214: Halong Bay, Vietnam from the 1000 places to see before you die book

Its a dog ear rather than a rip out the page for this one- albeit it didnt start off too well- a rather dull 4 hour road journey (getting better however at doing tours so I booked a private driver who didnt speak English and thankfully therefore didnt get the pitter patter the entire way down) and them arrived to a cloudy, grey harbour which was the take-off point for Halong Bay.

The boat looked rather magnificent though so it started to look up

Upon arrival we were greeted with a cold drink which was fab as it was damm hot and given lunch while our luggage was taken to the room.

The windows were a delight- windows overlooking the water so you could lie in aircon comfort and watch the passing scenery.

And the big deck to lounge on

We then putted off to our first destination

That afternoon I went on an hour long kayaking trip around the limestone islands

and then proceeded to work my way through 15 wines at wine tasting on the deck while the sun set

After a night of squid fishing the next morning saw a trip to the floating village nearby

and a trip to a limestone cave. "Tastfully" lit (beloww) is Happy Buddha Rock

and then a long hard work climb to the top of the mountain to take in the view of Halong Bay

The summation- definate worthwhile inclusion in the 1000 places to see before you die book

213: Sapa, Vietnam from the "1000 places to see before you die" book

Id always dreamed of a long first class train journey in some exotic location. Gin and tonics in swanky gear in a bar chatting to interesting people as we meandered through the countryside, waking up on 1000 thread cotton sheets in aircon splendour and lazily watching the landscape unfurl through the window, a few stops on the way where cold towels greeted us as we alighted for a few hours at some fabulous location, the smell of varnished and polished teak wood with dim Parisian lamps on tables, flowers scenting the airconditioned hallways. At least...thats what a train journey meant to me.

And so it was in two minds that I decided to venture to the north-west corner of Vietnam on the border with China to visit the town of Sapa...and joy oh joy the only way of getting there was by train.  The research on the trains was short and sweet- theres a normal train- hard and soft seat (here's the hard seat)

which clearly didnt fit into my Orient Express fantasy....or go on the train run by the resort that I was staying at the Victoria Sapa Resort and Spa. And so it was a call to my concierge service Quintessentially to get the whole thing sorted.

What a pleasure- cold towel on arrival, icy cold room beckoning me after the muggy heat of Hanoi, a fabulous cabin, a brilliant dining room open all night for the 8 hour journey with fresh flowers and western background music, fabulous cocktails and great food. Only thing was, I was unswankily clothed after a plane flight and 6 hours traipsing around the Old City of Hanoi and too tired to talk to fellow passengers.

In the dining car having a pre dinner cocktail

my lovely cabin

8 hours later after a steaming pot of coffee, eggs and bacon and some fab conversation with fellow guests we embarked at Sapa where I promptly jumped on a motorbike and went up and down a few hills checking out some waterfalls.

But the highlight of Sapa is its weekend Saturday market. The surrounding hill tribes come in from far away to sell their wares and catch up with their girlfriends- all dressed in their traditional garb.

The next day we ventured to the Flower Mong people's market in the nearby town of Bac Ha.

A definate entry into the 1000 places to see before you die book

211: Rex Bar and Ben Thamh Market, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam from the 1000 places to see before you die book

The Rex Hotel is one of the great old guards in Saigon. A retreat for all the hacks in the days of the War and a rambling 5 star hotel now that still retains its charm. Greatly helped of course by the fact that 5 star luxury in this city only costs $145 a night. I think the reason why it is here is because it is one of only a handful of outdoor bars in Ho Chi Minh...mind you..I dont think that being a mere 5 storeys high protects drinkers from either the noise or pollution issues- especially when next door they are building something that is looking rather large and had hundreds of workers on it seemingly 24/7.

The Rex Bar: Quite gaudy with itsgold crown and two elephants





at nighttime the bird cages all light up as does the crown!



one of the views from the bar

Anyhow....thats it- a bar. turns out there is a newer more spectacular one in a new shopping complex around the corner on level 33 which I think will take this one out of its spot in the book.

So...to the market. Well here it is...

It had about 100 stores selling either clothes, shoes, souvenirs or food. As always in these places the food ones are the most interesting..the verdict?

 

Its a tear off for both. Ive seen far more exotic markets (this was a tourist market) and have been to bars with far better views



snake and scorpion rice wine. Very good for men apparently



209: The Blue Mountains and Lilianfels Resort and Spa, Australia, the 1000 places to see before you die book

"Even better in the wet" promised the marketing blurb for the rainforests of the Blue Mountains in Australia. They didn't mention the cold though did they? To be fair, I hadnt factored in that a mountain range would be significantly colder than it was in Sydney- even though it was only a mere 1 hour drive away to the coast.


The settlers obviously named this mountain range after the blue balls they got trying to cross it.

It was freezing. It was wet. I had the flu. An 18 month baby on my hip. And it was a miserable, bone knawing 4 degrees with snow predicted. A 5 degrees with a 15mph wind curling into the damp of the rainforest before twisting its way "right back in ya face" as one tourist remarked to me upon check in at Lilianfels.

I had to laugh that my sister had advised to bring my bathers. The outdoor pool was barely visible through the thick fingers of fog that grasped the sodden branches of the paperback and lillipilli trees. The sun vainly tried to jostle for greater exposure but the storm clouds threw their squat oppressive weight around and bulleyed their way back to a dominant position. 

My niece Evelyn in happier moments in the room

So much for a meander through the bush this weekend I thought checking in to a room which came straight out of Country and Garden. Pink and white ole English bird wallpaper, some faux- french bed drapes arrangement falling off a wooden semi circle screwed in the wall above the pillow, reproductions of John Gould's drawings of wildlife of Australia gracing the walls, a stuffed kookaburra on the bed that when squeezed hard laughed for a bit and a decent enough bath which sadly was now housing a toddler who had thrown up on the way there.

I decided to venture further afield...well...in the hotel that is, as clearly with the weather outside  I would need a fortifying G&T at the bar first. I discovered a pleasant enough reading room, a room housing a full billiard table, an indoor pool (hurrah) and a spa replete with sauna and steam room (double hurrah).

The bar wasnt conducive to long chats with strangers but the restaurant cum sitting room area with big squashy sofas and two fires at either end took the chill off the interior decor of the bedroom.

 Still...there were two things that needed to be reviewed in order to tick off one more entry in the 1000 places to see before you die book.  And to do that...I had to venture outside.

Rugged up, the first stop was the cablecar down to the bottom of the mountains- replete with a boon for vertigo sufferers like myself- a glass floor

But the bottom was quite amazing. Trees rising for miles, the sounds of kookaburras in the distance, the call of birds rising out of the tree ferns and the towering mountain range as its backdrop.

After that a hair-raising ride back up to the top on the world's steepest railway. Katoomba used to have a coal mine and the railway was used to transport people up and down. Nowadays the mine has shut and a new railway put in for the tourists.

Railway through a tunnel in the rock

The original railway

 After that another cablecar back to the other side and over the waterfalls.

So....to dog ear the page from the 1000 places to see before you die or rip it out? Well we were undecided about this- it is a rainforest and it is a stunning mountain range. However, I think Tasmania (probably, I might add as like most Australians Ive never been there) has as stunning ranges albeit without a rainforest...and Lilianfels despite its historic nature is a nice hotel but one can die without being worried they've never stayed there.

So on balance...its a rip out