PHILIPPINES - Manila, Negros, Siquijor

The Philippines was our last country to visit before we would return home to Canada. We thought visiting the Philippines would be a good way to end our trip because of all the island hopping, beach bumming and diving available. 

We flew into Manila early morning of June 23^rd (2:10am to be exact) and despite the taxi scams at the airport we read about we soon arrived safe and sound at our hostel. After our quick check-in we went straight to bed and slept for a good five hours or so. When we woke it was planning time because we wanted to spend as little time as possible in the capital and the most time possible near or on the beach. According to the Lonely Planet, the island of Negros is the island that “has it all” so we bought cheap plane tickets and booked accommodation for the next day.

After a sleep-in and killing some time in the morning we were off to the airport then flying into Dumaguete, Negros.

DUMAGUETE, NEGROS (June 24-28, 2013)

We arrived in Dumaguete in the afternoon of our second day in the Philippines. We were a bit disappointed to find our hostel more in the city as opposed to walking distance from the beach but as a compromise we soon learned there was a dive shop right beside us that offered the cheapest rates around. A few weeks prior to this we had decided we would like upgrade from our Scuba Diver certification to Open Water so we stayed in Dumaguete for a few days in order to do this. 

There wasn’t too much more involved in order to do our upgrade. Our first day was actually just an afternoon of two module quizzes, a final review and the final exam. We both passed the first time so no worries about re-writing! 

Our second day we were grouped with a Swedish couple who were also going for their Open Water certification but hadn’t done any training for it yet. So it was more review for us than anything but it was good to do as we hadn’t been diving for nearly two months. We went over the set-up of our equipment and buddy checks, and practised skills like losing and replacing our regulator (breathing apparatus) and flooding and clearing our masks. After lunch we went over some new skills like taking off and replacing our weight belts and BCDs. By the end of our second day we were Open Water Diver certified!

Our dive site in Dauin for the Open Water Dive certification
Apo Island in the distance

BBQ at the hostel - tuna and seaweed salad

Live entertainment at the hostel

The next day we were booked in for a couple of fun dives around the nearby Apo Island, a marine reserve with a vast array of marine life. Although the weather was overcast and waters a bit choppy, underwater we had great visibility. Most of what we saw we had also seen in Thailand but it was still a great time.

Apo Island

By the end of the day we were hoping to catch a late afternoon ferry to Siquijor island nearby. Now that we had finished our upgraded certification we wanted to move closer to a beach and had read good things about this island. It was also rumoured to have witches and healers on the island so that was an additional intriguing draw for us. Unfortunately by the time we got to the ferry terminal, it was too late to check in for the ferry we wanted to catch. We were able to book a later ferry, it just meant a few hours of waiting around. BUT we were getting pretty good at that now so we booked it and would be setting off by 7:30pm.

Well 7:30pm rolled around and we were informed the departure was going to be delayed an hour because of some rough water. Eventually we left Dumaguete around 9:15pm then soon arrived in Siquijor Town after a short 30 minute ferry ride.

SIQUIJOR (June 28 – July 3, 2013)

With the next few days being our last in both the Philippines and abroad we decided to treat ourselves to some luxury by staying at a resort. Having booked this ahead of time, a van from the resort came to pick us up from the terminal and drive us to the resort. We got a welcome drink, a late supper and were then escorted to our room up in a garden area.

We had an amazing stay here! I had never been to a resort before so I absolutely loved it and Adrian thought it was really nice. All the staff was so friendly and always addressed you by name. The food was a bit expensive compared to the prices we were paying but still affordable and tasty. Breakfast was included in the cost of our room and it was a very substantial breakfast compared to the toast and coffee/tea we had been getting. We got upgraded to a massive room with a balcony for no extra cost after the plumbing wasn’t working properly our first room. The beach was a short walk from our room and there were also two pools to lounge around.

Our upgraded room

Breakfast beach view

Fresh sturgeon

 

Adrian in one of the swimming pools

Swim-up bar

A surprise last night supper on the beach from Adrian and the staff

The weather wasn’t that great but we made the most of it. When we arrived in the Philippines we learned the summer had recently ended and we were now in typhoon season (which lasts until December!). There was actually a typhoon that hit the northern islands and caused some flooding in areas including some in Manila but thankfully we were further south and not that affected. It’s actually probably a good thing the weather was overcast at times because it allowed me to chill out all day without getting severely burnt! Adrian doesn’t have as much an issue with this but he didn’t mind it either.

