Happy August, friends! We’re entering the 8th month of the year. How’s 2023 for you so far? 😉 This week, I’ll take you for a sampan ride in Tam Coc River, Vietnam. Sampan is a small boat with a flat bottom that is commonly used in Asia. Think about the small boats that you see in Bangkok’s floating market. If it doesn’t ring a bell, I’ll show you what sampan looks like soon, hehe! If you’ve been following my blog, you may remember that I love the sea and everything related to it – underwater restaurants, cruise holidays, island-hopping, and of course, sampan rides! Whenever I look at the sea,…
-
-
Vietnam Day Trip: Tam Chuc Pagoda
Hi, friends! I hope you’re doing well so far, it’s already the middle of the month 😁 This week, I’ll take you for a day trip to Vietnam to see Tam Chuc Pagoda, one of the largest pagodas in the world. Prepare your walking shoes, jacket, and hat for the long walk! I went to see this famous Buddhist temple with my mom and sister. One of the perks of joining a group tour is you can visit far far away places without having to worry about transportation. According to Google, it takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes from Hanoi to Tam Chuc Pagoda. It was a wonderful day…
-
Hanoi Trip: Bánh Mì, Café Dinh Egg Coffee, Train Street, Sen Tây Hồ Buffet
This week, let me take you on a food tour in Hanoi! We’ll be sampling the famous bánh mì (Vietnamese-style baguette), Café Dinh’s egg coffee, and visitting the train street + a popular buffet restaurant, Sen Tây Hồ 😋 I had one last good brunch on Era Cruises before the tour group departed for Hanoi. It was good weather for a Hanoi trip, not too sunny or cloudy. There was a small boat that transferred us back to the cruise port. From Halong Bay, we took the express highway and reached Hanoi in just two hours. Else, it would take four hours! On the way to Hanoi, we stopped in a…
-
Halong Bay Cruise Review: Era Cruises
Hi, everyone! It’s been two weeks since I saw Maksim Mrvica LIVE and stood beside him… Gosh, I wish I could turn back time. Not sure when he will return to Malaysia 🥲 Luckily, long before the concert, I already booked a Vietnam tour that included a 2D1N Halong Bay cruise with Era Cruises. The trip cheered me up a bit… I used to ponder, why do I like the ocean but am not a fan of beaches? 🌊🤔 I just can’t stand sitting on a beach for hours, doing nothing under the hot sun. Okay, there may be beach umbrellas but the weather would still be hot. Plus, my…
-
The Bamboo Riverboat Show and Ride in Hoi An, Vietnam
Hola, amigos! This week I wanna share about a unique bamboo riverboat show and trip that I had when travelling in Hoi An, Vietnam. Where did I get the inspiration from? So, I was looking at old emails in my inbox and found a quotation of a personalised Vietnam trip that I asked for many years ago — but haven’t made it until now. When I looked at the itinerary, I wanted to remove the Day-10 activity, which is a sampan ride along the Mekong river, because I had a similar boat ride when I was in Hoi An. And, mine was even better as it’s a bamboo riverboat! Not…
-
The Marble Mountains in Da Nang & Some Thoughts About Homosexuality
Honestly, I don’t know what to write this week. I’ve been busy and happy with my new routine: work-dance-fitness-repeat ❤️ But somehow, the memory of my trip to the Marble Mountains in Da Nang crossed my mind. I’m very fond of the cover photo of this blog post. It was just a few minutes of me admiring the scenery, right after I walked out of the elevator. Yes, there’s an elevator, but you’ll still need to climb 156 steps of the stairway that leads to the summit of Thuy Son (the only Marble Mountain which is accessible to visitors). I don’t know why, but at that time, it felt so…
-
Ba Na Hills, a Beautiful French Resort in Da Nang, Vietnam
If there’s one place that’s been popping into my mind, it’s Ba Na Hills, an Instagrammable resort in Da Nang, central Vietnam. I’ve written a little bit about this joyful place before, but I feel I didn’t do it justice by just publishing its photos of beautiful flowers. True, this place is designed like a little French town with beautiful flowers everywhere, but there are many things to see and do there, such as: The coastal city of Da Nang has a French colonial history, that’s why the Sun World group built Ba Na Hills with a fusion touch of French and Chinese. There’s a beautiful Chinese bridge adorned with…
-
It’s not China. It’s Hoi An Night Market in Vietnam
By looking at the photo, one might think it’s a night market in China. But no, this photo is taken in Hoi An Night Market, Vietnam. As the hope for walking down the AirAsia/MAS/Emirates aisle this year becomes 50/50, I hope I could spark joy by sharing my wonderful experience with this post. If you’re a foodie, take note! 😉 Located in Nguyen Hoang Street, a trip to Hoi An isn’t complete without visiting the vibrant, exotic night market which opens from 5pm to 10pm. It’s very lively – thanks to the colourful lanterns, vibrant bridge and tourists (with great appetite). There are many nice hotels near the night market,…
