A week after getting married, we well all set for our much awaited backpacking trip to South East Asia. From working out every details such as where to go, what all places to see, best possible options to advance booking tickets and accommodation, we had planned and re-planned our trip several times. It was around third week of February and we had been hearing news about a novel virus that has originated in Wuhan (China) and was rapidly spreading to the rest of the South East Asian countries. Our families were strictly against us travelling to that part of the world at this time and wanted us to cancel. So much so that at one point of time we were asked to cancel our trip in return for travelling to some other country, fully sponsored by our families. However, after much debate with our family and flipping coin thrice (we lost the first time, so we decided to go for ‘best of three’) we decided to take our chance. Moreover, our visas had been secured and all our reservations had been made. “What’s the worst that can happen?” we had argued, although, now when I think of it and watch the rapidly worsening scenario across the globe from the safety of my home, I feel stupid and simply lucky, that we could get back home safe.
Hanoi, Vietnam
We had planned a fourteen day trip covering three countries and six cities. We decided to start with Vietnam. The rolling hills of Sapa, the magnificent architecture of the ancient temples and imperial ruins, the bustling nightlife of Hanoi and Saigon, and the panoramic views of Halong Bay and Cat Ba islands, Vietnam managed to entice me every time I visited one of its cities. We started our journey from Hanoi in North Vietnam. Hanoi was a French colony and has managed to keep the old colonial charm intact. We spent our time walking around the vibrant streets of Old Quarters while trying mouth-watering local delicacies from the local market.
Halong Bay
Our cruise to Halong Bay was nothing less than a dream come true. A 4.5 hours bus ride away from Vietnam, the beautiful Halong bay is known for its innumerable limestone mountains covered in lush green rain-forest, pristine turquoise blue water, secret lagoons and caves.
We had spent our day sun-basking on the deck of a bright colourful junk boat, looking at the pristine emerald water, being served with the choicest of cuisine and cocktails. We went for a short hike to the summit of T Top Island which offers a breath taking view of the Halong Bay area. Although, it was a steep climb, it was worth every drop of sweat! We went kayaking in the Luon Caves, which connects a small lake to the sea. It felt like a world within a world. The journey back was equally perfect. We sailed back to where we started while we watched the most spectacular sunset from the deck of our cruiser.
Da Nang
When our flight was landing on the lush green plains of Da Nang, it was love at first sight! Located in central Vietnam, Da Nang is one of the most underrated destinations, which has gained popularity only in recent times. From gorgeous sandy beaches, superb vistas, to the amazing Riverwalk lined with numerous cafes and restaurants, we were spoilt with choices. We spent our day lazing around the beach shacks of the My Khe beach. With its clear blue water, silky sand, clear sky and palm tree lining the boardwalk, it has been regarded as one of the most attractive beaches in the world by Forbes magazine.
Another unique experience in Da Nang was witnessing the fire and water show which happens in the Dragon Bridge during weekends, when, the entire bridge is brightly lit up, and the dragons breathe fire and water.
Ba Na Hills
Located around 40 kilometres from Da Nang, in the Truon Song Mountains, Ba Na hills was one destinations we were eagerly looking forward to. The cable car which took us to the summit of the Ba Na hills offered spectacular views of the surrounding hills on one side and the Da Nang coast on the other. On the summit of the Ba Na hills, the Golden Bridge has been ranked one of the most Instagram worthy destinations in recent times.
The fantasy park in the Ba Na hills gives a true flavour of the Disneyland. The place was bustling with energy as street performers in colourful clothes put up a spectacular power packed performance. The perfectly manicured flower gardens were straight out of postcard. We got a flavour of European countryside town, as we took a stroll in the French village. The cobble stone pathways were lined with European style buildings, punctuated with numerous cafes, and ultimately led to a spiritual zone with the main monastery surrounded by meticulously carved statutes and beautiful pagodas.
Hue
The train journey from Da Nang to Hue is undoubtedly one of the best train journeys I have experienced in Asia. Our train passed through mountain cliffs, oceans and hidden beaches. The rolling hills and meadows reminded me of a Swiss town, the views from our train window literally took our breath away!
Located along the banks of the Perfume river, Hue is a gorgeous city in central Vietnam and is a reminiscent of the Imperial city, with numerous temples and pagodas, it is a perfect place for history buffs. We spent our day wandering around the Forbidden Kingdom of the Imperial city. Even though it was the end of February, the weather was extremely hot and humid. This did not deter as this is when we discovered the nón lá or the traditional Vietnamese leaf hat.
Our next destination was the seven storied Thein Mu Pagoda, along the bank of Perfume river which is known for its gold and Silver images of Buddha. As we climbed up through the stairs which led to upper level garden, we were treated with stunning views of the river and the city.
