Day 20-21

Not been up to much in the last 2 days here in Saigon. It rains very hard from 1pm for a good hour or so. So in and out of streets and stores looking for good photo opportunities.

We have been shopping at the main market and also stopped off at Phô 2000 where Bill Clinton stopped off for a bowl of noodles. Can't imagine them ever going bust!


Waiting for taxi to take us to the airport. Fly via Bangkok with Thai Airways and will be home in 16hrs!
1. Need to finish my book!
2. Need to start my ASCL article.
3. Need to make notes on school action plans.

Anyway, to finish off, Vietnam has been a great destination!
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Location:Ngô Đức Kế,,Vietnam

Day 19, Saigon:

We had a late checkout, very well planned by the hotel. They provided us with the bill, checkout details and transfers in a lovely rolled up script paper. This all done the evening before you leave making it very easy and less stressful when checking your bill.

Our flight was 35mins only! We flew with Vietnam Airlines but in a Cambodian jet!?



We have 2 night here before flying home.
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Location:Công trường Mê Linh,,Vietnam

Day 15-18, Nah Trang:

Spent the last 3 days in Nah Trang diving in the South China Sea, a day inside the hotel - as it rained ALL day - an finally on our last day, we spent the morning by the pool.
The gardeners were chopping up the leaves from the coconut trees and I managed to grab myself one...



In the evening we had a few drinks by the pool bar and then ate a wonderful and romantic dinner sitting on the beach.


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Location:Nah Trang, Vietnam

Day 11-15, Nah Trang:

A very quick flight from Hoi An, just 55mins and then first impressions of our new hotel was as we sat in the chauffeur taxi: a wet towel to moisten our brows from the strenuous journey and a passenger DVD menu. Cafe del Mar it was as we browsed the detailed hotel directory en-route in the taxi.

Our Six Senses spa and infinity pool is very pleasing on the eye. Bamboo Island opposite us has VinPearl emblazoned all over the hills e.g. Hollywood. There is a towering cable car over to it. Apparently the longest in the world. It must be 10 over the South China Sea post to post?...



Our 1st night we decided to have a seafood BBQ on the beach following a 2hr sunbathe. Our room is jungle-esque and has lots of honeymoon extras; champagne and jacuzzi etc.



After another beach day, on our 2nd night we ventured out to Why Not Bar. A classy tourist bar! It had wifi at least. We ate at Lanterns which dishes up local Vietnamese food at the same time, supporting orphans in the city. So, money well spent. All £8 of it!

Our 3rd day included a boat trip of snorkelling; in which I got incredibly sunburnt - more to follow - we passed through floating fishing villages. Selling their trade to locals and tourists. Apparently they live and sleep on these flimsy structures, but who knows how they take their dogs for a walk!
At the end of our tour we were dropped off at a remote beach for a seafood lunch and sunbathe. Bliss!
Finally we passed through the Aquarium which was AWFUL!!! Pirates of the Caribbean it was!
In the evening, we returned to Why Not Bar & enjoyed some Tapas.

The next day we had a cooking lesson with the chef. It wad hard work in the heat, but tasty & educational. We stayed in later that night, bought some wine and chose a hotel DVD.

Prickly heat(!) awoke me this morning. This must have been my body alarm clock telling me not to go diving...
After a stressful start, we made it out onto a speedboat which dropped us off at our first dive. 2 dives later I can now say I have dived in Australia (GBR), Egypt and Vietnam. So I am doing pretty good for someone who doesn't enjoy the thought of it!

Free hotel cocktails await...

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Location:Biet Thu,Nha Trang,Vietnam

Day 10, Hoi An

Not much to report after 8 days in the same place. The weather is so hot sometimes, it's hard to contemplate a cooking class or a bike ride during the day.
We popped back into town to have my final suit fitting. The trousers are a perfect fit...





The jacket is amazing!



I look pretty dapper if I do say so...


Here I am in the changing rooms, not the shower! A happy man.

We spent the rest of the morning at the pool followed by a final collection of the suit in the late afternoon. It rained again.
See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m98UR-bE0U8
We fly to Nah Trang with Vietnam Airlines in the morning.
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Location:Cửa Đại,Hoi An,Vietnam

Day 9, Hoi An:

We missed the boat!
No day trip to Cham Island, no cooking class, no bike ride, no walk along the beach....just lying by the pool.
Totally relaxed!
Last night, I went for my 2nd suit fitting. Wow! What an amazing piece of work. I love the dark blue colour - cashmere, silk & 60% wool. I choose the cut, the Vietnamese lining and stitching details. The lining is a jacquard weave, shot with pink/red and blue. The patterns an symbols mean 'history' and 'happiness'.

