Author: Stanfords

Matt and Sharon Ward are now in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Here’s what they had to say about their stay in the area from a his and hers perspective…

Another 7-hour bus journey took us safely across the border into Vietnam. After jumping off the bus a few times at border control, we successfully departed Cambodia and headed in the direction of Ho Chi Minh City (formally Saigon). Our accommodation, Phan Lan 2 Hotel, was situated directly across from our bus drop off point, which was a friendly family run guesthouse.

His Guide:

Our first point of call after dumping our luggage in our small, but clean room, was to visit JJ’s Brazilian BBQ Restaurant for some much needed food. As we sat outside enjoying dinner and a few beers, our conversation was often drowned out by the sound of motorbikes zooming past, which was a sign of things to come. We then took a stroll up and down the main shopping street and checked out the Ben Thanh Market. We spent most of our time trying to dodge motorbikes at junction crossings, and also those cyclists who couldn’t be bothered waiting at the lights and decided that the pavement was a more viable option. This was the perfect time to turn in for the night.

After a lie in we set off to explore the sites of the city. Our first port of call was the War Remnants Museum, which was a 15-minute walk from our hotel and 15,000VND each to enter, roughly 50 pence. The grounds of the museum were decked out with old fighter jets, tanks, helicopters and boats. Inside we found three floors of war memorabilia, which included photographs, news clippings, uniforms, weapons and stories from all those affected. Halfway through our visit a bell rang out, the next minute all the lights went out and everyone made their way outside.I asked a member of staff what was going on she informed me that they close between 12:00 – 13:30 for lunch. We walked a couple of blocks to The Independence Palace, which cost 30,000VND each and were led on a very interesting tour of the entire building and told the history of each room within in the six-floors of the palace. After the tour and a few photos of the fighter jets parked in the driveway we headed back to finish off our war museum tour. We both struggled a bit with the photos and stories of the ‘Agent Orange’ causalities. As per our previous tours, I couldn’t understand how and why people could be so heartless. Having spent a lot of time in Australia, I was interested to read that many babies born in Oz around the 1970’s, to parents who had fought in the Vietnam War, were born with deformities caused due to ‘Agent Orange’.

That night we popped into BBQ Square for dinner and drinks and caught some of the English Premiership football. It was worth the price of the meal alone to watch Sharon slowly and stubbornly make her way through a chicken fried rice dish with chopsticks. After dinner we headed to the night market to see what bargains we could pickup. I made some new friends at one of the stalls, a mother and daughter combo. Within a few minutes, I was sitting on a stool in their tent and trying to drum up some custom for them, as the daughter tried to locate me a ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ vest. I love a bargain and ended up purchasing 3 vests for a total of £10, before heading home for the night a happy man.

The following morning we were collected from our hotel for our visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Our guide for the half-day tour called himself Joe. After telling a few jokes, he gave us a bit of history on the Cu Chi Tunnels and told us his own story of how he was affected by the Vietnam War. His mother had sadly died while trying to save him from a fire due to bombing. He went on to say that he’d had many American tourists on his tour bus, and when they asked him if he could forgive and forget, he replied that he could forgive, but would never ever forget. I’m not so sure that I could forgive if it was my family affected. The bus was 105,000VND and the tour was 90,000VND each. I was shocked by how narrow the tunnels were, and apparently these have been expanded to allow tourists to crawl along them. Joe informed us that the Viet-Cong lived, hid and operated along these tunnels for years. One American tourist tried to get into one of the first tunnels, but could only manage to get his legs in. I found the tunnels to be a bit too hot and narrow for me to get along them, but Sharon managed fine.

Overall I really enjoyed the tours that we took in Ho Chi Minh City, but I was totally fed-up with the traffic and noise by the end of our stay. I was also very impressed by the imagination and initiative used by the Vietnamese with regards to their weapons, traps and survival strategies during the war. I wouldn’t rush back here, but would recommend the sight seeing attractions to anyone who is thinking of going.

Her Guide:

We found the Phan Lan 2 Hotel located up a back street off main road. Our room was small but very clean and included everything we needed. We were both starving so made our way downstairs and back onto the main road where we sat down at the first restaurant we found, JJ’s Brazilian BBQ restaurant.