Since we were there just for a day, we could cover only a limited number of places. There is so much to see here, one can easily spend an entire week and still not see everything. My favourite part of the trip was undoubtedly the visit to Khai Dinh’s Royal tomb. The architecture is a culmination of European modern classical and Vietnamese architectural styles. The stone sculptures of in the Imperial audience courts is a really interesting feature. The Palace of Khai Dinh, which is located at the topmost level has intricately ornate walls and undoubtedly is a masterpiece of visual arts on porcelain and glass.
Saigon (Ho Chi Mih City)
Our last destination was the lively Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City in Southern Vietnam. We spent our time exploring the city, walking around Nguyen Hue walking street and Bui Vien walking street, which are known for their thriving nightlives and are generally bustling with tourists. We noticed there were fewer tourists and most of the pubs and restaurants were nearly empty. On our way back to our Air BNB, we chatted up our cab driver. “There are much fewer tourists this time, people are cancelling their trips because of the coronavirus, I guess” he sighed.
Mekong Delta, Last Day in Vietnam
On our last day in Vietnam, we took a private day trip to Mekong Delta. To drive through suburban Saigon, the idyllic villages around Mekong Delta give a picture perfect view of the Vietnamese countryside. We took a boat ride through the lush swamp forest, the brightly coloured boats floating through the calm water made us fall in love with the river. We wandered around the small islands under the shades of huge trees and lazed around in hammocks while the cool river breeze brushed against our faces. After a sumptuous meal and lots of coconut water, we were back to the city. Our stay in Vietnam had been beyond satisfying. Apart from visiting wonderful destinations, I was overwhelmed by the warmth and outstanding hospitality of people in this country.
Cambodia
Our next destination was the beautiful country of Cambodia. When I was in first year of my college, I had studied about the temple Complex of Angkor Wat in my “History of Architecture" class. Since then, Cambodia has been at the top of my bucket list. Even though Cambodia is mostly known from the magnificent temples of Angkor Wa, its lush green jungles, breath taking views of countryside, white sandy beaches and beautiful islands are really worth visiting.
Phnom Penh
We took a bus from the Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, which was our first destination. The bus journey was quiet smooth and it took us around six hours to reach Phnom Penh including the visa stamping process and immigration which was fairly easy.
The city of Phnom Penh is an eclectic mix of hustle and bustle of the modern life along with tradition and culture.We spent two days in Phonon Penh, where we spent most of our time at the hotel and treated ourselves to a much needed spa and massage, as we needed some time to relax and unwind after the hectic travel the week before. We spent our mornings sipping cocktails by the pool and trying local cuisine at the hotel.
In the evening, we explored some of the tourist’s attractions around the city including the Royal Palace and Wat Phnom, which are excellent examples of classis Khmer architecture. This city is thriving with lively markets and there are many options to choose form. We opted to explore the Phom Penh night market, which has a wide selection of merchandise and a lively vibe. The riverside boardwalk adjacent to the night market has numerous cafes, restaurants, and pubs and offer a wide variety of cuisines, is a must visit for foodies!
Siem Reap
We travelled to our next destination Siem Reap from Phnom Penh by bus, which took us around 7 hours. Siem Reap is a small city surrounded by ancient ruins including Angkor Wat, which has gained worldwide attention as the archaeological heaven. The red soil dirt roads and the tropical plantations reminded me of our hometown in Tripura. We spent our evening exploring the Angkor night market and walking around the happening pub street.
We were in luck that due to the fall in tourist footfall because of the CoVid19, the Government of Cambodia was offering one day complimentary entry to the Angkor Wat complex on a one day pass. So in effect we were able to visit Angkor Vat on two days even though we later felt even two days’ time was inadequate.
Sprawling over a vast area of 400 acres, Angkor Archaeological park is the reminiscent of an ancient imperial city where the temples and monuments were a part of it. When our tuk tuk driver dropped us to our first destination, the Angkor Wat temple, I still remember my heart skipping a beat. I gasped with wonder and excitement. It was much more magnificent than I could ever imagine. I ran though the beautifully adorned archways like a wonderstruck child. The intricate carvings of numerous balustrades, archways, porches and pavilions echoed the architectural magnificence and brilliant workmanship of the Khymer artisans.
It gets unbearably hot at the temple complex during daytime, and the lack of trees made us desperately look for some shade. Even then, nothing could surpass the sheer beauty of that place and I was not ready to go back without seeing all of it.
Ta Phrom temple is one of the most famous temples in the Angkor Wat complex, which was made popular after it was featured in the movie Lara Croft: tomb raider. The gigantic roots intertwined with the crumbing stone façade was majestic and magnificent in every sense. The beautifully carved corridors lead to the intimate courtyards which played hide and seek with the sun.
