The Heritage Region of Vietnam : Hue, Hoi An and Da Nang

Day 1: Arrived Da Nang and transfer to Hue

Hello Vietnam!!! Here I am again. It took us 3 hours to arrive this charming city of Da Nang. Thank you AirAsia for flying us there with, and of course for your reasonably cheap airfares. Upon arrival, we took a cab (MaiLinh) straight to Hue, though there was a little delay when our drive had to pull over for over-speeding. The maximum speed was 50km/h. No wonder it took 2 hours++ to reach Hue which is only 100 km from Da Nang. We passed through Hai Van pass (Hai Van means sea cloud). It was foggy but the views of the sea from the hills/mountains were awesome.

The Ngo Mon gate at night

We arrived Hue at noon, checked-in, had nice a nice Italian-dressing spaghetti and rested. Before taking a walk around Hue, we arranged an itinerary for the following day. We purchased city tour day trip at the hotel reception. At dusk, we took a cyclo and went around the old city of Hue. Before sightseeing started, we agreed to pay VND 100,000 for 2 person for 1 hour. We were brought to the citadel and the entrances to the city. It was not worth a ride because it was so dark and difficult to get good pictures. We dropped by a shop selling
materials for Ao Dai (traditional Vietnamese costume for ladies) and I could say I was amazed with the colourful, nicely embroidered and glittering pieces of cloths. I got myself a pair of white and purple cloth. It costed USD75 for two sets of Ao Dai cloths. We didn't really have the slightest idea on the actual price, so we paid the money and went away.

From our experience taking the cyclo ride (and my previous trips to Vietnamcities), there are couple of things to be kept in mind for those who wish to travel to Vietnam. Firstly, fix the price and be firm on the price before getting on the cyclo. Secondly, time the ride. Thirdly, DO NOT SHOW ANY INTEREST if you happen to see interesting shops and DO NOT LET THE cyclo guy force you to stop at those shops. Just say NO.  If you are interested to drop-by at those shops, do return later and shop happily and freely. :). There is a long story to jot here, but I think many travelers will get idea behind the reminders. Before we return to the hotel, we surveyed for a nicer hotel for tomorrow and we got one which was just next door from the hotel we were staying in this day

Main Entrance to Imperial Citadel of Hue via Ngo Mon gate

Day 2: Hue City Tour: UNESCO World Heritage Site, Emperors' Tombs, Perfume River Cruise

For USD 8 per person, we had a full and satisfying day trip around Hue. The first landmark, being one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Complex of Hue Monuments which include Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and other

entrances (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/678). It was nice to look at these monuments and good for our camera to work on too. I wish I would appreciate this visit by reading more on the history but my mind was too congested for historical stuff. Perhaps, I should try putting more effort to read and enhance my knowledge on every place I have visited, just like my mum. I'm so impressed with her knowledge in history.

Next stop was a visit to house garden. If I am not mistaken, the listing as provided by our hotel reception stated 'Imperial" garden instead of house garden. But whatever it is, I think this place is not worth a visit because there were not much flowers to appreciate. The only cool thing was the house was used by the imperials' descendants and another thing was, while it was scorching heat outside, it was really cooling in the inside. At noon, we had lunch at a restaurant near our hotel.

Nice view 

At Khai Dinh Tomb

After lunch, it was time to visit Thien mu pagoda and three selected tombs of the emperors along the Perfume River. The Thien Mu pagoda is a part of the Complex of Hue Monument but we didn't bother to fully explore this place. We just had a peek and headed to the stalls selling souvenirs. I bought myself fridge magnets (as usual), conical  Vietnamese straw hat (non la) and a stitch painting. Done with the pagoda, the coach brough us to the tombs. The first tomb visited was the Tomb of Minh Mang. There were several gates before reaching the mausoleum and the one I recall was Hien Duc gate.
We were given 40 minutes to explore the tomb but given that hot and sunny afternoon, we returned to the coach much earlier.


