Beautiful Vietnam

WHAT started as an epic fail turned into an epic journey, is how to best describe my trip to Vietnam last June.

Coming straight off the plane, I went to get my money changed to Vietnamese Dong (VND). The man at the counter saw my Brunei dollars, and exclaimed "Oh Brunei! Very rich country!" as the response I always get when I meet foreigners, if not a blank look.

"Yes! Brunei!" I reply back with the same enthusiasm, pleased that someone knew about Brunei. A quick exchange of money took place, and I have some over a million VND and joked with my travel companion that I had turned into a millionaire overnight.

Later in the evening, I counted my money and realized something was not right. Recalling what had happened, I realised I had been scammed - it seems the man over the counter gave me Malaysian Ringgit rates instead.I lost $80 in the process. Can you say "Epic Fail"?

But I had 13 days to spend in Vietnam, and decided to put my frustration behind me and take it as an expensive lesson. So, I bought myself a bus ticket for an open bus tour from South to North of Vietnam for only about US$60, which is a pretty good deal. And within 13 days, I managed to see the different sides of Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City

Having touched down at Ho Chi Minh City, I feel that the Vietnamese capital has a different atmosphere than most other places I've visited. It was as if I went back in time.

What terrified me at first was the crazy traffic of motorcyclists that seem to come to you in swarms when you try to cross the road, and they don't seem to have proper lanes to follow either! It amazed me how they moved, as if there was an unspoken understanding among those on the road.

What I learned was that one should walk at a normal pace when crossing the road. "If you run, you will kind of startle them and they don't know where you're going and will hit you," exclaimed my travel companion, who was visiting Vietnam for the second time.

There was a strong reminder of the Vietnam War as tourist attractions in the area are mostly museums telling stories of the grueling war of 19 years between North and South Vietnam.

There was the War Remnants Museum, showing the most horrible stories of the long war. Among them, photos of children born deformed due to Agent Orange, a chemical herbicide that the Americans spread from the sky to defoliate the forests that were protecting the North Vietnamese troops.

To wash the sad stories off, I visited the Reunification Palace, built in 1966 and was the residence of the President of South Vietnam. It was in the very location that Vietnam War ended when a North Vietnamese tank smashed through its gate on the 30th of April 1975.

It was rather ironic too that, the "Victory Hotel" was located on the opposite side of the Reunification Palace!

Da Lat

Located in the mountains of Vietnam, Da Lat has lovely sweater weather. Houses and hotels were built in the European/French style, and I feel like Da Lat gives out a romantic vibe.

Arriving past midnight, most hotels were already fully booked so we had to settle for a slightly more "expensive" hotel, which was US$25 a night. The host at Dreams Hotel was very hospitable, and even prepared us a wonderful home-cooked breakfast with fruits and all, for free. For what seemed like a 3-star hotel, Dreams Hotel was amazingly cheap.

The highlight of my two-day stay in Da Lat was the stunning Datanla waterfall. A resort was built around the waterfall and the entrance was quite a walk away to the waterfall. There were toboggans on rails that take tourists on a joy ride to the waterfallfor VND30,000 (US$1.46) a round trip, but having had lost a lot of money when I arrived, every cent counted!

After a long walk up a hill, I finally reached the waterfall and what I saw was absolutely breathtaking. I was standing in a small open area, surrounded by trees and some small huts at the bottom of a hill. There's something about being surrounded by nature, it's all very calming.

The next day, my friend and I rented a motorbike and took a ride around the mountains. The view of the mountains was absolutely spectacular and at the same time, I was thrilled by the bends here and there on the way down. Did I mention that's my first time on a bike?

Nha Trang

Nha Trang was completely different from Da Lat, it was HOT. It is popular for its pristine beach and beautiful coastline, it was the place to be if you want to relax and soak in the sun, sand and sea.

When we arrived at night, I wasn't impressed much with what I saw around with me. It was just like any other city, I thought.

It was when I explored the city in the morning that I realised what all the hype about Nha Trang was about. The beach. The water was actually crystal clear blue! What makes this beach particularly attractive is the mountains and islands looming all around.

Nha Trang is definitely the place to be if you want to chill and have everything within a short distance. The centre is full of hotels, restaurants and bars...and you just have to cross the road for some beach fun.

With only one day in Nha Trang, I went all out with lazying on the beach. So much so, that I was very badly roasted. For consolation, I found VND50,000 on the beach, which I got excited about after being scammed $80. VND50,000 is only about $3, I found out later.

Hue

Hue is a laid back and quiet historical town. Unfortunately, I arrived in Hue a few days too late as I had missed the Hue festival, celebrated in the first week of June. During the festival, the city celebrates its culture, and traditions in a spirit of harmony and universal brotherhood.

All along the way in the city, lamp posts and even the river, are decorated with bright Lotus flowers and decorations. The Lotus flower is the national flower of Vietnam, and represents re-birth and enlightenment in Buddhist teachings, a widespread religion in Vietnam.

Hanoi

After spending some time in quiet and laidback places, it was a shock to be back in the hustle bustle of a city. Hanoi, the former capital of North Vietnam, was slightly similar to Ho Chi Minh City.

It was, however, unbelievably dry and the heat was scorching. Four days in Hanoi, I took a tour to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) for more history lessons on the Vietnam War, but from the other side the North.

Ha Long Bay was not to be missed, it was the pride of Vietnam being a Unesco world heritage site. The bay is made up of thousands of limestone and isles in different sizes and shapes, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, rising from the ocean. The result? A spectacular landscape.

Paying almost USD100 (totally worth it), I booked 2D1N stay on a boat to Ha Long Bay, which includes tour around one of the caves and kayaking in the bay. There was even a floating village on Ha Long Bay, its inhabitants relying heavily on fishing. Reminds me of our very own Kampong Ayer... on a much smaller scale.

Ha Long Bay was recently named one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and I think...it really lives up to its name.

What I love most is that, Vietnam is cheap! The cheapest hotels go for US$8-10 a night, with a decent bed and clean bathroom that's really all I need. And a daily meal of baguette and Pho would cost me not more than $5.

The bus ride between these cities is an adventure on its own. Never have I ever been in such a heavy vehicle that drives through all sorts of terrain steep hills, narrow roads, muds, you name it. As lovely as the natural landscape is along the way, meeting the people living in remote villages are just as amazing. In a way, it reminded me of my childhood how my cousins, sister and I got excited and waved hello to every foreigner walking past our neighbourhood. The Brunei Times