The Island Explorer

It was the day everyone was excited about. We woke up at 4AM to leave the guesthouse at 5AM. We were able to leave around 5:30AM though, and the sun was already rising when we arrived at the entrance gates of the Temples. We paid $20 each for a single day entry, and were given I.D. tickets that even had our faces (photographed on the spot). We rushed to the entrance of Angkor Wat, our first stop and the largest religious monument in the world. I ran as fast as I could, moving my way through the crowds to take a picture of the glorious sunrise with Angkor Wat in silhouette.  It was amazing. The last time I went, I was struck in awe, and wasn't able to get great pictures since I was new to photography. Now, I ran and found the spot I wanted to have great shot. There were hundred of photographers in the same line, and I had to bump someone off to take a spot. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was calm and serene. Everyone was just admiring the sunrise and the grandness of Angkor Wat. So, a...

On a side note, I watched some interesting vignettes in MTV on the Philippines while I was in Jakarta. They were advertising a website, so I logged on. Turned out, it was a campaign by MTV and the Department of Tourism. I found it very unique and effective, given that it was primarily a promo. I like the concept of Holiday Remix and with young travel fanatics submitting videos of the Philippines, you really do get the wor dof mouth around. We have long been the forgotten jewels of Asia. This campaign hopes to address the market that is Asia to rediscover our islands. So log on: http://www.awesomephilippines.com

We left Saigon Mini at 6AM, and walked the stretch of Bui Vien to get to Sinh Cafe. We looked funny because we all walked in a straight line, and some of us had luggage. We made it to Sinh Cafe though and ate our packed breakfast there. We left promptly at 6:30 AM, in a comfortable bus to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. We arrived at the border crossing between Vietnam and Cambodia around 1 and a half hours later, around 8AM. We were asked to get down and take our luggage with us. We entered the immigration hall, where our bags were scanned leniently. Our passports were collected by our bus guide, and we were called one by one, like we were in a raffle draw. That was our exit from Vietnam. After that, we boarded the bus again, but soon after a minute, we were told to get down again. Our passports were collected again, for our entry to Cambodia.  For this part, we weren't asked to go to the immigration hall anymore. The bus guide just collected our passports and we were free to...

We woke up at 8AM, and had our complimentary breakfasts. I was anxious about finding a van for us for the day. We wanted to go to the Cu Chi Tunnels, around 60 km from Saigon. We asked the hotel if there was a van available for us. It took a bit of time, so we decided to search for transport as well in Bui Vien. It felt as if we were in Amazing Race, looking for a van to take us to Cu Chi. A travel agency found one, but the hotel called that they also found one for a cheaper price. So, we went back to the hotel and at 10:30PM started to head out to the Cu Chi Tunnels. We arrived in Cu Chi around lunch time, so we decided to eat first in a restaurant beside the entrance. The food was crappy, probably the worst of the trip. It did rain as well, so it was a good decision to eat first. As soon as the rain stopped, we bought our tickets (VN 80,000 or P560). We approached the new entrance of the Cu Chi Tunnels, which was a tunnel, giving you the feeling you've been transported to some ot...

3 days after an exhausting tour of China, I found myself once again in a plane, now bound for Vietnam. It was a busy Friday for me, and I arrived around 10PM for our 11PM flight to Vietnam. This time, I was with 9 people, most of whom are my friends from Fonterra Brands, which is one of our clients. We flew Cebu Pacific (average of P7,000 roundtrip), and arrived at an ungodly hour past midnight. It was my third time in Saigon, but it was my first time to arrive in the new airport that looked like our new NAIA T3. I wasn't pleased with my previous trips to Saigon, so I wasn't expecting anything. I arranged our trip that includes the following destinations: 1. Cu Chi Tunnels near Saigon 2. Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat Complex 3. Mu Ne in Phan Thiet, Vietnam I built an itinerary for all of us, since I wasn't traveling alone. I had to plan in advance as much as I can. I was careful in choosing accommodations. I also decided to hire a van wherever we went, as it will be more con...