After the fitting, we returned to the Secret Garden restaurant, a hideaway position in the back alleys. Delicious.
Not much else to report, we are too happy relaxing than looking for an adventure. Nah Trang on Saturday beckons...


Above is an image of doors to a temple.
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Location:Cửa Đại,Hoi An,Vietnam

Day 8, Hoi An:

Last night, I was measured up for a made-to-measure suit. I chose the fabric, lining and stitching. Lots and lots of detail.



Just heading into town now, after another day on the beach.



Still no day trip, the location is too idyllic. Hopefully a snorkeling trip to Cham Island (Google it) in the morning.
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Location:Nguyễn Duy Hiệu,Hoi An,Vietnam

Day 7, Hoi An

Managed to get a proper night's sleep last night. Feel great today at last...

We popped back into Hoi An last night. Jenni was due at Yaly, a tailor store for a 2nd fitting of her dress.
Along the way, there was a TORRENTIAL downpour!!! The roads became flooded in minutes. This is due to the poor drainage systems....which on the roads, is fairly primitive.

As we drove the 5kms into town, we passed so many tourists on bikes who had been caught out by the storm and were either; cycling with adversity - drenched to the bone - or had stopped by any open store for cover. This could have been a temple, someone's front porch or a local restaurant.
As we stopped into the town, we put on our "mac's in a pack" and made a dash for the bank.

Today, Tuesday - totally lost track of the days - we have lazed by the beautiful beach again. It is beautiful. Our kind of place. Isolated enough, quiet and clean. The sand is a fine white colour which extends into the sea. Therefore, no dodgy walks when you step into the sea navigating sharp rocks and stones. There are none, so it's just the hot sand you have to dance across.


Most likely a boat trip to Cham Island tomorrow which is 20km off the coast in front of our beach sunloungers...


Tonight, Hoi An (again) to pickup Jenni's finished dress. We have also seen a painting we may buy from a famous local artist, so no doubt another browse.
One thing I will say, the country is so cheap. We ate last night for £8!



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Location:Cửa Đại,Hoi An,Vietnam

Pool

Hoi An, Vietnam (Day 6)

Day 6, Hoi An:

A day by the pool.




We will be back in Hoi An town later today to pick up Jenni's hand made dress.
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Location:Cửa Đại,Hoi An,Vietnam

Day 5, Hoi An:

We slept in today until 1pm, despite our intentions to get up at 9am, it was impossible. Rather than fighting jet-lag, we are doing what our body tells us. Last night, Jenni was awake all night and slept from 6am!

We got up and took a bus into Hoi An, a UNESCO world heritage town. Amazing place. Well worth visiting.
We stopped off first at Yaly's, a tailor recommended by our driver from the airport. Jenni handed in a dress to be copied and made within 24hrs for $75! we pick it ip tomorrow.

We then discovered Secret Garden, another tip off that served delicious food! It was delicious.


So cheap too, 3 courses with plenty if drink for $15. we then explored the town on foot from 2pm-9pm. We loved it there. Great architecture, influenced by te French, loads of bars and plenty of restaurants. We certainly did a town tour of all the re emendations.
Again, the people are friendly, non-threatening and overall, the country is clean and industrious. People everywhere, are plying their trades to earn a living.
We are due back tomorrow to pick up Jenni's dress and will definitely stop off at another local restaurant and bar.
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Location:Cửa Đại,Hoi An,Vietnam

Day 4, Hoi An:

We woke up very early this morning and then slept in until 11am. The only incentive for getting up and battling jet-lag was our (pre-booked) foot massage...


Today's plan will be a day for "lying down".
Lying down for a massage; lying down for a day by the beach; lying down in bed.

Having read up on Lonely Planet. We are on China Beach which is gleaming White sand. All 30km of it....
From our beach beds we can see Monkey Island to the north and Cham Island to the east. We are planning on a boat trip to Cham Island which is approximately 10km out to see, 10km.
Tonight, a seafood BBQ buffet awaits...

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Location:Cửa Đại,Hoi An,Vietnam

Day 3, Saigon to Hoi An:

We are up early in Saigon for a noon flight to DaNang. This is very close to the cultural capital Hue - about halfway up the coast of Vietnam.
We are flying with Vietnam Airlines. Arrived at the domestic airport with a check-in online, web-ticket. Straight to the front of the queue.
Well, what a fuss!!!! Won't be doing that again.... All the stewards starting shouting and pointing at each other as we were moved from person to person. All seemed like an unusual thing for us to do and that it needed an expert to interpret the usual ticketing system we were using. No wonder the web ticket check- in desk was empty. So, won't be doing that again.
Arrived 30mins later than scheduled to warm sunshine and a friendly cab driver. Excellent service and very informative. He was very knowledgable.

