Deer and Monkey Go Head to Head over Bananas
We’ve uploaded some new photos from the Royal Palace of Cambodia, The Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary near Phnom Penh as well as our Boat trip to Chau Doc, Vietnam.
Vietnamese Side of the Cambodian-Vietnamese Border Near Chau Doc, Vietnam
After a quick breakfast we went directly to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum where we received an emotion-filled education on the brutality used by the Khmer Rouge at this prison camp, located in the middle of Phnom Penh. It was a more powerful experience than our visit to the Killing Fields the day before and we’ve become inspired to learn more about this terrible period in Cambodia’s history.
At noon we boarded a high speed boat from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc, Vietnam. It was a beautiful ride down the Mekong River, passing fishing villages and other craft of varying sizes. After passing through both the Cambodian check point and the Vietnamese border control, we were officially in Vietnam once again!
Our evening in Chau Doc was relaxing and we took a cyclo to a floating restaurant on the other side of town. The mosquitoes are fierce in this town and after a long day of journeying we retreated into the air-conditioned hotel room for the night.
We’ve just added some new photos of our journey up the Mekong River from Luang Prabang to the Pak Ou Caves and the Whiskey Village. Check it out!
One of the recommended activities in Luang Prabang is a visit to the Pak Ou caves. The two caves are located 25km north of Luang Prabang in the lower part of a limestone cliff. Inside those mystical caves are hundreds of little Buddha statues hiding in the walls of the cave or seated on a rock. The caves are accessible by boat or by tuk tuk and we of course chose the boat option. After a nice breakfast by the Mekong, 1 Dramamine pill (me) and quick negotiation with the boatman we were on our way! We chartered a boat to go up the Mekong River all the way to the Pak Ou caves and split the cost with another traveler instead of going on a group tour. The ride north was gorgeous taking us along villages, animals and other boats.
After 19 hours of travel from Luang Prabang by plane, bus, boat and tuk tuk we finally arrived in Don Khon - an island in Si Phan Don, in Southern Laos. The island is a small piece of paradise dotted with bungalows and restaurants by the Mekong River, featuring amazing sunsets. The island only has electricity for a few hours during the day. It is quiet beyond belief and for the first time in what feels like years-we can see a sky full of stars.
We’re not making a lot of definite plans for this trip. There’s so much to see and do that we’re going to need to go with the flow. However, we are very interested in spending some quality time in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, in the south of the country. In the latter half of the trip, there’s a good chance we’ll cross the border by land from Cambodia back into Vietnam at the town of Chau Doc. Other possible cities include Ha Tien, also near the border, and Rach Gia, famous for its fishing. Our friend, Thu, and her family are from Rach Gia. Most importantly, we’ve got our eye on a good 5 or 6 days on the island of Phu Quoc, just off the coast of Vietnam, again, near the border with Cambodia. That might be the perfect sun and sand destination we seek on this trip!
Last year I took a 2 day organized tour to the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City. Most of the people on the tour were Vietnamese, city folk, some of whom had never spent any time in the major city of Can Tho and the floating markets of the Delta. In fact, some of the young travelers worked in HCMC’s growing hi-tech industry. Too see just how different the Delta is for people like them and like me, I’ve posted a video journey from a boat floating down a river from last year’s trip.