On one of the days there we booked a couple of fun dives through the dive shop on site. Our first dive was out in the Tubod Sanctuary just in front of the resort. The visibility wasn’t great but we had a great dive master that showed us some cool stuff including clown fish, crocodile needle fish, juvenile sweetlips, trumpet fish, a pink squat lobster and a mantis anemone shrimp. We postponed our next dive until the next morning so we could have better visibility and during that dive we saw a hairy squad lobster, nudibranchs, a lion fish, a mushroom coral pipefish, a turtle, a spotted porcelain crab and puffer and lizard fish.

We have now gone for a total of ten dives and we are loving it! With every dive we are getting more confident and comfortable and can actual enjoy taking in our surroundings and keep an eye out for marine life without worrying so much about our breathing or the equipment. Although it will be some time before we can go diving again we are already looking forward to it!

After a couple more days of chilling out it was sadly time to head back to Manila. Siquijor is a small island and therefore does not have an airport so we took a ferry back to Dumaguete and then flew out from there back to Manila. 

MANILA TO HOME

Once again, we wanted to spend as little time possible in Manila so we had just over a day and a half before we would be flying home. So we spent this time doing some last-minute souvenir shopping and packing. Before we knew it 2:30am on July 5^th was upon us and we were getting up to go to the airport. 

We had a hard time comprehending the fact that we were flying back home to Calgary. After being away for so long and having been on so many flights before, it just felt like another flight going to see another country.

It was definitely the earliest flight we had to catch. We arrived at the airport around 4am to check-in for our flight at 6am. But we ran into yet another delay and we didn’t start boarding the plane until 7:10am. Our flight was from Manila to Tokyo and took 4.5-5 hours. We may have dosed off a bit but nothing substantial.

Once in Tokyo we had five hours to kill. It was such a tease because we would both like to see Japan at some point but we didn’t have enough time in between flights to leave the airport and go exploring for a little while. So instead we spent some time visiting with a guy from Montreal we met on our first flight, did some duty-free shopping and did some things on the laptop.

When we started boarding and we saw the Air Canada plane it started sinking in more that we were going home. And once we were on and heard the Canadian accent telling us we were en route to Calgary it sunk in even more so. The flight was ten hours long and we spent most of it attached to our entertainment units, watching tv shows and movies and listening to the radio. We both attempted to sleep a couple times but it was a lost cause. Adrian got maybe one hour and me two. Oddly enough we didn’t feel that tired. Or maybe we were overtired? I think we were also pretty excited and anxious to be going home so that would be a contributing factor as well.

What seemed like before-long our eaten breakfasts were taken away from us and we were preparing for the landing in Calgary. Flying in, the city looked gorgeous! So green, so clean, so much space and well-organized. Then we landed and the announcement came on “Thank you for choosing Air Canada and we hope you have an enjoyable stay in Calgary”. We will, we’re HOME!

CAMBODIA - Phnom Penh and Siem Reap/Angkor Wat

As mentioned in the Southern Vietnam post, we made it into Cambodia via the Mekong River just fine but our river journey wasn’t over quite yet. There were seven of us travellers and once we crossed the border we all settled into our music or books and everything seemed to be going well. But after about an hour down the river, our boat came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the river. The captain seemed shocked and then quickly ran to the back of the boat. After turning off the boat and the three crew members investigating the problem, our guide informed us the engine had broke and we would need to travel the rest of the way to Phnom Penh by a minibus. Floating down the river pretty much smack-dab in the middle, we didn’t see how that was going to happen. But once again our guide filled us in saying a boat would come and transport us to the riverbank and then a minibus would pick us up. It would take about an hour. 

With not much else to do, we resumed listening to music or reading until this boat was to come. About 45 minutes into our wait, we managed to float to and anchor at a riverbank. Unfortunately it was the wrong side. Shortly after that it began to rain. And then pour. Awesome.

