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| Yes, that is a tree on the back of his motorbike. What will they think of next? |
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This country surprises me, everyday, with something new to stare at and ponder, 'is that really the safest way to transport building material?' |
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
What Can You Fit On Your Motorbike?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Mui Ne: Villas, Seafood, Sand Dunes & Ostrich Rides!
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| Bus cost from HCMC: 5 usd |
Where: Mui Ne, Vietnam
Why: Beach, adventure time and some peace and quiet away from HCMC.
Transportation: 5-hour bus ride from HCMC. We took a sleeping bus. It was a good way to travel, as long as you weren't over 6 feet tall. I felt like I was in a spaceship!
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| Great room with a great view! |
A 3-minute walk up from the beach we found a great villa on the hill called the Mui Ne Hills Guesthouse.
TripAdvisor Review here.
On Saturday, we started the day off right with an ocean view breakfast, at the villa, which included eggs, toast and fruit.
We rented a motorbike for the day and set off to explore Fairy Stream (aka Suoi Tien), a shallow river that flows between bamboo forests and sand dunes. Visitors can walk barefoot through the water to a small waterfall.
At the Red Sand Dunes we were approached by kids renting plastic sleds however, we found walking and jumping up and down the dunes to be plenty of sandy fun for us. The dunes are a remarkable "must-see" in Mui Ne.
The remainder of our weekend was spent on the beach
walking, swimming and watching kite surfers (another sport I would love to learn!).
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| Photo courtesy of pervoliavilla.com |
Mui Ne is all about the seafood! Boiled, grilled, BBQ, fried, however, you like it. On our trip we enjoyed squid, prawns, red snapper and grouper fish. Yummy!
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| Fishing Harbor |
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Christmas Vacation Or: How I Learned to Leave Kuta and Love Bali
Bali Traveling Tips
1. Don't go to Jakarta...ok, just kidding but, when you do be sure to always lock the taxi doors if you have a layover in this city.
2. Extra cash on hand for Indonesia's Arrival Tax: 40,000 Rp/Departure Tax: 150,000 Rp
3. Do not take the first taxi you see once you leave the Bali airport. You will save yourself a lot of money if you walk 100 yards outside of the airport to catch a metered taxi.
4. There are many money changers in Kuta. Take your time and check a few out to find the one with the best rate that does not have a commission and make sure to count your money after each transaction.
5. To save money on food find a local Indonesian restaurant that sells Mi Goreng (noodles, vegetables and meat of your choice). It's delicious and can cost as little as $1 a plate.
6. Many private tour companies charge high prices for an island tour. However, many taxi drivers rent vans and hire themselves out as private drivers at a lower day rate. Just be sure to specify exactly where you want to go, avoid extra "market" stops and pay at the end of the day.
My friends and I stayed in Legian near Kuta, the tourist, shopping mecca of Bali. We found Kuta Beach to be great for surfing but it was a little crowded and dirty. If I were to visit Bali again, I would stay in Nusa Dua. This area has more resorts and more resorts means cleaner beaches. As well as being cleaner than Kuta, Nusa Dua is much quieter and the beach has fewer vendors which makes for a more relaxing beach experience. Close to Nusa Dua is the Monkey Temple which provides an excellent view of some sea side cliffs and gives you the opportunity to be attacked by real monkeys! When dealing with these well fed beasts remember to leave your snacks in the car or you might get up close and personal with one of these dastardly pickpockets! An hour to the center of Bali brings you to Ubud, an art-filled hub full of wood carvings, paintings, and statues galore. The art stores go on for miles. My question is: how do they sell enough of this art to have so many shops? There were five stone statue shops in a row! How do you get a five foot tall stone statue back home? I hope the island has a good shipping service. Once you buy the artwork of your choice I recommend stopping by the Elephant Cave. After a ten hour van tour of Bali's tourist traps I found the Cave to be my most interesting non-beach stop in Bali.
I enjoyed my holiday break in Bali but for all the hype (aka Eat. Pray. Love) I feel that the island was a little over-rated and personally, prefer Hawaii.
