Dr Zoun and Miss nuoZ

Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville - Mekong Delta - Saigon - Dalat - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi

Day 1 - 24 Dec 2008 (Wed) - Phnom Penh, Cambodia 柬埔寨金边

0735 - arrived in Phnom Penh airport, took taxi to Nice Guesthouse near Russian Market (US$9, 30 min)
0930 - walked around near Palace
1130 - lunch at riverside, booked Mekong Delta 2D1N tour (US$27 including 1 night stay in guest house)
1400 - visited Palace (entrance fees US$6.25)
night - Nice Guest House (double room + 1 mattress, air-con, US$13)


Day 2 - 25 Dec 2008 (Thu) - Sihanoukville

0715 - took Capitol bus to Sihanoukville (US$5, 5hr)
1230 - arrived in Sihanoukville, took tuk-tuk to search guesthouse to stay (US$4)
had lunch, spent time on beach, tried fresh BBQ sotong at beachside (3 sotongs for US$1)
1900 - shared BBQ red snapper with mum as dinner, yummy and good sauce (US$5 for fresh whole fish)
night - New Christmas Bungalows (double room, fan, US$22)


Day 3 - 26 Dec 2008 (Fri) - Sihanoukville

0900 - relax, enjoyed fruity breakfast and slow walk on the beach
1100 - checked out, enjoyed good service lunch (free tea, fruits)
1300 - took tuk-tuk back to bus terminal (US$2.5)
1330 - took Capitol bus back to Phnom Penh (US$3.75, 5 hr)
1830 - arrived in Phnom Penh, had dinner and walked around near Russian market, see the locals enjoyed embryo eggs （鹅仔蛋）, we had fruit platter with 14 fruits (only 3500 Riels = US$0.75, with longan, jackfruit, apple, pear, ciku, rambutan, honey dews, atap chee, yam, sour sop, corns, barkeys...)
night - Capitol Guest House (triple room, air-con, US$14)


Day 4 - 27 Dec 2008 (Sat) - Mekong 2D1N (cross border from Cambodia to Vietnam, Chau Doc)

0730 - picked up by the Mekong Delta tour, small van and bumpy road = 腰酸背痛
0955 - changed from van to small boat, cruising on Mekong River
1200 - cleared 2 checkpoints, one for Cambodia and another for Vietnam
1230 - had quick lunch at Vietnam border
1245 - continued on Mekong River, sight-seeing for riverside villages on the boat
1500 - arrived in Chau Doc, a peaceful border town
1600 - walked around in Chau Doc, visited the market and harbour
night - Vinh Phuoc Hotel (triple room, fan, under tour package, a good place to stay)


Day 5 - 28 Dec 2008 (Sun) - Mekong 2D1N Tour (Chau Doc, Can Tho, Saigon)

0700 - had breakfast in hotel (included in package), then visited Cham minority village and floating villages
1200 - arrived in Can Tho for lunch, continued on bus journey to Saigon (basically whole day sitting on the bus)
1830 - arrived in Saigon, Pham Ngu Lao area
1900 - had good feast, watched Vietnamese locals celebrating for winning Suzuki Cup
night - Phoenix 74 Hotel (triple room with breakfast, air-con, US$20)


Day 6 - 29 Dec 2008 (Mon) - Saigon

morning - lazing around in backpackers street, visited Ben Thanh Market twice
1450 - sent mummy off to taxi going to airport (Taxi to HCM airport 100,000 D)
1510 - welcomed Wan back from Cu Chi tunnel, booked open tour with Sinh Cafe (600,000 D)
night - Thanh Ngan Hotel (double room, air-con, US$14)

*Sinh Cafe Open Tour (Saigon - Dalat - Nha Trang - Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi, 600,000 D)


Day 7 - 30 Dec 2008 (Tue) - Dalat (cool and nice weather, but drizzling, about 15 Celcius)

0730 - Sinh Cafe bus to Dalat (7.5 hr)
1500 - walked around Dalat, visited central market and the Crazy House, Wan enjoyed cheap strawberries (1kg = 10,000 D = SGD$1)
1800 - had dinner, Wan enjoyed ice-cream in pineapple, Dalat wine and chocolate pie, I tried Cointreau (cheap!!)
night - a hotel just opposite to Sinh Cafe (double room, cool natural temperature, US$7)


Day 8 - 31 Dec 2008 (Wed) - Dalat to Nha Trang to Hoi An

0730 - Sinh Cafe bus to Nha Trang (6 hr), stunning mountain view on the bus, luckily didn't have car-sick
1330 - arrived in Nha Trang, walked around on the beach, couldn't see sunset (T.T) no last sunset for year 2008 =(
1800 - had last dinner for year 2008, cheered on Saigon Beer
1900 - Sinh Cafe sleeping night bus to Hoi An (11 hr), "count down" on the bus, Happy New Year 2009!!


