Renting a MotorBike and seeing the falls!

Now for a day outside the city limits…

I highly recommend renting a motorbike and going with some friends to the waterfalls nearby Dalat.  There are 3 waterfalls that myself and two others drove to…

Datanla Falls (easy 10 minutes)

Elephant Falls (Voi, not so easy because of construction, 1 hour?)

Pongour Falls (a little further, 50 km, but worth it!  Full day)

So much fun!  Datanla Falls is only a 10 minute ride outside of the city and you can take a one person self guided roller coaster to the bottom!  One thing I wished I would have done is take the ride down the hill TWICE.  It was SOooooo much fun!  The round trip cost is $3.  Put it in your budget to ride twice!  Here is a video to enjoy and give you something to look forward to...

At the bottom of the hill there are a few different waterfalls to see.  One thing to be careful about after reading other blogs... someone said that they had to pay to use the elevator to get to the bottom waterfall.  I don’t believe that this is true because I did not have to pay on the day that I went.  However, there was a chair near the entrance.  Whether or not someone is supposed to be in that chair collecting, I’m not so sure.  There is a gondola that you can pay to take down, but truthfully the stairs are not too difficult at an easy pace.  Its all up to you on what your budget is and how much you want to spend.

After visiting the falls, make sure you stop at the coffee shop (the only one with the view!) on the way back into town!  Best view and cheap coffee!

Elephant Falls

Now here was a real adventure.  One of those things that you keep saying... oh my gosh!  Is this really happening?!  Elephant Falls is only about XX kms from town and would be an easy ride... BUT it wasn’t.  As of February 2014, the ONLY road to get to elephant falls was under construction.  Mind you, it is still open, but VERY. UNDER. CONSTRUCTION.  

I was the lucky driver, with my friend, Ben on the back.  As we approached a turn in the mountain hillside, we were wondering why people were putting on rain ponchos, it was a beautiful sunny day!  And then about 2 minutes later, we understood.  It was because of the MASSIVE amounts on red DUST that were in the air.  The road was mostly just dust and dirt.  All around were large rocks being cut out of the mountain, dump trucks, cranes.  Again, back to the safety standards... there was one point that a crane reached OVER the road and I had to go under the arm to pass by, that is just what you do you know!  A few prayers later and a slow progress for at least 5 kms of construction, we finally got out of it and about 20 minutes later found the turn to get to elephant falls.  From the top it isn’t too impressive, so you most definitely MUST go down!  

 

On the way down my group of 3 Americans was keeping up with a group of locals, a few of them young monks in training.  The most impressive thing about this group of teenagers, though, is that one of them was missing a leg!  There he was taking this treacherous trail with only one leg!  I give this guy mad props!

I'll always remember this guy, doing what others with two legs would shy away from...

It took some navigating to find the proper way to get to a nice spot for viewing and pictures.  The grass all around is wet and muddy from the spray, so do step carefully!  But again I say, if the guy with one leg can do it...

Here are a few fun shots from the area.  I’d recommend a picnic.  We were going to swim, but the water is a little dirtier than we hoped and because of construction our time was at a minimum.  Make sure you get home before dark!  Know what time sunset is and give yourself enough time to make it back to the hotel.  Be safe!

Going home at least we knew what to expect.  Coffee plantations, and construction.  LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION.  At least the construction guys were friendly and amused as we passed by.

Pongour Falls is one of my favorite places, only because of this picture… 

I had seen this picture on Pinterest before knowing I’d be headed to this location.  The water wasn’t flowing much so perhaps it was a little disappointing, but it is still so much fun to walk around on the tiered waterfall!  Some people say to skip this site, but I LOVED it!  Make sure you pack a picnic lunch and be prepared for a LONG ride if you choose to go on your own via moped.  Its TOTALLY doable and a lot of fun.  BUT, it is a pretty long ride, at least an hour.  We had some trouble seeing the sign and went down the wrong road TWICE.  Its near the dam. Don’t go too far!

We went swimming a little way down the river.  There are signs below the falls saying “do not swim” and we were concerned maybe there would be bacteria or something, but no one broke out in a rash.  ;-)

On the way home I let Ben drive and had a few moments of “freak out” (sorry Ben!)  I’m not so used to riding as passenger and Ben wasn’t so used to driving.  He had to dodge a herd of cows and a few semis... almost to the point of “this is ridiculous”!  But good news, WE SURVIVED!  Another great day in the sun and I feel like Pongour Falls was a check on the bucket list of places to see before I die.  I hope if you get the chance to go that the water is flowing a little more.  Make sure to get a friend (or stranger) to take photos for you!

That was the last day in Dalat.  Next up, Ho Chi Minh by bus.

