Taking delight of Turkey

May 30, 2015 / Emily Scoble

Let me paint you a picture (and then you can see it in the photo at the bottom), at time of writing I’m sitting on the rooftop terrace of my hotel, located 100 meters at most from the Blue Mosque and Sofia Hagia. To my right, I’m looking out at the blue mosque as the sun sets in the background. To my left, the M sea speckled with a large number of container and fishing boats. It’s still warm at dusk, while my friends back home are freezing, there’s a light breeze and the smell of smoke from the local markets cooking some street food. Oh, and I’m enjoying my Efes draught. At this point there’s very little I can say bad about Istanbul…

For me 4 days in Istanbul was just enough, tomorrow I leave and feel content about my time in Istanbul, but I’m also thinking towards returning. My trip included a tour of Sofia Hagia and the Blue Mosque, the two most iconic sights here. I also visited Topkapi palace, little Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. I took a boat ride down the Bosphorous, shopped at the Grand Bazaar, travelled in the funicular and ate more baklava than I should have. And I took a long day trip to the Galipolli Peninsula a moving experience were so many soldiers from a number of nations lost their lives.

Regarding the sights, I’d recommend them all, but each of them I’d say get to early. Being on a tour did help me get into Sophia Hagia a bit quicker but not significantly. The crowds are huge, and there’s tourists and tour buses everywhere you look. And then there are days when the cruise ships are in, the town almost loses its mind. My favourite sight was the Basicilica Cistern, maybe because I had read the Dan Brown book where it and its history is spoken of. Despite it being damp and dark, it is like nothing I’ve seen before. Unfortunately I did feel with Sophia Hagia and Blue Mosque that I’d seen similar. Not to say they weren’t amazing, but there was a familiarity with them and other religious buildings around the world.

One day I took a taxi, which are really cheap here but can take a while because of the traffic, to the cool, upper class area of Nisantasi. I then strolled past the expensive designer stores, before heading north to Sisli and Hamdi restaurant that I’d been recommended, it didn’t disappoint! From there I met a friend for dinner, we ate pizza, in Istanbul we ate pizza! And it was delicious. Then we went for a walk and decided to stop for Baklava and tea on the main road as we watched the world go by. After that we decided we should walk it all off, but ended up in a very residential area, I never once felt concerned for my safety, more that we were up a hill and having to walk down and up again to get to the main road! But we did it, and ended up at Taksmi Place, a big square packed with people and Istanbul’s version of Chapel Street on a very busy day. This was overall a great day to see different aspects of life in Istanbul and take it all in, outside of the tourist areas.

My day trip to Gallipoli was great, it is a long journey, 4 hours each way, and it’s not just about seeing ANZAC cove, you hear the stories, visit three different parts of the beach, and then head up the hills to the different cemeteries. The stories, and the photos from the my guide of the same beach we were looking at, made real exactly what had happened at this place. Then as you head up into the hills you walk through the trenches of both Aussie and Turkish soldiers, just meters apart. And then there are the cemeteries and memorials, built on top of what are considered mass graves… It’s becomes very confronting. The Turkish are positive towards Australians and all those they fought, knowing that it was not their fault, they were following orders. And also believing that a lot of lives were lost, from both sides, because of a senseless war. My recommendation to anyone wanting to do Gallipoli is consider doing it as a private tour, then you can do it in your own time a bit more – and you don’t have to wait for others – or spend the night down there which adds in a boat tour of ANZAC cove offering a different perspective, and also a trip to Troy. It also helps make the journey a bit less full on. 8 hours in a bus, plus rest breaks, and then the tour itself, makes for a really tiring day.

The good thing about Istanbul is that the tourists stay out late, so they start late. My suggestion is to try to be one of the few that starts early. The grand bazaar conquered some fears of mine, both of crowds and haggling. I was able to get everything and walk away not feeling like I’d ripped anyone off or been ripped off. There’s about 5 or 6 different types of stores repeated 100 times, and it’s very easy to get lost. But it was fun too to see it all. And again going early meant that I only had to face the crowds as I was leaving. Oh and the tea men are funny, similar to India, there are men running around constantly giving tea to the store owners or collecting the glasses.

The Bosphorous cruise was ok, I’m glad I did it, it was the only view I got of the Asia side, and really it’s quite amazing to think that I’m sitting on the line of two continents. It was quite cold out there and the audio guide is not really worth it as you can’t figure out which building they are talking about. But it ticked a box.

I’m sure there is much more to do in Istanbul, but I feel like I achieved the main things, and had a great, if not tiring, time doing it. It’s a beautiful city and one I would like to visit again.

As for accommodation, having visited different areas I’d recommend one of two areas, either the old town, where I’m staying as it’s quite easy to get everywhere. Or near Taksmi place, because there’s so much happening there, and it is still quite easy to get around. Both have a range of hotels, in the old town they are generally older, more boutique style whereas at Taksmi you’ll find the large brand name hotels which won’t disappoint. I’ve talked about staying at the Bosphorous before, and I’m sure the view over the water is lovely, and some amazing 5 star properties are there. But it didn’t win me over as the area to stay…

And as the sun has set, I’m off to try some Raki (traditional Turkish spirit) and see the fountain at the Sophia Hagia lit up (I’ve been recommended this) and tomorrow I bid farewell to beautiful Istanbul.