Day 9 - 01 Jan 2009 (Thu) - Hoi An (raining whole day... T.T)

0600 - arrived in Hoi An, raining... my backpack was 50% wet in the bus, sianz~
0700 - settled down in Hop Yen Hotel (YHA associate), just opposite of Sinh Cafe
1000 - unwillingly went out under rain to Hoi An main streets, walked around under rain coat + umbrella, but shoes were still heavily wet. But Wan still enjoyed a lot here, she bought many nice lanterns and made a pair of home made shoes
1800 - came back to room to dry my wet stuff
night - Hop Yen Hotel (double room, air-con but we didn't use, US$17)


Day 10 - 02 Jan 2009 (Fri) - Hue (still raining)

0800 - Sinh Cafe bus to Hue (4 hr), went past Danang
1200 - arrived in Hue, found a cheap place to stay just opposite Sinh Cafe
1300 - had lunch, stuck in the restaurant because of rain, booked a motorbike tour for the next day (US$7)
1500 - crossed Perfume river to central market under rain, tried KFC there haha (Wan said chicken meat here is like kampung chicken, good!)
1730 - went to supermarket, came back to hotel
2100 - nothing to do so went to bed early (the earliest ever bedtime!!)
night - Hotel opposite Sinh Cafe (double room, fan, US$6)


Day 11 - 03 Jan 2009 (Sat) - Hue (eternal rain, never stopped at all)

0730 - motorbike driver came to pick us up for motorbike tour, RAIN!!! we put on rain coat and tried to hide behind the drivers, but could still feel that my face, my hands and my toes which were exposed under open air (rain) - frozen!!! For the tour, we visited countryside (nice!! saw the paddy field being flooded, and farmers rowing boats on the field =p), Thanh Toan Bridge, Tomb of Khai Dinh, a Pagoda, hat and incense village, Tomb of Tu Duc, Royal Arena, Thien Mu Pagoda, and lastly the outside view of Citadel
1500 - reached back hotel, we extended the check out time so that we could dry and clean ourselves before going on 12-hr night bus (paid an extra of 50,000 D)
1730 - Sinh Cafe sleeping night bus to Hanoi (13 hr)

*Finally we got out of rainy central Vietnam. During our entire stay in Hoi An, Hue, the rain had never stopped. For the first time I feel my umbrella and rain coat have utilized to their maximum.


Day 12 - 04 Jan 2009 (Sun) - Hanoi

0630 - arrived in Hanoi, chilling weather *shivering* checked into a nice looking hotel, spent extra US$2 for a prettier looking room *luxury*
0900 - started walking around in Hanoi old quarter, followed Lonely Planet walking guide, explored into different interesting streets, visited Bach Ma temple, lake, bought wools, souvenirs, etc, booked Sinf Cafe 1D tour to Halong Bay for the next day (US$23)
1700 - had dinner at Cha Ca Long Vong, a special local grilled fish, the shop is the oldest restaurant in Vietnam (now it's the 5th generation already) (per pax 90,000 D)
night - Elizabeth Hotel (twin room, air-con, US$12)

*finally saw sunlight


Day 13 - 05 Jan 2009 (Mon) - Halong Bay

0830 - Khanh Sinh (Sinh Cafe) tour to Halong Bay, their slogan is "Your Pleasure is Our Future" (bus journey to Halong City 3 hr)
1200 - changed to boat, sailed to Halong Bay, visited floating fish farms, had seafood lunch on the boat, some tourists took local boat to visit Indochina Cave, we stayed on the boat to enjoy sunshine *yeah sunshine!! never know that I love sunshine so much!!*
1500 - saw Fighting Cock island, visited Tien Cung and Dau Go Caves
1630 - returned to Halong City, took bus back to Hanoi
1945 - back to Hanoi, went to Green Tangerine restaurant to have luxury full course French course for the finale meal in Vietnam (US$32 per person =p)
night - Elizabeth Hotel, for the first time we stayed in same hotel for 2 nights


Day 14 - 06 Jan 2009 (Tue) - Singapore

0615 - took Taxi to Hanoi international airport (Taxi US$15, 45 min)
0855 - Bye bye Vietnam!
1320 (SG time) - arrived in budget terminal

~.~ The End ~.~

Entire trip including food (including finale luxury French meals), lodging, transport, air fares, souvenirs, etc. Total expenses = US$195+1914,000Dong+$274=SGD$730 for 14 days, averagely each day is SGD$52.15.

*US$1=SGD$1.47; SGD$1=11,800 Dong