simon and olga do s.e. asia

A short debate settled it, rather than trying to cram loads into the last week in Hanoi we would spend three days out in Halong Bay. Hanoi itself is yet another of the best cities we’ve ever visited. Hotel is excellent (thanks to Dr. Tanh). Food from around the world, mmm fresh pasta. Fresh beer, no chemical, at 14p a glass. Shopping fun and hassle free.

Purchasing travel tickets in Vietnam has proved “interesting” now we are on our own. All-in tours are the norm but we quickly got fed up with being shuttled by minibus. So local transport it is… Train tickets for tomorrow have to be bought the day before but after 2pm, handy when your at the station at 12. Get to the ferry 1 hour before departure and the office is shut, local ladies are happy to help but it’ll cost 50% more as they will have to “have a word with the captain”. Olga not impressed.

Halong Bay makes up for all

The third day was a 2-3 hour trek across the National Park. 5 hours and 5 peaks later… I have never sweated as much in my life and that’s something. Exhilerating (knackering) last adventure, well worth it and the sauna effect finally saw off our colds. Couldn’t wait to dive in the bay though.

Back in Hanoi now for a last bit of shopping and our last day. 🙁
See you all soon.

love Simon and Olga

After My Son, we got on an “air-conditioned” coach north to Hue, an old university town and former imperial residence.
Having got up early nearly every day for the past ten days, we decided to take it easy, and hired a boat to take us around the local sights at our own pace (lunch included). We visited a pagoda, and the emperors tomb/park/temple, all very beautiful, and quite Chinese influenced.

(dinner, then outside the temple for the emporers ‘minor wives’: 4 pictured)
The next day we took a taxi (proper air con) to visit the citadel or imperial city, that had been occupied by vietnamese emperors until the revolution in the 1950s. After a performance of traditional Vietnamese court-music we explored the complex in the mid-day heat, which has become something of a tradition.


Our last evening was spent eating as much as we possibly could at a posh hotel buffet, and congratulations go to Thy Anne for eating the most cakes. on Thursday it was time to say goodbye to Mum, Tanh, Ton and Thyan and get a night train to Hanoi, while the others returned to Saigon. So much fun traveling with you all, and beware any taxi drivers or hawkers who cross Dr. Tanh!

Hoi An is an amazing old town, with beautifully preserved wooden Chinese houses and a roofed bridge sitting amongst the pretty french colonial buildings. We spent the night in the hotel used to film scenes in The Quiet American (obligatory reading for the Vietnam backpacker).


Although the shops are all aimed at tourists, with more silk and conical hats than you can shake a stick at, Simon still managed to get some bargain tailor-made shirts. After a tasty meal of Hoi An specialities chosen by Ton, we had a beer by the river, and who should walk past but Niggy and Liz, our friends we met on the Mekong Delta tour. It was good to catch up again, and it seems we’re doing pretty much the same journey. We saw them again the next morning at My Son, a set of Cham ruins not far from Hoi An.


(spot the cock)
The ruins weren’t as impressive as Angkor, and in the midday heat we didn’ t have the energy to explore them for very long! However it didn’t help that they got the proverbial bombed out of them in the war. There are still many huge craters testament to this.

Back again,

Spent an excellent week travelling the central coast of Vietnam with Ton and family. An overnight, 6-berth, sleeper deposited us in Nha Trang at 5:00 (Olga was thrilled). Quick wash and brush-up then off to Rainbow Divers for some more underwater antics. Their large boat left for Madonna Rock (two large mounds off the mainland) at 7:30.

Not the quantity of fish that we saw in Malaysia but still an amazing variety. Swimming through natural tunnels in the rocks and pausing inside you became surrounded by shoals of small tropical fish, quite amazing. Also saw an octopus, a first for all of us and very rare to spot.
Minor emergency when our guide’s tank burst an o-ring and he was losing all his air. However all the good PADI training paid off and we made a calm assissted ascent (i.e he took air from the spare regulator on my tank). Unfortunately this left us 20 minutes away from the boat. An easy swim underwater with the current but back on the surface… well it worked off some more chicken fried rice.

Renate didn’t feel comfortable with trying out scuba so she, Ton, Tanh and Thy Anne went snorkelling instead. Since the water is 28C it’s like being in a tropical fish tank (just a bit bigger). Cakes and fruit on the boat then back to land for 2pm.

Olga and I stayed for another mornings diving whilst the others headed to Paradise. More fishy fun then we followed on. Paradise is situated a few km north of Nha Trang and run by Vladimir the Yugoslavian. A beautiful small beach resort, you know – bamboo huts, white sand, palm trees, that sort of thing.

Could have spent weeks if not months but next day off to Hoi An…

love Simon

Just heard the news and we hope you and everyone you and we know are OK. It is a shock to have terrible things happen so close to home/loved ones when you are the other side of the world. Our hearts go out to everyone.