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Visiting Vietnam

September 13, 2014 / Emily Scoble

Thai Airways

First time I’ve flown economy in a long time medium haul, and really it was quite good. The food was ok, there was only one choice for one of the meals and it was seafood, something I’ve only recently decided to start eating. So this could be a problem for people who don’t like seafood, although I didn’t ask to swap so I don’t know if that was an option. The staff were lovely, the plane clean, and given the number of children on board I was impressed how easy it was to sleep. We flew out around 2pm and arrived into Bangkok around 8pm. We then stayed the night at the Novotel Bangkok Airport, a lovely hotel very close to the Airport, it’s only a few years old, when it first opened the rates were very high so it was cheaper and smarter to head into the city, now they have brought the rates down and not lowered the quality I would really recommend it for anyone stuck in my situation - needing to catch an early flight the next morning. So after a few hours’ sleep we were back at the airport on the way to Hanoi. I am glad I had some breakfast at the hotel as the meal packs on the short haul Thai are the same irrespective of time of day and very basic.

On the way back it was a night flight, but after a week in Vietnam exploring and a bit of a rush around town on my last day for last minute shopping, then the flight from Ho Chi Minh to Bangkok I was happy to be on the flight, relaxing and luckily it wasn’t busy so I was able to sit in exit row (with spare seat next to me), and had a good sleep, direct to Melbourne, landing around lunchtime.

Hanoi

On arriving in Hanoi beware of the wall of heat, it hits you and the only time it will subside is when you spend a reasonable amount of time in a hotel or other touristy place with good air-conditioning. But you do adjust to it pretty quickly. Because of the heat I would now recommend 3 nights in Hanoi. Spend the morning exploring, enjoy one of the many restaurants for lunch and then head back to your hotel for a rest and depending on the hotel a drink by the pool (or swim in the pool). I would recommend a hotel with a pool, although ours didn’t have one and we survived, it would definitely break the heat and make the visit more enjoyable for you. Our first day we went to a lovely restaurant for lunch that is popular with locals and tourists alike, Ngon restaurant. The menu has a great variety so we ordered several different dishes and some beers and walked out very full having only spent about $15. The afternoon was spent cooling off before heading to Wild Rice restaurant for dinner, a bit more upmarket, but they have set menu/banquet style so you are able to again try a variety of dishes. This restaurant is much quieter, the service is great and the food delicious. Dish of choice so far is Grilled Chicken cooked with lemongrass.

Day two, our only full day in Hanoi, was a big day and the reason why I now suggest you have an extra day in Hanoi. We started with a light breakfast at the hotel before heading off for a Vietnamese breakfast of Pho (pronounced more like fur), then off through the markets to get the full experience of the spices, fruits and vegetables and somewhat unfortunately, meats. The fish and seafood is difficult to see and smell, although all fresh that can be what makes it more daunting. This is a market and street food tour, on foot, so you will have the opportunity to try different fruits and vegetables as well as some traditional dishes. None of this is for the weak stomached, and you need to have an appetite. We were already struggling with our lack of hunger so we passed up a few traditional options but were excited to try what they called smoothies. Which were bowls of a range of fresh fruits served with soft-serve ice-cream. You add ice to the bowl to make the fruit colder, it is delicious and having walked around the markets, in the heat, you are not only grateful for the break and shade but the cool freshness of the dish. Off we go again, with the craziness of Hanoi roads happening around us. And we eventually meet up with the bus before heading off to Koto restaurant. Did I mention our stomachs were already full? Now is not the time to be heading to this restaurant as you’ll want to make the most of it. A set menu with a range of options, I was really impressed with everything about this restaurant. And given the work that it is doing I think it should be a must for anyone visiting Hanoi. Koto literally means ‘know one, teach one’: http://www.koto.com.au/

Koto is across the road from the Temple of Literature, one of the oldest buildings/complexes in Hanoi it is not what you expect. It is not a temple as such rather a number of buildings/gardens created in the 11th century for the study of Confusius. An interesting place to walk through and gain an understanding of Vietnam’s history - before the history we seem to only know that started in the 1960’s. From here you head back onto the bus and around the corner before going to Ho Chi Minh (aka Uncle Ho) Mausoleum. He is fully embalmed and you can go inside to see him, but two months of the year it is closed for restoration and maintenance, our visit fell during this two months, but I didn’t mind not going inside as the queues are said to be very long as international and domestic tourists come for a look and to pay their respect to the man who is said to have saved Vietnam from the French colonisation. From the mausoleum you can head into the presidential grounds which are also the botanic gardens and see some of the belongings and homes of Uncle Ho.

Our tour then took us to the obligatory factory for the sale of traditional arts, this time it was lacquer. It was definitely interesting to see, however contrived (I have to apologise here, I have been to enough ‘factories’ to assume the worse). And the prices were reasonable given the amount of work involved in each piece. From here it was off to the puppet show, I appreciate the idea of seeing a cultural show from countries, but you have to wonder about countries who earn so much from their tourism if they are not forcing their cultural activities – making them more than they are. But it was all in Vietnamese, the instruments were interesting to see, and the show only goes for an hour, so I’d probably recommend it as long as you didn’t have high hopes.

Tomorrow we are off to Halong Bay for the famous junk boat cruises…. Or so we hope. I spent about half an hour googling the path of Typhoon Luis, and the more I looked the more hopeful became that everything was going to be ok… But it wasn’t to be. The risk not only to passengers but to the boats themselves is too high. They can’t risk it. So half way to Halong Bay we were advised we wouldn’t be getting on a junk they have been cancelled for two days. It’s one of those mixed feelings where you know it’s the right thing but you REALLY wanted to do it. So we turned back and headed to Hanoi for an extra night. After a big day the day before, and 4 hour return trip to end up in the same place, we were all looking to relax a little. A few of us headed up to the lake for lunch, to a restaurant called iFeel, it is on the 5th level overlooking the lake with air-conditioning and fans to keep you cool. During the day you wouldn’t sit outside but at night it would be lovely. The menu is a good mix of Vietnamese and western food, but as we found even though it’s on the menu it doesn’t mean it’s available. Between 12-5 they offer happy hour and this is a great option - about $5 will get you a nice meal and fresh juice.

