Mekong River Cruise, Cambodia

The mighty Mekong River is a lifeline running through the heart of South East Asia. Rising in the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet, it winds its way through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before spilling into the South China Sea.

While there are many Mekong River Cruises that you can choose from, we did not sign up for one. In fact, this river cruise was kind of an impromptu thing. Our local tour guide suggested it the moment we arrived, and since we had nothing on our itinerary for the day, we decided to just ‘go and see’. We took the cruise while we were in Phnom Penh, and for $5 per pax, our family of 16 people managed to get a whole boat to ourselves for 2 hours. It was good way to enjoy the river bank, see crucial landmarks such as the Royal Palace, Naga World, and remote villages occupied mainly by the poorer Vietnamese migrants. We chatted and talked about family, friends and what not, quizzed the tour guide with history and general knowledge of Cambodia, and saw a magnificent sunset! All in all, a trip worth our dime!

Cruising Boats along the River Bank

One of the cruising boats

Locals fishing along the bank

A 5 Star hotel by the Mekong River

Fishermen

The village by the Mekong River, inhabited mostly by Vietnamese

Sunset at Mekong

Floating Chalets

Silhouettes

Night sky

Cambodia

Introduction

Officially, the name of the country in English is the "Kingdom of Cambodia", but is often shortened to just Cambodia. It is a Southeast Asian nation bordering Vietnam (to the east), Laos (to the north), and Thailand (northwest and southwest).

History:

The Khmer Empire was once wealthy, militarized, and a major force in the region, where it stretched to encompass parts of modern day Thailand, Malaysia, Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.

It’s glorious days being under Jayavarman VII (1181-ca. 1218), where the Empire made significant territorial gains from the Vietnamese and Cham.

However, ever since the fall of Angkor in 1431, the once mighty Khmer Empire has been plundered by all its neighbors. It was colonized by the French in the 19th century, and during the 1970s, was bombed heavily by the USA. After a false dawn of independence in 1953, Cambodia swiftly fell back into the horrors of civil war in 1970 to suffer the Khmer Rough’s extremely brutal reign of terror. It was only after UN-sponsored elections in 1993, did the country begin to stagger back onto its feet.

I first visited Cambodia in January 2012, during the Chinese New Year Holidays. It was a short 5 days 4 nights trip to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The weather was generally hot and humid. But prior research about the Khmer Empire and the Khmer Rouge made me very excited about this trip. We spent the first two days in Phnom Penh, and traveled to Siem Reap by coach on the third day.

For information on Phnom Penh & Siem Reap, stay tuned for their respective blog posts in this site.

Places we visited/Activities we did in Phnom Penh:

Mekong River Cruise 

The Royal Palace 

Toul Sleung Museum

Phnom Penh Central Market 

Naga World (Casino) 

Places we visited in Siem Reap:

Artisan d’Angkor

Pub Street 

Angkor Wat 

Angkor Thom 

Floating Village 

For individual introductions on the places/activities above, please check out the related blog posts in this site.

Hanoi Opera House

The Hanoi Opera House is a magnificent 900-seat venue, dating back to 1911 and built in wonderfully elaborate French-colonial style.  Situated in central Hanoi, it was erected by the French colonial administration between 1901 and 1911. It was modeled on the Palais Garnier in Paris, and is considered to be one of the architectural landmarks of Hanoi. Performances of classical music and opera are periodically held here in the evenings.

Ho Chi Minh's house on Stilts

While the Presidential Palace remains strictly off-limits to visitors, the expansive garden and pond at the rear of the Palace is wide open. A 300-foot path called "Mango Alley" leads from the visitors' entrance, around a carp pond, to the stilt house that housed Ho Chi Minh from 1958 to his death in 1969.

"Uncle Ho's Stilt House", or Nha San Bac Ho in the original Vietnamese, is an integral part of the "Uncle Ho" legend built up by glowing Vietnamese propaganda over the years. The stilt house's design is based on traditional houses from the Vietnamese northwest, which reminded Ho (it is said) of the houses in which he took refuge from the French while he was still a revolutionary.

There are only two rooms in the stilt house, both of which are no larger than a hundred square feet. The house even lacks a toilet. The void deck under the house was used by Ho as an office and receiving area for important guests.

36 Ancient Streets at the Old Quarter

Situated near Hoan Kiem lake is the Old Quarter, boasting the original street layout and architecture of old Hanoi. In the early 20th century the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street consist of merchants and households specializing in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewelers, bag traders, hats merchants, dried food sellers, etc. 

The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although many have moved from their original business. The area is famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also. 


One of the streets sells local cuisine where a passerby can sit on a small stool and enjoy a cup of fruit-shake or barbecued cockles. 


In the heart of the district is the night market which opens every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs and food. On these nights, certain streets are designated for pedestrians only, making it much safer for tourists, as they don’t have to be concerned about traffic on the streets. 

Long Bien Bridge

Long Bien Bridge, originally known as Paul Doumer Bridge, is a historic cantilever bridge across the Red River connects two parts of the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. Built in 1903, it was, at that time, one of the longest bridges in Asia with the length of 2,500 m. This bridge was built by the same company as that who built Paris’s Eiffel Tower, thus the slight resemblance in structure and design.