Our boat anchored to a shrub in the river

Finally after about an hour and a half long wait, we saw in the down poured distance our saviour boat. By some rope they managed to pull us “safety” to the other side of the river where we would then meet our minibus. But first we needed to ascend a very muddy and very slippery hill to get to the road. Realizing the dirtiness and wetness was inevitable, we embraced the mud and the rain and eventually made it to our minibus. We were so happy to see the driver and his two sons in the front seat and gladly got in the vehicle.

While we were thankful to be off the boat and river, we weren’t the happiest of campers being dirty, wet and now also cold because of the air conditioning. But it could be worse right? Right. We could have someone vomit on us! And that’s exactly what happened between the two sons. We’re not sure if he was carsick or what but about halfway to Phnom Penh, the older son sitting in the back part of the front seat threw up on the younger son sitting in between his legs. We were all shocked as to what happened and why but after they both got cleaned up and sat back in the vehicle, we all had a bit of a laugh led by the father/driver.

Eventually our adventure for the day came to an end when we were dropped off at our hostel in Phnom Penh.

PHNOM PENH (June 16-18, 2013)

Phnom Penh isn’t anything too exciting to write about. It’s another Asian city which isn’t a draw for us anymore. And compared to other Asian capitals like Bangkok, it is very behind the times. It was probably one of the rougher places we stayed in but our hostel was nice enough. The roads are in pretty bad condition and for a small population of 1.5 million, there were so many vehicles on the roads. Speaking of vehicles, all the Asian countries we have gone through seem to have their own unique version of driving around tourists and in Cambodia it’s a “tuk-tuk”, like in Thailand, but it is pulled by a motorbike.

We planned for one full day to spend in Phnom Penh before moving onto Siem Reap. It didn’t seem like there was much to see and do but we were told the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (aka S-21) were worth checking out. After reading a bit about them in our Lonely Planet we were apprehensive to go but in the end booked transport to the two places. 

Our tuk-tuk ride on the way to the Killing Fields

The Killing Fields was our first stop, about 20kms from Phnom Penh. The Killing Fields were a significant area during the Khmer Rouge Regime from 1975-79 where a large portion of the Cambodian genocide took place.  Although we had an idea of what we were getting into, we were not mentally or emotionally prepared. I really don’t think you could ever be though. Educationally speaking we learned a lot thanks in part to the audio tour we got with admission. To be honest, we both didn’t even know about the genocide until we started reading about it in the Lonely Planet. And sadly, I don’t think a lot of the Western world knows about it. It sure wasn’t something we learned about in social studies class. But on an emotion level, wow was it difficult to take in. I think what got to us the most was the personal accounts of what people went through played on the tour and also knowing the skulls, rags and other displays around the grounds are REAL. We were there for about an hour and a half and we left feeling pretty drained. 

Our second but final site for the day was S-21. This museum was once a high school converted into a prison/torture chambers set up by the Khmer Rouge. It was one of the largest and most secretive prisons of its kind. Many prisoners would be kept here for two to three months and would then be shipped off to the Killing Fields.

Walking through the buildings here was equally as eerie as walking through the Fields. But where the Fields had the personal accounts, the museum had profile photographs of all the prisoners who passed through and were later killed displayed in multiple rooms. The museum wasn’t set up that well for educating people so I think a guide would be good. But we lucked out and were able to attend a lecture put on by the Documentation Centre of Cambodia. During the lecture we were given more facts about the Khmer Rouge Regime and the history of the high school and S-21. After the lecture they held a Q & A session where we were able to ask any questions we had about the regime after visiting these two places.

By the time we returned to the hostel it was 3:30pm. Almost a full day at these two places and we were absolutely burnt out. The Cambodians have been through so much even within the last 40-ish years with being brought into the Vietnam (-American) War and then almost immediately after the Khmer Rouge Regime began. We are glad to be educated on their history but it was heartbreaking to hear. It’s amazing the Khmers can still be so loving and friendly to fellow Khmers and tourists alike.