The following morning I went for breakfast alone.  It consisted of omelette, a baguette, pineapple juice and Vietnamese coffee (made with condensed milk). All of which I thoroughly enjoyed, so much so, I was almost tempted to ask for Matt’s breakfast. I refrained and instead we both went out to explore the sights of Saigon. Our first stop was the War Remnants Museum. The grounds of the museum are filled with US military aircraft, tanks, etc. Ready to take our first photos in Vietnam, we quickly discovered that our camera battery was empty. We made our way straight into the museum and worked our way round the top floor. Just as we are getting into the details about the war, a bell sounds, the lights going off and we are all ushered out of the building. It’s 12pm and the museum is now closed for lunch. We therefore decided to try our luck at the Reunification Palace round the corner. On our way to the palace, we were stopped by a man carrying coconuts. Before either of us were able to utter a word, the seller had his coconut stand on Matt’s shoulder, and two coconuts opened and in my hand. We paid the £1 for them and carried on down the road laughing at what had just happened, and both agreeing coconut milk is not really to our tastes. The Reunification Palace cost us 30,000VND each, which was less than a pound. We were given our own tour guide and taken round each of the rooms in the palace while given a commentary describing the reasons for its development and how it came under attack during the war. The tour lasted about an hour and we then made our way back to the war museum where our 10,000VND ticket allowed us to re-access. By the end of reading everything about the war, we were both horrified at how something so devastating could have gone on as long as it did.

We made our way back to JJ’s and had a couple of drinks before having dinner at BBQ Square, a restaurant further down the road. I ordered chicken fried rice and Matt had noodles. I was only given chopsticks and refused to ask for a fork. It took me almost an hour to eat half the bowl until I eventually got bored with it. We made our way to the Central Market, zigzagging through the traffic and jumping out of the way of motorbikes. There was a night-market on an Matt decided he wanted an olive green ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ vest. We worked our way through half a dozen stalls before we found one who said she had his size. What appeared to be a mother and daughter double act started heaving out bags of vests until they found his size. Clearly taken by their charm, Matt began asking for more vests. We enjoyed haggling until he had 3 vests for about £10. In need of trousers the double act started trying to find a pair for me. Now bearing in mind the Vietnamese are about 5ft nothing, and although I’m no giant and 5’6″ there is not a hope I’m getting a pair to fit. However, god loves a trier and these ladies were sure that they looked fine on me. I managed to persuade them otherwise and we headed back for the evening a few hundred thousand dong lighter.

The following day we were picked up at 9am for the Cu Chi tunnels. We arrived an hour and a half later at the site of the Cu Chi tunnels, where we made our way to the first tunnel. It is still the original size and Joe explains how the Viet-Cong lived and hid in these tunnels for many years. We continued around the site where we were shown the booby traps used during the war and were given the chance to go down a hole, which had been doubled in size for tourists.  We were also given the opportunity to spend money at the shooting range. The gunfire and sound of artillery added some authenticity to the experience, but wasn’t worth spending money on.

The Cu Chi tunnels were a really good experience and overall I enjoyed my time in Ho Chi Minh City, but the traffic can be unbearable. I liked the fact that you can walk around the city, with most of the main tourist attractions being accessible by foot.

Lily Taylor takes a walk around Marrakech and discovers a city split in two…

Marrakech is essentially split into two cities, the modern part with wide straight roads, high rise hotels and spas and many well-dressed locals. Then there is the old walled city, the Medina, which is very traditional and filled with markets. It’s easy to get lost in the narrow winding alleyways but there’s never a shortage of locals wanting to show you the way to the palace or other tourist attractions. However, it’s worth being aware that afterwards they will nearly always ask for ‘a little present’ – some money for helping you out. This was my favourite part of the city, the residential areas, away from the bustle of the markets where people stand chatting outside their houses, mopeds whizz past and kids play in the street, yet everything seems calm.

The houses are all quite plain looking from the outside but great pride is taken with the front doors. Each is unique and has a personalised letterbox and tiles surrounding the frame. I was lucky to have a peek inside a few houses and they are beautiful. Tiles on the floors and up the walls are typical of the houses here. The Riads are the most beautiful, a tiled courtyard with a fountain in the middle; the balcony up on the first floor runs the whole way around and this is where the family lives. Continue reading Marrakech: Two Cities in One

Alice Bzowska talks us through her favourite attractions in the beautiful city of Copenhagen,  the pearl of Scandinavia.

Copenhagen, or the ‘Merchant’s Harbour’ as it translates to, is steeped in rich history dating back to the 11^th century, and this lively yet relaxing port town is oozing with character from the brightly coloured townhouses lining the banks of the canal to the strong aromas of the unique delicacies wafting out of quirky cafes. With an exciting shopping district, historic architecture and a dynamic and varied nightlife, visiting Copenhagen for a short city break in spring is perfect as the temperatures east of the North Sea slowly begin to rise and the streets come alive with people sipping on the most famous beverage of the city – Carlsberg.

