My Tho and Ben Tre, Vietnam
Here I took an organised day trip out to the Mekong delta towns of My Tho and Ben Tre. Going by car/public transport is impossible. It was a great trip as we were taken to several magnificent and unique Buddhist temples and had several trips across the Mekong. We visited a local outdoor restaurant for a freshly caught fish lunch and had a visit to a community coconut factory, snake and crocodile farm.
On the way we walked through a local outdoor food markets of both My Tho and Ben Tre, selling so many types of fruit and veg I had never seen before. We then stopped off for drinks at a local outdoor bar accompanied by a band singing traditional songs. Finally we experienced a manned, paddled longboat ride through the mangrove swamps and rivers back towards our coach. We even had a horse and cart ride to get us from the river back across the delta area to our moored ferry boat …… really great time had by all ….. Make sure you book one of these trips to My Tho and Ben Tre either in advance or through your hotel if you are staying more than a few days ….
So worth it and you genuinely get to see how the delta river people live and trade!
Vietnam and S E Asia tour
I visited My Tho and Ben Tre in Vietnam during my month-long tour of South East Asia.
On this trip I also spent time in Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, Cambodia and Malaysia. It was an amazing time of differing cultures, sights, sounds and smells and remains my most magical long-stay venture so far.
Read how you can combine several of these countries into a easy tour and get the most of the region while there.
Click below for my trip and reviews of these places.
Booked day trip to My Tho and Ben Tre
I had planned to take a trip out of HCMC, as I wanted to see the Mekong delta and something of the villages eg My Tho and Ben Tre, rivers, life etc around that area.
I deliberately did not book this trip to My Tho and Ben Tre in advance (unusual for me), as I knew there were plenty of local companies offering this service. I was also aware that by now I would be half way through my month long trip and If I had booked an, eg Temple trip, I may have seen enough Temples already and that the booked day-tour may be more of the same.
My hotel (click here for info on Aristo Hotel HCMC), were advertising local trips in the lobby and the receptionists were really helpful in explaining and talking about the tour group companies they use. I suggested My Tho and Ben Tre as good places to see and asked if I was right.
They said that there are many villages out there but probably these two were among the top 5 to see.
They also happened to have a Mekong delta trip and it included village visits to My Tho and Ben Tre, boat trip, temples, markets, a community workplace/job creation scheme and a longboat ride in the well-known canals of that area.
This sounded good, the price was great, it included lunch and all transport to and from My Tho and Ben Tre and fees and would be a day long trip …… I signed up!
I waited for the next day to come in trepidation, hoping that this trip was not going to be a rip off one, that I had heard about so much, when one does this kind of off-the-cuff trip …… but I was wrong and I really enjoyed this group tour (especially considering I’m not into group stuff as am very happy going solo at my own pace).
The air con, comfy small coach picked me up at the hotel right on time and as I was pretty much the last pick up person in our eventual group of about 15 we set off straight out of town.
Finally I was on my way to My Tho and Ben Tre and I was finally going to see the great Mekong River.
We clearly took the fast route out of town as we sped along a multi lane highway – yep the sectioned off area for the scooters was fun to watch, thousands and thousands whizzed by us in a veritable convoy of helmeted riders. It still stays with me as a lasting memory of HCMC !
My Tho
We headed for our first stop which was a small town on the banks of the Mekong River. Whilst there is not much to see in this town it would be our first chance to stand on the banks of the mighty – and immensely wide – Mekong River.
Our guide had told us en-route that we would be embarking on a private boat to cross this river.
The private boat was a great idea, because as we transversed different islands and came out from various sites it was moored nearby and we jumped back on it to go to the next site.
I said there wasn’t much to see in My Tho, except that there is one site of importance here and how beautiful it is too.
Here was where we left the coach and visited this unique temple.
Vinh Trang Temple, My Tho
The Temple itself is not that old, being finished in 1850 and its design is curiously with Indian influences. It is quite unlike many others I have seen as it is brightly coloured and set in huge gardens of flowering trees and massive pots filled with flowers.
The various shades of dark carved would kept the interior shaded and the Chinese calligraphy throughout showed the influence that country had on the Temple in the 1800s. The intricate carvings of many Buddha statues throughout the enclaves of the building made each room turn into another experience.
The birds chirping in the trees outside could be heard throughout the open style of the adjoining rooms and really set the scene of a country Temple. There were several ceremonial instruments dotted around the rooms – drums, chimes, bells etc.
The lack of any guards or guides and the ability to freely wander without hindrance was a welcome relief and added to our enjoyment of this sacred place.
As it was so quiet and devoid of throngs of tourists (as is usual here), the interior became very atmospheric and we could appreciate the building more. Freshly lit joss sticks were still disseminating their pungent fragrance throughout the main temple area and the ash was still enveloping parts of the ceremonial area.