The next day we decided to sleep in a bit and head to Siem Reap in the afternoon. Our hostel was able to book us a minibus instead of the regular bus for $3 more and shortly after being picked up we realized it was SO worth it!

~~~

We were warned but the road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap was by far the worst we have experienced in SE Asia. Minibus or regular bus, it’s brutal. Big bumps dot the roads, vehicles are constantly swerving or slowing right down to avoid the many potholes and often times there are sections of only dirt roads as opposed to paved ones. Our group was small (two drivers and two locals) and our drivers were obviously experienced driving the roads so we made it to our hostel in Siem Reap after six hours whereas buses can take anywhere from 8-12 hours to make the same journey. We were feeling pretty rough towards the end and so thankful to finally arrive.

SIEM REAP / ANGKOR WAT (June 18-22, 2013)

Siem Reap is where we spent the bulk of our week in Cambodia because only a few kilometres from the city is the where the main tourist attraction lies – The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, the ancient city of Kampuchea (Cambodia). We had almost four full days in Siem Reap and spent three of them exploring the temples. When we arrived at our hostel, we booked a guide and transportation that evening so we could start the next morning.

Day One of Angkor Wat was spent exploring the temples around the Grand Circuit – Pre Rup, East Mebon, Ta Som, Neak Pean (although not open to wander around), and Preah Khan. It was a bit on the expensive side to hire a guide but we thought it was worth it. We learned a lot about the history of Cambodia, government and politics over the years, what life is like for Khmers these days and of course the significance and history of all the temples we went to. By 1pm it was heating up quite a bit so we took off, doing more of a half first day but it was a good start.

Pre Rup

Preah Khan

Day Two we went without a guide but had our same tuk-tuk driver. We started off at Banteay Srei which is known for its pink limestone and then next to Banteay Samre which was much quieter and more enjoyable. Our tuk-tuk driver was nice enough to lend us a guide book so we were able to educate ourselves on these temples and the other ones we went to. We then made our way to the Roluos Temples which are the oldest in the area but didn’t get to see too much before it started raining. 

On the way to Banteay Srei in the tuk-tuk

Banteay Srei

Banteay Samre

After waiting out the rain for a couple hours we headed back to the Roluos and then over to Phnom Bakheng which had a great view of the Angkor Wat area. By the time we finished up there it was 5pm. So we managed to make it a full day for Day Two. And because of the rain and cooler weather we had enough energy to go out for supper and catch some traditional Cambodian dancing, known as “apsara dancing”. Loved it! Their costumes are so beautiful and the way they dance is so elegant and graceful. What I loved most about it was dancing along with education, religion and many other things were taken away during the Regime but since the fall it has slowly come back into the Khmer culture.

At the top of Bakong, Roluous Group

Apsara dance

Pailin peacock dance

Our third and final day at the temples started with a 4:30am wake up to get to Angkor Wat in time to see the sunrise over it. Well unfortunately like many other sunrises we have woken up for this was another disappointment. It was far too cloudy and as expected too many people for our liking. Although it was apparently pretty quiet compared to peak season. After the sunrise we started our tour through Angkor Wat with our guide again. We then went for some breakfast and then onto the other bigger temple complex in the area, Angkor Thom spending most of our time in Bayon. We ended the day at Ta Prohm which is known for its involvement in the “Tomb Raider” film with Angelina Jolie. This was quite possibly our favourite temple because nature has taken over and there are these massive strangler trees that are growing out of and around the temples. Great one to end our three-day pass with.

Sad sunrise at Angkor Wat

Inside Angkor Wat

Bayon, Angkor Thom

Bayon, Angkor Thom; courtesy of Thim, our guide

Adrian with one of the trees in Ta Prohm

THE strangler tree of Ta Prohm

Our fourth and last full day in Siem Reap was spent wandering around the markets and doing some gift and souvenir shopping.  Siem Reap was a nice place to spend a decent amount of time. “Pub Street” was a great place to eat and drink and our hostel was only a short walk away. The touters were constantly asking you if you needed a tuk tuk ride and there were more child beggars than we would have liked to see but after refusing once, they would back off. It was a nice change from the aggressive and persistent nature of Vietnamese and Thai touters. And the people overall were lovely. We actually had a normal conversation with some of the ladies working in the markets. 

Pub Street

