Reader shares best and worst bits about travel to Vietnam and Cambodia trip: Annette Riches

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Reader shares best and worst bits about travel to Vietnam and Cambodia trip: Annette Riches

Dreamy sunset among the rocks of Halong Bay, Vietnam.

Dreamy sunset among the rocks of Halong Bay, Vietnam.Credit: iStock

NAME

Annette Riches, Mosman, NSW

THE TRIP

Annette Riches especially enjoyed Angkor Wat and Sapa during her trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.

Annette Riches especially enjoyed Angkor Wat and Sapa during her trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.

Vietnam and Cambodia

THE ITINERARY

Arriving for four weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia our first stop was Ho Chi Minh City, which has the epithet of "Paris of the Orient". After taking a half-day tour of the city we returned to visit museums, temples, palaces and pagodas with the Women's Museum a highlight. We had a pho lunch each day and a great French meal in the evenings. The Cu Chi tunnels at the end of our second day were an experience but not for the faint-hearted. The following morning saw us at Cai Be Town Pier to board our two-person sampan for four days on the Mekong visiting villages, floating markets, sleeping under mozzie nets and watching life on the Mekong unfold. We left the sampan at Chau Doc, arriving by speedboat some four hours later for a night in Phnom Penh and then a flight to Siem Reap, where we hired a tuk tuk, guide and driver for four days, to experience Angkor Wat.

Next, back to Vietnam with stops in Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi. It was fascinating, in both countries, to see a motor scooter whiz by with dad, mum, two children and the shopping on board. Crossing the roads was a case of head down and go. A peaceful early morning walk around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi saw us doing tai chi with the locals. We then took an overnight train to Sapa for five days' trekking in the mountains through terraced rice paddies, watching water buffalo ploughing, whole families helping with the harvest, visiting markets and being invited into the homes of the Hmong women. From "roughing" this section we went to Halong Bay for two days' luxury sailing by junk. A climb to the top of the mountain provided a spectacular view but we gave a swim in the bay a wide berth having witnessed what goes into the water in both Vietnam and Cambodia.

A fascinating trip of many facets.

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BEST BITS

The Sampan Trip, Angkor Wat and Sapa

WORST BIT

All things unhygienic

BEST TIP

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