Hanoi Hotels:

Silk Path Hotel – We stayed here, a lovely property, a 3.5-4* option, location is good, not right on the lake but there’s lots of shopping and restaurant options nearby and there’s always super cheap taxis if you want to avoid the heat. The one downfall is the lack of pool.

Hotel Metropole by Sofitel Legend - we had a couple of visits and would happily say this is the best hotel in Hanoi, it has undergone big refurbishments and has an amazing history which unravels as you read signs and see pictures on the walls of the corridors. There are two distinct hotel options within one, the old and the new. The old is filled with dark wood and an amazing mix of French and Vietnamese styles. The new, still keeps the old warm charm but is filled with straight lines and combinations of black and white. Rooms are spacious, and the pool area, although small, is not over run so a great relief to break the afternoon heat, as well as the frozen cocktails on the menu.

Hilton Hanoi Opera - just a visit, located right near the Sofitel it is a great location and the rooms are large as well. It is a 5* property and the marble throughout keeps it feeling clean. I did really like it but for me the Metropole was the winner.

May De Ville hotel - Our extra night was spent here, it is a new hotel, or an old one being majorly overhauled, and it is still being fixed. Because of the work they are doing I wouldn’t rate this hotel at the moment but the staff tried hard and were very apologetic and friendly and the location is fantastic. You are a block from the lake, and have many shops and restaurants within close walking distance.

Hoi An

We left Hanoi early, feeling a bit flat having not been to Halong Bay and a bit over the city. Little did we know what was in store for us at the other end of our 1.5hour flight. Vietnam Airlines is a great airline, thanks to Luis there was a bit of turbulence, and there is no meal offered or entertainment, so if travelling with children be prepared. Hanoi is in the process of building a new international airport so their old mixed one will become only domestic. It should be completed by the end of 2014. We flew to Danang, and for a minute or two it was cool, we then drove to Hoi An, half an hour from Danang one of the original trading ports of Vietnam. Situated between a river and the beach, with a bustling old town where no cars are permitted and only motorbikes for a few hours a day our spirits lifted upon arrival.

Spa treatment over it was off to A La Carte hotel Danang, read more about that below. Next day it was off to explore Hoi An, even though the sun was hot early in the day the walk from Alma Courtyard to the old town is easy and the lack of cars and motorbikes is refreshing after the city. We started our Hoi An experience with a visit to Lifestart foundation, a fantastic not for profit organisation that helps disadvantaged and disabled women earn a living. Our time with them included a painting class and lantern making class, both a lot of fun, and for me I really enjoyed the painting class and brought home a brush and ink to keep working on my skills (the photo shows mine and the artists versions). Lunch at Morning Glory restaurant, dinner at Mango Mango restaurant two of the best restaurants in Hoi An. The afternoon was spent, as long as we could handle in the heat, exploring Hoi An by foot. It’s a beautiful old town, and really lovely to walk around. And the shopping is pretty cool too, tailors and leather makers abound.

And then we left, off to Hue. With a couple of stops at some lovely hotels on the way back.

Hoi An Hotels:

Alma Courtyard – this beautiful hotel has only been open a month and not all rooms are open, but their welcome drink is fabulous (this’ll make sense if/when you see it), their staff friendly, the rooms big and automatically make you want to relax. You receive one spa treatment, or journey as they call them, per night, per person. So we quickly put our bags in our rooms and headed to the restaurant for a quick lunch before heading to the spa. The restaurant has a great menu, a mixture of Japanese (remembering the Japanese were some of the original settlers in this area), western (including Italian) and Vietnamese as well as a small tapas menu that you can enjoy at the bar or restaurant. Keeping in mind that the restaurant, and hotel, had just opened the staff were borderline over attentive. And the food did take a little longer than we hoped to come out, but that was only a worry because we had to get to our spa treatment. The food was delicious and the breakfast buffet extensive, and so fresh. The spa treatment was great and I made sure I went back the next day. What I appreciated was that the management were open to suggestions and feedback.

A La Carte Hotel Danang – a sister property to Alma Courtyard, and Fusion Maia (see below), it is a high rise apartment style property, across the road from the beach, with infinity roof top pool, DJ live nightly, and amazing menu. This seems popular by domestic and other tourists from the region, but for the price, I’d suggest anyone consider if it they wanted a relatively cost effective option, in a good location, especially families. As the name may suggest it is one of the new breed of hotels that comes with the minimum and all extras are additional cost. So wifi will cost, along with breakfast and other extras… But still adding these details the price is not bad, and the property is new and really funky. Even if you don’t want to stay here, I’d recommend a dinner at the rooftop restaurant, especially the ice-cream dessert made at the table served in an ice bowl (see photo).

Sunrise Resort – we just had a quick visit, but it is a lovely resort, unfortunately due to climate change the beach at the end of the property is not useable, but 100meters or so down the beach there is an area where you can swim. And really with beautiful pools like they have I’m not sure you will care so much about not going to the beach.

Fusion Maia – Look, Sunrise was lovely and all, but there is something about Fusion Maia. Maybe it’s because the colour scheme is my favourite but there’s something about this resort that I fell in love. 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments available at somewhat reasonable rates. Every adult receives two spa treatments per day. All have private plunge pools, the beach is beautiful and there are communal pools in case you want some extra space. The three bedrooms include three bathrooms, so are great for families, and friends alike. I can’t put my finger on what it is about this property, but it definitely had something to do with location, how modern it was, the amazing rooms and the food!