We were a bit sad to be leaving Siem Reap/Cambodia that evening but at the same time we were heading to the Philippines to do some island hopping and how could you not look forward to that?! It wasn’t the best time for a flight (10:30pm, arriving in Manila at 2:10am) but at $70 each we could deal with the time.

SOUTHERN VIETNAM - Mui Ne, HCMC/Saigon, Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta

After some last minute changes we decided to move onto Mui Ne from Hoi An as opposed to Nha Trang for a quieter and less developed beach scene. We had planned on taking the train because the journey was going to be about 15 hours and our past overnight train experiences had been enjoyable. But we were too late in booking it and so had to resort to taking the bus. We were both really not looking forward to spending 19 hours on a bus and dreaded the time we would need to board.

We arrived early at the office to ensure good seats near the front. After waiting around for 15 minutes or so we walked over to the bus terminal and started boarding. We were pleasantly surprised to find reclined seats close to the ground on what is known as a “sleeper bus”. We even found a seat with extra leg room for Adrian. Being sick and tired still, the 19 hours actually passed quickly because we slept most of it. 

Sleeper bus

We arrived in Nha Trang around 6am and had to wait around until 7:30am to transfer to another bus to take us to Mui Ne. So we had some breakfast and freshened up a bit. Once on the bus again we slept some more until we were close to Mui Ne.

MUI NE (June 7-11, 2013)

As soon as we arrived and had checked into our hostel room, we were instantly content with our choice to stay in Mui Ne. The ocean was practically at our door step and the hostel had friendly staff to greet us. The town itself consisted of one main street which was lined with modest low-rise resorts and restaurants – nothing compared to what Nha Trang was like. The only con was that Nha Trang had the diving while Mui Ne is well-known for their kite and wind surfing. So instead we just spent our time there relaxing on the beach chairs and going for swims.

Almost beach front accommodation

The kite surfers are out

The sun and sea are powerful forces and must have some therapeutic elements because by our first full day we were both feeling much better! We did take it easy but our appetites were coming back and we had more energy for things.

So on our last full day we went on a half day tour of the surrounding area. We went to Fairy Springs and walked through a stream that led us past patches of sand dunes and some cool rock formations. There was an opportunity to ride an ostrich but we just watched a girl in our group do it. We didn’t really have a desire to try it but also weren’t too confident the bird could hold our weight! From there we drove a ways to arrive at the white sand dunes. There you could rent quads to zip around on the dunes but we also passed on that instead opting to chat with some other backpackers on the tour. Our final stop was the red sand dunes where you could rent crazy carpet type things to “toboggan” down the hills. It wasn’t the most exciting tour we have been on but it was nice to get out and do something after being sick for so long not to mention it was only a few dollars.

Fairy Springs

White Sand Dunes

Red Sand Dunes

The next morning we made our way to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)/Saigon via a six hour bus ride.

HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) (June 11-15, 2013)

Our bodies seemed to miss the sun and sea already because by the time we reached HCMC Adrian was really achy and had a fever and my stomach was bothering me and I had a swollen fingertip. When does it end?! Wanting to nip all this in the bud we went to see a doctor a few hours after checking in. After spending $340 (yikes!), Adrian was diagnosed with a common flu (really??) and apparently I just had indigestion and an infected finger, which cost me $140. So we got stocked up on more medication and caught a cab back to the guesthouse. Thankfully we have travel insurance and can get reimbursed!

Our first two days in Saigon were spent resting and pill-popping wanting to get better as soon as possible. By the third day we were feeling better enough to wander around the backpacker area and check out some of the markets. Saigon is so different from Hanoi. It is very modern with skyscrapers and malls and is the economic heart of the country whereas Hanoi was a mix of new and old for culture, architecture and attitudes. Well comparing the areas we stayed in anyway. We heard Saigon was even crazier for the number of motorbikes and walking around but the areas we were in, we found it much easier. Or maybe we had finally advanced from a novice level of street crossing?

