Wrap-up and Comments

This was a great tour, Cambodian Cycle Tours really know how to put a package together. The food, accommodation (not too much choice in some places) and backup were first class. The bikes in Laos weren't too flash but they did the job. 

The only comment I'd make is that maybe there should be more emphasis on the local history with more stops explaining that and the local culture. For those of us who did not want to "race" all the time, we felt that we were holding up the gun cyclists. When I stopped to take a photo I would be left far behind until the group had a break. I didn't mind that people "raced" it's just that the follow up guide should always wait for the last person, no matter how slow he/she may be.

It was just fantastic to have my old Army mate Phil along and to share a room with him.  He is such good company and we have similar interests. 

COST OF THE BICYCLE TOUR AND BEFORE/AFTER TRAVEL

Bicycle Tour (all inclusive, accn, meals, transport, snacks & non-alco drinks) - $1,869.

Sydney Stopover - $108.50.

Bangkok and Pattaya - $84.50 (motel).

Saigon – paid cash. 

Cash taken with me (US, Thai Baht & Aust $) - $469.

TOTAL COST OF THE TRIP - $2,531.

Completed Itinerary

 

Day 24: Fri 14 Nov – Sydney to Brisbane to Hervey bay to Hippo Farm

All went well and on time from Saigon to home, in fact after landing in Sydney Qantas put me on an earlier flight. Bonus.

Day 23: Thu 13 Nov – Saigon to Sydney

Post-Cycle Tour Day 5

 
Will have to get myself one of the beds The Rex uses as I've never slept so well for ages. I love the "Pillow Menu" on the bedside table which says dial 0 for your favourite pillow, choose from a list.

 
A leisurely breakfast of steamed dim sums, cereal, fresh French bread, fresh tropical fruit and coffee (decaf latte).

 
It was then off to find Phil a Vietnamese coffee shop for him to try that thick, black brew. Mission accomplished; if he wasn't awake properly beforehand he was after. We met a chatty local bloke there who worked for the company who provides Saigon with lighting. Private enterprise is alive and well in Vietnam. I think the locals like to practice their English so they chat with us tourist whenever they can. 

Just so we didn't feel prejudice against any particular religion, we then visited a nearby Hindu Temple which was established by the Indian Tamil money changers who arrived in Vietnam about 100 years ago. Interesting. 

Where have all the turtles gone from Turtle Lake - turtle soup? That is what we wondered when we visited a lake (more like a concrete pond in the middle of a roundabout) of that name. Not a turtle to be seen anywhere. Check nearby restaurants, any turtle dishes on the menu? 
Then spent a few minutes in quiet contemplation and prayer at the Cathedral. Not a bit OTT, very tasteful. 

Coffee-time. The European version of the stuff has really taken off here with many coffee chains all over the city. They tend to make it too weak but it's okay. 

We had to finish off with some culture so we ended up at the Saigon Fine Arts Museum. There were also private galleries in the same complex. A fine art experience, truly.

 
Lunch was taken at a Japanese cafe, small bowl of mushroom soup, tiny salad and a generous portion of chicken on rice. Free green tea came with the meal, A$5 each. All very tasty. 

We killed a bit of time meandering around the art and book shops but didn't see anything that took our fancy. 

Back to The Rex to collect our bags and head out the airport, A$10 taxi ride, and we handed over all our remaining Dong so he was pleased. 

Check-in, customs, immigration and security were all very painless. Within minutes we were sitting in the Rose Lounge (Qantas Club equivalent) eating pork soup and having a quiet beer. 
See you in Sydney.

Inside Notre Dame Cathedral

Local taxi

Hindu Temple

Selfie at the Fine Arts Museum

Uncle Ho?

Fine Arts Museum

Lunch

Workmen in the middle of a busy intersection with no Stop-Go signs

Not even a bit overloaded!

Day 22: Wed 12 Nov – Saigon

Post cycle Tour Day 4

Another mega brekky spread followed by a walk to the songbird practice session in Tai Dan Park. Keeping songbirds is popular here and owners bring them to this park so they can learn new songs from other birds. I thought I would have seen a lot of canaries but not so, mostly mynas or silver-eyes. They could certainly sing. The owners just sat around, drinking coffee and maybe talking birds. Not a bad way to start the day. 

It was then on to the Thich Quang Duc Memorial. TQ was a monk who self-immolation (set on fire) in 1963 as a protest to the Govt's persecution of Buddhists. For those who were around then it was the first "horrific" pictures that were shown on TV. 

The Botanic/Zoo Gardens, which was ok but a bit depressing seeing the animals in far from ideal conditions, was next. I'd like to get my hands on some of that manure for my garden. 
Coffee time; we only asked for a medium; got a pint each, lucky we didn't ask for large. It was nice though. 

Phil then went to an art shop he was looking at last night to buy a painting. Used their wifi to show his wife, Sandy, the paintings on Skype and got the tick of approval for the one they liked. Modern technology is great. 

