Con Dao Islands - A Taste of Unspoilt Paradise

View from our bungalows

When you know the history of the Con Dao Islands,an archipelago just off the south east of Vietnam, that it was a brutal prison for 114 years, it is hard to reconcile that history with the unspoilt island paradise you are confronted with when you arrive.  The main island of Con Son is a collection of small villages scattered through a jungle alive with wildlife, skirted by miles of sandy golden beaches and coral reef, surrounded by sparkling turquoise seas.  It really is a beautiful place.

Sadly we had to fly to the Con Dao.  Going by boat simply wasn’t an option.  The boat takes 14 hours (when it runs, which it frequently doesn’t), conditions on board are apparently awful, and the crossing at this time of year when there are high winds is supposed to be a bit treacherous.

Dalat - Spring City of Flowers and Coffee Plantations

Linh Phuoc Pagoda

Dalat is a city in the south central highlands of Vietnam.  Being located quite high up in the mountains has a very pleasant year round climate - warm days and cool nights;  the perfect conditions for growing coffee, flowers, coconuts, bananas and all manner of other vegetables.  And a welcome break from the hothouse that is Saigon.

The city was built by the French in the late 19^th century who developed the area as a resort; a retreat from the oppressive heat of Saigon. Before this, various minority tribes had called the area home for centuries so deals were done between the French and the various chiefs, and building soon began in earnest.  Wide boulevard like roads, luxurious French style villas, hotels, spas parks, a lake and a golf course were all part of the design which earned itself the nickname Little Paris.

Saigon - Rats and the Horrors of War

Alleyways in Saigon

Some people insist that the largest city in south Vietnam is actually called Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) but most people continue to stubbornly refer to the place as Saigon.

To further confuse the issue the railway network timetable refers to Saigon but the airports fly to HCMC. It’s all very confusing but it seems it is the people in the north (those that effectively won the war and therefore secured the change of name in honour of Uncle Ho) who insist on referring to the city by its modern name but those that live here seem to resolutely refuse to adopt the change.

It’s very confusing.  I’ll stick to Saigon.

We arrived at the main railway station (they haven’t changed the sign at the station so according to that we had arrived in Saigon) and were immediately accosted by a taxi driver who turned out not to be a taxi driver at all but this is such a common occurrence by now and we were past caring; the fare was reasonable so we jumped in.  None of the real taxi drivers seemed to want our business and we just wanted to get to our hotel.

Quy Nhon - Stepping Off the Beaten Track at Bai Xep

Sunrise at Bai Xep

At this stage of our trip travels Vietnam, solely as a result of our experiences in Hoi An, we were both ready to high tail it over to Cambodia without bothering to extend our visas to visit and miss Saigon, Dalat and the Mekong Delta.

Hoi An had poisoned us but we agreed that we needed to get away and get some perspective before making any rash decisions.

A beachside guesthouse tucked away from the hustle and bustle of city life seemed just the place to do it.  We had stumbled across Haven Guesthouse by chance when we were in Hue.  We stopped by the Hue Backpackers Hostel for a coffee and found their card, looked them up on the internet and booked 5 days.  It is times like this that the word serendipity was invented for.

Hoi An - A Huge Disappointment

We hated Hoi An.  This is a controversial view as it is cited by many as their favourite city in Vietnam.  It is a World Heritage Site and much of the old port and town has been preserved.  There is no doubt that it is a very pretty old harbour town with the added bonus of nearby beaches to enjoy in the warmer weather but despite all this we hated almost every minute we there there.  It embodied everything negative we had heard about Vietnam and after Hoi An we were ready to leg it to Cambodia.

Hue - Palaces, Tombs and Agent Orange

Building within Hue's Imperial City

We arrived in Hue at about lunchtime on the overnight train from Hanoi and the first thing that hit us was the relative heat;  it was sunny and very humid.  Our original plan had been to walk to our hotel stopping off on the way for a coffee or two but, after chatting to a very nice taxi driver and sweltering in the unfamiliar heat, we decided that it was probably too far with our backpacks.  So we stumped up the $3 fare and arrived in relative comfort 10 minutes later.  We both agreed it was the best $3 we had spent so far.

Halong Bay - Monkey Island for New Year

The journey from Hanoi to Monkey Island (a tiny island resort a mile off Cat Ba Island in the South China Sea) passed surprisingly without difficulty.  The trek involved two taxi rides, 3 bus journeys plus 2 boat trips, which in my book was a recipe for disaster but it all went without a hitch.