Stilt village of Kampong Khleang and floating village on Tonle Sap lake

23 March 2019 

 
A visit to Siem Reap offers an opportunity to visit Tonle Sap, largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and is the second most popular attraction in Siem Reap, after Angkor Wat.

Tonle Sap is a lake where its size varies greatly depending on the season. During the dry season, water from the lake drained via the Tonle Sap River to the Mekong River in the south and the lake becomes much smaller and very shallow.

However, in the rainy season (June to October), the huge amount of water in the Mekong River causes the Tonle Sap River to reverse its flow. This backflow, combined with the extra water coming from upstream, causes Tonle Sap lake to increase its size by up to five times its size in the dry season.

What is most interesting about Tonle Sap is not the lake itself, but the fascinating local communities and their floating villages.

There are actually several so-called floating villages located on and around the Tonle Sap Lake and they are all somewhat different.
Chong Khneas is the floating village nearest to Siem Reap. I was advised that this village is somewhat touristy as it is the one most visited by tourists.

I was deciding between Kampong Phluk and Kampong Khleang. Both are not actually floating villages as the houses are built on tall stilts.

I chose Kampong Khleang since it is furthest away (51 km from Siem Reap) and hence less touristy. It has the largest population of all the villages on Tonle Sap Lake and there is also an outer floating village that we could visit from Kampong Khleang.

We hired an air-conditioned van with driver for our day trip from Siem Reap to Tonle Sap and Kampong Khleang. We also planned to visit Beng Mealea, a Angkor temple ruin located around 68km northeast of Siem Reap, in the afternoon on the same day. We did not hire a guide for this trip.

Our journey from our hotel in Siem Reap to Kampong Khleang took about 1.5 hours along the well paved Highway 6. Since our visit was during the dry season, the stilt village is high and dry and we could access the village by road.

Approaching Kampong Khleang, we stopped briefly to purchase tickets (USD 20 per person) for our visit and boat ride from Kampong Khleang to see the floating village on Tonle Sap.  The fees help to fund the local community and pay for the boat ride.

Our driver told us that the road we are travelling on would be covered by the lake during the wet season.

Stilted houses lining the dusty road as we got our first views of Kampong Khleang.

 

Kids in the centre of the village by the dusty road.

We arrived at what seems to the centre of the village with a small jetty next to a muddy stream. I did not know what to expect from the boat ride but I was already fascinated by the tall stilt houses that I could see from the jetty.

 

Boarding our boat at the jetty in the centre of Kampong Khleang.

The eight of us in our small private boat. 

There were not many other tourists around. We did not have to wait to get onto our little wooden boat, just right sized for our party of eight. This boat will bring us through the stilt village and onto the middle of Tonle Sap.

Our boatman was an elderly man who does not speak English. He pretty much left us alone while he concentrated on piloting the boat downstream. Only one other boat carrying tourists was in front of us.

Our boat heading downstream through Kampong Khleang towards Tonle Sap. 
 
Kampong Khleang.

From our boat, we could see rows of houses on both banks of the small and shallow muddy stream.   We reckon that the water level would rise by many metres up to the floor level of the stilt houses towering above us. It was quite a sight and I was glad we came during the dry season to see this.

Kampong Khleang and the tall stilt houses during the dry season.

Every family in this village would need to have a boat. That would their primary mode of transport during the wet season when the entire village would be practically sitting on water.



The muddy stream that we were on is very shallow during the dry season. The boats were moving on a few feet of water and the propellers were almost hitting the riverbed. We saw another boat in front us with its propellers snagged by plastic bags, rubbish and debris from the stream.


The young boatman removing rubbish, plastic bags and debris from the propeller of his boat.
 
After a few days of temple exploration around Siem Reap, it felt good to sit back, relax and enjoy the views of rural Cambodia from the comfort of a moving boat for a change.


Loading supplies onto a boat, the primary means of transport for the villagers living on floating houses on Tonle Sap Lake.

Fish traps along the shallow river.

Close–up view of a fish trap. The types of fish found in Tonle Sap are mostly catfishes, based on a chart I saw at the jetty. These are bottom feeders that thrive in murky waters with low visibility.