Then to our favourite Pho' for lunch. Nap time after that. 

Another wander through the markets. I think it's sad that most of the stuff they sell is cheap Chinese junk which would fall apart a week after you got it home. The souvenirs are all so tacky. 

The street hawkers amaze me; they have so little, how can they possibly make a living? So many that look like they've just picked a bit of footpath and set up shop. Maybe it's regulated but it certainly doesn't seem that way.

BBQ for dinner, but you cook your own on a gas grill in the middle of the table. Pork and chicken skewers and then I had a paella while Phil had two Fillet Mignon, all cooked on the table grill by him. Washed down with a couple of Saigon beers, nice. A$13 each. 
Phil then had a haircut on the way home, A$8.

The night sky in Saigon is pretty special, the iPhone doesn't do it justice.

Singing practice for the birds

Thich Quang Duc Memorial

Picture of the real thing in 1963

Saigon Zoo

Now that's a coffee!

Pho and fresh coconut juice - AUD4

Shoe repair shop on the footpath

Some of Saigon by night

 

Day 21: Tue 11 Nov - Saigon

Post Cycle Tour Day 3

What a great room, bed, pillows, shower, etc, etc, but it is the famous Rex Hotel, Saigon so it should be. Lovely old-world charm and luxury coupled with service beyond belief and you have a perfect hotel. Breakfast was an amazing array of food and drink, and after missing dinner last night it was most welcome following our sleep in till 7am. The Rex was a popular meeting place for journos and all sorts of people during the Vietnam War. It would certainly have been a sanctuary then.

Got a basic map from the front desk and just went wandering, something that isn't easy to do in this city of 7 mil people, as you have to dodge the stalls, tables and chairs, people, construction debris, overflow stock that is taking up most of the footpaths. Not to mention the numerous scooter/motorbikes both parked up and that take to the footpath when the roads become too congested, which was most of the day and night. Not a good idea to walk along the footpath texting!!

First stop was Starbucks for a decent coffee, but after the thick, strong stuff we'd been drinking in Laos it was a bit wishy, washy. We'll just have to try one of the other 1,000s of coffee houses tomorrow. 

It was then onto the Presidential Palace where the tanks crashed through the gates in 1975 to herald the end of the Vietnam War. Lots of history. 

The Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Mekong River, Uncle Ho's Museum, many interesting sights and parks & gardens came next in our meanderings. We had lunch at Highlands Coffee, stick bread with tuna & salad plus a bottle of water for about A$1. 
About 2:30pm we were getting a bit weary and fairly hot so returned to the Rex, had a beer on the rooftop and then a LLD. 

Back out into the fray about 5:30pm for some seafood Pho (A$4) near the night markets. Must be good as President Clinton ate there in 2000. 

A wander through the markets saw us marketed out. Back to the peace and quiet of the Rex for a rooftop nightcap and then an early night. 

One of the local parks

Inside the Saigon Central Post Office

A wedding at the Cathedral

Bonsai topiary is popular as street art

The Majestic Club, Saigon

A floating restaurant

Chilling out at the Rex roof top bar

Live band on the Rex rooftop

Day 20: Mon 10 Nov – Luang Prabang to Saigon, Vietnam

Post-cycle Tour Day 2

Slept well despite the solid bed and pillow, must be getting used to the Lao design. 
Fried eggs, fruit, baguette and Lao coffee (very black & strong) for brekky. The dogs on the chairs and around our legs while eating was a bit disconcerting, when you consider what they might be carrying. However they were real friendly and just about the healthiest looking dogs we'd seen on this trip.

At 9am we walked into the city and visited the Palace (ex) and Royal Temple. Very humble really, except for the OTT reception room which is lined with very bright class and shinny rock mosaics. The royal bedrooms were austere, but huge. The royal fleet of cars was a trip back to the 1960/70s. No photos inside. Surprisingly the Communists did not execute the Royal Family but sent them to a "re-education centre" soon after they took over in about 1975. The country shows no overt signs that it's still a communist based system. I can't remember seeing a gun the whole trip.

After having a fresh coconut water drink, Phil and I walked back to the motel to be out by midday, or as the sign says, "full day charge will be made". 

We then took our bags back to The Dream, who were very generously going to shuttle us to the airport at 3:30pm, despite the fact that we weren’t staying there anymore. In the meantime we wandered down the road to Dyen Sabai Bar Restaurant for a lovely fried rice chicken, iced tea with lemon followed by sticky rice and mango pudding; US$9 each. Dyen Sabai is another lay-back hippie type place overlooking the river. It's green, leafy and very peaceful. We had a few games of backgammon to fill the time on a set from their games/book library.

Back to The Dream to say our sad farewells to the remaining members of the tour gang, who were lounging beside the pool. Tough life. They are a great bunch of people and I do hope I am able to tour with them again one day. Even though we had only stayed at the motel two nights the staff were all there to farewell us and wish us a safe journey.