Hue

From Hoi An/Danang you can drive to Hue, the previous imperial capital of the country, a city without the craziness of other cities. It is about a 2 hour drive, we went over the pass to give us a view of the coast line in both direction, it also gives you an understanding of the landscape in which more than one war has been fought (the demilitarized zone is about 100km from Hue), there is a quicker tunnel option as well, but I’m glad we got to see the view… Our first night in Hue we visited a restaurant called Ancient Hue Restaurant. Built as a replica to old style houses of the wealthy the restaurant has a few different rooms and depending on whether you make a booking, and the weather depends on where you sit. You will never find this place if you are looking for it, but one thing Hue is known for is its food creations, the garnishes, of a dish that are spectacular. We watched as a carrot became a prawn, and we had a number of different animals on our dishes. The food was lovely, so I would really recommend a visit out here, not just for the food, but the history and the lush gardens. My only warning is that although inside it is air-conditioned, they are old traditional buildings, and overall it is warm with little air movement.

The next day we had our only full day in Hue and it was jam packed. We visited the imperial citadel which was really interesting, but its best to do it with a guide, there’s so much to learn about these buildings and there is limited signage to explain it. We then had a cyclo tour around the citadel, before getting back in the bus to head to the Pagoda, with monks still living onsite, there are a number of beautiful buildings and artefacts to look at. From here we headed to La Residence Hotel before heading off to two of the tombs of the Emperors. Again, best done with a guide, it is really hot, and there are about 150 stairs to walk up (not heaps, but in that heat they are draining), the other tomb doesn’t have stairs but is a massive property, but its more natural, the first being all concrete, so the heat isn’t as stifling. I would suggest you do them, but maybe split the tours we did over two days again, so you can do them in the morning when it’d be a bit cooler.

After a long day we were eager to kick back and cool down. We headed down the road, along the river to the DMZ bar well known for tourists the menu is a lot of western food and a little Vietnamese, and the music blaring downstairs is just what you’d expect at a tourist bar in Vietnam. After dinner we headed across the road to Century pub, an outdoor bar, recently opened, the music again is loud but is a mixture of current hits and Vietnamese pop songs. This place is crazy busy but they will do everything to fit you in, and different to the DMZ bar we are the only non-locals. I’d recommend both for the experience, but I certainly preferred the atmosphere of the Century.

Hue Hotels:

Muong Thanh Hotel – the location here is great, the rooms are reasonably sized, and the standard rooms come with a balcony, most with a view over the river and a bit of the city. The breakfast isn’t great, but I guess by this point we had been spoilt. It was big and clean and popular for both domestic and international tourists. I didn’t take to it like La Residence, but then you can’t really compare as this is only a 4* whereas the La Residence is a 5*. The pool was being renovated which was a big letdown as well. But for the location I would have no problem recommending it.

La Residence – what a beautiful property! Built by the French, it has so much character and great views over the perfume river. The rooms are large and a mixture of dark woods and modern conveniences and cultural art pieces. The pool is very inviting and the restaurant is large, and when we were there not very busy so the service was impeccable and the presentation of the food was photo worthy. And the food itself, almost too pretty too eat, but we succumbed and were very glad we did.

Ho Chi Minh City

And then it was off to our final city, Ho Chi Minh. The biggest and busiest city in Vietnam, formerly known as Saigon and for ease still referred to as that. We had an early flight but due to delays and just normal travel processing time we were behind schedule upon our arrival, so we were taken around Ho Chi Minh for an overview of the city, made a quick stop at The Grand Hotel for an inspection before heading to our hotel, The Rex Hotel. After a tour of the hotel we were off to Monsoon Restaurant, one of the best restaurants in Vietnam, it is not what you expect, and I still would like to know its story, the food was incredible. A bright, clean restaurant I could imagine it is a favourite for locals and expats in the city.

From here we were still playing catch up with time and were fighting against the large rain clouds rolling in. So we headed to the War Remnants Museum. I found this really interesting, as someone who was born just after the Vietnam War I don’t have a great understanding of all that happened, but over the years I’ve picked up bits of information. This museum gives a great snapshot of Vietnam’s point of view of the war. It also goes into details of Agent Orange and the struggles Vietnam has had recovering from the war. I learnt a lot but I also walked away wanting to understand the war from a different perspective, which I’ve now made a personal challenge. From here we headed down the road to the old presidential palace. Also known as the Reunification Palace many people will remember this building as the one whose main gates were bulldozed at the fall of Saigon and many of the occupants, government officials, fled by helicopter on the roof. The palace has an interesting history and was only 10 years old when Saigon fell and Hanoi became the capital again. A tour of this property continued to help my understanding of the complicated history of Vietnam and what has happened since the Vietnam War.

We just missed the rain. So it was back to our hotel for a quick change and then onto our next adventure, and my personal highlight of the whole trip. It was a Vespa street food tour. Very well put together you ride around to 5 different stops on individual Vespas, as pillion, and experience different traditional foods. We started at the hotel and were taken to the headquarters of the tour group Vietnam Vespa Adventures, while enjoying a cold beer and a quick snack they got our details and prepared us for our evening. It was back on the scooters heading towards the coast, our next stop was all about the seafood, prawns, mussels, crab and frog. They do make arrangements for those who don’t like seafood. I was open minded and ate everything, but couldn’t go beyond one bite of the frog. From here we headed back towards the city to a laneway where they serve Vietnamese pancakes. I enjoy how interactive food in Vietnam is, you get to get your hands dirty and pick and choose what you like, and these are the perfect example. From here we headed to a secluded bar, that you get to up some narrow winding steps, you would not have known it was there otherwise, it’s a low lit bar with a piano player and singer for entertainment. We are served a drink and dessert here. Then for a change of tempo we are off to our final stop – a very western bar. With the live band playing AC/DC and other loud music, this is the only part of the night I’d suggest some people reconsider going to. Not because it was bad, it just won’t suit everyone. We were taken back to our hotel after almost 5 hours, and we still didn’t want to say goodbye. It was such a fun experience to be a part of the craziness on the streets.