House with satellite TV.

Abandoned boat overgrown with water hyacinth.


As we move away from the dense village of Kampong Khleang, we saw isolated wooden houses along the banks of the muddy stream leading into the Tonle Sap.

Here, the stilts were not as tall as those in Kampong Khleang, leading me to believe that these are probably temporary shelters for farmers and their families, growing crops on the fertile land around the lake during the dry season. During the wet season, the entire area would be flooded and the farmers would have to migrate inland or move to floating houses on the lake.

Man catching fish in the river.

I was actually surprised to see that the locals were using mechanised farming equipment to increase their productivity.

Farming equipment

Little birds sitting on the long arm of farming equipment probably used for spraying pesticides or fertilisers.

Villager pumping water from the stream into a portable water tank.

Villagers loading blocks of ice from a truck onto a boat using a slide.

Our boatman removing debris from the propeller of our boat in the middle of our journey to Tonle Sap. This occurs several times during our boat ride. 


A floating provision store moored on the shore of the stream.

Not surprised to see this provision store stocks up small propellers for sale.


More small floating houses on boats.

Laundry drying in the sun. I wonder if these clothes were washed in the muddy river.


Life by the shores of Tonle Sap.

Our boat soon moves into the great lake itself. Tonle Sap is the largest lake in South East Asia. In fact, it is actually more than twice the size of my home country, Singapore.

Leaving the shore behind us, it felt like we were in the middle of the sea. 

 Another boat overtaking us and heading towards a group of floating houses in the distant.

A group of floating houses soon came into view, giving us another perspective of life on the Tonle Sap. Imagine living like nomads on a lake, moving your house to different parts of the great lake depending on the season and water level.

Floating village on Tonle Sap.

These folks are probably fisherman by trade.




Woman cleaning a fish on a boat.

This family has a “floating garden”, growing herbs in containers next to their floating house.

Some houses are solar powered and even have satellite TV or communication equipment.


The small outhouse or toilet would discharge everything into the lake. Food for the fishes.


This is a floating schoolhouse.


I wonder what the kids do when not attending school.

After touring around the floating village for a while, we head back towards Kampong Khleang. Once more, we get to see local life along the shores of Tonle Sap. The children seem happy playing with their friends next to their wooden huts.

Young girl with her cat on the shores of the stream.

Another floating schoolhouse. This is a primary school for young kids.

The stream that our boat is moving on is very shallow and the propeller has to be near the surface to avoid hitting the river bed. This means that the propeller would throw up loads of muddy water when the boat is moving at higher speed. We got a bit worried when we saw a boat approaching us at high speed.

We got a bit worried when we saw this fast moving boat approaching us.

Boats generally slow down when passing close to one another. The boat slowed down just in time. We were not drenched in mocha coloured mud.

Our boat speeding along back towards Kampong Khleang.


View of the stream and the farming community on our way back to Kampong Khleang.


Approaching Kampong Khleang.


Friendly kids waving at us.


Fisherman unloading their catch at Kampong Khleang.


A Buddhist temple at Kampong Khleang, located on high ground.

We arrived back at Kampong Khleang at noon. Our visit to Kampong Kheang and the boat ride to see the floating village on Tonle Sap had taken about half a day. It was time well spent.

Everyone in our group was fascinated by what we saw and appreciate the difficult but yet simple life of the local people in rural Cambodia.

Continue Reading »

Exploring the jungle temple of Beng Mealea

23 March 2019

Beng Mealea is one of the less visited Angkor temple since it is located about 68 km northeast of Siem Reap and away from the main sightseeing routes. The temple was built during the early 12th century but the detailed history of this temple is not well known. What is fascinating about this site is that it is almost completely overran by nature, with ruins that were mostly unrestored.  It is nicknamed “the jungle temple” although Beng Mealea means “Lotus Pond” in Khmer language.

Beng Mealea temple.

It is good to combine a visit to Beng Mealea with visits to other remote sites like Phnom Kulen Mountain, Koh Ker Temple or villages around Tonle Sap.

