Hoi An at nightAfter Hoi An, I travelled down the coast via my open ticket night sleeper bus to Nha Trang. I was able to meet up with Sieske and Sanne, two Dutch gals, that I have been hanging out with on a off since our trek in Chiang Mai. It was finally sunny so a day at the beach was in the cards. It was lovely to finally sun tan on beach and I look forward to doing more of it the more south I travel. I also went to the mud baths and they were awesome. You sit in this tub of mud for 20 minutes followed by showering and than sitting in a tub of hot mineral water. It was very relaxing!
The next day we did the floating bar snorkel cruise but the wind was up and the waves were too high to snorkel at the snorkel spot. It was still a fun tour though as chatting with cool people and went swimming. The snorkel crew met up for dinner and we went out on the town and dance the night away at the Sailing Club on the beach. Sieske and Sanne left for Saigon but Hannah, an English gal we met on snorkel crew, hung out all day and then caught separate night buses to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) or also know as Saigon. Hannah and I meet up off our buses and booked into a hotel. I went exploring and visited the Independance Palace and the War Remnants Museum. The Independence Palace is where the Viet Con claimed victory over the South Vietnamese and the Americans. It is still left in its 1975 splendour. The War Remnants Museum has a detailed photo history of the war and the affects of the war (Agent Orange being the main one) and it very sad and humbling to walk around. War is definitely very a horrible thing. Even the next day, it was proven more to me when we went to the Cu Chi tunnels. The people of Cu Chi, who were part of the Viet Con, built 200km in 20 years to fight and live in. The tunnels are tiny and so dark to crawl around. Our guide was really informative and on the tour we show lots of different part of the tunnels from the kitchen, to the trenches, to booby traps.
Entrance to a tunnel There is also a rifle range where you can shot a variety of guns. Hannah and I split 10 bullets from an AK 47 and it was a bit of a rush. Later that night we went to the Water Puppets which is originally started in the 11th century in the north. Very cool show.
After HCMC, I flew to the Phu Quoc Island to relax for a couple of days. It took me a while to find accommodation but eventually found a bungalow about 100m up from the beach. Spent a few says sun tanning and walking along Long Beach, which is a yellow sand beach. Long Beach is the main beach and there are lots of resorts on it but the island is still very much in development and it is so chilled out. I rented a scooter one day and went around the south part of the island and there was only a dirt road to drive on. I went to a beautiful white sand beach called Sao Beach for the afternoon. The night market had cheap bbq food and real pearl earrings from $2.50 a pair.
Beach chairs at the resort I stayed on Phu Quoc
From Phu Quoc, I ferried and than bussed into Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Spent the day today at the beach and it is definitely very developed here compared to Phu Quoc. Still a lovely beach though. I went to Cambodia Children's Painting Project (http://www.letuscreate.org/) to see all about the great project that they have getting street/beach kids into a safe environment by teaching to them to the paintings that they make and providing them with education, medical and a safe place to hang out. It is a really great project that supports 200 kids. From Sihanoukville, I took a 2 hour boat ride to Monkey Island resort on Koh Rong Island. This is the Southeast Asia Island of my dreams!! If you had island paradise in a picture dictionary it would look like this. White sand beaches, turquoise green/blue water, and only a limited number of people. I had originally planned on staying one night but ended up staying three. It helped that my accommodation was free as Monkey Island was only opened a month ago and the dorms are still under construction. The whole vibe of Monkey Island was so chill and days were spent relaxing by going for a swim in the clear water and wander around the beaches. I went exploring with some other travellers to the beach on the other side of the island and after an hour hike, we emerged on a 5km white sand beach. It was amazing! Koh Rong is definitely a highlight of the trip thus far and a recommended place to go. Love, love, loved it there!
Got back from the island today and spend the afternoon in Sihanoukville before getting bus to Phom Penh. I should be here for a couple of days and lots of sights to see. Hope all is well with everyone at home and abroad xoxox
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