The next day we had an early start, but it was a slow, relaxed one. We headed to the river and onto a speedboat towards the Cu Chi tunnels. It’s about an hour and a half by boat and longer by car, especially in traffic. So this is a great way to get there, and you can always consider doing one way by boat, one way by car so you get both experiences. The Cu Chi tunnels were incredible, to understand the intelligence of the Vietnamese people during the war, who had so little, they were able to do a lot of damage, and find ways of surviving. Walking through this dense rainforest, in the heat, you can understand how hard it was for the allied troops, and then they had to face this type of psychological warfare. There is so much to learn and take in here, you also have the opportunity to go in a tunnel as well as shoot a rifle in the shooting range. I would highly recommend this experience, but remember to take plenty of water with you. They serve you a nice lunch by the water before you hop back on the boat and back to the city. Our afternoon was free, and so I spent a lot of researching my now deceased uncle’s role in the war. I was hoping to go down and visit the area where he would have been based the next day which is where the only memorial for Australian soldiers is, but my research led me to believe it was only a cross, and that you have to have special permits to be able to visit. I can understand the Vietnamese stance on not wanting memorials for a war they don’t agree with, but I can only imagine how hard it is for our servicemen to not have a place to come and properly honour their fallen comrades. As I said before there is still a lot for me to learn about this topic.

So having relaxed by the pool and been stuck in some rain, and learnt more about my uncle it was time to get ready for a lovely dinner at The Caravelle Hotel. It was probably our first real, non-junky western meal since we’d arrived, and I thoroughly enjoyed my lamb cutlets, the potato mash would have to be the best potato mash I have ever had. For those a bit younger or even just willing we went up to one of the two famous sky bars in the city, the view is incredible so it is definitely worth a visit, but the music is loud and the DJ repeats a lot of his mixes, this is the first time we paid Australian prices for cocktails, but even that didn’t matter as we hadn’t paid to get in and the experience was worth it.

The next day, our final day in Saigon and Vietnam was spent shopping, you really can find a number of brands for sale at discounted prices, you just don’t know if they are real or not. But for the price I was happy to give them a go. Although I’m not a big fan of ripoffs, there were a couple things I wanted to see if I’d use before I spent big bucks on getting the real thing. Part of our group got a number of clothes made, quite cheaply and well made, at local tailors. And we also got to visit the Majestic Hotel. And then it was up to the rooftop for a final local beer before hoping on the bus and off to the airport for our journey home.

Ho Chi Minh City Hotels

The Grand Hotel – A big hotel in the central part of the city, actually, all the hotels seem to be within a few blocks of each other. It is a popular hotel, used by a number of tour groups. The hotel and the rooms are an older, classical style.

The Rex Hotel – It is a bit of a confusing hotel, it takes a bit of time to get used to where you are going. There is the old building and the new building, all the rooms quality/décor are similar across the board, so the only difference I could figure out is the lift that you take. Our room, a lead-in category was very spacious, and it was the first hotel where the shower wasn’t over the bath. Which wasn’t a problem for me at my height but I can imagine could be a struggle for older or shorter people to get in and out. It has two pools and two bars, I felt the service left a little to be desired but otherwise I was impressed with the offerings at mealtimes. This hotel, along with the Caravelle have a great history from the war where journalists would meet at the end of the day and share stories. Across the road is a beautiful old building, I enjoyed seeing it everyday even though I never figured out what it was. They are building a subway station next door, you can’t hear anything from the construction, but it can make it difficult for you to find the entrance to your hotel…

The Caravelle hotel – The hotel is undergoing a big overhaul, and it will take time, the old rooms are nice enough but in need of a touch up, we were lucky enough to see one of the concept rooms, and these are a fantastic mix of modern colours and styles with some of the old classic features of the building. The foyer is currently being renovated, which does make your entrance not as exciting as it could be, but if you could look past that then I think whether you are in an old room or a new room you will not be disappointed by this hotel. They are shutting down two floors at a time so there is no construction noise heard by guests either.

The Majestic Hotel – it was only a quick visit, but this regal hotel, located on the water really keeps to its name, the rooms are quite small compared to the others in Saigon, but all offer a balcony out to the courtyard/pool area. The décor is simple and keeps in theme with the style of the hotel and the lobby. I guess you can say I wasn’t wowed by the hotel but I also wasn’t disappointed.

I’m so glad I did this trip, it is a beautiful country and not too touristy, so definitely worth a visit now, before it goes the wrong way. I learnt a lot, and still have more to learn. I think I will be back, even if it’s just to visit Sapa, Halong Bay and maybe a week on the beach at the Fusion Maia - and of course to enjoy more of the amazing Vietnamese cuisine. I travelled as a guest of Exotissimo Travel, Thai Airways and the hotels and tour groups.

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Education in Fiji

November 11, 2013 / Emily Scoble

I have a real love of the South Pacific, it’s so laid back, and the people are lovely… I needed to get into the laid back attitude pretty early on, after flying from Melbourne to Sydney I met my group of about 10 agents from all over Australia and the fabulous Alison from Island Escapes, our host for the week, in Sydney and straight away found out that Fiji Airways had had a technical issue with one of their planes so they’d cancelled a flight meaning our flight was now over booked. It was an interesting wait at the airport, there was nothing the staff could do, it all depended on who else checked in, and so we waited. Long story short all but one of our group could fly! Being the lovely, generous person I am I volunteered to spend the night in Sydney, catching up with Sally Ann from Island Escapes who I had travelled to Vanuatu with two years ago. And so the next morning I was at the airport at 4am – why they have such an early flight time I don’t know – to catch the flight I was now guaranteed on. The staff all remembered me and were lovely, and as I was boarding the manager took me aside pressed a few buttons and the next thing you know I’m sitting in 1K, business class, on the brand new plane that was only delivered to FJ 5 days earlier. It was pretty special. I’ll come back to the flight.

