hour flight from Luang Prabang to Hanoi the following day on Lao Airlines for $150. Arriving in Vietnam by plane also enables travelers to purchase a visa on arrival rather than applying for a visa in advance which is required at land border crossings. After two nights in Hanoi and a day trip to Ha Long Bay I took the overnight train to the ancient city of Hoi An via Da Nang for $45. Again to save time, I took the one hour flight the following day from Da Nang to Saigon on Vietnam Airlines. After a one day visit to Saigon I took a bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for $20 and was able to purchase a visa on arrival at the border for $25. The following day I took the five hour bus ride to Siem Reap for $12.00. After two days in Siem Reap with ample time to explore Ankor Wat, I completed the final leg of my circuitous journey by taking the nine and a half hour bus ride back to Bangkok for another $12. Hopefully, these details will be helpful for those planning an independent sojourn through Indochina.

Bargain Hunter’s Paradise

Hurry! These prices won’t last! At the risk of sounding like the proverbial used car salesman, I can’t stress enough that the price for everything from hotels to restaurants to transportation and shopping are incredibly low throughout Indochina, making it a true bargain hunter’s paradise. It’s no wonder that frugal students and backpackers flock to this region every year to take advantage of the great deals. Imagine a wonderful hotel with a pool and a fabulous breakfast for $50 or a delightful meal in a French restaurant for $7. Or how ‘bout a comfortable minibus ride from Cambodia to Thailand for $12 or a souvenir tee shirt for $1. As word gets out, prices are sure to go up, so if you are thinking of a trip to Indochina, now might be the time. In future articles we will explore this region in greater detail, so be sure to check back with us here at Blue Orb Travel for some great information on what to see and where to stay during your visit.

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Beautiful Country