We hired a private air-conditioned van with English speaking driver for a day to bring us to Kampong Khleang (a stilt village on the shored of Tonle Sap) in the morning, followed by Beng Mealea in the afternoon.

We arrived at Beng Mealea in the early afternoon, after our visit to Kampong Kheang and Tonle Sap. We had our lunch at SomRos Neary Khmer Restaurant, one of the few restaurants in the vicinity of Beng Mealea.
Beng Mealea’s entry fee of USD 5 per person is not included in the Angkor Temple Pass. Tickets can be purchased on the way to the site.

We entered the temple from the south side. A broken multi-headed stone “naga” or serpent marked the start of the causeway or path that leads to the temple.

The temple site is surrounded by a moat, now overgrown with vegetation. It was mostly jungle on both sides of the dirt path.

A blue signboard on the left side of the path reminded us that Cambodia is a country that still has a problem with landmines, leftover from past conflicts. The signboard indicated that the land in that area had been cleared of landmines by CMAC. It was a reminder to not stray away from the well-trodden path.

Multi-headed stone serpents seen along the causeway leading into Beng Mealea temple.

More multi-headed serpents could be seen along the path. Most of these were damaged to some extent.  This causeway reminded me of the causeway leading to the Angkor Wat, except that this is very much in ruins.

This used to be the south gate of Beng Mealea. Now reduced to rubble. A pair of feet that belonged to a stone lion is in the foreground.

A pile of rubble and collapsed stone blocks from a gate greeted us at the end of the causeway. We have to enter the site from the right side where there were wooden boardwalks leading visitors into the heart of the temple ruins.

A giant tree that looked like what we saw in Ta Prohm sticks out from under a huge pile of large stone blocks.

We could see the effects of Mother Nature on the abandoned temple. Most of the temple structure had collapsed, including the central tower.

Collapsed perimeter walls.

Faint carvings of a figure (depicting Hindu God Vishnu?) riding on an animal (a bull?) on a wall.



Lintels with carvings depicting scenes or events based on Hindu religion.


These pile of rubbles from a collapsed arched roof.

The temple does lived up to its nickname “the jungle temple”. The trees overhead provide much needed shade.  Vines and roots grow on the surface of the stone structure.

The design of the windows is similar to those we saw at Angkor Wat and other temples built during that period.




The wooden boardwalk made exploring this temple easier for visitors. It led us through the ruins and rubbles, up and over some of the walls.

Structure engulfed by roots of a strangler fig tree.


A carving that depicts the “Churning of the ocean of milk”. In Hinduism, this is one of the central events in the ever-continuing struggle between the Devas (gods) and the Asuras (demons).


There was even a section that led us through a dark and musty passage to emerge again near the centre of the temple complex.
 
Going through a part of the Beng Mealea temple that had not collapsed.


A small structure in an open courtyard.

Feeling a little like Indiana Jones while exploring the ruins of Beng Mealea.

My friends enjoying a “swing” at Beng Mealea.


One of the lintels with carvings that was “salvaged” from the ruins.


Back to the South entrance of Beng Melea where we started our exploration.

Although it was the last of many temple ruins we visited in Siem Reap, everyone in my group thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Beng Mealea as it was unique in its own way.

Continue Reading »

Trip Overview – 9 Days in Northern Vietnam

Northern Vietnam has some of the most beautiful, untouched and natural scenery in South East Asia. Pictures of the golden terraced paddy fields seen on the hiking trails in Sapa and pictures of thousands of karst mountains set in the emerald sea of Ha Long Bay made me book my air tickets to Hanoi, which is Vietnam’s capital city and gateway to these attractions.  In addition, I wanted to visit Ninh Binh, located just 2 hours away from Hanoi by car. I got to know of the beauty of Ninh Binh through watching an episode of the Amazing Race (Season 29 Episode 10) on TV.

Ironically, we did not go to neither Sapa nor Ha Long Bay. As I planned my itinerary before our trip, I realised that Mai Chau and Pu Luong could be better places for hiking instead of Sapa.