Two kilometers from Minh Mang tomb is Khai Dinh tomb which is more popular and more interesting than the former. More interesting camera shots can be done here. The arched staircase heading to the top and the statues of the warriors are the most frequently photographed spots. It would be more pleasant to take many camera shots if the weather was cooler. The sun was shining brightly and clear blue sky was good enough for nice pictures.

Warrior statues at Khai Dinh Tomb

After spending 40 minutes at the Tomb of Khai Dinh, we went to the Tomb of Tu Duc.  Before we arrive there, we stopped at shops selling incense and various other souvenirs. The incenses were arranged in lovely ways. The incenses were on the spot but we didn't bother to know about the process because our cameras were busy at that time. I am not sure if different colour incenses have different scent.

One of the entrances to the Imperial City

A pavillion at the Tomb of Tu Duc

Last tomb visited was the tomb of Tu Duc. This was really a nice place with decent and simple landscape, yet stunning. I couldn't stand the heat so I decided to relax under a tree and snapped more pictures to make full use of the leisure time. Done with all the tombs, we were taken to the riverbank where we embarked a modified platform boat and cruised along Perfume River. The river was considerably clean and the ride on the roofed platform boat was pleasant and cooling. I might fall asleep with the fresh breeze along the river. After 1 hour, we disembarked from the platform boat at the other end which is a very short walk from the hotel. We collected our belongings and checked-in in the other hotel.

Our day did not end there. We rented a motorcycle and explored parts of the imperial city that were not visited during the day. One of it was the colourful gate, which I'm not sure of the name. We took our own sweet time to photograph these eye-catching views. Well, from this activity, I may say that night photography is really a challenging skill and patience is a must. It appears easy enough when reading photography articles about night photography but application wise, was quite frustrating. Practices make things perfect so giving up is not an option. :).Then, we strolled along the river where the night market was before we returned to the hotel.

Day 3: Hue to Hoi An with stop at Lang Co beach

It was time to say adios to Hue. We took the 8 am bus to Hoi An. We were happy enough to see the big bus coming to pick us up, but later we got angry because the air-conditioner didn't work and we have to slide open the window and gasp unhealthy,polluted air along the journey to Hoi An. This was the part where I hated most. As the result, I returned my homecountry having high fever, flu and cough.

One of the old houses in Hoi An

This journey took 4 hours and the bus stopped at a small restaurant somewhere at Lang Co beach. Since there was nothing edible (except for the junkfood), I decided to have a peek at the area behind the restaurant. It was worth a peek because there was a beach and the view was quite nice, though the shore was too dirty with rubbish. Forget the rubbish, focus on the horizon, and all I got was breathtaking, eye-soothing views. After 40 minutes, the bus left Lang Co and headed to Hai Van pass where it passed through a long tunnel, longer than anything we have back at home.

Sunset view

Japanese Bridge

Finally, we arrived Hoi An after a long, nearly suffocating bus ride. We checked-in at An Phu hotel which was the last drop-off point for all passengers. We rested and  around 3 pm local time, we rented a bike and started the Hoi An Old City tour. There were areas where vehicles were not allowed except bicycles, and pedestrians. The environment was just awesome and I like this place very much. It resembles exactly like a typical old town I saw in many Chinese movie, but  of course in its own style. There were many traditional buildings, lanterns here and there, and most local people were in their national costumes. It was such a small town but most importantly, it is gazetted as UNESCO World Heritage site. We went to the Japanese Bridge, just to see this famous landmark and the symbol of Hoi An. It was built by the Japanese community and the architecture was just as modest.

We decided to spend the whole evening in Hoi An old town. I was so impressed during the sunset. The environment, the atmosphere changed dramatically. This was the time where our camera shutters were busy doing their jobs. Colourful lanterns were lit own, adding a romantic, yet cheerful atmosphere in Hoi An old town.

