Kate Little

I had seen pictures of Ha Long Bay and Angkor Wat so I decided to take a trip that would take me to both and some other places along the way.  

I landed in Hanoi, Vietnam late at night and headed to Ha Long Bay the following day.    This area in the north east of Vietnam is known for it’s thousands of towering limestone islands topped with rainforests.  Boarding the ship in Ha Long bay for 2 nights was very exciting, I could see in the distance the islands that I had seen so many times on pictures and social media.    Once we set sail it didn’t take long to be in amongst the islands stopping at a beach to spend some time enjoying the sea and then climbing to the top of the hill to get a wonderful view of the sun setting.  It was a little busier than I had imagined as the ships all tend to head for the same area, but I still enjoyed the beauty of the unusual islands.   

We took a day trip to the Mekong Delta and learned about the area and the people who lived there, taking a boat ride though the canals which was fascinating.   

When touring it’s good to see the good and bad about the country’s history.  In Cambodia we stopped in Phnom Penh, the Capital, and visited the Killing Fields and S21 Prison where we learned the history of the Khmer Rouge Regime.   I found it quite a traumatic tour but something that should be done.  On my return to Phnom Penh later that day I headed to one of the famous temples there as I really felt the need for some healing vibes.  

Siem Reap is the town closest to Angkor Wat and couldn’t be any more different to the temple if it tried.    Pub street is where it’s all happening in the evening, pubs, cheap alcohol, clubs, night markets and massage spas open until the small hours.    The food is incredibly cheap and so are the massages, so I did indulge in both.      Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992, there are approximately 50 Buddhist and Hindu temples dating back to the 12th century within the grounds of Angkor Wat.     We had to set off before the sun came up, just like for the Taj Mahal in India, to get there as the sun rose over the temple.     We walked quite a long distance in the dark, and then stood with the masses in the dark not sure what we were looking at.  But as the sky started to lighten the silhouette of Angkor Wat became visible and it was definitely worth missing a few hours of sleep.   We took our time viewing the temple and exploring before visiting 2 more temples in the afternoon.   

The tour finished in Bangkok, a city I fell in love with and ended up spending an extra few days there to tour the many temples and floating markets.  This is just the highlights of the tour, we visited many other fascinating places along the way.  I plan on going back next year.