This was a true educational, 14 resorts in 5 days – 1 on the Coral Coast, 5 on Denarau (3 being part of the Sheraton complex) and the rest on the islands (Mamanuca’s). There’s so much I could tell you about it, but you can’t compare 14 different resorts as they have different markets and appeal for different people. So here’s a breakdown by my perceived category (couples can also mean singles without kids):

Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa – Families, conferences, couples – my first time on the coral coast and I was really impressed with what I saw. The beach is nicer than I expected, you do still need reef shoes to go in the ocean, but there’s a beautiful outlook from the main areas. This is a big resort and can feel a little daunting, but it is only a few years old, and has fantastic facilities for families and they do really cater for large conferences. The bit I liked for couples was their Executive suites, they are up on a hill and you can get a golf buggy to take you up there (you can walk to, but remember it’s hot and humid). Once there there’s a private restaurant and pool. A club area solely for the use of those staying up on the hill, were complimentary cocktails and canapés are served daily. You can still use all of the facilities of the main part of the resort, but you do feel separated also.

Westin, Sheraton Fiji Resort, Sheraton Villas – Families, conferences, couples - This one is a hard one to categorise as there are three properties in one. Personally as a couple I would only chose the Sheraton Villas, as you can still use the other properties facilities but the pool area which the villas surround is much quieter at the villas than the other properties. The complex is massive, there are so many rooms and restaurants and pools there’s almost too much choice! They are very proud of their Flying Fish restaurant created by the owners of Flying Fish in Sydney. You could easily spend a week at this resort and not have to actually leave the complex, there’s so much to do and so much space.

Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa – Families – I’m not sure land wise if the Sofitel is as big as the others, but it certainly felt much smaller. It is still spread along the beach with a large lagoon style pool. They have traditional style bure’s for the spa and restaurants, but they also have a very modern restaurant called V that the menu looked amazing at. As much as I haven’t said couples on this one I think a couple could stay for a few days and not feel overwhelmed by children or noise.

Fiji Beach Resort and Spa (managed by Hilton) – Families and Couples - Fantastic for multi-generational trips – This was my surprise property. I had it in my head that it would be similar to all of the others on the Denarau but for me it was the step up. The pool area isn’t massive compared to the others, but it’s big enough, and they do the separation between adults only and family pool really well. The rooms are spread out and not in one big connected building which I liked, although it can be a bit confusing. They had a spa area on the grass meters from the beach (and the pool, and my room) where you could walk up and enjoy a half hour massage, bliss! Their actual spa has received a number of awards, unfortunately they are still in the process of fixing the building that it is housed in so I’d assume in future it’d have a more Fijian feel to it. What I liked most about this property though were the large rooms, and their apartments. The 3 bedroom had two dining tables just because they had the space to fill! They have a number of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and they either have a private or shared (between 4 apartments) plunge pool. This is why I think it’d be fantastic for multi-generational trips, you can be right next to each other in a room but not be on top of each other. The apartments also have kitchens and there’s a small store on site so you can cook for yourself and your family – and the apartments have washing machine and driers… perfect!

Plantation Island Resort – Families – This is a great island option for the budget conscious, because of this it can have a bit of a backpacker feel to it, especially at the bar at night. That being said the rooms are nice, clean and they are doing refurbishments as well as building some more villas.

Lomani Island Resort – Couples - An adults only resort right next to Plantation, the rooms are large with a great outview. The sunset is to die for, and the food is lovely. The rooms have special features such as outdoor showers and canopy beds, and the pool area is large given the number of rooms. People from Plantation are not allowed at Lomani but from Lomani you can use the facilities at Plantation so for an island adults only property you have more options than other places.

Musket Cove Resort – Couples - Another adults only resort, with a lovely set up. The garden view bures (villas) still give you a view over the water, and then there are the beachfront bures, which are meters from the beach. The lagoon beach bures are almost over the water, unfortunately you can’t swim in that water though. Then you move on to the resort villas which are two bedroom villas with a large living area and outdoor spa. Great for a group of friends wanting some time away. Then the next option for the same types of trips are the Armstrong Villas, a 5 minute walk from the centre of the resort these are on a separate island (joined by a bridge) and have their own pool area, they are again 2 bedroom bures with a small kitchen. If you were in these villas you would honestly believe that it was a private island… until you had to walk back to go to the restaurant, bar or spa.

Tokoriki Island Resort – Couples – I have to admit I’m a little in love with this property, the staff were lovely, the food AMAZING, if you go here you have to try the crunchy ice-cream! What I liked most was the greenery, it was so lush and you either have direct beach access (again only a couple of meters) or your own private plunge pool. The communal pool isn’t huge but with only 34 bures you don’t need it to be, and not to mention the beautiful ocean right there for you to lap up. The main reason I’m trying to organise my trip back – they have a special deal where for $330 FJD (approx $195) you can have 3 days of UNLIMITED spa treatments during your stay – click here to see the menu! http://www.tokoriki.com/special-offers.html

Matamanoa – Families and couples –The main part of this property would be great for families, what I liked though was their new sunset bures, separate from the rest of the property, accessible by a 10 or so minute walk or by golf buggy these 9 bures are up on a cliff with individual plunge pools and a staircase down to your private beach. The diggers were still out finalising everything when we were there, so give it til early 2014 and you should definitely consider this. Just remember, there are no facilities (other than the beach and your room) out this end, and the walk is hot, so you want to be ok being separate from it all.

Tropica Island Resort – Couples - a beautiful new property, give it a few more months, especially as we are coming into wet season, and the gardens will be in full bloom and this property will be magnificent. It is a small property with only 6 bures, but they have got hotel style rooms behind the main areas, so this’d be a great option if you want to have the feel of an island resort without the price tag. But personally I’d stay in the bure, meters from the most amazing beach, with outdoor shower, balcony with swing for you to watch the sunset and lots of space for you to spread out. It is a new resort so I think they are still getting into the groove a little.