Not too far from Ta Phrom we visited the famous temple for Preah Khan temple which. This outstanding architectural marvel sits a piece of 138 acres land and now is mostly covered by jungles. To the east of Preah Khan lies the Jayatataka Baray, which is a man-made body of water that offers beautiful reflections of the surrounding temples and jungle. We also visited the Ta Som temple whose tower feature serene faces like Bayon temple. Banket Sri temple with beautifully adorned facades with flower motifs, Bantry Samre and Pre Rup among others.
Our last destination in Angkor Wat was the Bayon temple, which is yet another well-known temple in Angkor Wat. It is famous for its 216 giant serene and smiling faces. The temple complex includes entryways, towers, ceremonial spaces, courtyards, shrines, and a variety of connecting corridors with intricately carved relifs in the facades, depicting scenes from daily life of the Khymer people. The complex spatial organisation of spaces reminded me of a jigsaw puzzle.
We watched a spectacular sunset, while we were here. I have heard that Bayon temple gets especially crowded during sunset but due to lesser tourist, we almost had the entire temple complex to ourselves. We were spellbound to watch the last rays of the setting sun falling over the Bayon temple. It left a golden hue over the intricate carvings. Suddenly, I remembered that I was so mesmerised by this sight that I had forgotten to capture enough memories on my camera. It was definitely one of the most memorable moment of our trip. Being a creative person, I felt like, visiting this place has inculcated that imaginative side of me which I never knew had existed.
Having spent a few days in Siem Reap I can say with absolute certainty that this place is much more than just about visiting the Angkor Wat or Pub street. The delicious Khymer cusines, the display of artistic extravaganza in the local markets, the vibrant culture,simplicity and warmth of the locals made it an unforgettable experience altogether.
Thailand
The real nightmare began when we reached Thailand. We took a bus from Siem Reap to Thailand and while crossing the Cambodia-Thailand border check post we noticed that the government officials were scrutinising the travel history of everyone entering Thailand. Since we had been on road for a while now, we were unaware of the latest developments. When we finally crossed the border we realised that one of fellow passengers was detained. We later overheard that she had been travelling for a while and the authorities found out from her passport that she had travelled to South Korea a month back.
We reached Bangkok a little before evening. We were staying in one of those parts of the city which is popular among tourists. It was my second time in Bangkok and I was really taken aback with the surprisingly empty roads and shops. The hotel manager said there are hardly any guests in the hotel due to the rising number of CoVID19 cases in Bangkok. Later that night, we learnt from news channels that there are high chances that passengers flying back to India will be asked to be under quarantine, especially if, travel history reveals visit to South East Asia. We prayed to just get back home safe.
We somehow spent the night and reached airport early morning next day. It was hauntingly empty. We could hardly spot anyone else other than the airport staff. Finally, when we boarded the flight we saw there are hardly twenty passengers in the aircraft. Luckily, we did not have any temperature or showed any symptoms. To be on the safer side, we self-quarantined ourselves for two weeks.
Now, when I look back, I feel we were in luck with our timing. Our country went under lockdown twelve days after we got back. With the current situation in the country, I really thank God that we got back home safe.
Cost breakup:
We spent around 75000 INR (1000 USD), per person for a 14 day trip (inclusive of flights and visas)
• Visas- 25 USD for Vietnam visa (Was sponsored by a Vietnamese friend, so was free for us), 23 USD for Cambodia e visa , Thailand visa on arrival was free for Indian Nationals.
• Flights- 18000 INR ( 240 USD) per person form Kolkata ( Kolkata-Hanoi,Hanoi -Da Nang, Da Nang Ho chi Minh city , Bangkok-Kolkata).We booked our flight tickets around 2 months before around trip.
• Buses/trains - varied between 1000-1400 INR per person (Da Nang-Hue, Ho Chi Minh city- Phom Penh, Phnom Penh - Siem Rep, Siem Rep- Bangkok). We used https://12go.asia/en for all our bookings. Total spending- 6500 INR (87 USD)
• Accommodations- We mostly stayed at mid ranged Air BNBS and hotels,1000-2000 INR per person per night. Total spending for the entire trip was around 19500 INR for 14 days ( 260 USD)
• Food – Our breakfast was complimentary most days. Our lunch was complimentary on the days of one day guided trips (Halong Bay, Ba Na Hills, Mekong Delta). In Vietnam our average spending on food was around 800-1200 INR per person per day. In Cambodia our average spending on food was 1000- 1500 INR per person per day.
• Getting around the city- We used Grab App in both Vietnam and Cambodia for taxis and tuk tuks. It was cheap and fairly convenient.
• We spent an average of 16000 INR (215 USD) in Vietnam for 8 days, 8000 INR in Cambodia (107 USD) for 5 days, inclusive of food, local travel day trips, other expenses. We spent only 1 night in Bangkok and spent around 1200 INR (16 USD) for food and travel.