After a 10 minutes ride on the shuttle bus, we were at the airport and about 15 minutes later, we had checked in and cleared customs and security. We were in a very clean and neat airport. 

The flight to Hanoi couldn't have been better; (Lao Air Dash 8 bug smasher prop, on Air Vietnam ticket) comfy, on time, great staff and nice snack on the hour journey.

Immigration and customs were over in no time and we were checked in with stacks of time to spare. A Qantas Club would have been nice. A little over an hour later we were in the air on our way to Saigon on a Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321, which is just a big bus.

Arrived at 10:50pm, US$11 taxi to the Rex Hotel. In bed just after midnight.

Dog's life at the breakfast area

Royal Temple, Luang Prabang

Royal Palace, Luang Prabang

Lunch venue

Kicking back on the river at Dream Hotel

Day 19: Sun 09 Nov – Luang Prabang

Day 13: Luang Prabang Departure Breakfast at the hotel. Free at leisure until transfer for departure flight. This trip can be extended with our Southern Adventure trip starting in Pakse. We can help to arrange the flight ticket from Luang Prabang to Pakse. If you wish to fly to other city in the neighboring country, we also can help to arrange with a competitive price. (B)

Post-Cycle Tour Day 1 

Leisurely brekky followed by a pack up and move all our stuff into Michael & Kate's room. Seven of us moved to another motel just around the corner as The Dream was booked out post-tour, but we could not do that till after lunch. In the meantime Michael then took Bob, Kerry, Kerrie, Kate, Phil and I on a walking tour (from his Lonely Planet book) of the city. Wow, what a gem of a place. The lay-back, (hippie-like) quirky decor of some of the guesthouses and restaurants felt like the 1970s. Riverside cafés, temples, French era architecture, local art galleries and just walking the back-streets were all fascinating. No wonder the tourists are coming here in their droves. 

Had morning tea then lunch at a different places, both overlooking the river; great atmosphere. Pad Thai and green tea was A$6.50 at Utopia Bar & Restaurant. 

Then back to move motels, which turned out to be a bit of a laugh when three of us fronted up at once, one single and one twin room.  Two of us (boys) in the twin wanted to pay cash now, one (girl) in the single wanted to pay when they checked out. It was all too much for the guy on the deck, who only had Basic English (and intelligence) but after a lot of patience on our behalf we got there.

The room was a few stars down from The Dream, but at US$35 a night for two people, including brekky, who cares. The shower was hot, bed clean (but hard) and aircon worked well so no problem. When we couldn’t find the aircon remote in the room we saw the reception guy who wanted to charge us US$10 extra for aircon until we showed him the booking sheet which said aircon included.

Dinner with the group at The Terrace Restaurant was nice, US$13, duck & veggies with rice plus two cans of beer. However not up to the tastes of the "local" restaurants we'd been using.

USSR era relics in Utopia

Utopia Bar

Old bikes and bars

Nice house

Between the five of them, they sorted it out

In a Buddhist temple

Lunch venue, Utopia Bar and Restaurant

Day 18: Sat 08 Nov – Luang Prabang

Day 12: Luang Prabang (Kuang Sii Waterfall) 62km After a restful day we hit the bikes for a ride to the stunning Kuang Sii Waterfall. The ride is along a small road alongside the Mekong River passing through small villages, rice fields and forest. At the waterfall enjoy a swim, picnic lunch and a visit to the tiger and bear rescue centre before riding back to Luang Prabang. (B,L)  

Cycle Tour Day 12 (last day), 65km

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its old French architecture and numerous Buddhist Temples. 

A choice of Asian & English brekky on the deck overlooking the pool and gardens kicked off a great day. 

Leisurely start at 9am to ride away through the city to the Kuangsi Waterfalls & National Park. Real interesting ride past some very grand houses and into the hilly rural areas. Why are waterfalls on top of big hills!? However there were also some nice downhill runs. It was good to sit at the back of the pack, take my time and just absorb this last day of the cycle tour. 
Beside the waterfalls and a surrounding rainforest, the park turned out to be part of an Asian bear breeding program to save the bears. Of course the bears are stupidly prized for all sorts of Chinese medicine stuff, which is disgusting. Although the bears were "behind a fence" it all looked fairly natural and humane with plenty of room to wander and play. The series of waterfalls and rapids were very pretty. Some braved a swim in the surprisingly cold water; while I settled for a paddle. 

After a local lunch near the carpark we set off back to the motel. A fantastic ride to end a great tour. 

Once at the motel we removed our pedals and reluctantly handed the bikes back. Dinner was provided at a cultural experience restaurant on the outer edge of the inner city. Despite the touristy feel the food was great.  Had a wander through the night markets, then walked home.

A scooter /bike only bridge near the hotel

An Albino water buffalo

Threshing rice

BBQ fish or chicken, very nice

Shop of colourful thongs at the Falls

Part of the Falls

The Falls

A nice looking house