Ho Chi Minh City - Lunar New Year - Chuc Mung Nam Moi | Vietnam

Saying goodbye to Cambodia, we headed for Ho Chi Minh City, known in the past as Saigon, in Vietnam. The border process was a bit scary, and it took a long time to get through.

Upon arrival there, we lost Kim. It was a scary moment, losing one of the group. She had just taken her camera out to take photos of some New Year flowers we had passed, and turned around to find us gone. With no Vietnamese money, she somehow made her way back towards our hotel, and Hang (supposed group leader) went to find her.

I was very hungry and had read that the best Pho (soup with rice noodles) is found in the main market, Ben Thanh in HCMC. Myself and Kim went to explore and came across many coffee stalls. Coffee is very popular in Vietnam, and there are so many varieties! It is also served with condensed milk, and so I became addicted.

Kim went off in search of some dried Mango, and I was so hungry I sat down at one of the food stalls in the centre. Two minutes later this delicious bowl of goodness was presented, along with an Iced Vietnamese coffee. In the heat of the market, this combination was most welcome.

Once I had eaten as much as I could, we decided to explore some more of Saigon. Below is the Opera House, and you can see the French influence in the design. We also got conned and paid about $8 for a tiny coconut! Lesson learned, make sure you understand currency conversions when out and about!

We were too late to go inside, but we saw the Vietnamese version of Notre Dame, which is located next to the beautiful old Post Office.

Having bought some cards for our mothers, we entered this beautiful old colonial building. Noticing the envelopes didn't have any sticky bits, there was a section at the side with tubs of glue and paintbrushes. Very old fashioned. Since sending, the card has arrived, and my mother is very happy with her pop up lady on a bike!

Everywhere outside we walked, it was clear the city was gearing up for a party. Lunar New Year also known as Tet was only one day away. This meant that everything we had seen today would be closed for the next week, so thank goodness we were motivated enough to check them all out!

Happy New Year in Vietnamese is Chuc Mung Nam Moi - this phrase came in very handy throughout my trip, as people became friendlier every time I mentioned it! Also, you can see how increasingly busy the city was getting, with thousands of mopeds and motorbikes all over the place.

There were also clear signs that Vietnam is a communist country, and all the way along the coast there are constant reminders in the form of billboards or statues.

Casual motorbike park.

On the eve before Tet, I went along with the Irish group to the Rex Hotel for a cocktail. Traffic was crazy!

On the rooftop, it was far more relaxed and not too busy. This was where many foreign correspondents had met during the war. We listened to a band, and looked down at the craziness below!

The next day, a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels was on the cards. I have to say, I felt very uncomfortable here and was glad not to be American. Our guide was very passionate about his country and was quite rightly upset about what had happened in the past to his family and fellow countrymen. What I found difficult to comprehend was the celebration in his speech about killing American soldiers. He told us with glee in his eyes how the Cu Chi fighters had outwitted the Americans, hurt, maimed and killed them. Showing us the various inhumane traps, he got more and more excited. There was even a communist video which celebrated and gave medals to the citizens who had killed the most Americans. I was horrified. I don't care what side you are on, you should never be laughing or celebrating about killing another human being. I found this really distasteful.

What I found incredible was the ingenuity of these people to survive underground, and in such a close confined space. They had everything from kitchens, to hospitals under there. The tunnels we went through have been made bigger for tourists, and yet I found it difficult to go 20m. I am 6ft and a big girl, so the tunnels were never made for someone my size to fit through. There was hardly any air, and I found myself crawling along the floor. I had to get out at the first exit for air. At least I can say I experienced it.

Below was an entrance to the tunnels. I didn't manage to get through this... Haha!

As it was Tet that evening, Julia had the idea to go to Chinatown and find the celebrations going on there. Unfortunately we went the wrong way, but in the end were greeted with lots of smiles and bewilderment. I don't think many Westerners walk down the streets we went down. In the taxi on the way back to the hotel, we came across the celebrations we had been looking for, so not so much of a loss.

We had a group meeting with our new leader Ha, and two new arrivals. Awesome kiwis Cheryl and Catherine. They adopted me as another member of their family throughout the rest of the trip. Ha also seemed to be more on top of the group, and provided us with lots of information. A stark contrast with our last leader!

We were then treated to a group meal, and came across all the celebrations for the new year. This offering was just outside our hotel.

We decided to head to the river for the fireworks, and followed the crowd. So many people on scooters! Rob picked an excellent spot, and we all watched the spectacle. It was a fantastic experience, and I'm glad we stayed up for it!

After our homestay at the Mekong, we had one more afternoon in HCMC. I went to the War Remnants Museum, which had some fantastic exhibitions on. I was really moved by the photographers exhibition on the top floor, which showcased photos from foreign and local photographers who had died during the war. The images helped to portray what it was like on both sides of the front line and paid hommage those brave souls, who will not be forgotten.

