Hoi An is also the best place to have some clothes made - it is a town of tailors. This truly is one of the country's most beautiful cities and the best place to taste banh mi. I was lucky enough to have a Scenic land journey included on our trip, and we headed north to Hoi An. One of the most famous sites is the Independence Palace, where tanks hit the entrance gate in April 1975 when the war ended. The city isa real mix of styles with traditional Vietnamese buildings beside grand colonial architecture, a legacy left by the French who ruled for over six decades. We experienced the thrill of the chaos with stops along the way to taste local specialities. If you can't beat it then you may as well join it and Scenic offers the best way to explore - a night tour by Vespa. This is a busy city - just trying to cross the street was a feat. Then it was to say goodbye to our luxury floating hotel as we were transported to Ho Chi Minh City. READ MORE: 10 reasons why river cruises are a smart traveller's delight Vietnamese coffee is strong, sweetened with condensed milk. The coffee in Vietnam is much stronger than here but it's also very sweet, as they mix in sweetened condensed milk. Scenic prides itself on giving guests a true local experience and that includes visiting a local village and being invited into a traditional home, sharing a coffee. It was a nearly immediate change, much more urban and a lot more industry and aquaculture along the river. (Supplied)įrom Phnom Penh we continued along the Mekong, crossing the border into Vietnam. READ MORE: The hottest Aussie coolcation destination for 2024 is in Victoria You can try a taste of tarantulas at the central market in Phnom Penh.

It tasted exactly as I imagined and I can tell you, I plan to never do that again. I am absolutely terrified of spiders and in the central market, they sell them as snacks!!! This is when I said the words I never expected to say - 'do you think I should try a tarantula?'. There was all the hustle and bustle you'd expect but for me, it will always be the place where I faced the buffet of my nightmares. After about three days of cruising, we arrived in the vibrant Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

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