Sapa, according to what I read in the internet, has become too touristy and crowded. Tales of aggressive local villagers “pressuring” tourists to buy stuff, crowded hiking trails and 7 hours of overnight train journey just to get to Sapa from Hanoi were some of the reasons I chose not to go to Sapa.

For almost similar reasons, I decided to skip the “touristy” and “over commercialised” Ha Long Bay and spend more time in Ninh Binh, also known as the “Ha Long Bay on Land”.

Best time to visit

The best time to hike and visit the rice fields of North Vietnam is during the rice harvesting season.  There are usually 2 to 3 crops per year. The actual harvesting periods would vary according to weather and location. For Mai Chau and Pu Luong, the month of October was a good time for our visit but the rice fields in Ninh Binh were already harvested in September.

Green and yellow terraced paddy fields in Pu Luong - October 2018.

As things turned out, I enjoyed my experience hiking through Pu Luong Nature Reserve. We saw plenty of green, yellow and golden terraced paddy fields within the gorgeous rural landscape of Vietnam. We witnessed all stages of rice harvesting activities.

Instead of aggressive and pushy locals trying to make money from us, we interacted with friendly local villagers during our time at Mai Chau and Pu Luong. One elderly couple even invited us into their house to rest and served us cold water and oranges from her garden.

I had booked a 5D/4N private tour that starts from Hanoi and ends in Ninh Binh from VIC Travel. I chose this company as they focus on low impact "off the beaten path" private trips in northern Vietnam. The company provided a local English speaking guide, a car with driver and arranged our accommodations and meals. On one of the nights, we stayed in the bamboo stilt houses of the ethnic minority people in Pu Luong and ate authentic local meals.

Our itinerary includes travel by car and a fair bit of hiking and trekking in the beautiful Mai Chau Valley and Pu Luong Nature Reserve. We also did a bit of cycling around Mai Chau.

We actually found the landscape in Pu Luong to be more beautiful than Mai Chau. In addition, Pu Luong is more laid back and less touristy. Mai Chau’s tourism industry had boomed recently and has attracted more visitors (local and international). We encountered a few electric powered carts carrying visitors on the narrow country lanes. In comparison, we did not meet any other hikers on the hiking trails in Pu Luong!

Our itinerary

The following is a day by day summary of our 9 days in Northern Vietnam.

Prior to going to Mai Chau and Pu Luong, we spent one and half day exploring the sights and culture in the Old Quarters of Hanoi as well as giving our taste buds a treat with local culinary delights.

Day 1 (4 October 2018) – Arrival and half day in Hanoi

We arrived at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport at about noon time. We travelled by pre-arranged taxi to our hotel located in Hanoi’s Old Quarters. After settling into our hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, we spent the rest of the day exploring Hanoi on foot.

Seemingly never ending stream of cars and motorcycles on the streets of Hanoi.

We experienced the mayhem of the city traffic and took the leap of faith that is needed to cross the streets with seemingly never ending stream of cars and motorcycles. We also enjoy the sights and gastronomical delights of Hanoi.

We tried one of the best pho in the famous Old Quarters. One of the hidden gems in Hanoi is “Train Street” where we saw many interesting sights but the train!

We had dinner at the Red Bean Classic Restaurant, one of the best fine dining restaurants in the city.

Hanoi’s famous Beer Corner or Bia Hoi Corner

 

Following dinner, we sat on plastic stools by the street and drank probably the cheapest beer in the world at Hanoi’s famous Beer Corner or Bia Hoi Corner (located at the crossroads of Pho Ta Hien and Pho Luong Ngoc Quyen).

Where we stayed: Hanoi Imperial Hotel located in the middle of the Old Quarters. Hanoi's Old Quarter is the city's ultimate shopping hotspot. The Quarter's maze of streets offers a wealth of cheap shopping, delicious must-try dishes, and essential travel services.

Trip report: Gastronomical delights in Hanoi Old Quarter

 

Day 2 (5 October 2018) – A whole day to enjoy Hanoi

After breakfast at hotel, we continued our exploration of Hanoi on foot. 

Some of the things we did and places we visited are:

Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and visit Ngoc Son Temple.

Try the famous Hanoi’s specialty egg coffee or ca phe trung at Cafe Giang.