With plenty of must-see attractions it can be tricky making decisions on where to go and what to see in Copenhagen. Having spent an incredible few days there, I fell in love with its friendly people and distinctive vibe, and got a good sense of what the city has to offer. Here is my selection of the top five Copenhagen attractions. Continue reading Top 5 Copenhagen Attractions

In the second of a three-part series on Montevideo, Rachel Ricks takes a closer look at the Uruguayan capital’s café culture.

I’ve been in 2013’s Ibero-American Capital of Culture, Montevideo, for five weeks now and one of my favourite things about the city is its café culture. On the corner of almost every block in the centre is a fantastic café serving delicious food that’s always bustling with locals. What is astounding is that these cafés are often very large and the menus extensive, which normally I would veer away from for fear the quality of the food suffered.

This is not the case here though, where cooking and waiting staff alike are experts in their fields. Cafés in Montevideo also double up as bars – there are no pubs as such in the city – so the cafés stay open late and always have a great atmosphere as people gather over the big bottles of the local cerveza (beer) – Pilsen or Patricia.

Here are some of my favourite cafés in Montevideo. All of them are alike in that they serve hundreds of different dishes ranging from pastas, pizza and hamburgers to Milanesas (breadcrumbed chicken or beef), those infamous chivitos (massive sandwiches filled with steak, ham, egg and salad, with fries on the side) and, of course, this wouldn’t be Uruguay if beef wasn’t served in every imaginable shape and form. They are also all staffed by stoical middle-aged waiters who can take all the orders of these complex menus without writing a jot down, and work 12-hour shifts in the sometimes unbearably sticky temperatures this city musters up.

Continue reading Montevideo café guide

Caroline Sandes travels to Split, an Adriatic city rich in historic architecture that’s inspired generations of architects and writers.

The journey from Dubrovnik to Split was beautiful: green and grey mountains dropping down to a silvery-blue sea; small hamlets of red- or grey-roofed houses stepping their way down towards the coast or huddled round coves; small churches, fishing boats, and all under a perfectly blue sky. The bus twisted and turned its way along the coastal road for four and a half dreamy hours until it reached the outskirts of Split – a jumble of modern flat-roofed blocks and traffic-heavy streets; little to suggest that the heart of Split is the ancient Roman Emperor Diocletian’s palace.

The minute I got off the bus at the bus-cum-train station I was once again accosted by people offering accommodation. I negotiated a room with a man who agreed to wait while I sorted out a train ticket for a sleeper to Zagreb for the following night. The man assured me that the room he was offering me was only a 15-20 minute walk from the station, and indeed it was, in a Tito-era block, in his mother’s tiny flat. He rattled off various things I might find useful and then left again. His mother, probably in her late 60s and with no apparent English, insisted on sitting me down with a slice of her apple strudel; no hardship on my part – it was delicious.

Replenished, and as suggested by the man with the room, I set off to walk up Marjan Hill, from which a view over Split could be had, but as is my tendency I took a wrong turning somewhere and failed to find the path. In need of an espresso and in fact much more eager to visit the old town, I headed back that way instead. Continue reading Split: 'Infinitely more interesting' than Dubrovnik

In the third and final instalment of her series on Montevideo, Rachel Ricks looks at the quirkier side of the Uruguayan capital.

The capital of Uruguay tends to get overshadowed by its Argentine neighbour Buenos Aires. But if you’re looking for something a little bit different, head to this compact and friendly city just across the River Plate – it’s got a weird and wonderful array of sights and things to do…

1. Gaze at the Palacio Salvo

Stare up at the eccentric design of the former Palacio Salvo Hotel in Plaza Independencia. Now converted into apartments, it seems a shame this Baroque building – the icon of Montevideo – can’t still be a hotel. It would’ve been a remarkable place to stay.

2. Downton Abbey, Montevideo style

Get the Downton Abbey experience at the Palacio Taranco and Museo de Artes Decorativas (25 de Mayo 376; free entry) – the former home of a wealthy early 20^th century family, where you can roam grand rooms decorated with French and Spanish art and furnishings. And, unlike many stately homes, you can also peek behind the servants’ doors – the kitchen has the biggest cooking range I’ve ever seen. Continue reading 11 Quirky Things to Do in Montevideo

Our round-the-world couple Matt and Sharon Ward are now in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Here’s what they had to say about the area from a his and hers perspective…

After a 7-hour bus journey we arrived safely in Phnom Penh,Cambodia. Our accommodation, 88 Backpackers, kindly provided us with a free tuk tuk to our hostel, where we were met by the sight of lots of western backpackers and a swimming pool.