Crossing the fully lit up bridge to another part of the town, we went to the stalls selling lanterns. There were many shapes, colours and sizes which were attractive enough to make me spend the dollars. Hoi An will be even more cheerful and happening during the full moon festival. This is the strongerst reason to return to Hoi An but the next time I return, I will include Dalat n Nha Trang in my itinerary. Gossshhhh....so many places I still need to visit.

Around 8 pm, there were performances by the locals and I liked them very much. The traditional dances were colourful, graceful and energetic. Since Hoi An is one of the world heritage site, it is such a great idea to organize this kind of performance every night. It would be nicer if there were halal food outlets so that we could spend more time dining and enjoying the atmosphere. I do wish our Muslims will step in Hoi An and set up restaurants serving halal food.

The silence of Hoi An was felt as early as 9 pm. Shops closed except for small convenient stores and the Westerners who were expecting night life there would not be able to spend time in bars or clubs. There was no clubs or bars available in Hoi An. Maybe there was something at the beach but we didn't go there (tried to, but it was too far to travel by bike at night time). We went back to the hotel and our day ended earlier.


Day 4: My Son sanctuary, Marble Mountain, Cham Museum and Da Nang

At 8 am, we started our trip to another UNESCO World Heritage site, My Son sanctuary. It took around 1 hour to get there from Hoi An. My Son sanctuary is a place where ancient temples and shrines of Hinduism were preserved. At 9.30 am and 11.30 am (if not mistaken) everyday, there are performances by local youths which are really awesome and entertaining. Three musical performances were presented before tourists head to the main historical sites.I couldn't remember the name of  each performance but I attached the shots of the performances.

One of the temples in My Son

My perception on Buddhism and Hinduism changed a bit when I visited My Son sanctuary. What I meant is, I haven't thought that Hinduism and Buddhism are related to each other. And it appears that both are related and originated from India. I knew that Buddhism was founded by Siddharta Gauthama Buddha, but I didn't notice the first two names were Hindu names. I think I have to read more about the history of Hinduism and Buddhism. Like I said before, is it not yet the right time for me read on heavy stuff like history and religion. Another thing that came into my mind was the influence of Hinduism in Malay tradition and culture. I saw similarities on the dance performance. It's not entirely the same, of course, but the influence of certain aspects from Indo-Chinese region were cultivated in Malay society, perhaps long time ago. 

Our way out from the complex of temples and shrines

The Hinduism aspects in this sanctuary did not look anything like the Hinduism in Bali. According to mum, the Hinduism practiced in Bali is the ancient Hinduism, but I do not know how ancient it is. And now my question, which Hinduism appears longer? Is it the one presented in My Son sanctuary, or the one in Bali? Regardless of the length of time, I still think that the Hinduism practiced in Bali is really unique and interesting. Mum also said Bali is a land of festivals because there are many rituals, cultural events and religious routines being held almost every single day of the year. I've been to Bali 3 times but so far I didn't get the chance to witness those events yet. I need to get a local Bali friend practicing Hinduism and ask more about this. I miss visiting Bali so much.                        

Parts of Marble Mountain

Well, we didn't spend much time here as we were more interested to spend more time in the museums, the Cham Museum and the War Museum. Around 10.30 am, we headed to Marble Mountain, which is 1.5 hours journey from My Son. Marble Mountain, was the main resource for marbles, but I'm not sure if it is still the main resource today. There were many shops selling marble carvings, be it big carvings or small carvings, and pendants as well. On the top of the mountain, there were several pagodas and lookout points which facing the Eastern Sea (East China Sea actually but the Vietnamese refused to use ECS). It was pretty cooling up there though the altitude was below 1000 ft (my guess only). There was nothing much to see, thank god, or else we have to spend lesser time in the museums.