Eat the banh mi at Bahn Mi Bread. 

Rest and relax at Tranquil Books & Coffee, one of the many trendy and cute cafes in Hanoi.

Try the Vietnamese noodle salad with slices of roast duck at the Vit 29.

Go to a different part of “Train Street” again and saw a train rolling past us. Really really close. What an experience!

Hanoi’s “train street”.

Tour Hoa Lo Prison, the "Hanoi Hilton".

Enjoy 90 minutes of body massage at Sen Spa.

Shop at Hanoi’s Night Market which operates every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Where we stayed: Hanoi Imperial Hotel located in the middle of the Old Quarters. There were a few excellent spas located just outside this hotel. An hour or two at a good, clean spa is the perfect way to relax after a long day of walking and sightseeing.

Trip report: A day of cafe hopping and sight-seeing in Hanoi Old Quarter

Trip report: Up close with a train in Hanoi’s “train street”

Day 3 (6 October 2018) – Travel from Hanoi to Mai Chau.

This is the start of our 5D/4N private tour arranged with VIC Travel.

My wife and I were picked up by our guide Mr Long and driver Mr Ha from our hotel in Hanoi in a clean and spacious Toyota Innova. It was a comfortable 4 hours’ drive through the countryside, small towns and mountainous regions to Mai Chau with a coffee break en-route.

We had lunch comprising authentic cuisine of local people at the Lac village. This was followed by a 5 km hike through a forest and paddy fields in the Mai Chai valley to Mai Chau Ecolodge, our accommodation for the night. Mai Chau valley is one of the most beautiful areas in the north west of Vietnam.

Mai Chau Ecolodge.

After dinner at the Mai Chau Ecolodge, we watched a lively cultural dance performance.

Where we stayed: Mai Chau Ecolodge.

Surrounded by mountains and paddy fields, Mai Chau Ecolodge features modern rooms and suites with views and free Wi-Fi. It has a restaurant, bar, an outdoor pool and in-house spa for guests to relax in. Free bicycles are available for guests to borrow and explore the countryside.

Trip report: Hiking in Mai Chau Valley with a local guide.

Day 4 (7 October 2018) – Mai Chai to Pu Luong

After breakfast at the Mai Chau Ecolodge, we borrowed the free bicycles to cycle through terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of Mai Chau valley and encountering the culture of the ethnic minority Thai people on our visits to the Lac and Na Phon villages.

After lunch in the Na Phon village, our driver drove us to Pu Luong Nature Reserve.

En-route, we made a brief stop at a roadside bamboo factory to observe how bamboo trees are turned into chopsticks and rulers.

The drive to the Hieu village in Pu Luong took about 2 hours. This area is the home of the Muong and Thai ethnic groups.

We stayed in this hut at Ban Hieu village,  Pu Luong.

After settling into our stilt hut in the village, we went to explore the surrounding area, including a 5 km trek up a waterfall and jungle path.

We had dinner with our hosts and enjoyed the food and hospitality provided. We even stayed up late to watch a live telecast of the English Premier League game between Liverpool and Manchester City in the homestay via cable TV.

Where we stayed: Mr Ly’s homestay in Ban Hieu village.

Trip report: Cycling in the morning at Mai Chau valley

Trip report: Road Trip from Mai Chau to Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Trip report: Our Activities at Ban Hieu Village in Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Day 5 (8 October 2018) –  Hiking in Pu Luong

After breakfast, we start our hike through Pu Luong Nature Reserve, passing corn fields, rice terraces, palm forests, farms and many villages. We saw people going about their day.

We had lunch in the stilt house of a villager in the White Thai village. We enjoyed some free time to acquaint ourselves with the life of our hosts.

In the afternoon, we trekked through terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of Pu Luong and encountering the culture of the ethnic minority Thai people in Don village. We were lucky to visit during harvesting season and saw plenty of golden terraced rice-fields and harvesting activities. Pu Luong was especially beautiful, non-touristy and we met many friendly local people in the villages.

Rice harvesting in Pu Luong during October 2018.