This is where I learned about Agent Orange, and how devastating it has been to Vietnam. It was an eye opener, especially the aftermath and how it is still damaging the population generations later. Lots of images of disfigured children, which are very upsetting. This museum is a must see in HCMC, but be aware it is very biased. 

Sihanoukville - Otres Beach and Koh Rong Samloem Island Paradise | Cambodia

In the words of the eternal Nicki Minaj, I kept chanting, 'Let's go to the beach, each, let's go get away!' and as if by magic, we were transported to the beach town of Sihanoukville. Our hotel was right next Ochheauteal Beach, although this was very crowded during the day.

We threw our bags in the rooms, shoved our cosies on, and headed for the beach. Opting for a more exclusive beach, a few of us went to Otres Beach. This was relatively quiet, and peaceful until a pack of Cambodian women suddenly descended upon us, trying to get us to buy their wares. You could get manicures, or legs threaded, massages etc. 

It was quite interesting chatting to some of the younger ones. They told me their life story and their dreams for the future. All of them wanted to study tourism at school, and practice their English. Again, it seems to be if you speak English in Cambodia, you are more likely to get the better paid jobs. I liked one of them, called Ocean, who gave me an anklet as a good luck charm. I gave her some money and took a bracelet and wished her well. 

You are also joined by more unexpected guests, like this little guy below. He came and sat with me for a while.

We got back to the hotel, changed, and headed out for a couple of drinks at the local beach. It was actually Australia Day, and there were quite a few Aussies around on the beach playing with some Cambodian children. It looked like fun, but in reality, those kids shouldn't be at the beach at all. You get a lot of them wanting you to buy dodgy fireworks and postcards. By giving them money, they will never see any of it, and be forced to beg more by an adult. There are a few projects I would like to get involved with to help stop these situations, and will look into it when I settle down in Sydney.

The next day we headed to an island paradise. We had initially booked with an agent who had met us on the beach the night before, but he failed to turn up on time. We flagged a tuk tuk and raced down to the harbour at Serendipity Beach to get the ferry to Koh Rong Samloem. When we arrived, it turned out we were at the wrong island, and had an hour to wait on Koh Rong. This is what greeted us there:

(this is an Instagram pic, but even with the filter, you can see how beautiful this place is)

This island looked like a party island, and was full of very chilled out people. Lots of 'happy' cake places too :)

Getting back on the boat for twenty minutes, we reached our final destination aka paradise. The following images have not been altered.

This island seemed to only have beach huts and two restaurants, with a small shop. It was very secluded and hardly anyone was around. We found a spot and basked in the sun, swam in the clear turquoise waters and ate coconut crackers.

Adam, an architect by trade, even built a mini Angkor Wat, which my budgie took pride of place on.

We went for lunch in one of the restaurants, and being fed up of noodles and rice, I opted for a chicken burger. It was so yummy! This was our view from next to the restaurant.

We met some French people living in one of the beach huts, and found out they were only $20 per night. I will definitely come back to this part of the world, as this is one of the best beaches I have ever been to. Absolute paradise.

Leaving the beach behind, we headed back for one more night in Phnom Penh and then onto the Vietnamese border for the second half of our trip.

Chambok - Homestay in Eco Tourism Community | Cambodia

On the way down to the beach at Sihanoukville we stopped off at Chambok, a community which follows Ecotourism. I asked myself, what is Ecotourism? As life without the Khmer Rouge became a reality, the people of this community, which consists of nine villages, decided they wanted to come back to this remote spot. The state decided it would not support the community, so they had to do this themselves. This meant they hunted wild animals and began cutting down lots of trees to earn money. When an NGO visited, the community was encouraged to protect their surroundings and make use of the beautiful waterfalls and Khmer culture for tourists.

We arrived late afternoon, and half the group headed for the waterfall. It was quite a hike, and I struggled with my bag and jumper, which was used as an anti mosquito measure. Eventually we clambered over the last few rocks and were presented with the above view.

It was unfortunately too late to go swimming, but it was lovely and cool sitting next to the spraying water.

With darkness approaching, we hop footed it back to the Women's Restaurant in the complex for a lovely Khmer meal. After we stuffed ourselves, we were treated to a dancing performance from the local children. When you come to Cambodia, you will get a lot of children coming up and begging. Although it is hard, you must not give them any money. They always have some older person behind them, making them beg, and they never get any of the profits. This dancing troupe was started to try and prevent the children from begging, and seems to be working. Although, I'm not sure making children dance in front of Westerners is any better than begging, but at least the children seemed happier than others I have met on this trip.

The dances were so intricate, and I have no idea how they were able to bend their fingers to make the moves. Khmer dancing is all about the technique, and can be quite slow but powerful to watch.

