Miaminice

Here‘s the link to our above mentioned review. Personally we much preferred our Halong Bay / Hanoi combo over just cruising in the bay. We enjoyed Vietnam so much that we are currently on a Mekong River cruise. Or better just finished it. We are now in Siem Reap Cambodia.

We drove back to our ship and had another good lunch while the ship sailed on. This part wasn’t much different from an ocean cruise - you are constantly fed. AND! They are extremely friendly! In the afternoon our ship “docked” near the village of Angkor Ban, known for silk production. We were picked up by Tuk Tuks and driven to a place called Silk Island. The ride through the village and along fields was interesting and we could hear the clicking and clacking sound of someone operating a loom from almost every house. At Silk Island we were introduced to the production of silk from the breeding of silkworms to collecting the cocoons and spinning the thread to weaving the fabric. Again, very interesting. IMG_3309.mov After we rode the Tuk Tuks back to our ship we could see some people training for the dragon boat race. A big event in Phnom Penh.

Mekong River Cruise, Vietnam and Cambodia, 2024 -September - Day 8 - Oudong & Silk Island Angkor Ban Our morning excursion started with a short walk across the street to a silversmith family shop. The area is known for the trade which is passed down from generation to generation. We were able to watch a short presentation and then had the chance to go through their shop. When I say chance, I mean chance - we were never pushed to buy anything! In front of every house you can find a Spirit house as a shrine to the protective spirit of the house. The wealth of the family can be seen by the quality of the house. Some simply only made of plastic and used cans, some are more like elaborate spirit mansions. By bus we continued to the Oudong Buddhist Meditation Center and Monastery. Oudong was one of the former capitals of Cambodia. The moment we turned the corner and saw the big and beautiful buildings and complex we were awestruck. Our guide Lonh, doing meditation himself every morning, gave us an explanation about meditation and the story of the center. The great hall, protected by lions and Naga statues, had magnificent murals on the walls and a beautifully painted ceiling. A big statue of Buddha resided on one end of the hall watched his visitors. The sound of the chanting and the chirping of birds coming in from the outside and resonating in the huge structure created a very peaceful and serene atmosphere, inviting us to sit down for a while to let our minds rest and to simply absorb the energy of the moment. It was an absolutely beautiful place! IMG_3177.mov Our luck with the weather, after all it was raining season, stretched on to the timing. Since we were here during the days of the Rice Cake Festival, people came in their festive clothes and the monks received donated meals with a ceremony. Very nice to watch and experience. IMG_3196.mov IMG_3216.mov IMG_3224.mov IMG_3233.mov IMG_3240.mov It is still an active monastery and the monks live in huts on one side and the nuns in huts on the other side.

Take the speed boat to Oia and skip the line for the cable car. You turn left at the pier and you can’t miss the ticket booth. Santorini implemented a new rule recently. If there are more than 8000 pax, they pause tender operations of all ships in the caldera. That might cause a wait. Whatever you do get to the spot where they hand out tender tickets as early as possible to get an early number. If you are Elite or above, you don’t need a ticket but have priority.

Mekong River Cruise, Vietnam and Cambodia, 2024 -September - Day 7 - Phnom Penh In the morning we were picked up from the small port by cyclos and taken to the Royal Palace. We were looking forward to visiting the beautiful buildings which we had seen nicely illuminated the evening before. The complex was just as stunning during the day as it was at night. We visited the Throne Hall first - from the outside only - and our Cambodian guide Lonh explained the different parts of the palace grounds to us. We continued to the Silver Pagoda which is surrounded by a mural that reminded us of the one we had seen on the Royal Palace in Bangkok in December. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside. So I can’t show you any pictures of the Emerald Buddha or a golden Buddha statue encrusted with almost 10,000 diamonds. But believe me, it was incredible. The main building was surrounded by different Stupas, containing the relics of former kings and queens and their families. At the exit of the palace grounds we were picked up by a bus and taken to the National Museum of Cambodia where we could see many statues and all kinds of artifacts from temples all over the country. Some of them only returned to Cambodia in recent years. Since it was around noontime, we were taken to a nice restaurant where we had a very good meal. It was a feast! The next stop brought is to the darker side of Cambodia’s history - the killing fields and the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime. On the way there, Lonh explained what his parents and even he experienced during the time. I will not go into details, but seeing the grounds and again seeing what human beings are capable of doing is a very sobering experience! The last point on the day’s agenda was in stark contrast to what we had seen at the Genocidal Center. We were invited to a cocktail at the beautiful Raffles Hotel Phnom Phenh.

Or we are following you 😁 We‘ll be on Millennium in May for our fourth cruise to Japan. If you need info on a good guide in the Kyoto area, let me know 👍 We walked through the Viking ship yesterday when we were mooring next to her.

Number +84374372918 (also on whatsapp) Email: Nhungnguyen.ulis@gmail.com If you let her know that Oliver & Birgit sent you, she‘ll take extra good care of you. Although, she always does… it’s simply her way!

Before Covid we had planned a tour in Vietnam with her. When the cruise was cancelled, we stayed in touch. Eventually - when we could finally do the cruise - she planned all of our tours in Vietnam. And boy, is she amazing. A few people followed our recommendation. All came back raving about the experience. We still keep in touch with her via Facebook. She’s absolutely lovely. If you like, I can give you the contact information.