Malolo Island Resort – Families and couples – this resort was hard hit by the cyclone last year, but they have done a fantastic job of rebuilding. The rooms are spread out along the beach, the rooms are modern style (as opposed to Fiji style) and they are set up in little groups. This could be difficult if you didn’t want to be sharing your ‘front yard’ with another family, but it could also be good if a couple of families were travelling together. There’s a relaxing bar/restaurant at the front of the property where you first get off the boat, and then there’s a two more restaurants, one adults only in the main building. They have an air-conditioned room for you to kick back and watch TV, and shaded day beds next to the adults only pool, and they are fantastic at keeping their adults only pool, adults only. The main dining area can be noisy around noon when the kids club come for their lunch, but this can easily be avoided. And I recommend the ice crush drinks at lunch, they are the closest thing you’ll get to a 7-11 slurpee in Fiji.

Likuliku Island Resort – Couples – An adults only resort and the only resort in Fiji with overwater bungalows. The perfect honeymoon and couples resort, lush garden, beautiful ocean and reef, and a gorgeous little island with small lounge/bar invites you onto the resort. In the overwater bungalows you can stand in you bathroom or sit on the couch in your lounge and watch the fish swim by. The rooms are beautiful with natural products throughout, even if you don’t stay in an overwater bungalow you will not be disappointed by your room!

Castaway Resort – Families - probably the resort I have sold the most in Fiji and it didn’t disappoint. Traditional Bures are situated along winding paths, the garden bures aren’t overly private, but the beach ones are fantastic. It really is a family resort and you can get great discounts on meal plans during shoulder season. A number of food options and a large kids club and pool area. The one discussion I did have with our Castaway host is that the adults only pool is not really adults only, they are really working hard to change people’s mind sets on this, only time will tell, and really it’s not the end of the world. The rooms are all set up with a bedroom area and then somewhat separated living area (or kids sleeping room), and there are a couple of rooms with two bedrooms, but they are hard to get. My highlight here, other than breaking the heat of the day in the beautiful water, was the dinner under the stars, a huge array of Asian cuisine using local produce. There’s an additional surcharge for this but I’d really recommend it for one dinner.

Finally Fiji Airways – their business class was fantastic, you would not think they had created that plane solely for the 4-hour flight across. Flat beds, large screens, several course breakfast and no one sitting next to me. Fantastic! The flight back, was good as well, it was in economy and I was in the middle of the middle so what can you say? Remembering when I went to Fiji a year ago the plane was old, there was no in-seat entertainment and the food left a lot to be desired. The plane is definitely nicer, the entertainment heaps better, you do need to pay for extra movies but it’s only a 4-hour flight, so I watched a few TV shows and then read, and dozed. So I’m really happy to recommend Fiji Airways, their only downfall is the food, especially on the way home, as the food at Nadi airport is lacking and then the on-board food still leaves a lot to be desired… So be prepared – however you can!

I want to finish by thanking Island Escapes, Fiji Airways and all of the resorts for the opportunity to visit all of these beautiful resorts I learnt so much and can’t wait to tell everyone about it! Vinaka vaka levu!!

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Europe Family Adventure

September 13, 2013 / Emily Scoble

In this job you send people to Europe a lot, and I sometimes wonder what else there is to see. How can people who have been a hundred times keep going back? But every time I go I discover something new, find a cool new place and have some fantastic new experiences – even if it was my third time to Munich in 2 years… This was a family trip, my mum’s first time to Europe, and included two of my older sisters, one brother in law and my two nieces (8 and 10) and two nephews (also 8 and 10). This trip of a lifetime was extra special for me as it gave me the opportunity to show my mum what I love so much about travelling. I learnt quickly about the fun of travelling with 9 people, including me, ranging in ages from 8 to 68, all with different expectations and knowledge. We were away for 3 weeks together and then I got to add on a few more days by myself, so rather than writing a really long story about everything we did, I’ll try to say a few short things about each place.

Belgium - a first for everyone in my family, and I personally won’t be hurrying back. We stayed in Brussels at the Marriott Executive Apartments in the European Quarter. The hotel was fantastic for us, in a great location. From here there was a square, right next to the European Union offices, where there were a number of restaurants, and everything else in town was an easy walk away. We hired a car and made the day trip up to Bruges, and having heard how fantastic it was, I had high expectations, and unfortunately they weren’t met. It is a beautiful city, it’s lovely to walk around and there are some nice restaurants and chocolate shops, but it’s way too touristy for my liking. On the drive back to Brussels though we were able to come across some of the WWI army cemeteries, and in the area was Flanders Field which has a famous poem written about it that Mum knew.

EuroDisney – The happiest place on earth with the worst food options – I didn’t hold high hopes for the food though. We stayed at the Disney resort – I’d hesitate to recommend it as it needs a refurb, but it’s so close to the parks that the only better option is THE Disney Hotel (there’s several Disney hotels, it’s confusing) which is in the park, and twice the price – which meant we had no other option but to eat at a Disney property. I tried the restaurant at the hotel, places within Disney as well as places just outside the park, and everything was either fried or blah. At the end of the day though the kids had a great time, and I got the thrill of my life by meeting Mary Poppins. And I also had the scare of my life on some of the rides.

