Peaceful was the word that came to mind when my friend and I took the Mekong Delta tour in My Tho province in Saigon, Vietnam.
I don't travel very often. I would say however, that I might as well consider it as part of my twenties, and I like to write about them by parts because it helps me remember more. I learn many things along the way which forms how I see more of the world and how I go about my daily life, but I'll delve more into this on a another entry. : - )
My friend and I booked a tour with Klook to see a part of the Mekong Delta. You can book with them through here: Mekong Delta Tour with Klook!
Going on a tour has its pros and cons. It's good for when you don't have much time and you want to cover all the important landmarks of a certain place. Not everyone has the luxury to spend weeks up to a month in a foreign country because of work back in the homeland. So taking a tour is definitely a good choice. But then, if you've done your research, and you like figuring things out (which I think is a great skill to develop especially when traveling!), then doing it yourself is also great. It can be a challenge though, considering that my friend and I were both new to the country, and venturing out to the province may be quite a gamble since there might be more of locals who won't be able to speak in English (my overall experience though with Vietnamese people were that they are kind and super helpful huhu).
There's no one right way to travel. It really depends on the person's taste, priorities, and intentions. I personally enjoy both a touristy place and discovering a charming alleyway all the same. Touristy places are significant for a historically good reason. You also get to see it featured in different platforms, such as on TV, mentioned on the radio, or even in feature articles on magazines. Whenever these places are mentioned and I know I've been there, there's that feeling of nostalgia flooding through me, as if to say: "That place was memorable to me in my own way, like it was memorable for others to enjoy too. I'm thankful I got to share an experience in the same place with lots of other people around the globe.".
Don't feel bad for putting only touristy places into your itinerary. If that's the way you do it, you're awesome. If you only like off the beaten path places, you're awesome too. My goodness. Travelling in itself is already a privilege to have.
OK SO we booked the tour! This isn't my first time using Klook; I've availed of their tours for my Taiwan trip with family, you can read about them here. I'm sharing about my own personal experience all throughout and will by no means sugarcoat anything. : - )
Vinh Trang Pagoda
We started our day by going to the Vinh Trang Pagoda. I would say it was a beautifully designed pagoda with intricate details, plus it was yellow all over yet again. It cheered me up pretty much throughout this whole trip, seeing all yellow.
Our tour guide explained that this was the most notable pagoda in the region because of its unique architectural style in which it boasts of the fusion of the French, Roman, Thai, Cambodian and Champa architecture.
My friend snapped a photo of me while I was trying to hurriedly finish my ice cream cone : " )
This is the part where I share a little bit about why I was slightly disappointed with the tour guide. It's probably maybe because I did not listen much to what he was saying while we were on the bus ride going to this place, but in the end I didn't know what these statues were all about. I was hoping to bump into him at some point while roaming around the place so I could ask him questions, but alas I did not; he just let us all go around the place to take photos then asked us to be back at the bus by 20 minutes. Yikes. I'll be more vigilant next time and stick closer to the tour guide. :")
Oh man that's a lot of details
My overall experience though throughout this time was that it was a peaceful walk around the pagoda. It was very hot, I admit since it was April and it was summer!! But walking around and admiring the details and the gardens was something that left an impression on me even until now as I am writing this entry inside the four corners of my room.
Tien River
I originally thought Mekong Delta was just one big river, but then it's actually a complex web of interconnected rivers, all intersecting at one point. I think this was my favorite part of the tour, where my friend and I along with another couple, got onto a boat and we just floated through this mini river. It was so peaceful and quiet, and it felt like it could go on forever.From time to time we would see other boats passing through. The boatmen would nod at each other or would exchange a couple of words as they passed each other by.
Conversation
When you look up
I enjoyed looking at the plants' reflections on the water. It was literally all I could see while on the boat, and it was just so calming. This was one of the moments where I felt like my thoughts were so much louder than what was surrounding me. Life was yet again so simple, and all the overwhelming expectations of life was removed from me. For the time being. I just loved being surrounded by nature, and seeing green. Nature will always be my favorite retreat. As I'm writing this now, I can tell you dear reader that I am sick of the city, and thinking about the time I had here makes me grateful for such an experience. I hope to see more green soon; I find my peace in greenery.
There were also a bunch of other activities in store within this tour, such as seeing how the coconut candies are made, and also having a python rest upon your neck.. but I just wanted to share more about what struck me most.
We're sweaty and we don't care
One of the fun things about being in a tour is meeting new people. Whenever you're in a foreign country, it seems easier to make new acquaintances. It's easy to learn new things when you're not in your comfort zone, and true enough, you get to learn a lot from other people who are in your same tour group. Also, you'll never know when you'll see them again. Maybe never, but maybe you just might cross paths again, and that's going to be one of the most wonderful feelings ever.
Spending time in Vietnam made me realize how there's so much more to Asia than just going to the most commonly visited countries such as Japan and Korea. It definitely sparked a curiosity in me, a desire to learn more about my neighboring countries. It made me realize how I didn't know much about Indochina at all, except through my brief encounters through textbooks. Much more reason for me to think about where I will go for my next trip.
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Thank you for reading all the way, dear reader!! I hope you're having a great weekend.
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I haven't been to Saigon in ages and love how it looks now. The temples are always nice to visit. There are so many different ways to make the most out of your travels. You don't need to do everything in one go either. It is amazing to see the amount of detail in these structures. Glad you had a ton of fun! I really need to visit Vietnam again one of these days.
ReplyDeleteNancy ♥ exquisitely.me
I hope you get to visit some time, Nancy! The temples indeed are very intricate unlike any I've seen. Yup, this is true, you just have to see what works well for you, but all in all I think travelling is great no matter how you choose to do it. :") I personally like finding time to fit the touristy and off beaten track places if I can, because like what you said, we totally don't have to see everything in one go. I'm excited for you to visit Vietnam!
DeleteWow these are great pictures and it sounds like it was a lot of fun! This was a nice reminder of all the travel I want to do ♡
ReplyDeleteBy all means, go for it!! ♡♡♡ even a trip by the countryside is something I want to do more of (♡˙︶˙♡)
DeleteAll of these photos are so beautiful! I loved reading about your experience! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeletemelissakacar.blogspot.com
Hi Melissa, thank you for your time, I'm glad you liked this entry. ♡♡ hope you have a great day ahead!
DeleteBeautiful pictures of Saigon! Loved reading about your perspective and how you've captured these landmarks. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks Leanne!! :) I'm glad you liked my entry. Saigon is definitely beautiful ♡♡
DeleteThis looks straight out of a dream! How beautiful
ReplyDeleteHey Christine, It truly was beautiful, despite the scorching heat! :)
DeleteThese photos, omg! �� You definitely need to travel more in your twenties. It’s the most fun time to do so!
ReplyDeleteI agree with traveling more during twenties! :") while there's no serious commitments yet, and there's still time to explore and get to know ourselves more.
DeleteWow, I so enjoyed seeing all of your photos! There's so much beauty everywhere! Especially in the buildings! Thanks for sharing, your trip looked amazing!
ReplyDelete-madi xo | http://www.everydaywithmadirae.com
Thanks Madi :) I loved the detailed designs the most! It was a great trip indeed.
DeleteThis all looks so beautiful!! I absolutely need to visit! Great photos as well!
ReplyDeleteKasey Ma
www.TheStyleWright.com
Email: team@thestylewright.com
Saigon is definitely worth the visit!! :) Thank you so much!
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