1. Halong Bay
We visited Titop island which we climbed to the top and had an unbelievable view from the top of the whole bay. There is a gorgeous beach also on this island you can go swimming. We also visited the Sung Sot Cave or also known as the Surprising Cave which is very like the Aillwee Caves with Stalagmites and Stalactites and an amazing view from the top of the cave! We also went kayaking around the small islands which was great fun! If you get to stay overnight you will see the amazing sunset and colours of this bay. Our cruise had lovely accommodation, food and bar. As part of our trip we had the chance to make our own Vietnamese dinner of spring rolls and we had a food carving class.
2. Angkor Wat
Again an obvious destination when planning your trip to Cambodia! Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world and is about 4km outside Siem Reap. The temples were originally build in the 12th century and many more were built after. During the Pol Pot era a lot of it was destroyed and during the years of war. Fortunately restoration works are currently underway by the Japanese and French. There are hundreds of carved pictures of Buddhas inside the temples.The film 'Tomb Raider' was filmed in Angkor Wat featuring Angelina Jolie! It really is a spectacular site and would recommend it to everyone! Lots of tourists go to Angkor Wat at 3am in the morning to watch the sunrise. You must wear clothes covering your shoulders and trousers below your knees. We got a day pass for $20 and you get a pass with your picture on it. A private tour is worth it as you get to hear the full story of the walls of this temple!
3. Cu Chi Tunnels
If you are interested in the Vietnam War this should be on your list of sites to visit. The Cu Chi Tunnels played a role in the anti-American War in Vietnam with a massive tunnel system of 220 km. It's 60km outside Ho Chi Minh City but it is worth the drive out with beautiful scenery of rice paddy fields on the way out.
Many tourists go to this site and they allow you to crawl in the tunnels (however they have widened them for tourists!) and they have weapons and artillery for you to try!! Great experience! I never shot a gun in my life! Never mind a machine gun!
4. Marble Mountain
This was an unplanned visit we made in Hoi An to Marble Mountain (Da Nang) and it was such a great site! We ordered vespas and drivers to go and visit Marble Mountain & for two of us it cost 640,000 dong. Marble Mountain is exactly what is says on the tin, a huge mountain made out of marble, with loads of temples, shrines, Buddha statues and steps! There's an elevator but its expensive so I would suggest to take the steps it's part of the experience.
When you get to the top you get an unbelievable 360 degree view of the town of Da Nang. It's so well worth the energy needed to get up there! The marble statues, the view, the scenery and getting motor bikes was great fun!! Bring water with you too!
When you get to the top you get an unbelievable 360 degree view of the town of Da Nang. It's so well worth the energy needed to get up there! The marble statues, the view, the scenery and getting motor bikes was great fun!! Bring water with you too!
5. Mekong Delta
Vietnam is famous for it's floating villages and a tour of Mekong Delta is a perfect way to see the villagers in their native home and daily lives. We got a boat to Cai Be floating Market and we saw the different goods, fruit, and other commodities that are sold in these parts (snakes skin and blood in particular). We then went upstream to a market where we were shown how the villagers make honey tea and the bee hives they have. We also experienced how coconuts are harvest and used for products such as candy, crispy rice popcorn and milk. We then got small boats to enjoy the scenery and we were served lunch which included Catfish & a spiky pink fruit. We lay on hammocks after lunch and then got bicycles to our final destination back on the boat.
I would recommend tourists to this place as it gives you a true feeling of the lives of the Vietnamese.
6. Killing Fields & Genocide Museum
Situated in the heart of Phnom Penh, the killing fields and the genocide museum show the affects that the leader Pol Pott had over Cambodia. Stark comparisons can be made to Hitler's era due to the brutality and violence that the natives suffered. The killing fields are made up of mass graves, used weapons, clothes and bones of those who died. It was very hard to fully take in what happened and the torture the victims went through, and it all took place in the 1980s. There's an area of a plot where children were buried and tourists and visitors leave bracelets on the fence around it which is really nice!
The Genocide Museum was very upsetting also. This building was first a school and then during Pol Pott regime it was turned into a torture jail. The floors of the building still have dried blood and there are thousands of pictures of the men, women and children who died. There are weapons, shackles and a torture room on display here at the museum.
It is a must for tourists to visit if you can handle the severity of the sites.
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