Bucket boat and the lifeguard

In less than 30 minutes, we got back to the car and headed to Cham museum. Well, frankly speaking, if one has been to Angkor Wat, a visit to Cham museum does not a necessity. This is a museum displaying all artifacts and remnants of religious sculptures and figures from the excavations of ancient Buddhist religious sites around Vietnam.
Next, we had seafood lunch at one of the famous seafood restaurant in Da Nang. We had tiger prawns, crabs and clamps. And it costed us USD 18 for 3 people. I think the prawns, crabs and clamps are fresh and for USD 18, they are bloody cheap. I just wish I can have seafood meals every week at where I'm staying now, but it appears to be not possible at the moment. After lunch, we were brought to the War Museum but we got a rotten luck as the museum was only opened at certain tima and entrance was only for tourists in groups. We decided to get to the hotel, and let the driver to return to Hoi An earlier. So, we checked-in at Jimmy Hotel which is a walking distance from the beach. Around 5 pm, we rented a bike and had a look at the beach. It was a nice beach, and unlike beaches in the Peninsular Malaysia coasts, the one in Da Nang is really clean and clear. I was eyeing for the bucket boat which I think was exclusive in Vietnam. Tried to take good pictures of it but the one I posted here is the only what I've got.

After sunset, we went to Han market where more Ao Dai materials were sold. We bought another several pieces of cloth and it happened that I didn't have much USDs left. I would definitely have bought more pieces for myself. After shopping, we had lunch at PIZZAHUG, and had tuna pizza, instead of vegetarian pizza. So I guess, that's the end of hour trip in the heritage region of Vietnam

Day 5: Returned to Kuala Lumpur with a hope that I didn't have to return home, but travel somewhere else.

Our expenditure for this trip

1) Airport cab to Hue                   USD 50
2) Hotels in Hue                           USD 60 (2 nights)
3) Hue City Tour                          USD  8  (per pax)
4) Entrance fees:
           Imperial Citadel                 VND  55,000
           House garden                    VND  10,000
           3 tombs                             VND 165,000
                                                     VND 230,000 (USD 11)
4) Bus Hue to Hoi An :                  USD  4  (per pax)
5) Hotel in Hoi An      :                  USD 12  (1 night)
6) One way day trip to My Son Sanctuary, Marble Mountain & Cham Museum + 1 night hotel in Da Nang (private tour)                                 USD 100 (for 2 pax)
7) Entrance fees:
            My Son sanctuary:            VND 60,000 per pax
            Marble Mountain :             VND 30,000 per pax
            Cham Museum    :             VND 30,000 per pax
                            Total   :              VND 120,000 per pax (6 USD)
7) Seafood lunch             :              USD   18 (for 3 pax)
8) Souvenirs                    :              USD lost track....:)

Surakarta (Solo) & Jogjakarta : November 2011

Prambanan Temple

18 November 2011: KL-Jogjakarta

Two ladies traveled together on AirAsia flight to Jogjakarta. Everything was arranged by Lintang Buana Wisata Nusantara which costed us Rph 2,142,000 but exclusive of meals.So this was a simple trip but simple enough to cheer us up from the not-so-interesting activities back in Malaysia. Met Pak Murtejo on arrival at Adi Sumarmo airport. He is such a nice and friendly tour guide which kept on communicating with us in English . I thought of communicating in bahasa Indonesia but had to put that aside.