Outside, in the gardens, a large Stupa held the ashes of the Temple’s longest serving Abbott, who maintained the Temple over 33 years and died in 1923.
The flora was in abundance and where it was not planted in the ground, big Chinese style pots spouted bushes and plants. The exterior walls were colourful, mainly yellow, beige and green with again, carved Chinese calligraphy and symbols all intricately woven together.
Outer buildings contained courtyards and patios, each slightly different in style.
Some contained differently styled stupas to the dead who are buried under them,. Others hosted yet more shrines and carved stone images of Buddha set amongst gardens adorned with potted plants and colourful painted backdrops.
The shade offered by many of these courtyards is clearly an advantage to the growing foliage, although judging from the many wet areas on the ground the attendees keep them well watered.
Don’t miss the Buddha statues!
There is yet more to this Temple however,
Walking through yet more colourful and aromatic gardens you come across the huge statue of the reclining Buddha. Sleepily resting its head on a pillow on a high platform. Surrounding it are yet more shrubbery in massive shaped pots and this time bougainvillea and palm trees adorn its frontage and backdrop.
Near to it is the huge plump, jocular figure of the laughing Buddha seated and looking out across the grounds. It is hard not to feel amused at this happy figure seemingly permanently smiling and perhaps that is its purpose – to make you feel good.
It must also be one of the most photographed statues in the region for its unique character and charm.
Part of the complex lies across a road and it is here that there are yet more statues and shrines and a beautiful ornate gateway.
A park with green foliage of bushes, palm trees and walkways contains yet another Buddha statue, this time standing. The backdrop towards the larger temple area also gives views of its ornamental pagoda and yet another view of the laughing Buddha and a nearby Stupa.
The Mekong Delta
We now re-boarded the coach and headed a km or so to the river bank of the Mekong River. This area in the southernmost region of Vietnam is so fertile it is often referred to as the rice bowl of Vietnam as it can produce up to three harvests per year.
The fertile Mekong Delta is also famous for its tropical fruits and flowers. The massive expanse of the delta region of small and large flat islands is the result of the silt brought with it on its 4,500km journey from its source in China . It has arrived here after travelling through six countries, one of which I was to see in a few days.
We disembarked and awaited the arrival of our private boat that was to transport us between the islands on the next part of our trip. There is a nearby small mall full of typical tourist trinket shops and a small yet airy modern café, both full of locals surprisingly rather than us tourists. I guess even locals need t-shirts and coffee!
I knew the river was so important in this area for agriculture and is a defining feature of the geography but I didn’t realise it was so big – the opposite riverbank was a sliver of low, long land, so it resembled looking out across a lake at this point!
Once I saw the huge, fast flowing strong currents I was hoping it was going to be a substantial boat to take on this powerful river.
We could see several river-going boats moored up nearby – wooden and somewhat traditional in style but miniscule against the view of the huge Mekong. I could see the modern bridge of the river crossing ahead but the river was a muddy brown, fast flowing from the recent storm and looked scarily deep and wide.
I could only just see the other bank to which we were supposedly crossing and even the biggest river boat looked so small compared to the sea-like size of this delta.
Our boat arrived and we boarded. the size was one of the small ones we had seen moored nearby holding around 30 people.
I suddenly wondered if this boat could take the surging flow of the river and how long it would take to get across the massive river in what felt like a woefully miniature sized craft.
No life jackets were given out, no emergency instructions, we sat where we liked and the sides of the boat were low, -low enough to fall into the water if you did not pay attention!
We set off and made remarkably fast progress in the water on what was also a very smooth ride. The cooling breeze swept across the boat and suddenly I felt an urge to hope this water trip may take a while. The heat of the day was stifling, yet here the breeze made the trip gloriously refreshing.
Various boats passed us by, some larger some smaller but all colourfully painted and seemingly geared towards the tourist trade. There were several other boats doing the same as we were, and there was the likes of a few large trade craft and wooden ferry types barges.
The banks had clearly overflowed, as submerged trees were evident in the water near the banks and the houses on stilts seemed to be at their maximum in the water.
Ben Tre
All too soon, our craft reached the other bank as the trees and other moored craft came into view.
This was now to be the start of a somewhat different experience on the trip, as we landed and walked along sandy pathways, through heavy palm filled areas and what felt like a more natural country-side panorama.
The boat dropped us at a large quay on Ben Tre Island and we walked to a small compound for refreshments.
Local bee hives
On the way we stopped off at a small bee hive complex that locals had set up to harvest the honey and sell it as a cash crop. We saw the hives and the bees scurrying back and forth and one of the attendants there actually opened up a hive for us to see inside.
