Talking about Vietnam, of course Saigon at the south or Ha Noi at the north or Vietnamese local coffee or street food would be mentioned. But if we take a look at the central Vietnam you would surprise that the region is rich of nature and culture.
The best & enjoyable way for tourists would be renting a scooter driving to the old town along the beach from Da Nang city within only 30 minutes. If renting a scooter is not the option, another way would be the City Bus routing between Da Nang and Hoi An. On the street you will find variety of street food that local people sell and moving around with theirs bicycle or motorbike while local business seem mainly focus on the tailoring and clothes.
One checklist that thousand of tourists never missed is walking around the ancient house block with the lanterns hanging and enjoy their dinner at the restaurant along the river. Want to know how magical the city of lantern is? Save up and call out your friends and make a plan!
Another DUO-WANDERING Checked with my beloved travel parter
To talk about temples, surely we must mention the masterpiece Angkor complex, Preah Vihear temple or Sambor Prei Kuk complex. Let’s skip Siem Reap for now and talk about Preah Vihear province, Do we really have only Preah Vihear temple?
Preah Khan of Kampong Svay (Bakhan) is located in Bakan village, Ronakser Commune, Sangkum Thmei District, Preah Vihear Province; proximately 80km from Preah Vihear town or 75km on National Road 6 then a bumping road from Prasat Balangk District, Kampong Thom Province. This complex is about 100km from Angkor.
Preah Khan of Kampong Svay is 5km square wall-covered complex, first built under the reign of King Suryavarman I and continued by King Suryavarman II and Jayavarman VII. Most of the Statues were stolen or taken out included the magnificent statue of King Jayavarman VII.
Surrounded the main complex there are many temples such as Prasat Preah Domrei (Elephant Temple) about 1km before reaching the main temple where most of the visitor pay a visit and pray. Also there is a small temple with a unique 4 faced Buddha statue related to the post Bayon style (Longvek) that this temple was once fallen until there was a restoration started on Mar 19, 2018 and successfully finished on July 4, 2018 yet there is a Brahma 4 faced temple known as Prasat Preah Stung in Bayon style and an island temple in the middle of a Trapeang Pradak Baray (lake) known as Prasat Preah Thkol.
These temples were built between the first half of the 11 century and the beginning of the 14th century. The main cultural complex is related to Angkor Wat style (first half of the 12th century) with some additional structures and satellite temples related to Bayon style period (end of 12th and the beginning of the 13th century). Except an unfinished Hindu temple built during the first half of the 11th century, monuments of Preah Khan of Kampong Svay are mostly related to Buddhism (Mahayanna and Theravada)
Renting a scooter in Kampot town, only $4 per day driving along the Kampot River to the Southwest Raising Star, Kep Beach maybe there is a feeling that the journey must be ending here for a fresh air & seafood at Crab Market, Yeah it must be stop now, we were starving & tired. But the journey was not end up there, we had plan for another natural sight then we started the engine and keep going.
About 30 minutes later with the help of Google Map and asking people living in the village, Kampong Trach here we came, the word of mouth of crystal clear moon shape pool in the cave. “Not that far, just 1 min walk ahead” said a seller there. Finally seeing it in the reality with kids jumping and swimming joyfully. Two of my friend undress and jumped!!!
Get up from the pool and hundreds of photo has already taken, we continue claim up the the caves, Moon Cave and Sun Cave on the mountain. Up there meet an aunty who said she’s a spiritual person who is taking care of the place that she tell lots of story about Kampong Trach while some of her word I barely understand (watch this: YouTube Link) the shape and stone color of the caves really impress the tourists and some of them is written with Khmer and Vietnamese.
ពេលខ្លះយើងគួរឲ្យខ្លួនស្វែងរកនូវអ្វីដែលប្លែកខុសពីអ្វីដែលគេនិយម ដែលអាចឲ្យយើងជួបនូវអ្វីធ្វើឲ្យយើងរំភើប សប្បាយ និងចងចាំ។
Sometime you have to do something different from other people that might lead you to something impressive enjoyable and memorable.