As Long Bien Bridge was the only bridge during the time of the Vietnam War across the Red River that connected Hanoi to the main port of Haiphong, the third largest city of Vietnam, it was heavily bombarded due to its critical position.

To date, some parts of the original structure remain intact, while large sections have been built later to repair the holes. Only half of the bridge retains its original shape. Trains, mopeds, bicycles and pedestrians still use the dilapidated bridge, while all other traffic are diverted to the nearby Chuong Duong Bridge and some other newly built bridges.

Thang Lung Water Puppet Show

Situated just a few meters from Hoan Kiem Lake is the Thang Lung Water Puppet Theater. This 45 minute show is one of a kind as the stage is set on water and the puppets swim and ride on boats on the water stage. Puppeteers stand in knee deep water behind a bamboo screen as they bring their puppets to life.

The theme of the skits is rural and has a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. It tells of day-to-day living in rural Vietnam and Vietnamese folk tales that are told by grandparents to their grandchildren. Stories of the harvest, of fishing and of festivals are highlighted.

Singers of chèo (a form of opera originating in North Vietnam) sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets. The musicians and the puppets interact during performance; the musicians may yell a word of warning to a puppet in danger or a word of encouragement to a puppet in need.

The Presidential Palace of Vietnam

The Presidential Palace of Vietnam is a hundred-year-old French colonial building in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex surrounding Ba Dinh Square. Completed in 1906, the Presidential Palace is a thoroughly French Beaux-Arts edifice painted mustard yellow.

The Palace interior is not open to tourists. Regular visitors are allowed access to the Palace's botanical gardens, where you can get a good look at the Palace's fruit trees and Ho's stilt house. The Palace is visible from the beginning of the visitors' path. 

Tam Coc

Tam Coc, often called 'Halong Bay on Land', is situated near the city of Ninh Binh, Vietnam.

Tam Coc, whose literal name is Three Caves, can be explored by sitting on a canoe paddled by locals along the Ngo Dong river. Along the way, enjoy the view of scenic landscapes, dominated by paddy fields and karst towers. Local women on the canoe may try to sell souvenirs to you.

Hoan Kiem Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake, meaning "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword", also known as Hồ Gươm - Sword Lake. The lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as a focal point for its public life.

Legend has it that Emperor Le Loi handed a magic sword called Heaven’s Will which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty back to the Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) in the lake. The Turtle Tower (Thap Rùa) standing on a small island near the centre of lake is linked to the legend.

Near the northern shore of the donkey lies Jade Island on which the Temple of Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son Temple) stands. The temple, erected in the 18th century, honors the 13-century military leader Tran Hung Dao who distinguished himself in the fight against the Yuan Dynasty. Jade Island is connected to the shore by The Huc Bridge (Morning Sunlight Bridge), a wooden red-painted bridge.

In the morning, Ho Kiem Lake is bustling with people from all walks of life, young and old, coming for their daily bout of morning exercise. As early as 5am, the lake throngs with people going for their morning walk, tai chi, group aerobics, or just simple stretching while enjoying the scenery around the lake. These people come by buses or motorbikes, and everyone follows a circular flow as they walk around the lake, spanning the distance of more than 2km. By 6 am, many would start to depart as they get ready for the day’s work.

Scenery around the lake is really beautiful, and tranquil - a good spot to start the day.

Halong Bay

Ha Long Bay is a place not to be missed if you’re visiting Hanoi. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular travel destination, it is located in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. Halong Bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. To the northeast is Bái Tử Long bay and to the southwest lay the Cát Bà islands.

The name Ha Long, which literally means “descending dragon”, is derived from a local legend where Vietnamese believe that the gods sent a family of dragons to be protectors against invaders. The dragons spewed jewels and jade that turned into islands and islets that linked together to form a great protective wall. As the rock-mountains appeared so abruptly, the invaders’ ships struck the rocks and each other, thus Vietnam won the battle! The place where the mother dragon appeared was named Ha Long, while the place where the dragon’s children attended upon their mother was called Bái Tử Long island.

Travellers to Halong Bay can opt for the Halong Bay Overnight Cruise or the Day Cruise. Day Cruises can be 4 hours or 8 hours long. Day cruises would usually come with lunch on board, while Overnight Cruise would include canoe-ing and swimming in Halong Bay as well as the three main meals you’ll be eating on board.

My family of four took the 4-hour Day Cruise on a cozy and private Jung boat, name the Victory 4. We started our journey early in the morning, cruising along the bay, taking in the sights and enjoying the cool breeze. As it was middle of May, the weather in Halong was sunny and the clear sky brought forth beautiful pictures. We visited Thien Long Cave and even bought a perfume snail at the Floating Village. For a small fee, we got the in-house chef to serve the perfume snail along with lunch.

Perfume Snails

Cooked Geoduk Clams (Tu Hai)

Cooked Perfume Snail by our in house chef!

The journey from Hanoi City to Halong Bay is about 4 hours long and can be bumpy at certain sections. Traffic is usually slow in the suburbs as traffic speed limits must be strictly obeyed. Nevertheless, one should enjoy the view of the countryside and if you’re going with a guide, get him/her to entertain you about some of the interesting stories and histories of the towns you pass by along the way.