#2017

#bucketlistreboot #throwback #2017 While Siem Reap was most popular for its majestic Angkor Wat Temple Complex, it was also known for its nightlife and pub street full of bars and restos. Among them, the one stood that out the most was Angkor What! Angkor What was one of the most popular bar in Siem Reap named after the revered Angkor Wat in a sarcastic way. It was extremely popular among the visitors hence crowded most of the time. It was eccentric and the walls had texts written all over by the customers and visitors. Staffs were amazing and made us comfortable as we tried beer and cocktail here. Sadly this bar is permanently closed now. Pandemic has taken away a lot from us. Hopefully we will get to see it revived and thriving in future visit.

#bucketlistreboot #2017 #throwback Located 17.1 km south from Phnom Penh City center, Choeung Ek Genocidal Center also called the Killing Fields is the site of a former orchard and mass grave of victims of the Khmer Rouge – killed between 1975 and 1979. Imagine the situation when around one quarter of the population as in 1 out of 4 person was killed within a span of 4 years only, that was the plight of lesser known history of Cambodia during Pol Pot regime. It was a sunny day and first day of our arrival in Cambodia. We took a tuktuk, paid for the tickets and got a headphone for site guide. You can choose from multiple languages and each site has its own harrowing history of torture and killing. I felt extremely heartbroken and distressed after learning about the history and witnessing the remains of human body tortured and killed in the past. It could be graphic content but I feel it is a must visit if you’re visiting Cambodia to respectfully learn about the blood stained history and tragedy of the country.

#bucketlistreboot #throwback #2017 The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting tunnels located in the Củ Chi District of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. Located around 44 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, the network of tunnels are built to communicate and supply arms during the resistance against French occupation and later during US proxy war. It’s right in the middle of jungle and needs an hour or more of hiking and exploring to learn and understand how they survived, resisted and defended themselves during decades of war and occupation. It’s heartbreaking and difficult to imagine the past struggles and bruises of this country that is merry and bustling now. The war memorial museums and tunnels like these will remind you of consequences of war specially when they had no part in it, to be the proxy victim of power struggles between foreign superpowers and be defenseless against such interventions.

#bucketlistreboot #throwback #2017 Address: Trai Mat District, Vietnam 8km from Dalat City center Entrance: Free of Cost Dress code: Decent clothing Linh Phuoc Pagoda, also known as Ve Chai Pagoda is one of the most intricate and beautiful pagoda in Vietnam located in Dalat. The 49 meters dragon temple is made of 12000 bottles and the dragon’s head is 7 meters high. The pagoda looks uniquely with intricately carved and colorful ceramic shards and glass mosaic. Constructed in 1950s and expanded then onwards, the temple complex is huge and holds architectural significance in Dalat. Despite its grandeur, the pagoda was quiet and well maintained. It takes around 2 hours to explore the pagoda complex. We absolutely loved the pagoda and found it one of the most intriguing religious monument we had visited in Vietnam.

#bucketlistreboot #throwback #2017 Address: Dalat, Vietnam approx 20km from Dalat city center Transportation: Public transportation not available, easily reachable by car or motorbike, ample parking space Activities: Hiking, Canyoning, Ziplining, Waterslide Entrance Fee: $1.3 for entrance and separate fees for different activities which is reasonable Datanla Waterfall is one of the most popular waterfall in Dalat and the water flows in different levels here. Entrance is cheap for the waterfall and you need to stretch your legs a bit to get to the bottom where you can view the panorama of waterfall. If you don’t want to walk all the way up and down, you can take rollercoaster ride to and from the waterfall which shouldn’t cost you much. The water flow is benevolent and it usually gets crowded as it’s very popular among the people visiting here. Besides waterfall, you can also engage in different adventure activities here. A must visit when you are in Dalat if you are nature lover and adrenaline seeker.

#bucketlistreboot #throwback #2017 #dalat #waterfall Pongour Waterfall Address: Dalat, Vietnam approximately 50km south of central Dalat Entrance fee: 40000 VND Getting there: You can reach here by motorbike or car as there is no public transport to the region. The waterfall is in the off beaten track but easily navigable with maps. Chasing the waterfall in the deserted area of waterfall city Dalat!!! Popular among locals as 7 stores waterfall, Pongour Waterfall is one of the most beautiful landscape in Dalat with forests, springs, lakes and pine hills surrounding it. On our way to waterfall, we got caught up in big rain and when we stopped for a shade, we accidentally locked our scooter keys inside the back seat. Our phone battery was dying too and we were panicking cuz there was nobody on road neither was there any shops or people. After some time two backpackers stopped infront of us and asked if there’s any problem, we explained everything to them and they helped us take our bike to the mechanic. We are always grateful to the amazing Vietnamese people we’ve met on road. After all the trouble, we finally reached the beautiful waterfall and rested there for a while. The waterfall used to be big before but it’s unfortunate now that the reduced flow of this benevolent fall has robbed its gravity and grandeur. It was still worth a visit while you are in Dalat.

#bucketlistreboot #throwback #2017 Address: Da Lat, Lam Dong, Vietnam 32km from Lien Khuong Airport Price per night: $30 and above with breakfast Our first time in Dalat, Lien Khuong Airport was the quietest airport we had landed in and worst part was our landing was at 1am. A Good Samaritan took us to a bus and asked the driver to drop us towards the hotel. Dalat is easily navigable city and airport bus service is impeccable. We were dropped less than 2km away from the hotel and due to heavy luggage, we took a taxi and reached there. The hotel staff was waiting for us until late at night so we were very grateful. The room was cozy and weather was lovely. In the morning we were surprised by the breakfast which was in variety and great taste. The hotel owner also helped us rent a scooter to explore Dalat city. All in all it was a great stay! Rating: 5/5

#bucketlistreboot #throwback #2017 #hanoi Address: Old Quarter Hanoi, Vietnam Opening hours: 7am to 10pm Price: $1.5/ cup of egg coffee hot or cold Egg coffee might sound awkward when you hear it for the first time but it is one of the most popular coffee drink in tandem with the Vietnamese drip coffee in Hanoi. First experimented by a bartender Nguyen in 1940s while he was working in Sofitel Hotel, this quickly became popular as it turned out delicious. He later quit his job and opened his own cafe, Cafe Giang in old quarter of Hanoi in 1946. When we visited Hanoi in 2017, it was quite tricky to find the cafe with the google or apple map. We almost got lost in the alley and asked people about egg coffee luckily they showed us the way. The cafe was pretty old when we visited back then. It was really popular among locals and tourists and crowded all the time. Rightly so cuz the coffee was too delicious so we ended up drinking 3 cups of coffee. Price is reasonable for its popularity and history. When I looked up the cafe this time, I was pleasantly surprised cuz they made some efforts to renovate and upgrade the restaurant. Whether you are a coffee lover or not, egg coffee is a must try when you are in Hanoi.