The nude lady statue or the white lady statue is known as one of the symbolics for Kep province but what’s more interesting is Koh Tonsay translates to Rabbit island. The island that makes you expect to see lots of rabbits.
Koh Tonsay derives from dissolve. According to the narrative, a king led the last group of the army across the sea and dissolved the army there after losing hope for the victory. Dissolve in Khmer is very similar to rabbit. The name has been slightly changed from one generation to one generation. From Romsay (dissolve) to Onsay to Tonsay (rabbit).
មិនមែនថាចង់ទៅក៏ឡើងទូកទៅភ្លាមទេ ពីភ្នំពេញទៅកែបចំណាយពេលប្រមាណ៤ម៉ោង៣០នាទីតាមរយៈឡាន mini van ដែលអាចកក់បានយ៉ាងស្រួលតាមរយៈ App Bookmebus.com មានកាលវិភាគ តម្លៃ និងជម្រើសនៃក្រុមហ៊ុនឡានដែលយើងចង់ជិះជាច្រើន ហើយលើសនេះទៀតក៏អាចបង់លុយ online បានទៀត មិនចាំបាច់ជីះហាលក្តៅទៅទិញសំបុត្រ ដល់ថ្ងៃមុនទៅឲ្យដល់បេនឡានឲ្យបានមុន៣០នាទីហើយស្រេច
Bookmebus.com brings travel experience more convenient. The app shows all the transportation companies with schedule and ticket price. What we can do is just a one-click job, making a booking online via this app and arrive the bus station 30 minutes before the departure. Say no more queueing for ticketing.
When arriving the provincial town, Crab market will welcome everyone. You can find all the fresh sea food, beverages and Khmer snack there. Highly recommend all Kep visitors to pack some raw and cooked food for Koh Tonsay as there won’t have variety of food like here. After shopping, we could have picnic along the beach by just paying around $5 for the picnic place. Surprisingly, you can clearly see Koh Trol which currently known as Phu Quoc island right from there.
Spending a night at Koh Tonsay is ideal for the beautiful sunset. Get your round trip boat ticket to the island at the port at $25 for 8 people. 30 minutes to reach the island and along the way, you can enjoy with the stunning ocean view and the treelined coconut. A perfect way to escape from the noise of city.
Tranquility and peace is real with the awesome landscape and fresh coconut and seafood. One of the top favorites is the fried fish with tamarind fish sauce. What is more special, massage service is also provided. Getting traditional massage at the peaceful place which is full of wave sound and fresh air is something you should not miss. However, if you are a kind of itchy foot, trekking around island is also highly recommended as there are different beaches with different features and views.
On top of this, the nearby islands are also famous for its coral reefs and starfishes. Diving deep into the sea or on the surface of water, everyone can see it through the goggles clearly. Bonus with stunning sunset, Koh Tonsay makes all the travellers feel so amazed.
When you visit this island, do not forget to promote this wonderful place through your social channels as it has full internet signal, surprisingly.
Once in a life time you should pack your bag and wandering away from your place and stay off the internet; letting yourself hear the sound of nature and understand more about peacefulness.
