Travelogue
Pham Ngu Lao, Saigon - The Place To Stay - 2 June 2017
Pham Ngu Lao sits in Quan (District) 1 not far from the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City. There are a number of streets with the name Pham Ngu Lao along the southern boundary of the Central Park of Saigon and the “Love Lake”. The main street, Bui Vien, has been referred to as a seething sea of humanity, but that’s true of Saigon generally. It’s the area known for budget accommodation, cheap restaurants and outdoor markets. It’s also conveniently close to many of the main attractions in Vietnam’s largest city, and is popular with foreigners and Vietnamese alike.As a tourist mecca it’s easy to find. Smart, clean taxis you pre-pay for take you there from Tan Son Nhat Airport, Vietnam’s busiest. Buses from Cambodia, with some coming through from Thailand, drop you right in its heart. Boats arrive from other parts of Vietnam on the river, and the open tour buses running up and down the country basically start or finish their tours in Pham Ngu Lao. Every day all day buses going to Cambodia leave from next to Central Park. If you’re leaving or arriving by train on the Reunification Express that runs north to south and back again, as many tourists do, connections are available that run you to and from Pham Ngu Lao. It’s sort of a fully contained functioning tourist hub like Khao San Road in Bangkok. The difference with Pham Ngu Lao however, it that the locals use it as well.It’s Saigon (or Sai Gon) to the locals and to many visitors. Officially it’s Ho Chi Minh City
Vung Tau, Viet Nam - Waiting for the Weekend - 7 May 2017
The main road from Saigon into the coastal city of Vung Tau is named for Võ Nguyên Giáp, Vietnam’s greatest military figure of the 20th century, maybe ever, and it’s first ever four-star general. The road is broad, an 8-lane dual carriageway with lanes for motorcycles of which Vietnam has many, and is lined with manicured trees and rows of
Sihanoukville: Super Tuk-Tuks and Keystone Kops - 21 April 2017
Sihanoukville on the gulf of Thailand is fast becoming a destination on Cambodia's tourist trail, and has always been popular with locals. The trip from Phnom Penh takes about five hours by road and can be a little hair-raising. As a tip I’d avoid using minivan services. While they promise to get you there faster than larger buses, and usually
Dor Aray Sat near Phnom Penh - 15 February 2017
Areyksat Village (or Dor Aray Sat) is a Cambodian rural village typical of hundreds across the Kingdom of Wonder. Small, quiet, a few shop houses, a dirt road running through the middle. On hot still days motorbikes and the odd vehicle throw up a layer of dust coating the buildings, the roadside vegetation, and everything else. Sometimes one of
Travel Baggage - You Can Leave Home Without It - 10 January 2017
There’s an old adage about what to take with you on your travels and it goes something like this: lay out all the clothes you’re planning on taking with you and then all the money. Then take only half the clothes and bring twice the money. That may be a little dated in the age of plastic but back when people carried cash and traveller’s cheques
Vientiane - Please Slow Down - 24 November 2016
Vientiane is probably the most laid back capital city in Southeast Asia. This is maybe because Vientiane is capital of Southeast Asia’s quietest country, the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao, or the Lao PDR. It’s so laid back there’s a standing joke that this should stand for “please slow down”. If Bangkok is a megalopolis, Saigon a
Nong Khai - Naga City - 21 October 2016
Nong Khai sits at the very northeast of Thailand on the banks of the mighty Mekong River. Locally, it’s known as Naga City, after the mythical serpents said to inhabit the Mekong – the city is filled with literally hundreds of serpent images. Nong Khai is also known for its temples, rocket festivals and great balls of fire – the latter a natural
Cambodia's Kem Ley - Every Country Needs One - 18 August 2016
It’s over a month and a week since Dr. Kem Ley, perhaps Cambodia’s most prominent independent political commentator, was gunned down in broad daylight in a Phnom Penh cafe. On the surface of it, Ley’s killer was a loner with a personal grudge, however, it’s widely assumed his death was all about cold, hard calculation and orchestrated high up
The Wonder of the Wander - Phnom Penh to Bangkok and Beyond - 29 July 2016
The Wonder of Wander: From Cambodia to Thailand By Tuk-Tuk, Plane, Bus, Train, Bus and Baht (shared) Taxi or Songthaew.Yesterday I travelled between Phnom Penh to the beaches south of the Thai capital Bangkok in a morning and was there by mid-afternoon. On other occassions I’ve done this entirely by road from Cambodia and it’s taken up to 12