This was the day where we did the longest and most energy sapping trek of at least 12 km in hot weather. But this was the day where we really appreciate the beauty of North Vietnam, in terms of scenery, country and people.

Where we stayed: Pu Luong Retreat.

Pu Luong Retreat offers the best views of rice terraces, valley and mountains from the property.

It features an outdoor infinity pool, a restaurant and free Wi-Fi access in the public areas. Select suites feature a bathtub.

Trip report: Hiking in Pu Luong Nature Reserve - From Hieu village to Kho Muong village

Day 6 (9 October 2018) –  Hiking in Pu Luong and travel to Ninh Binh

We did a 7 km trek in the morning through the rice terraces and forests around Pu Luong.

We then drove on the Ho Chi Minh highway through the surrounding countryside to Ninh Binh.

En-route, we stopped for lunch at one of the local restaurants before arriving at our hotel in Ninh Binh’s city center in the afternoon.

Where we stayed: Ngoc Anh 2 Hotel. This is a clean and “value-for-money” hotel located in Ninh Binh city.

Trip report: Morning in Pu Luong Retreat

 

Day 7 (10 October 2018) – Explore Ninh Binh

The last day of our tour with VIC Travel was spent exploring a few attractions of Ninh Binh that I had selected.

Trang An boat ride through the “Ha Long Bay on Land” in Ninh Binh.

We took the highly enjoyable and scenic Trang An river boat tour through limestone caves early in the morning before the tour groups and day trippers arrived in Ninh Binh.

After the 2 hours boat ride, we went to see Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and learnt about the 10th and 11th century kings who once ruled ancient Vietnam.

Our guide arranged for us to sample some local special dishes such as crispy rice and goat meat in a local restaurant during lunch.

After lunch, we went to Hang Mua. Hang Mua is a cave that was used as a secret hospital by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War.

Panoramic views from Hang Mua Peak.

A more interesting activity at Hang Mua was the challenging 500 steps climb to the top of the mountain (Hang Mua Peak) where we were rewarded with cool breeze and panoramic views.

The 5D/4N private tour with VIC Travel concluded after our driver Ha sent us to our next accommodation in Tam Coc area of Ninh Binh.

Where we stayed: Tam Coc Horizon Bungalow. This is one of the best homestay accommodations in Tam Coc that is suitable for couples and family groups. 

Trip report: Exploring Ninh Binh - Trang An boat ride, Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel and Hang Mua peak

Trip report: Our stay at Tam Coc Horizon Bungalow

Day 8 (11 October 2018) –  Explore Tam Coc area of Ninh Binh

We had a free and easy day to explore the attractions around Tam Coc. We chose to walk (instead of cycling) to Bich Dong Pagoda and back. On the way, we saw the famous Tam Coc Boat Tours where rowers row the sampans with their feet instead of using their arms.

Local women rowing sampans using their feet in Tam Coc, Ninh Binh.

After lunch in a restaurant in Tam Coc, we relaxed in our homestay till the day is cool enough for an evening walk to Thai Vi Temple. 

Where we stayed: Tam Coc Horizon Bungalow.

Trip report: Exploring attractions in Tam Coc

Day 9 (12 October 2018) – Free and Easy in Tam Coc, Ninh Binh

We spent our last morning in Ninh Binh relaxing at our homestay till it was time to transfer by taxi to Noi Bai Airport for our 6.30 PM flight home.

Continue Reading »

Gastronomical delights in Hanoi Old Quarter

4 October 2018

One of the things to enjoy while visiting a city in South East Asia is its local and unique cuisine. We did not have much things planned on our first day, except to explore the Hanoi Old Quarter and sample some of Vietnam’s gastronomical delights. Prior to our trip, I had done some research and armed myself with a list of recommended places.

We took a pre-arranged taxi from Noi Bai International Airport to our hotel, Hanoi Imperial Hotel, conveniently located in midst of Hanoi Old Quarter. It was slightly past noon and we were too early for check in which was at 2 PM. Leaving our luggage in the good care of the friendly hotel bellboy, we went to try one of the best beef noodle soup or pho bo near the hotel.