We spent the rest of the afternoon by the longest hotel pool we have ever seen, dozing and eating on our sun-loungers. The evening was very relaxing with gorgeous seafood at the hotel restaurant.


We are having a foot massage tomorrow and will take the hotel shuttle bus into the local historical town of Hoi An.

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Location:Cửa Đại,,Vietnam

Day 2, Saigon:

First impressions of Saigon / Vietnam are good. Very clean streets; and that's great having explored India last summer! People are friendly and smile. Food is amazing. It will be hard to eat in moderation. Hotel is great. Bed is huge and comfortable. Just lying here jet-lagged at 5am! Off to explore the city later...so will update this at the end of the day.

6pm. Lying by the pool. Made a video of our 1st day. Great fun! Feelings are city is very relaxing compared to other Asian cities; got ripped off, but always expect that on our 1st day until we get used to the customs and currency.

We later realized a bird pooed on Jenni's shoulder and into our guide book! It totally
makes sense why a local was making bizarre gestures to the sky - at us - and throwing money down onto the pavement!

Fly to Hoi An tomorrow, 1hr north east to the coast. Then relax, book and turn off the phone.

Location:Ton Duc Thang,,Vietnam

Day 1, Bangkok to Ho Chin Minh City:

Bugger! (p.s. Sorry mother.) Lost this, so writing this up again in Bangkok airport. A 3hr stopover followed by a 1.5hrs flight with Thai Airways. 440 miles on an Airbus 330 to be precise. We have 7 flights in total this trip - pretty much typical for us! I think I must have notched up close to 100 flights and at least 250,000 miles in my life. A seasoned traveller indeed! Oh don't worry, I'm am considering ticking off the check-box 'Offset your carbon footprint?' each time I purchase a flight online...

We have 3 internal flights with Vietnam Airlines, not used them before so looking forward to seeing their service. The national carriers are generally excellent flagships, so we'll have to wait and see.
By the end of this trip we would have notched up 22,000 air miles alone!

Suvarnabhmuni airport...it's amazing! Makes Heathrow look like a kids playground. No wonder the government want another runway and another terminal upgrade.

Thailand. Between us, we have been to Thailand 15 times, so no reason to stop in Bangkok.

Vietnam fact...it's number 121 from 179 on the world's most corrupted country list; so post-it to remember: Do not trust anyone! They just want your money.


Just landed in Saigon. Hotel, food, then bed... - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 4, Ross.

Location:Vietnam

Day 1, London to Bangkok:

Terminal 3 Heathrow was very busy. Much more than usual; I can only imagine that its the summer holidays and lots of teachers are disappearing...
The terminal is in dire need of renovation. Not really noticed it before; It's so small and cramped compared to the new terminal 5...

Had a quick nibble at YoSushi and it was awful; 1st time ever! Poor service and terrible cooking. The kitchen was very small compared to other venues - the Heathrow rental must be astronomical - therefore small kitchen = poor food? We sent 2 dishes back and the waitress was really surprised when she asked (robotically) 'how was your meal?'
However, the Asahi and the incorrect till price was redemption!

Very busy at boarding and managed to get emergency exit seating for our long legs. 10hrs to Bangkok, a 2hr wait then 1hr transfer flight to Ho Chin Minh City - more commonly known as Saigon. The reader will be treated to some Vietnam facts along our journey, the first being that the population is much larger than the UK, an estimated 85M.

Attached is a photo of our in-flight evening meal. Can you guess what is on the menu?




The flight was - as flights can be - very good. The only negative being a 23 minute delay on the tarmac. Now waiting for transfer flight.

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Location:Nong Prue,Thailand

Departures!

Well done Ross!

Booked luxury cab (not) to Heathrow...
Good start to the honeymoon. Flight leaves for Bangkok at 2130hrs.

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Location:Watford Way,Barnet,United Kingdom

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Last Days

Check out the blog for updates before our trip to Vietnam. Any recommendations?

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Location:Grenville Pl,Barnet,United Kingdom

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Last Day @ Home

We have just arrived back from a relaxing break in the north with family.
Case is still by the door and washing in progress.

2 days to update iTunes collection; check tickets; book taxk; have a 2nd thought about "what-if's!" ad final pack. 3 weeks.
Weather forecast is 35C and generally overcast. In Asia, that means very very humid and stick with torrential downpours for 30mins or so; brief flooding followed by sunshine and cool air; then repeat. So should be fun.
Most looking forward to swimming in the pool and eating spicy soup/noodles.
This will be my 41st country and I'm looking forward to vising Asia again....really got to get to Africa more and South America for sure.
Next update will be from the airport 3.8.10 (pm).