On our fourth day we took a half day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels to gain more knowledge about the Vietnam War. $8 well-spent! Our guide was a Viet vet named Jackie (nickname derived from the fruit “jackfruit”) who provided a passionate and detailed account of the Vietnam War from a South Vietnamese perspective. We had a pit stop after an hour or so of driving in a local village where a handicraft shop is set up employing those affected by Agent Orange. Agent Orange was a chemical in bomb form that was dropped by the Americans in Southern areas of Vietnam to kill off vegetation in order to better see and control activity of the North Vietnamese/Viet Cong. Unfortunately this had a terrible affect on the Southern Vietnamese of these areas which resulted in cancer, deformities, missing limbs, etc. that could and were passed down through several generations. Some sources say Agent Orange is still around but our guide believes it has finally left the areas because vegetation, crops and insects are abundant again.

Another 30 mins or so down the road we arrived at the Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels are known for their use by the Viet Cong (from the North) to take over and control this area in the South. The tunnel system consisted of over 200km and extended all the way to the Cambodian border. A lot of it is inaccessible now but we did get a chance to descend into an original tunnel and literally crawl through another to get a feel for what it was like for the Vietnamese back in those times.  Disturbing demonstrations were given of how the many booby traps where set and used in the area including the one our guide was trapped in until he somehow managed to escape. There is also a shooting range in the area where Adrian along with some of the other guys in the group shot off AK-47s. I think it’s more of a guy thing because I was just happy taking photos of Adrian but it put a smile on his face for the rest of the day! The tour ended with us watching a film of the War in Cu Chi which brought me back to social studies classes. If you had to choose the Vinh Moc tunnels in the DMZ or the Cu Chi tunnels, we would definitely recommend the latter. Yes there were less people at Vinh Moc but with the Cu Chi you can get a great guide and heaps more information.

Heading into an original tunnel

Even with his height, Adrian was able to descend as well

Adrian shooting off the AK-47

Into some more tunnels

MEKONG DELTA (June 15-16, 2013)

From Vietnam we planned to go to Cambodia and we heard one way you can do it is by boat via the Mekong River. So thinking that was a pretty cool way to go about it versus by bus or plane, we booked the transportation along with a trip through the Mekong Delta, the southern-most area of Vietnam. The Mekong Delta was an amazing area to see but the tour itself wasn’t that great.

To start we had to drive almost three hours from Saigon to the Delta. Once we arrived we took a boat to what we were told was one of the floating markets. I guess maybe still part of the markets but it didn’t seem like it is where we were shown around. We were shown how they make coconut candy, rice paper, popped rice (squares) and rice wine. From there we took another boat ride for an hour and stopped at a place to pick up some bicycles. The bike ride was nice but short-lived, only maybe 10 minutes long. We then arrived at a homestay for some lunch but were told we were behind on time and only had ten minutes to eat. Once back on the boat we drove for another half an hour or so, got in our original van into the Delta and drove another hour to pick up another group. Another half an hour down the road we stopped at a crocodile farm which we didn’t even know was part of the itinerary and given another short amount of time to wander around. Our last drive was another two hours to arrive at our hotel for the evening. So all in all, a lot of driving and not a lot of seeing and doing.

A church along the Mekong River

Some houses along the River on the way to the floating market

Explanation of how the rice wine is made

Some ladies we passed on the way to lunch

The croc farm

As we had come to expect, our room in the hotel was very basic and supper was greatly overpriced and pretty disappointing. At least we had good company over supper, chatting with a Belgian couple who had done some backpacking through Canada and a Polish guy working for Google.

In the morning we had an alright breakfast but we had to pay for it when it said it was included in the itinerary. Luckily after breakfast we didn’t have to spend extra time at the hotel; we were off to a fish farm and then a wander through a Cham village. After that and a wait in a café for a bit it was finally time to board our boat to the Cambodian border.

The fish farm

Stilt houses near the Cham village

It took about an hour to get to our first stop which is where we applied for our Cambodian visa. A fairly easy process with us filing out the application forms and then our guide taking the documents and submitting them to the authorities. It was the waiting around that was a bit of a challenge, originally told it would take around an hour which then turned into almost two. Oh well, the important thing is we got our visas and were then on our way to the border.

About a five minute drive down the river we stopped off at the border. Another easy process. The authorities didn’t even look at our passport photos, just the visa. Stamp, stamp and we were on our way into Cambodia!

Taken after getting our stamps