វាជាបទពិសោធន៍ទីមួយនៃជីវិតរបស់ខ្ញុំដែលខ្ញុំសម្រេចចិត្តថាចង់ផ្សងព្រេងនៅកន្លែងមួយដោយដៅចៃដន្យលើ Google Map នោះគឺតំបន់ Bolaven Plateau ដែលជាខ្ពង់រាបមួយនៃខេត្តចំប៉ាសក្តិប្រទេសឡាវដែលសំបូរទៅដោយជ្រលងភ្នំទឹកជ្រោះ (Tad Loh, Tad Champee, Tad Phasuam, Tad Gneuang, Tad Fane ។ល។) និងបង្ហាញចេញនូវទិដ្ឋភាពនៃជីវភាពប្រជាជនដែលគួរឲ្យទាក់ទាញ។
ដើម្បីទៅដល់តំបន់នោះខ្ញុំនឹងមិត្តរបស់ខ្ញុំត្រូវធ្វើដំណើរចេញពីភ្នំពេញតាមរយៈឡានក្រុងចាប់ពីម៉ោង៧ព្រឹកទៅដល់ព្រំដែនកម្ពុជា–ឡាវត្រពាំងគ្រៀលនាម៉ោង៥ល្ងាចហើយត្រូវស្នាក់នៅក្រុងប៉ាក់សេមួយយប់ដែលល្មមទៅដល់គឺម៉ោង៨យប់។នាពេលព្រឹកយើងបានជួលម៉ូតូ២ថ្ងៃដើម្បីជិះទៅកាន់តំបន់នោះបានដែលមានរយៈចង្ងាយជាង២០០គីឡូម៉ែត (សម្រាប់វង់តូចហើយវង់ធំប្រមាណជាង៣០០គីឡូម៉ែត)។នៅតាមផ្លូវទិដ្ឋភាពធម្មជាតិនិងព្រៃភ្នំពិតជាអស្ចារ្យដែលមានខ្យល់អាកាសត្រជាក់ល្ហឹម។មកដល់ពាក់កណ្តាលវង់តូចយើងបានជួបជាមួយប្រជាជនក្នុងតំបន់មួយនាខេត្តសារ៉ាវាន់ហើយស្នាក់នៅទីនោះមួយយប់។ទិដ្ឋភាពនៅទីនោះពិតជាគួរឲ្យចង់ស្នាក់នៅដើរប្រមាណជា៥នាទីជួបទឹកជ្រោះដ៏ធំមួយឈ្មោះ Tad Loh ដែលអាចងួតកំសាន្តព្រមជាមួយនឹងដំរីនៅមាត់ជ្រោះតែម្តង។ក្រៅពីនេះប្រជាជនតាមតំបន់ Bolaven Plateau និយមដាំដំណាំកាហ្វេនិងដើមដំឡូងមីពីមុខផ្ទះសឹងតែគ្រប់ផ្ទះ។
It’s my first experience in my life that I had decided to adventure to a place that I had pinned on my Google Map – Bolaven Plateau of Champasak Province, Laos where it is full of mountains, waterfalls (Tad Loh, Tad Champee, Tad Phasuam, Tad Gneuang, Tad Fane etc.) and the living of local people there.
To reach there, I and my friend needed to catch a bus from Phnom Penh left by 7:00AM arriving the Cambodia-Laos boarder by 5:00PM and Pakse city by 8:00PM where we had spent a night there before our journey. In the morning we had rent a scooter for 2 days exploring the plateau around 200KM distance from Pakse. The view along the road was a breath-taking one with cool fresh air. By the mid-way we had met some local people in Salavan province where we spent our second night there. It’s a place that I aim for this trip where there is a big waterfall just 5 minutes-walk and I could touch and see elephants with my own eyes. People in the plateau area like growing coffee and cassava plant that I saw most of the houses have them on the front yard.
តាមផ្លូវត្រឡប់មកវិញខ្ញុំមិនទាន់អស់ចិត្តទេក៏បានបបួលមិត្តភក្តិបន្តទៅកាន់តំបន់មួយទៀតដែលជាប់់ព្រំព្រទល់កម្ពុជា–ឡាវគឺ Siphan Don ដែលប្រែថាកោះបួនពាន់។នៅទីនោះទិដ្ឋភាពផ្សេងមួយបែបទៀតក៏បានបង្ហាញពីជីវភាពរបស់ប្រជាជនតាមកោះរាប់ពាន់តាមដងទន្លេមេគង្គត្រង់តំបន់ល្បាក់ខោនព្រមជាមួយទឹកជ្រោះនិងការជិះកង់កំសាន្តពីកោះមួយទៅកោះមួយទៀតឆ្លងតាមស្ពានបុរាណសល់ពីជំនាន់អាណានិគមបារាំង។
On the way back to Cambodia, it wasn’t enough for me that I had asked my friend to continue staying another night at Siphan Don (Thousand Islands) by the Cambodia-Laos boarder where I could see another living of island people, waterfalls and another experience – cycling around islands across old bridge from the French colonial era.