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| Mi Goreng - Yum! |
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| Monkey Temple |
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| Bali Volcano |
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| Rice Terraces |
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| Elephant Cave (Ubud) |
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| Kuta Beach- Great for surfing! |
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| Nusa Dua |
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| Statues Galore |
Upcoming Trips
Nha Trang, Vietnam (January)
Cambodia (February)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Got Thirst?
I am 3 days away from my two month mark here in HCMC. A warm climate tends to change many routine behaviors for a westerner like me who is not used to it. For example, I wear lighter clothing and I drink a lot more to stay hydrated. From water to Vietnamese coffee to soda.
Although, all of these drinks may not be the best for you here are a few new drinks I have spotted over here:
*PepsiCo.'s Revive Isotonic is a refreshing drink with a grapefruit and orange flavor. This drink contains Vitamins B3, B6, and B12 to improve the body's metabolism and provide electrolytes to help re-hydrate athletes. Since there is no Gatorade in Vietnam, Revive makes for a suitable substitute. *PepsiCo. International owns 7-Up (Outside of the U.S.) that is why certain products are not available in the states. 
PepsiCo.'s Sting is a carbonated energy drink that comes in two flavors, Gold Rush and Berry Blast. Sting is a very sweet, highly caffeinated drink. Commercial: The Power of Sting
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
{Photo Blog} Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Day 1
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| Petronas Twin Towers |
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| Manara Tower |
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| View from the top |
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| Market browsing and donut treats |
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| Petronas Towers At Night |
Day 2  |
| Batu Caves: 42.7m high statue of Lord Murugan |
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| Monkeys kept us company as we climbed the 272 steps to the top. |
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| KLCC Park |
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Monkey See, Monkey Do
This weekend we made our way an hour and half outside HCMC by motorbike. We took a short ferry ride and continued driving through the quieter, less crowded Can Gio Mangrove forest to the beach.
Cost of Ferry ride: 10,000 VND (0.50 USD) for 4 people.
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| Monkey enjoying a bag of peanuts he just stole from a small boy. |
Monkey Island
On our way we stopped at Monkey Island. Animal lovers and kids alike will love this place. Home to thousands of mischievous monkeys, also known as long-tailed masquades (Macaca fascicularis), a bunch of crocodiles and other wildlife.
FYI: When visiting be sure to watch your food and drinks. Unlike zoos back in the states these social monkeys roam free at the park and enjoy stealing from people whether they are feeding them intentionally or not.
Cost of Monkey Island (Price does not include the optional boat tour): $5 USD total for 4 adults.
Can Gio Resort
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| Can Gio Resort |
Just down the road from Monkey Island we stopped and checked in to the Can Gio Resort. We stayed in a Bungalow for 40 USD dollars a night, breakfast included. This resort is on the beach with a swimming pool, tennis court, badminton court, massage, steam room/sauna, karaoke, pool table and a restaurant.
We really enjoyed this place and found it hard to believe it was only a 3-star resort.
Can Gio Resort Website
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| In the morning the tide went WAY out. |
Our dinner for 4 included:
1 kil or 2.20462262 pounds of octopus was 100,000 VND or $5 USD
1 kil or 2.20462262 pounds of Ghost Shrimp* was 300,000 VND or $15 USD.
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| Octopus |
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| King Prawns |
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| Seafood Market |
Monday, November 1, 2010
Date Night: Warda Restaurant
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In the heart of bustling District 1 down a narrow alley much like one you may find in Aladdin. Warda's guests find themselves stepping into an Arabian Nights atmosphere. The Mediterranean Restaurant and Shisha Bar offers a laid-back, comfortable setting with outdoor/indoor seating.  The food was excellent, I already want to go back and try some more. So far Max and I have tried: Tomato Calamari Kebeh Spicy Chicken Sambousek Homemade Baklova, Yum! Virtual Tour courtesy of Vietnam 720 here Address: 71/7 Mac Thi Buoi, Dist. 1, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Phone: (84-8) 3823 3822 Hours: Mon-Sat. 9am-late, Sunday: 3pm-12am |
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