Hoi An

After our "historical" time in Hue, and the cold weather we had experienced north of there, we were ready for the beach!  Hoi An was such a perfect destination and town to just relax and enjoy.  There are a few excursions that you can book on the outskirts of the city, but what the city itself has to offer, it seemed to me, there was no reason to leave.
Beach
Food
Coffee
Shopping

Ben and I had booked a home stay that was quite lovely.  A family had converted extra rooms into guest rooms and charge about $20 a night, breakfast included.  It was in between the "downtown" area where all of the cafes and shopping is, and the beaches.  I would say it was a pretty good location.  We rented bikes everyday for $2 a day and went one way or the other.  The city is made for bikes, or if you are feeling lazy, rent a moped.  There is very little traffic, and the cars that are on the road are easy enough to navigate around on a bike.

Hoi An has a few things that you should not pass by…

1) Beaches! There are two beaches to choose from.  Both are similar offering both sand and sea, however Cua Dai beach had a few more eating options than An Bahn.  Both had similar people selling trinkets to you while you try to sun bathe.  We found the women selling things quite delightful and their catchphrases were humorous as well, "don't be angry, be happy!  I have to make money somehow", "looking is free", etc.  I was very impressed with their English ability and their genuine "niceness", though I really didn't want anything that they were selling.  Shame.

   

 


2) Food and Drinks  The "downtown" area in Hoi An is lovely!  There is really no where else to go… or at least no where else that we went!  We were only there for 3 short nights, and riding our bikes to the cute downtown area was always pleasant.  There are so many restaurants to choose from, though I can't really recommend any above the others.  Do make sure that you try to Won Tons though!  Also, there are many cafes with delicious desserts.  Why not have 5 meals each day?  The night scene is actually ok, with the bars competing for customers and giving great deals.  We met up with some friends and went to a place that offered a free hookah if you had 3 or more people.  The beers were $0.50 and the mixed drinks only $1.50.  BE CAREFUL!~  Remember that you still have to bike back (probably).  Also, we felt bad because we returned at 2 AM and had to wake the owners to let us in.  Though I suppose it is their business.  BTW, the owners of the place where we stayed spoke very little English, however "google translate" works wonders and is very accurate translating English/Vietnamese. (Free tip of the day)

This is Felipe and Felipe!  They were on the same route (North to South) as Ben and I
and this was the second night in a row (different city!) that we saw them from the balcony
while eating.  This time they joined us! Now I simply MUST visit Brasil!

Party of 3 or more will get you a free hookah!

Make sure you try the WONTONS (multiple times!)

Our last night we had a mixed meat HOT POT.  It was delicious!

3) Shopping~ The old town area has hundreds of stores, most of them selling the same things!  CLOTHES.  Lots and lots of Clothes.  Everyone's mom or sister or cousin owns a shop and you will be given MANY cards.  You can choose your pattern, choose your material and have an outfit taylor made for you within 2 days.  It was all too overwhelming for me, so I just chose to choose some off of the "rack" instead.  I bought 2 dresses both under $30.  Great place to buy souvenirs and almost impossible not to!

So. MANY. LANTERNS!  But gosh, they're beautiful!

Here we go!  One day of shopping.
More than enough >.<

So many options for coffee throughout the day!

My favorite door

A quick fix on the straps before I walked away with a super cute dress for $20

Vietnam: Should you go?

     

First, let me say that I was a little nervous going to Vietnam.  I had read that Vietnam only has a 7% return rate for tourists.  I also had read on other blogs that the local people were always trying to rip you off and charged double just because you are a tourist… some girl's boyfriend was chased down the street by a guy with a knife.  All of these things made me especially cautious and perhaps a little nervous to visit.  *BUT* with that being said, I had a WONDERFUL time in Vietnam!  There were a few small mistakes and disappointments, but nothing out of the ordinary.  Also, I am in LOVE with Vietnamese food!  Perhaps my one regret is not taking a cooking class while I was there.


Things to look out for when traveling.
1) Always be careful of your money. Know how much you have and know where it is.
2) Make sure you get the price and confirmation of the price before you receive and services.
3) Keep your belongings close to you. (I've heard stories of people cutting backpack straps and nabbing the backpack while driving by on a scooter!)
4) There are a LOT of reviews out there!  Check hotel prices and reviews and then compare!  I particularly like to use Agoda because you can rack up rewards for free hotel rooms and they seemed to have the best price.  Also, you can pay with your credit card so you don't have to worry when you get there.
5) Keep your cool.  Its important to think clearly and not let your emotions get the best of you.  Just because they are charging you double doesn't mean they are ripping you off.  The local pays $1 for their meal… you pay $2.  ITS ONLY $2!  Be thankful there are still places you can get that deal!
6) Walking away is always an option.  If the price is too high, then don't buy it.  If they really want your sale, they will give you a deal.
7) Expect the worst but hope for the best!  This is my life motto… it saves you from a lot of disappointment.  Prepare yourself to be ripped off, cussed out and shunned.  Because when it DOESN'T happen, you'll have had the most lovely time.

In posts to come I'll give you updates on my journey through Vietnam.  There are basically 2 ways to travel Vietnam.  North to South or South to North.  Either way you'll make it to the center, which I thought was the most lovely.

I traveled in Vietnam the end of February.  The weather was a little cool and rainy in the north, but pretty near perfect as we went south.

If you have any questions that I may be able to answer, let me know!  Always up for a good travel dialogue.