Paris –What I didn’t realise til now is how close and easily accessible Disney is to Paris, it’s only an hour from the Champs Elysees to the front of the parks. This wouldn’t be convenient if you wanted to do several days at Disney, but it made our transfer back to Paris very easy. One thing I have to say about Paris Metro is that there is a severe lack of lifts and escalators, which makes carting around suitcases difficult. Luckily we were staying on the Champs Elysees, so we had a direct train to a stop only a few hundred metres from our accommodation. One of the highlights for me was coming up one of the few escalators as we arrived into Paris and seeing the Arc de Triomphe only 10 meters or so away from us. Then I got to turn around and see the smiles on the rest of my family’s faces as they realised how amazing our location for the next few nights was going to be. We stayed at the Fraser Suites Claridge right next door to Tiffany’s and across the road from one of the best patisseries in Paris (or so Lonely Planet says). Paris was where we all went our own way a little and met up where we could. Mum enjoyed the hop on hop off bus with Jodi, while Sarah, Ben and the kids climbed the Eiffel Tower. We all had a day walking around, and enjoyed baguettes in a park before going to a fantastic play area at Luxembourg gardens where Ben and I watched the kids while Jodi and Sarah went shopping and Mum went for a wander. The highlights for me were going to The Opera – there was a bit of discussion about my desire to just refer to it as The (La) Opera, but that’s what it is, where else is The Opera? We were able to watch an opera at Opera National de Paris in Palais Garnier in celebration of Mum’s 69th birthday. You have to book months in advance and we got online the minute it opened for reservations and still didn’t get seats together (it was just mum, my sisters and I), but we all had fantastic views even if we couldn’t understand a word. My second highlight would be seeing the catacombs. I’d heard about them but just hadn’t had the chance to see them – so I’m glad I’ve done it. Oh, and the jacket I bought on the Champs Elysees, even if it was only from H&M, was pretty cool too.

Luzern – I only had a night here and we only really stopped to catch up with family friends. Christiane was a fantastic host and helped us catch a ferry, then the famous cogwheel train up Mount Pilatus where we had lunch of baguettes and Swiss chocolate. Once we arrived back into Luzern, Christiane took the others around town, and I headed off to Freiburg to meet a friend. I have to say that if it weren’t for the cost to stay in Luzern I’d definitely go back; it’s a beautiful city and I’m sure there’s more to see that what I saw…

Bad Toelz – I love Bavaria… It may just be the beer, or the pretzels, or the traditional outfits but there’s something lovely about this part of the world. We stayed in a small town called Bad Toelz, 45 minutes by train into the heart of Munich. Oktoberfest was on which was part of the reason we didn’t stay in the city, but also we wanted a bit more of the small town charm. It was a very different experience being in Munich with kids and family from the last two times I’ve been, but it was nice to just hang out a bit, having been go, go, go up until this point. I did go up to Dachau, which was a humbling experience – the audio guide is ok, but my favourite part was listening to the stories of people who had been imprisoned there, using the same device. I wish they had more in English, but they don’t use translators for it, so it makes sense there’s not many. I also did some more shopping in Munich and enjoyed lots of different beers while people watching.

Berlin – When I left Berlin two years ago I swore I’d be back; there was more for me to see, do and experience. After another two days there I still feel like I want to go back with so much more for me to see and do. I want to say that it was unfortunate the marathon was on, but really this is the main reason we went to Berlin. Sarah and Ben (who is Jodi’s husband) both not only completed the marathon but both achieved personal bests – I’m very proud.

The reason it was unfortunate though is just because I wanted to see and do so much more, but we didn’t have the time and it was difficult to get around with roads blocked off. They used the same track the day before for a rollerblading race. We did however find a cool way to get around the day before the marathon, a 6-seater bike – and we had the runners on the trailer to ‘rest their legs’ (see picture). We stayed at two different properties a street away from each other, and I’d recommend both. Adina is an apartment complex that is fantastic for families and they have a great happy hour. Mercure is a hotel with massive rooms, but very odd, caged-in balconies. Both have ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ as a part of their names if you are looking for them, and that’s because we were only a couple of blocks from the famous site, and also only a few blocks from shopping. My highlight in Berlin this time (in case I haven’t told you before, my previous highlight was the wall museum where you can climb a tower and see some of the wall and guard towers still standing. It makes the wall’s history more understandable) was climbing the Reichstag dome with the view over Berlin. We went relatively early, and the dew on the windows was still present, so maybe if going in the cooler months, aim for later in the day. The audio guide here was fantastic: no buttons, it knew where you were (and even which direction you were going) by sensors under foot. If you’ve just been to Switzerland and are enjoying carrying around your new Swiss army knife, this is the day to leave it behind, Ben! Luckily if you do take it, you will get it back at the end.

London – I said goodbye to my family in Berlin and flew to London for the first time in 7 years. I booked myself at the Radisson Edwardian Berkshire, which is the only hotel with an Oxford Street address. If you are going to stay here then don’t make ridiculous promises about not doing any more shopping, as it’s impossible. I had work to do while in town so I went for a few quick walks for an hour here and there to fill in time and every time came back with several bags… I’m still unsure how I got it all to fit (and still be able to lift my suitcase). This hotel and sister property the Radisson Edwardian Sussex are fantastic hotels in great locations; there’s a bit of construction happening next door to the Berkshire, but I didn’t notice it when inside. The restaurant onsite is fantastic and all of the rooms are much more spacious than I expected for central London. Last time I was in London I did the sights so I didn’t do any this time. instead, I ate (and walked and shopped). I caught up with friends every night and enjoyed amazing meals with them, as well as visiting Heston Blumenthal’s newer restaurant ‘Dinner’ at the Mandarin Oriental (including ice-cream made at the table – see picture), and had high tea at the Dorchester Hotel. London is really a food destination now, and the Mayfair area that I stayed in is fantastic for so many different options of food. Let me know if you’d like some recommendations!

I had a night in Shanghai on my way home and LOVED the Shangri-La Pudong. There was a typhoon that hit China south of Shanghai so the weather wasn’t great, and it was a national weekend also so it was crazy busy. I’ve added this to the list of places I need to go back to.

Now I’ve done the travelling with children thing I know that I could do it again when I have my own so the future is filled with endless possibilities.

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