Dalat- City of flowers

June 3, 2014

Started the day with a walk in Danang beach, swimming and breakfast before going to the airport.

It was easy checking in since there were only a few people going to Dalat. We arrived safely but just a

bit scared because the plane landed with a loud sound. It was the hardest landing that I've experienced so

far from all the flights I've taken. Anyway, it was a small airport. We arrived at past twelve at noon then decided to take a passenger bus going to our hotel. It was 60 VND for a 30 minute ride from the airport to the main town. My first thought was Wow! It's like going home. We passed by flowers...flowers..pine trees..pine trees..and pine trees...I was homesick for a moment. But compared to Baguio..the roads we're more quiet since I just saw motorbikes and occasionally met tour buses and Korean coaches that are popular in Vietnam along the way. We arrived at the dropping point across Big C then another car came to bring us directly to our hotel. We booked our hotel at Sinh Tourist and it was really convenient. It was very near the market and the Sinh Tourist office where we booked our tours and bus for our next trip. In town,  we only saw a few cars and few people. We noticed there were more people in the evening. I guess everyone back from their respective tours.

The pine trees along the way to the main town

From the airport to the main town. It looked so much like the way to Bandung, Indonesia from Lippo Cikarang

Our room was okay but exactly the opposite of our feather bed in Danang. After lunch, we walked down to the lake which is like 5 minutes from the hotel and decided to take a ride pedalling the swan boat. It was 80 VND for two (4 USD) and they have life vests. We went around the lake pedalling and trying to avoid other swan boats. We saw many tourists as well and we noticed that there we're also horse carriages that can take you around the city or horses for hire to take pictures. It's like Wright park in Baguio. I'm not sure if they have horse tracks too. After enjoying the ride, we decided to walk towards shelter since It was dark and it looked like it was going to rain. Fortunately it didn't. 

Taken from our hotel room's balcony. You can clearly see the lake down the road.

The lake with swan boats. You have to pedal with your feet to keep them moving. Just like the boats in West lake Hanoi.

The lake at sunset....

 

 

After walking the side of the lake, we arrived at the market. We decided to check out the goods and we we're surprised and excited to see that they sell second hand goods just like in Baguio. I saw coats, shoes, toys and bags. Since it was already evening and most shops we're closing, we decided to come the next day after our tour to buy some stuff we need. We ate at a roadside restaurant common in Vietnam near the market. The owner was polite enough to ask us if we are from Hongkong. The reaction towards Chinese is really no joke at this time because of the South China sea incident. We ordered  snails as usual and it was tasty. As for the price, it's the same as Hanoi but I think hygiene is much better. After dinner we went back to the hotel to book for our tour for the next day. We decided for half day because we wanted to shop around the market. 

The prominent statue near the Dalat market

A popular shop to buy local delicacies for tourists and residents

The area near market transforms at night to accommodate tourists and whoever wants to eat in the open.

Summer Holiday in Vietnam

May 31, 2014
Destination: Danang, Vietnam

Started the day with a Parent Teacher Meeting at work then went home to pack for a week holiday.
After a month of paperworks, preparing for graduation and practicing presentations, I need a break.
So here we are @ 6 pm headed to Noi Bai International Airport for our 8:30 flight. They just recently
opened a new building for the domestic flights so we had to walk far from where we stopped nevertheless
we were still early and checked in fast. Oh boy, the airport waiting area was full. So many children and families going on a holiday. It is the summer holiday though so as expected most families who can afford usually go the South to go to the much nicer beaches in Danang and Nha Trang. As for me and my sister, we joined my friend as guests in her villa. We arrived at 10 pm at Furama Villas located near the beach. Our
vacation started with a night without electricity and slept at the living room and that was in a Five Star Resort.
We thought the management of the resort will come to at least help us out but they said it's a private owned villa so it's not their responsibility. Even though it's private owned but it's supposed to be still under their care. They even promised to send someone however nobody came.  Huh! that is costumer service in Vietnam.

June 1, 2014
Location: Danang

I woke up early because it was so bright. The place really looks nice and very Private. Some people came to fix the electricity and clean the swimming pool. Since there was no food, we went out to eat and opted for a Danang specialty. It was like Bakso in Indonesia. After breakfast, we proceeded to book our flight to Dalat and reserve hotel at Sinh Tourist. We were thinking of a bus ride but it's a 15 hour ride to Dalat from Danang which only cost around 15 USD but it's too long so we opted for a flight which cost us 100 USD. I guess it's expensive since it's the peak season. Our hotel is owned by Sinh Tourist which cost us 30 USD for a double bed. It wasn't bad, it was only for 2 nights anyway.

After booking, we proceeded to Lotte Mart. As expected, a flag of Korea was seen hanging in front to show that it's korean owned. It's due to the fact that some people harassed Chinese owned companies because of the on going problem in the South China Sea. During our travel, we were often mistaken as Vietnamese but when we can't speak the local language, they assume we are Chinese. Often times, we speak in the little Vietnamese we know but as expected the Vietnamese language in the North is also different in the South. It is a cause of more confusion so it was much better speaking in English. So for those who don't ask our nationality, they assume we are Chinese. It wasn't a big deal but sometimes the stares are horrible.

In the afternoon, our host booked for a tour in Hoi An. It's my second time after two years. This time of the year, there are a lot of tourists: locals and foreign. They have the same things like the lanterns but I cannot appreciate it anymore. It has become too crowded and commercialized. It was way better when we went on the month of October. June is hot and too crowded. In addition, they already ask for entrance fees  which we did not pay two years ago. I wouldn't recommend it. I think the beach is much nicer especially off peak season when there are a few people. So far the most interesting part of the tour is the conversation of an american and a russian tourist at the back of the bus. It was a very good lesson about Philosophy, Politics, Geography and History for me. It was nice of them talking about things with care especially about sensitive issues. It was fun listening about Ukraine issue, Asia travel, migrating to the US, the favela's of Brazil, security in countries of South America. It was very interesting.

June 2, 2014
Location: Furama Villas, Danang

I woke up to the sound of helicopter at five in the morning. We decided to go to the beach to take photos and swim at the hotel children's pool. I went with Hanh and my sis near the villa's beach. It was very clean and nice without a lot of people since it's a private then proceeded to the swimming pool. It was nice but I can really feel the tension. Another helicopter passed and you can see the coast guard ship on sight.

The whole day was spent swimming, watching Maleficent and  going out to town. The main attractions were the bridges and just walking near the river. It was a fun day.

Furama Beach Resort

At five in the morning