It was then off to the homestay. Our group was split in half, the oldies and the young uns. We entered the bamboo house and were presented with lots of beds and mosquito nets. We all got ready for bed and settled down for a good nights sleep... NOT.

If ever you want an introduction to rural Cambodian life, but want sleep too, remember to bring your earplugs. There is constant noise the whole night, crickets, dance music in the distance, babies crying, dogs barking, ROOSTERS. Oh and Adam, one of our group waking everyone up shouting 'MUM MUM' from a nightmare. Those who know me well know that I need to get a good sleep or I get cranky.

The next morning we were leaving early, but I managed to get some snaps of the place we has stayed.

Here was the house we stayed in. It was a shame, we never really got to meet the family who had given up their house for a night. The lady of the house didn't seem very confident around strangers and wanted to get on with her daily routines without being disturbed, which is fair enough.

I don't think we were able to experience all this place has to offer, but we did meet an American girl who had been learning to cook, make jewellery and had taken an Oxen cart to the local market.

Onwards to some of the best beaches I have ever set foot on!

Phnom Penh - S21 and the Killing Fields | Cambodia

Phnom Penh is the capital city of Cambodia, but it is unlike any other capital city I have been to. The further I have travelled in Cambodia, the more I have come to understand why things are the way they are. Not a light and airy fairy subject, but Phnom Penh is the place to learn about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian genocide. This horrific period happened before I was born, and I naively didn't know anything about it. I vaguely knew something bad had happened and from what the media had portrayed, Angelina Jolie had tried to help in some way.

The Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975, and quite literally overnight life changed for the Cambodian people. The extreme communist regime abolished all of the country's infrastructure. This meant no more schools, banks, hospitals, public transport and or even the right to have a religion. Those who worked and lived in the cities were immediately shipped out to the country to work in the rice fields, with the rice quota set at an impossible rate. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence was eradicated, private housing was given to the state and families were torn apart. Over 2 million people died during four years, a fourth of the population. There is a large age gap between the very young and the very old.

The first place we visited was Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, otherwise known as S21. This former high school was one of many secret interrogation and torture centres used by the Pol Pot regime. Inmates were taken here, photographed and processed, kept in unsanitary conditions, tortured in inhumane ways and forced to sign false confessions. These were sensationalised confessions claiming connections with the CIA. Once doing so, they were officially signing their own death warrant. They were then transferred to Choeung Ek aka the Killing Fields.

As someone with hardly any knowledge of what had happened, I was horrified walking around the school. You could still see some blackboards with writing on them. They have exhibits showing all the photos of those who were processed through the centre, and it was too much to take in. Weirdly, it was difficult to see the few images of Westerners as they stood out amongst the thousands of Cambodians.

Some of the buildings had barbed wire on the side, to stop prisoners from escaping or attempting suicide. Classrooms were divided into makeshift cell blocks made out of wood or brick. The courtyard displayed some of the tools used for torturing those poor souls.

We then moved onto the Killing Fields, which used to be a fruit orchard. This is the site of many mass graves, where the prisoners from S21 ended up. This was a full on extermination centre of thousands of people, men, women and children. When you arrive at the gates, you are given a set of earphones and a device. This was excellent and informative, by allowing us to move along at our own pace. Every part of the compound was explained, and eye witness accounts were also available to listen to. I won't go into detail, but the experience sobered me walking around especially the Killing Tree.

I was shocked by the Magic Tree. This hollow tree was used to project out Communist songs, late into the night. Along with drilling, and other noises, these muffled the screams of those whose heads were being smashed in. I got really upset listening to a short snippet of this, and how this would have been the last thing the victims had heard.

The excavated pits have been taken back by nature, and appear to be teeming with wildlife. However, whenever there is a large amount of rainfall, some bone fragments and clothing surface. A constant reminder of the victims below. There are still some graves left undisturbed. The skulls and bones found are now displayed in a special Stupa which is the main focal point of the site. It is very eery, but will stand as a permanent reminder.

If you go to Phnom Penh, you must visit these places. The best way to get to both in a day is by a tuk tuk. The driver will wait at each place and take you back to your original destination. Agree the price beforehand. It cost us $15 for the day, and there were 4 of us.

On a much lighter note, there are places not solely focussed on genocide. The National Museum of Cambodia exhibits statues from as early as Angkor Wat. I was stopped by a group of girls who wanted to take my picture. It turned out they were all studying to be midwives and all had excellent English. It was amazing to see that they are taking full advantage of the opportunities laid out in front of them. School in Cambodia still costs money, but they are moving forward and the next generation will help to better their country. It was really positive meeting them, after the day before.

At night we found ourselves in the Foreign Correspondents Club, FCC. This was, as you can probably tell, where all the correspondents would meet up. The view wasn't too bad either!