Quebec, November 23, 2016,
Hello Mrs. Nguyen, it has now been more than a week since we returned from our Asian trip and as I had undertaken, I am now submitting to you a report of this trip that we have just completed in your beautiful country. We will talk about our tourist impressions but also make some comments on the organization of this trip and our general appreciation.
Let’s start by specifying that your beautiful country has charmed us from the outset and deserves a thousand times a stop. We return enchanted by our stay in Vietnam. Halong Bay and the Ninh Byng area gave us some of the most beautiful views of the entire trip and are now forever etched in our memories.
North Vietnam:
The night train to Lao Cai, then the region of Sapa was an ethnological encounter as we had wished and it gave us the enchantment we dreamed of. The skills of our guide The Anh, an ethnologist by training, greatly contributed to enriching our knowledge of these peoples whom we had come to meet and who welcomed us with great curiosity and great generosity in their homes. We imagine them as curious about us as we are about them. The visit to Sin Cheng market will remain unforgettable, but it requires a long drive to get there, and then return via Lao Cai before reaching Sapa required driving prowess from the driver which gave us some scares as the day disappeared and winded through the many trucks and motorbikes towards the pretty town of Sapa. The town of Sapa is booming in tourism and the many infrastructures that seem to grow into anarchy diminish its charm a little, but it remains unmissable and its surroundings are a pure delight for the eyes.
On the road to Diem Bien Phu, the planned stop at Lai Chau, and the situation of the Stalinien hotel with its huge empty dining room, lit with neon lights, disappointed us a little, but it was good. In general, the hotels and services provided in North Vietnam were very satisfactory, in particular, the very pretty “Hidden charm hotel and resort of Ninh Binh”. Our guide Teh Anh was a respectful, informed guide who spoke very good French and told us a lot about the habits and customs of the north.
A small disappointment, was the too-short time spent in Hanoi. 4.5 / 5
Laos:
Laos also offers fascinating landscapes, but the difficult geography of the country and the rudimentary infrastructures make travel more laborious than in its Vietnamese neighbour. Even crossing the border turned out to be a little chaotic as a six-kilometre of no man’s land separates the two countries and the guide from Laos was unaware that he had to go to the border post on the Vietnamese side to fetch us.
The organization in general was probably a little weaker in this country although quite acceptable. Our new guide did not quite handle the French language as we had hoped, communication proved to be a little more difficult and it was sometimes laborious to design the plan for the day. Lots of surprises!
The descent of the Nam Ou, its fantastic landscapes of karst cliffs, the magnificent Khuang Si waterfall, and its intense emerald colour offered us grandiose panoramas that we will never forget! Then the very charming city of Luang Prabang seduced us, and in particular, the quality of the people of the hotel “Villa Chitdara”, their kindness and their exemplary attention was remarkable. Unfortunately, the room had no window overlooking the street, a small annoyance!
Small disappointment, the difficulty of communicating with the Laotian guide, who was also a very pleasant and kind young man. 4.0 / 5
Cambodia :
The transfer to Siem Reap went smoothly and the young woman who welcomed us to Cambodia is very nice. We are here in Asia to finally see what I have dreamed of seeing since I was twelve, Angkor Wat was found and freed from the jungle by Henri Mouhot in 1860.
The visit with the guide is very informative and revealed some of the secrets of this mythical empire to us thanks to her in-depth knowledge of history and the sites themselves. It is a wonderful place which once again gave me a lot of happiness and fulfilled our expectations. The transfer from Siem Reap to Phom Penh turned out to be a bit long and without an interpreter or guide, not very interesting. As for the Phnom Penh guide, although very kind and witty, we will only have met him for barely two hours…difficult to establish a relationship! A driver and a car were also provided to travel to the royal palace, a few hundred meters from our hotel. It was useless and we dismissed this crew without ever having boarded the car in question! Completely useless when it would have been better to have planned a tour of the city for the following morning rather than to go and wait at the ferry terminal some three hours before departure..
Small disappointment to have passed through the capital of Cambodia without having been able to see the remains of the Khmer Rouge tyrant, Paul Pot and his acolytes. Nothing to testify to the genocide that took place there thirty years ago. 4.0 / 5
South Vietnam:
The south of Vietnam, therefore the Mekong delta, showed us the maritime side of these populations who literally live over the water. It is a way of life that is deeply foreign to us, which makes it so captivating. Our guide speaks excellent French and comments with accuracy and generosity on the lives of these simple but endearing people. Then the road leads us to the pleasant city of Can Tho, then finally Saigon, a mythical city that I have dreamed of knowing for so long. The hotel is well located near the historic city centre and visits to the surrounding area are very interesting, including the very exciting one to the village of Cu Chi.
The visit to the former presidential palace, a must, was very moving from a historical point of view. The bustle and frenzy that characterize this megalopolis are forever etched in our memories. Totally fascinating this multitude of scooters which intertwine, cross and intersect noisily along the main avenues and busy streets and this, without practically ever touching. This is marvellous!
Small disappointment, the floating market of Cai Rang and whose magnitude is a little disappointing. 4.0 / 5
Central Vietnam:
In the central region, finally, the last stage of this trip took us to Hue, where we were able to admire the most beautiful monuments of the imperial city. What a delight these magnificent buildings were erected to satisfy the megalomania of these ancient princes. What beauty and refinement! These are exceptional places and especially the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, solemn and harmonious in which it bathes. We find ourselves in a state of blissful contemplation as these places are perfectly harmonious.
However, due to a very unforeseen delay in our Saigon-Danang flight, the day turned out to be very long and we could have easily saved the boat trip on the Perfume River when night had already fallen. The hotel in Hue was really magnificent and it was a shame not to be able to enjoy it a little more because after three weeks fatigue began to accumulate in the bodies and minds of the participants.
Finally, the city of Hoy Anh deserves a lot of attention, as it is pleasant, a true jewel of humanity without a doubt, however, it would have been better advised to provide a hotel giving easier access to the city centre than the very out-of-the-way “Muca Boutique”.
For the charm of its palaces, its cuisine, its tailors and its beer…. Minus the less well-located hotel at the very end of the trip. 4.5
In summary, we are very satisfied with our trip and your services proved to be very professional. We only had to deal with courteous people of exemplary dedication and we always felt safe. Your country is beautiful, the people there are extremely hospitable and seem happy. We shared a moment of their existence and it was very enriching for both of us.
What displeased us somewhat was the very frequent change of guides or even drivers, often every three days or even two, difficult to establish links over such short periods. .
Thank you for taking the trouble to read us and take note of our unwavering affection.
Gilles and Constance Marceau,
From Oct. 21 to Nov. 15, 2016