Lots of love

Simon and Olga

Hi again,

Been welcomed to Saigon by Ton, Tanh and Thy Anne (Renates friends) and Renate’s made it too. Ton took us to Rang Sac just south of the city. The mangrove forest there is populated by very cheeky monkeys. Spot Renate’s leg!

Unlike a certain member of staff we kept ourselves to ourselves and were perfectly safe, say no more. A middle aged lady was not so lucky and one of them grabbed her, poorly held, bag. The bag and it’s contents (papers, credit cards,etc) were away into the trees. No doubt the monkeys have already booked their flights on the internet, maybe they are coming to visit Chris?

S and O

Made it into Vietnam by boat down the Mekon. Pictures of boats (ooh there’s another boat) to come…

Hooked up with three girls also travelling down the Mekon (lucky Simon) and booked all five of us onto a tour. Saw a Cham village, a fish farm, rice factory, noodle production and more. However being ferried between the ‘attractions’ by a local rowing boat was the highlight. A most relaxing way way to travel.

Of course we had had to dress in the local style if we wanted to procede any further

Second day we floated round a floating market. Each boats wares were held aloft on a stick. So it was easy to buy your melons, turnips and bananas, all at wholesale prices!!

And what better way to end a busy day than a slap-up feast shared between five; steamed chicken, squid noodles, goat curry (yes, very tender) , steak and curried snake (sea snake and python). To finish a nice desert wine… snake wine! A rather cheeky little rice wine number only there are five different snakes (including cobra) that have been soaking in it for a few months. Good for the health acording to the locals.

Love to the veggies (or should that be apologies)

Simon and Olga

Hi all,

Had one of the best adventures of our trip yesterday. A young moto driver called Borai at the Lazy Fish invited us to his village as a friend of his was getting married. Must say I was a bit wary at first especially as we had to hire a moto and go 60km out into the countryside. After an ‘interesting’ journey we arrived at Borai’s family house and met his mother, father, two grandmothers, brother, sister, assorted neighbours, two cows, pig and chickens. They live in a one room house on stilts (to protect against flooding, years ago to protect against tigers as well) walls of wood, tiled roof and split bamboo floor.

The Cambodian kitchen.

The Kids!

From here we went to the wedding, or at least part of it as we take it they span several days. We were ushered into the house to meet bride and groom (obligatory photos)…

Also so that all the important old folk could get a good look at us. According to Borai, having Westerners at your wedding would bring you good luck (and him some prestige we think) this made us objects of fascination. When a table was free we then sat down to a four course feast. Assorted starter snacks, followed by a beef and a fish dish, then a chicken – kept boiling the table, then a pork and prawn broth, cakes to finish and all washed down with beer with blocks of ice to keep it cold.

A band played a selection of traditional songs with a pop style backing (cheesy synths and guitar) with PA at full whack. The bride and groom presented guest with little bundles of after dinner cigarettes. Then we gave them a home made card (cake and all) with our gift inside.

Unfortunately we had to leave early (to get back to Phnom Penh before dark) missing the dancing. Grandmother (pictured) was very dissapointed. However she did say I looked like a Cambodian (something to do with my height I was told) which may be a compliment?! However I think they were more impressed with Olga (naturally).

It was a very memorable day and we are very much indebted to Borai and his family for their hospitality.

Love Simon and Olga.

Cross-town race in a tuk-tuk meant we just caught the bus to the capital in time. Slightly perturbed to find guys outside a hotel we passed calling out my name, turns out the hotel was called “Simon’s”. Ended up at the Lazy Fish where our room is on stilts in the lake. You can see the water through the floorboards! Very relaxing watching the sun go down from the general hangout platform that extends further still into Boeng Kak Lake. Not tried the happy pizza yet, apparently it a local concoction with emphasis on the happy?!? Nor have I tried the deep fried locusts on sale where ever you go despite Olga’s enthusiasm (for me to eat some that is).

More pics soon…

love Simon

Hi everyone

We flew to Siam Reap on Saturday and managed to find a nice clean hotel in the centre, although our driver did try several times to take us to his brother’s/dad’s”hotel out in the sticks somewhere! We spent a 12-hour day on Sunday looking at the Bayon and Angkor Wat temples…

…and watched an amazing sunset from the top of a hill overlooking Angkor Wat.
We fell straight asleep when we got in, and my legs still hurt! Although there are a lot of nice bars and restaurants here, the local people are mostly very poor, and many children don’t go to school. There were a lot of children and land-mine victims begging for money, which we were later told is collected by the mafia. A lot of the money that comes from tourists also seems to go straight to foreign hotel-owners who pay their staff about $30 a month wages. One project that seems to have made a big difference is the childrens hospital here that was set up by a French doctor and treats children from all over Cambodia for free.

Lots of love

Si and Olga