This restaurant known as Pho 10 is located at 10 Ly Quoc Su Street, which is also the corner of Ly Quoc Su Street and Chan Cam Street.

Pho 10 was crowded which is a sign that it serves good food. We managed to get seats pretty quickly. Eating here reminded me of eating in Hong Kong’s small eating places. Seats are limited and patrons may share tables with other diners. This is not a place to linger or enjoy the dining environment. You come for the delicious food, eat and go.

This restaurant specialises in beef noodles and offered a variety as shown in the menu below. Although the prices are relatively higher than other pho restaurants frequented by locals, the quality of the dish was worth the price.

Service was efficient and we were soon slurping on our bowl of hot steaming Tai Nam or noodles with half done flank beef.  Condiments like freshly cut chilli slices, chilli sauces, Thai lime, paper towels, chop sticks and metal spoons are available at the table.

Tai Nam or Pho noodles with half done flank beef at Pho 10, Hanoi.

Usually larger chillis are not as spicy as small chilli but the chillis on this day were extremely hot. I was soon perspiring from the hot chillis and thankfully, there were fans and air chillers to keep customers cool.

For me, the element that makes or breaks a beef noodle soup is the broth. Pho 10’s broth was dark and flavourful. This was the first pho bo or beef noodle soup I tasted during this trip and it was also the best pho bo that I tasted for the entire trip. I read somewhere that the owners simmer their beef bones for fifteen to twenty hours with spices like star anise, cinnamon, and ginger to create the broth.

After our lunch, we decided to go to “train street” before returning to our hotel for check in.  Hanoi’s “train street” is not an official tourist attraction but lately has become a very popular place for visitors to see in Hanoi. After all, there are not many places where you can see actual operating railway lines running through a narrow street within the centre of a city.

“Train street” was fun to visit and was a photographer’s delight. More about our experiences at Hanoi’s “train street” in a separate post.

After an afternoon of street exploration, we chose to pamper ourselves with an evening meal in one of Hanoi’s fine dining restaurants.

We went to the Red Bean Classic Restaurant, located inside Hotel La Siesta in the Old Quarter. Stepping into the restaurant was like stepping into an oasis of peace and relaxation. An escape from the mayhem, noise, hustle and bustle of the streets outside.

Red Bean Classic Restaurant, located inside Hotel La Siesta.

The menu is extensive, with a long list of Vietnamese and Western dishes. I would normally want to try local Vietnamese cuisine during my travels but we ordered Western dishes since Hanoi is an excellent place to try French influenced dishes.

Pan seared Foie Gras served with sautéed mushrooms in olive oil and fresh orange with a balsamic sauce.

Grilled Australian Beef Tenderloin served with mashed potato and sautéed mushrooms, with red wine sauce.

Roasted Duck Breast with Orange Glaze. Duck breast marinated in orange juice, soya sauce and honey, grilled both sides and then roasted. Served with sautéed vegetables, cherry tomatoes, orange sauce, orange peel and herbs.

Passion Fruit Panna Cotta.  Homemade panna cotta infused with the natural essence of passion fruit, sugar and mint. Served with fresh strawberries.

I think Hanoi is a good place to enjoy the excellent service, food and wine in a top tier restaurant. Prices are relatively inexpensive compared to what we would have to pay for an equivalent experience back home.

Since the night was still young after our fine dining experience, we made our way to the Beer Corner or Bia Hoi Corner, located at the corner of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen streets.  This is a good place to have after-dinner drinks or experience the lively night scene of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Beer Corner or Bia Hoi Corner in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

We sat on colourful plastic stools by the street and drank probably the cheapest beer in the world. A bottle of local beer like Bia Ha Noi or Bia Saigon costs 20,000 VND while a Tiger or Tuborg costs 25,000 VND.

Cheap beer and delicious street food at Bia Corner.

If we had come with a group of friends, we may have gone into the 1900 Le Theatre, a night club along Beer Street across from where we sat.

From the Beer Corner, it was a short walk back to the Hanoi Imperial Hotel.

We would have another day in Hanoi for sightseeing and sampling more of Hanoi’s gastronomical delights. Read more in the next post.

Continue Reading »