Parangtritis Beach

On arrival, we were brought straight to Prambanan temple which is in ancient Hindu temple and one of UNESCO World Heritage sites of Indonesia. I think this place used to be the most important landmark by looking the original plan and structures before the massively damaging earthquake in year...I couldn't remember. We were told that the main 3 temples (Trimurti temples) are the temples of Brahma, Vishnu and Krishna whereas the other 3 temples in front of each Trimurti temple is called the Vahana temple (Nandi, Garuda and Hamsa). Details can be read at Wikipedia. I think I couldn't enjoy the beauty of Prambanan temple that much because it was starting to rain and I couldn't risk my Mr. Cam to get wet. And I would return to see Prambanan temple at sunrise and sunset.
Next, we went to Parangtritis beach. This beach is facing Indian Ocean and according to our guide, this placed was hit by tsunami in the earthquake a few years back. There is a huge cliff which can be very picturesque with proper natural lighting. This beach is quite dangerous as it is steep, judging from the pattern of the waves.As with other places famous for beautiful sunset view, we didn't get to witness this
amazing moment here because it was cloudy. It is not a white sandy beach here but sand texture is really fine. Visitors can do various activities other than soaking in the water, such as horse-riding, riding on a horse-carriage and ATV. By sunset, we headed to Grand Rosela hotel in Jogjakarta, and had our simple Javanese dinner at one of the 'lesehan' near the hotel. We were also introduced to Aries, the tour guide for our next days in Solo and Jogjakarta.

Kraton, Jogjakarta

19 November 2011: Jogjakarta City Tour and Borobudur temple

Nice ceiling @ Kraton Jogjakarta

After a simple breakfast, we started our day by visiting Sultan Palace, also known as Kraton. There were several pavilions which were decorated that simple, unlike other castles or palaces around the world which were decorated lavishly. It has Dutch influence in the architecture. One nice thing about Kraton Jogjakarta was, it was planted with trees with gives cooling effect within the palace compound. There were also rooms displaying all gifts from
various countries and awards and medals presented to the current and previous sultans. Before we went off, I bought 'belangkon Jogja", a traditional head wear for Jogjakarta men.

Taman Sari (Water Castle)

Next, we went to Taman Sari (Water Castle as they call it). This is another fascinating place to visit though it was very decent and less tourists. This place was a place the previous sultans swam and soaked themselves in. There were many pools here, and of course there was one meant only for the sultans and their wives. This castle was alot more interesting than before where water was surrounding the castle. Since the severe earthquake a few years back, destructive damages occurred and this castle were abandoned. There was a round building which was used as a mosque and protective place from invasions.

Stupas in Borobudur Temple

After Taman Sari, we stopped at Malioboro street, to do the fundamental shopping. Fundamental as in getting fridge magnets and some batik clothing for ourselves. And then, it was

time for another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Borobudur temple. Before entry to this amazing structure, we had dinner at one of the small food outlet near the temple. My

1st visit was in November 2011, and as I recalled, the entrance fee was USD 11 for foreigners. But this time, the fee was increased to USD 17. But it was worth paying, and most importantly, worth visiting. This temple was maintained and sustained to the fullest. This temple faces Mount Merapi, which has erupted in 2011 which has killed the key-keeper named Mbah Marijan. He was said to be responsible to ensure that the spirit of the volcano kept appease. There were rituals where people (I'm pretty sure they are the  Hindu local people) will bring offerings to foot of the mountain (or maybe to lip of the volcano) and present them to spirit of the volcano. This is similar to the rituals in Mt. Bromo in Sukapura, East Java. Borobudur temple is a 7 floors structure where the first 5 level, one can see carvings on the wall, depicting the birth of Buddha and other teachings of Buddhism. It takes more than a day to see the learn all messages from the wall carvings. It is said that the higher the floor, the higher the knowledge level of a pilgrim, and at the top of the temple, it is a place where one achieved Nirvana. It was quite complicated to absorb all information on the teachings of Buddhism though.

Mount Merapi

Candi Mendut

We had quick photo stops at Candi Pawon and Candi Mendut. These are also ancient Buddhist temples which is a lot smaller and simple. But I like the appearance of the walls which does indeed show the long ages of these structures. It was raining since arrived Borobudur and it was still raining until the end of the day. It was completely difficult to do the photography thing in this condition but it was somehow brought different atmosphere.