Matt’s ‘His Guide’

For our first afternoon we relaxed by the pool and researched places to go and things to do. After a quick shower, we headed out into the Phnom Penh evening. Sharon’s map reading skills suggested the main riverside area was only a 15-minute walk, so we decided to head off on foot. After walking through an area with no street lights and people staring at us we decided to flag down the nearest tuk tuk. The driver’s directional sense was almost as bad as Sharon’s as we sped off in the wrong direction. I brought this to the driver’s attention, which brought out a laugh, before we were back zig-zagging in and out of traffic in the correct direction. As we approached a roundabout, I noticed a motorcyclist cut up another cyclist while making a right hand turn, causing the second cyclist to spin off his bike with his head smashing off the road. He wasn’t wearing a helmet. We quickly jumped out of our tuk tuk and ran to his aid. Sharon was doing her best Casualty impression, while I shouted for someone to call an ambulance. Nobody could understand my request, instead they just wanted to move the motorbike and patient as it was blocking their route. I couldn’t get over how rude and uncaring the locals were. The American man came to and while a little shaken and with blood all over his face, he jumped back on his motorbike and didn’t want any medical attention. 

Feeling a little shaken ourselves, we stopped off for a drink and decided to treat ourselves for dinner. We popped into the Riverside Bistro and ordered two ‘Australian’ steaks. Bad choice. The steaks were awful and taught us that while inAsia, we’ll eat Asian dishes.

The next day we paid our tuk tuk driver $18 for his services for the day. Our first stop was The Choeung EK Genocidal Center – ‘The Killing Fields’. I had no idea what to expect, and if I’m honest I had never heard of it before we started travelling. $5 each allowed us entrance with a UK audio guide for our tour. I was absolutely shocked at what I witnessed and heard. I firstly couldn’t understand how human beings could be so cruel to others. Secondly, I couldn’t understand how Cambodian’s  could treat other Cambodian’s this way. As you looked around, you could see visitors sobbing at the sight of mass graves of men, women and children. Our audio guide then played out the music which rang out around the fields during those painful years, which was designed to drown out the screams from those being tortured and killed. This sent a shiver down my spin and will remain with me for a long time. From here, we jumped back into our tuk tuk and headed to the Tuol Sleng Prison, which was $2 each to enter. This is where thousands of Cambodian’s were imprisoned, tortured and murdered. If you were from a successful background then you were a prime candidate to be taken here as the Khmer Rouge saw you as a threat to their regime. From here the prisoners were transported to ‘The Killing Fields’, which was to be their last journey and more heartbreaking was the fact they were actually told that they were being freed or handed back to relatives.

That evening we had a very nice meal at Anjali Indian, which was located at the Riverside, before heading back to our hostel to relax and reflect.

I really enjoyed my experience of Phnom Penh, although 2 whole days were enough for me as apart from The Killing Field and Tuol Sleng Prison, I don’t feel that there is too much more to do. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting to visit Cambodia.

Sharon’s ‘Her Guide’

After we checked-in we went straight to our rooms to sort out some laundry.  Our room was basic (bed and bathroom) but it still felt like we had upgraded in comparison to our last place.

We spend the rest of the afternoon by the swimming pool reading up on where to go in Phnom Penh and examining the map to familiarise ourselves with the streets. After enjoying a long hot shower we eventually went out for the evening and navigate our way through the streets down to the river. Not 100% confident in our (my) map reading skills, we eventually got a tuk tuk and asked him to take us to the riverside, his sense of direction appears to be worse than mine as we had to ask him to turn back and go the correct way down the river. Not far from where we wanted to be dropped off we witness a motorcycle crash in front of our tuk tuk. The rider comes off his bike and we had to yell at our driver to stop. We both jump off the tuk tuk and my instinct is to run to the guy lying on the ground with blood coming from his head. He was unconscious and people are trying to move him, I started yelling at someone to phone an ambulance and tell those people surrounding me he should not be moved. The rider eventually comes too and tries to get up. I did all the things I’ve seen in the movies like telling him to lie still, we have an ambulance coming, I asked him his name and if he knows where he is, I asked him what hurts and tell him he’s come off his bike. He completely ignores my nurse-like attempts, stands up and says he doesn’t want any medical attention. He sounds American and he wasn’t wearing a helmet.  A little shaky he thanked me for my help, takes his keys from me and gets back on his bike. That’s not what happens in the movies.