Mekong River Cruise, Vietnam and Cambodia, 2024 -September - Day 6 - Way to Phnom Penh After anchoring overnight, our ship continued to sail into Cambodia. Of course the entertainment on such a small ship is much different from that on a big cruise ship. At 9am I went on a ship tour, and it was interesting to see some of the technical areas - but didn’t take long. Besides that we easily spent the day by relaxing on the pool deck, reading or posting on the internet. Interrupted, of course, by lunch. Around 5pm we started to see the skyscrapers of Phnom Penh. After tying up to the side of a Viking ship, we had to do a brief immigration check before having dinner. Tonight we were offered a BBQ buffet, which was really good. There was a dance performance after dinner but Birgit and I decided that we’d rather go for a walk along the shore. A night market and the Royal Palace were just around 30 minutes away on foot - a chance to get some exercise. And to take some nice photos.

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Unfortunately the internet is very slow an upload failed a few times. i will try again later. 😢👍

A few days are online already. Maybe you want to look into a different kind of cruise…

In the evening we were looking forward to a lion and dragon dance performance. A local group came on board and performed the symbolic traditional art form in their homemade costumes and masks. IMG_2830.mov IMG_2834.mov The dance dates back to ancient times and features two Vietnamese good luck animals - the lion and the dragon. IMG_2852.mov IMG_2853.mov IMG_2854.mov IMG_2857.mov

Mekong River Cruise, Vietnam and Cambodia, 2024 -September - Day 5 - Vam Nao - Phu Tan - Part 2 After a nice lunch and a little rest we entered the excursion boat again for our last excursion in Vietnam. Sailing along the banks of the Mekong we had seen one fish farm after another. Our guide explained that this region alone has over 3500 of them. Today we were going to visit one of them farming Pangasius catfish. When we arrived, they were just about to transfer all the fish to a boat, because they needed to repair the cage of the farm. Two divers, their air supply consisting of a hose in their mouth which was attached to a compressor, spread out a net under the fish. In a combined effort the workers then pulled in the net, caught the fish with baskets and transferred them to the boat via a slide. We were told that it costs around $ 80k - 100k to build a fish farm. So, are you up for a second career?

we specifically chose Viktoria because they are a Vietnamese company. On our previous trips we learned that Vietnamese hospitality and quality is top-notch. Of course the variety and stuff like entertainment etc. on board can’t be compared to an oceangoing cruise ship. However, quality is good, everything you need is there and, of course, the price was way better than with comparable cruise lines like AMA waterways or Viking. Plus, we really don’t like the colonial style design of those ships and much preferred the more contemporary style of Viktoria. Was I worried about the flight? No, not at all. I couldn’t even tell you the exact flight route. I watched some movies, slept for a while, and never looked at the flight map once.

We are currently in Vietnam on a Mekong cruise. We heard from our guide today that there was / is another typhoon going through the north right now. Besides some rainfall, which is typical for the season, the south of Vietnam doesn’t feel any of it.

The next house was where they manufactured the actual clay stoves. The men get up at 2 o’clock in the morning to prepare the clay, then it’s shaped in iron moulds before they give it the final touches by hand. The kiln they are placed in can hold up to 800 clay stoves. We learned that they can make up to 1000 clay stoves a month and sell them for around $2 a piece. Their profit margin is an average of 60%. A family of four people makes good living from that. The family lives next to or above their workshop and we got a nice look into their living quarters. The owner of the house, apparently the grandfather, explained that 14 people live in the two houses we saw - from grandparents to parents, grandchildren and great grandchildren. After this interesting presentation we returned to our ship where we were welcomed with cold towels and refreshing juice again.

To get to our next stop we walked along the road for a short distance and enjoyed getting a glimpse into the regular street life of the village. There were stalls and shops at the side of the road and also vendors driving by on their motorcycles and bicycles to sell their products. Loudspeakers on the bikes announced their arrival.

The village we were visiting is known for producing clay stoves. Close to 100 families of the village still make their living that way. Houses are built on stilts and most of the workshops and drying areas are underneath the house. Of course, nowadays people also have gas stoves in their houses, but according to our guide Thinh, many of them still prefer the old way using the clay stoves. The first place we visited specialized in the pots which go on the clay stove. Thinh explained that they are great for preparing rice. They shape two halves of the pots on potter’s wheels and later connect them before adding a decorative pattern. Now ladies, don’t you think about Patrick Swayze now! 😁

Mekong River Cruise, Vietnam and Cambodia, 2024 -September - Day 5 - Vam Nao - Phu Tan Our morning excursion was a visit of a clay stove factory. To give you a better idea of the logistics, I included some pictures of how we start our excursions. We are taken ashore on a Sampan boat, which is tied to the back of our ship while we are sailing. A small opening in the bushes growing along the banks of the river is enough for the captain of the boat to place the bow in, and off we go.

it is the Albert Center in Bugis.

Yes, there is a morning and an afternoon excursion. They are included in the cruise fare. Actually almost everything is included. Drinks, Wifi, excursions…

We went back to the boat and crossed the river to Tiger Island where we walked through little villages and along rice fields. The island is home to about 23,000 people. School was over and many kids rode home on their bikes. They had a lot of fun racing through our group with loud hellos and bright smiles. After a short walk we reached “Mr. Tiger’s Temple” where our guide Thinh explained to us the legend of the Tiger which lived on the island and protected its people. We returned to the Victoria Mekong before a cocktail competition at 6pm. This was getting to be busier than a real cruise 😁

We had time to enjoy the pool and sun deck, and of course have lunch, before the afternoon excursion. First we were taken ashore to visit a family producing cement flower pots. Like many families, they had their family cemetery right in front of their house.