Sukuh Erotic Temple

Next, we passed through Mount Merapi passing the south route. According to Aries, we were considere lucky because the view of Mount Merapi was clearly visible. Most of the times, tourists got disappointed as they couldn't see the volcano when the cloud was thick. And I did a mistake for taking the chance to stop by the road and snap proper pictures, when I was offered by the driver for such purpose. I took picture in mobile which was why the picture here is awful. I thought we would stop for a longer time somewhere near Mt. Merapu but the driver headed straight to Solo which was quite a distant. I enjoyed the scenery while passing by the foot of Mount Merapi. I admired the hardworking Javanese men and women. They were still at the vegetables patches, working on the patches though it was almost dark. It was the oldies to earn, but the youngsters nowadays were money-spender. That was what being said by our driver. We arrived Solo around 8 and checked-in Hotel Arini. This hotel is not meant for unmarried Muslim couples. We had dinner nearby the hotel at one of the 'lesehan' and enjoyed simple food,

One of the carvings depicting god knows what

20th November 2011: Solo City Tour, Sukuh Erotic Temple & Cemerolawang Waterfall

We visited Mangkunegaran Palace and anique market nearby the palace. The palace was still under renovation but I could see it was not so lavishly decorated compared to other palaces of the world. There were collections of earrings, rings, genital protectors, weapons, and other interesting artifacts on display. The antique market sold many stuff which I didn't have interest at all though I was looking for small souvenirs from Surakarta to be brought home.

Cemerolawang Fall

Next, we went to Batik market, and I was so dizzy looking at the batik products, especially the dresses and the skirts. I didn't buy any though because I tried not to spend unnecessarily. After all, I bought a piece of batik skirt at Borobudur. I'm not sure of the quality but as long as the price is OK, it's not a big deal at all.

We headed to Sukuh Erotic Temple. I kind of excited to visit this place because I thought there would be sooooo many things to see and I thought it was a big place. But it was not what I have expected but still it was a nice place to relax because of the cooling air. From this temple, we moved on to Cemerolawang waterfall. It was raining so the beauty of the waterfall was not at its greatest. We were starving so our way to the fall site, we stopped at an under-tree sitting-on-covered-dirt area and grabbed 10 pieces of 'sate kelinci' (grilled small pieces of rabbit meat) each with sliced onions and cucumber, dipped in hot peanut sauce. It was extremely delicious (though I'm not into rabbits...because they are soooo cute to be served on the table).

It was quite a long day for us, so we checked in Arini Hotel in Solo, and rested for awhile. We went out to the nearest shopping mall, hoping to find some nice souvenirs but couldn't see what we wanted. Then we just hang out at J.CO, having  doughnuts and ice-blended, and logged in to our FB accounts.

Charming Laos : September 2011

Brief description on my trip to Vientiane and Vang Vieng, Laos

20 September 2011

Arrived Vientiane by AirAsia in the evening. 

Checked-in at Malinam Phu hotel.

For the rest of the day, only photography skills were practiced.

Met many Muslims in Vientiane and halal restaurants are available, mostly Indian food. 

Enjoyed Indian food so much for the entire trip

21st September 2011

Started the day by strolling around the city, visiting That Dam Stupa (Black stupa).

Later, rented a Laotian style tuk-tuk from morning till evening, and headed to Buddha park which is located outskirt of Vientiane. The Budda Park is located at the riverbank of Mekong river, which is at the border of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Road condition was horrible and it was a bumpy ride once entering the village.

Later, visited That Luang stupa, or also known as the Golden Stupa, a very famous symbol of Laos.

Next, head to Patuxay, resembling Arc de Triomp of Paris. 

After a full afternoon, we dropped by at the waterfront to have late lunch

Strolled around Vientiane city and return to the hotel.

At night, went to the night market, bought the must buy items and shawls.

22nd September 2011

Took a bus to Vang Vieng which took 3 hours ++.

Vang Vieng is a small city which is full of foreigners seeking fun here.

Checked in at Riverview Hotel. Our room is in the middle of Vang Vieng river which is cool.

