1 August 2018, Wednesday It was going to be another day of travelling, as I would be making my way northwest across Cambodia from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Initially, I considered taking a detour southwest to the coastal city of Sihanoukville but I found out that getting there wasn’t so straightforward, and the onward […]
Month: July 2020
Asia | Cambodia | The Grand Adventure 2018 | Vietnam
The Grand Adventure: Day 92 – Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) / Cambodia (Phnom Penh)
31 July 2018, Tuesday After my very brief stint in Ho Chi Minh City, it was time to move on again – to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. This would be the 17th country of my trip. At 7:30am, I went for a quick breakfast at the common dining area located on the rooftop […]
Asia | The Grand Adventure 2018 | Vietnam
The Grand Adventure: Day 91 – Vietnam (Nha Trang / Ho Chi Minh City)
30 July 2018, Monday After spending the past two days in Nha Trang, I would be continuing my journey to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) today, which would be my last stop in Vietnam. I opted for a day bus this time round, having learned my lesson after enduring an uncomfortable ride on the overnight […]
29 July 2018, Sunday It was Sunday, and I had nothing planned for the day ahead in Nha Trang. I woke up at 8:45am, checked the weather forecast and saw that it was going to be another hot day with temperatures hovering around 33 degrees Celsius. I lazed in bed for a while longer, then […]
28 July 2018, Saturday After an uncomfortable, 11-hour bus ride from Hội An, I arrived Nha Trang at 5:05am. I didn’t sleep well on the bus at all. The sky was still dark and the streets were empty at this unearthly hour. Half-awake, I alighted from the bus in a daze and tried to get […]
Asia | The Grand Adventure 2018 | Vietnam
The Grand Adventure: Day 88 – Vietnam (Hội An / Nha Trang)
27 July 2018, Friday The past two days at Hội An had been relaxing and wonderful, so I was a bit sad that I would be leaving later in the evening on an overnight bus to the southern coastal city of Nha Trang. But first, I would be joining a traditional countryside bicycle tour in […]
26 July 2018, Thursday This morning, at the invitation of my homestay hosts, I woke up very early and joined them for a game of beach volleyball. At 5:20am, I left the guest house with the father and son of the house and we drove to An Bang Beach, a short 10-minute drive away. An […]
25 July 2018, Wednesday As it turned out, my overnight bus from Hanoi did not take me directly to Hội An. At 7:25am, we arrived at Huế, an ancient coastal city located in central Vietnam. We were told to alight and transfer to another bus, which would only depart about an hour later. Naturally, I […]
24 July 2018, Tuesday At 9:15am this morning, I went for breakfast at my hostel. I paid only US$8 for one night’s stay and breakfast was included, what a steal! It was typical Vietnamese fare of omelette, baguette, a banana and hot coffee. Simple but appetising. When in Vietnam, I simply love to eat the […]
23 July 2018, Monday After a 12½-hour train ride, I arrived at Hanoi’s Ga Gia Lâm railway station at 5:30am. I didn’t sleep particularly well on the train so I was still a little groggy when the train pulled up at the station. After disembarking, I looked for a ride to take me to my […]
Asia | China | The Grand Adventure 2018 | Vietnam
The Grand Adventure: Day 83 – China (Nanning) / Vietnam (Hanoi)
22 July 2018, Sunday This will be a really short post because it was one of those days when nothing eventful happened. Nanning is not a tourist destination and there aren’t many notable sightseeing places in the city. I lay in bed for as long as I could until I finally dragged myself out of […]
21 July 2018, Saturday After a well-rested night, I woke up at about 10am and continued lazing on my comfy round bed before heading out to take a short walk around my hotel. It was another hot day at 36 degrees Celsius but I felt much lighter and cooler with my fresh haircut. After buying […]
20 July 2018, Friday This morning, we went for breakfast at our inn at 7:45am. Breakfast was included in our booking but sadly, it wasn’t very appetising. It comprised of corn porridge, soup rice noodles, hard-boiled eggs, steamed mantou and unsweetened soya bean milk. Just give me a cup of hot coffee, bread with peanut […]