We wandered around for a while trying to find somewhere to eat until we ended up in the Riverside Bistro. We decided to treat ourselves to an Australian Steak with Roquefort sauce. When it arrived it was not something any Australian would have been proud of and we decided then and there that we’ll only eat Asian food while in Asia.

The following day we were picked up by Somaile, our tuk tuk driver from yesterday. We paid $18 for the day and our first stop was Cheung Ek, “The Killing Fields”. We were navigated through a series of points in the field where the narrator described the atrocities that happened. We listened to the stories of those that survived and the remorseful speech of Duch who ran the prison and was responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent citizens. The final stop on the tour was the Buddhist Stupa filled with 5,000 human skulls. The tour was both harrowing and educational. To realise something so horrific had gone during your own lifetime seemed incomprehensible. 

We made our way back to our tuk tuk where we are both travelled silently to our next point of interest; S-21, Tuol Sleng Prison.  This is the place thousands of Cambodian prisoners are held before being, tortured, transported and then eventually executed at the killing fields.  It was another sad and heartbreaking visit that displayed the pictures of those massacred during the Khmer Rouge Regime.

It was another silent journey in the tuk tuk. We were dropped off at the Blue Pumpkin where we ordered our lunch and eventually discussed the events of the day.

That evening we made our way back down to the riverside and enjoyed an authentic Rogan Josh curry with naan bread at an Indian Restaurant called Anjali. It was a good meal with big juicy pieces of chicken, something, I had noticed, quite rare in Cambodia. The bill came to $12 which included our drinks and rice.

As much as I found the killing fields and prison a real eye opener and reality check, I didn’t think there was much more to Phnom Penh. The riverside was nice enough but very little else to do in the city. Siem Reap was, by far, the better place to visit. However, I would encourage anyone to go and see both places.  It is inspirational to see how a country and its people have been able to redevelop after being destroyed by a war and hit with the most heinous genocide.

> Cover more of Cambodia with our collection of travel guides and maps.

Edinburgh enthusiast Debbie Valentine takes a look at the less-explored side of the Scottish capital.

If watching the annual Hogmanay celebrations has whetted your appetite to visit Edinburgh, then you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s plenty to do in this beautiful city – however long your visit. While the Scottish capital is home to many famous attractions, what are the options away from the castle and Princes Street? Here’s five hand-picked highlights worth exploring:

1. Enjoy the View

Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but to really appreciate it you’ll need to get up high. Arthur’s Seat, the famous hill, is the place to climb to get a great view, but there are other spots not quite so strenuous to ascend.

Even if you don’t want to pay to get into the castle, do visit the esplanade in front, where the Military Tattoo is held every August. The climb to the top of the Royal Mile is full of history and the view across Princes Street north to the River Forth and south to the Braid Hills is fantastic.

For a relatively easy climb, it takes about five minutes to walk to the summit of Calton Hill, to the east end of Princes Street. You’ll be rewarded you with a wonderful view of the New Town and the Forth bridges. The hill is topped by an old observatory, the National Monument (a never-finished homage to the Parthenon) and the Nelson Monument, a tower that can be climbed for an even better view. If your budget will stretch to it, a visit to The Tower restaurant at the top of the Museum of Scotland also affords a great view across the city – and a tasty dinner. Continue reading Edinburgh's Top 5 Alternative Attractions

Author Charles Davis on his experience of writing guidebooks on walking in the picturesque Alpujarras and how walking in the area has changed over the past ten years.

When David Brawn at Discovery Walking Guides suggested I write a walking guide to the Alpujarras, I told him there were too many tourists there. In retrospect, I can see that for a publisher the distant prospect of potential clients wasn’t necessarily a major drawback to the project. When David heard my alternative idea for a guidebook, he said it sounded like clambering about the town rubbish dump. I then inadvertently insulted the place where he lived and he said something that peeved me, and I said and he said, and the correspondence continued in this vein, each dispatch coming complete with its own barbed aside.

My prejudice against the Alpujarras was the product of pure snobbery, based on the fact that a few people had been there before me and more looked likely to go in the wake of Chris Stewart’s successful setting-up-home-abroad memoir, Driving Over Lemons. It’s a prejudice I have now wholeheartedly renounced. Blessed with high peaks, long ridges, deep valleys, clear mountain streams, lovely woods, eye-popping vistas, and a host of picturesque villages, the Alpujarras are the setting for some of the best hiking in Spain. And no, there aren’t too many tourists there! Continue reading Walking in Spain: Charles Davis on the Alpujarras