Reached Vang Vieng at noon and surveyed for activities possible to be done today. We decided to do kayaking from the upriver (can't remember the name) until Vang Vieng small city.

Thought of going for tubing but the tour agent said it's not good for us. I couldn't understand why is that so but that the guy said it is meant for drunk people who do not have anything else to do. And it seemed that the guy knew both of us were not drinkers. 

Kayaking along the river is fun and the view along the river is really amazing. It is a feel in a real village with no pollution and development.

After kayaking, returned to the hotel and had dinner at an Indian restaurant.

Planned itinerary for next day, and finally decided to go caving and visiting the Blue Lagoon (sad, sad, sad,that Blue Lagoon happened to be white-tea lagoon due to rain).

23rd September 2011

Took a half bumpy ride to the Blue Cave and Blue lagoon. It was raining so not many photographs were taken accept in the cave and nearby area. After caving, passed through a village and saw women were weaving shawls and the shawls made were displayed. They are for sale!!! We stopped and bought a few pieces as this is something authentic and made by the locals. 

Couldn't afford to waste anymore time because we've booked bus  ticket to return to Vientiane at 2 pm.

We did a quick packing up and checked out. It was really frustrating to stay in Vang Vieng for a short time. 

If time and financially permitting, I would return to Vientiane and headed straight to Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang and spend more time doing outdoor activities in Vang Vieng. 

Arrived Vientiane and checked in at Mixay Guesthouse (veru cheap) in the evening and there was nothing much to do except that visiting the night market again, looking for typical Laotian skirts.

24th September 2011

We spent our last day in Vientiane by visiting the day market and Laotian Museum. There are many souvenirs and Laotian handicrafts here and many shops selling the skirts that I wanted to buy earlier. 

\And next, we took a tuk-tuk to the museum. This museum is located in front of the National Cultural Hall.  It is not that big but tiring enough to walk from one end to another end at two floors.

There were traditional items on display but couldn't remember those items because my spine was signaling me to slow down and sit.

By afternoon, we returned to the hotel, checked out and headed to the airport for departure to KL

@ Buddha Park

Many hands Buddha statue

Leaning Buddha and other figures

Nice view of Golden Stupa

Patuxay

Golden Stupa, famous Vientieane icon

The way they fish in Laos

Tenagers in Vang Vieng

Half drunken tubers

Kayaking in Vang Vieng

View of paddy field at foot of  mountain

In the cave

Natural spring water in the cave

View from our room

Weaving apparatus

Handmade shawls for sale

Ramadhan Short Trip: Bandar Sri Begawan August 2011

It was not really a well-planned trip. I would say this was an ad hoc trip as I simply booked a return AirAsia flight of KL-Bandar Sri Begawan route. And since it was quite some time I did not travel, I thought I should give a try traveling during the fasting month. Lucky I have a friend who understood me well she too, started to travel here and there.

Brunei is not as huge as any other countries I used to visit. It is a simple city and it is very, very clean. Even the river in the city was free from rubbish i.e not a single rubbish seen though there is a market on the riverbank. It was not difficult to navigate this city but walking in the scorching heat, strong sun and considerably high humidity (being on the equator), it got us all sweaty and a little uncomfortable. But we managed to complete our fasting of the day. Alhamdulillah.

Brunei is a small but well-known to the world for their King is among the richest in the world. The main produce of Brunei is petroleum and with the size of the country, the citizens of Brunei live in prosperous life, most of them, if not all. And I believe the government of Brunei did a very good job in running the country.

It seems that there are many immigrants in Brunei. In the local buses, 95% is occupied by immigrants, most probably from Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. I guess Bruneians do not need to travel by public transports when they manage to buy their own cars.

When visiting Brunei, it is worth to visit the mosques and several other attractions such as the Water Village, Royal Regalia and of course, take a peek on the Nurul Iman palace from the outside.

Here are several pictures from my trip to Bandar Sri Begawan.