She took out one of the honey trays that the bees had been working on, so we could see live honey in the making. One of the party was so curious he asked to hold the tray which had bees crawling all over it. He was assured he would not be stung ….. he wasn’t and he got his photo taken with it.
Our guide explained that the honey was sold in the market area that we would be visiting soon and it was also sold to the farm factory that we would see later who used it in the products they made ….. more about that later.
We walked on through what felt like paths through bamboo fields as the vegetation was above our heads and out into a large covered opening where a decent sized open air restaurant/café/entertainment area was located. The villagers use the area as a sort of communal get together meeting area and the café is a foacal point for them.
We sat down to cold drinks and tea and various other items ordered by the group. The relax was good after the long walk around the Temple and the heat of the day.
we were then joined by a roaming band. Singing via small portable speakers and with a small traditional band playing at a nearby table the atmosphere was delightful.
Okay, a little touristy but the singing was actually quite good and they were dressed so smartly for the occasion. Small donations were given by us, nothing really for us but welcomed by them.
Snakes !!!
As we left the café the guide pointed something out. Large python like snakes in a large cage near the exit !!!!!
Now, I have a snake phobia. It’s illogical and irrational I know, and for no past traumatic reason but I do not like them. I recoiled in angst from the cage.
I am one of those people who have never seen the film “Snakes on a plane”, No doubt I would be horrified by it and probably never get on a plane again – something that would make travel blogging a real challenge!
The guide reached in and extracted the largest snake, much to the gasps of the group and hung it around his shoulders. Why they were there I have no idea- I had stopped listening and was just edging back further away from him.
He invited anyone to come and try the snake on as he had and get a photo. Two in group did and I again edged further away. It was all I could do to hold my camera to take a pic to record the event.
Eventually the snake was put back into its cage and I gave the cage a wide berth as we exited near it!
Village market, Ben Tre
As we left the café area we walked through the village food and general market.
Here were fruit and vegetable stalls, all colourfully decorated. Fruits I had never even seen before were in abundance here. Some items that I recognised but were not popular in the UK were clearly popular here, judging by the large loose piles of those fruits and vegetables.
A small number of clothing stalls were here too and a few locals were going about their shopping.
Our guide now led us along wide walkways through vegetation and explained that we were taking this route as it would show us local produce being cultivated in the fields.
We would see the irrigation system developed to sustain their growth and would get closer to some of the goods we had seen in the market.
I saw growing in the fields and trees, jackfruit, coconuts, bananas, oranges, lemons, dates, and several other fruits that I did not recognise.
It would also take us over a bridge for a vantage point of the local river and a few boats used for locals and tourists alike to get to other nearby villages. We were told we also had a traditional method of river transport awaiting us to take us to our next location.
This was turning into not only a sightseeing tour but also a cultural and social one that really helped us understand the local economy and working life of island villagers.
River canoe-boat ride
The next part of the tour caught us all by surprise as we were not expecting it. It was one of the best surprises all day.
We were lead down to a river deck and moored alongside were several small Sampan boats – fast, slim, long, flat-bottomed boats – waiting for us.
Boarding was a little awkward as we had to step off the deck onto a narrow board on the boat which also doubles as the seat. I scarily tripped as I did not see the second small ledge on the boat’s edge as I stepped on board.
A group gasp went up as I stumbled and the crew went to reach out to me to prevent me falling but all was ok. Luckily I had quickly regained my footing to avoid plunging into the muddy waters.
I laughingly turned back to the others and comically warned then about the semi obscured small ledge that I had not seen …… everyone else boarded just fine !
This was now exciting! I rarely go on a river boat so here was a first – a sampan ride through the palm and foliage edged, mini canal system used by locals to transport goods and people …. and tourists …. around the island.
The canals vary in width from 3 to 25 metres wide and were full of the reddish/beige colour of the local mud and very murky. It looked like we were being transported on a soup coloured canal.
The palm trees and foliage that was growing densely along the river banks meant that there was no river edge, as the waters had been swollen by the recent storms. The mini forest of foliage thus, at most points, grew over our heads and we were paddling through a triangular tunnel of greenery.
Occasionally the river widened and the canopy opened up to the bright sunshine that then streamed in and seemed to turn the river colour a lighter brown from the light’s refelction. It was surreal but exciting and I was loving it.
The boats went at a fast pace but incredibly smoothly through the water. I suddenly realised that the crew paddling were not helped by any onboard motor. It was their pure muscle power driving us swiftly through the waters.
As several boats began to pass us on the other side, I suddenly realised that all the paddlers were women, all squatted down and pelting the water ferociously to get our speed up.
The ages varied but I was astonished to see that our two paddlers were women who looked in their 50s and 60s!. They must be incredibly fit.
Sampans now started coming in droves in the opposite direction and many were full of tourists happily smiling and waving as they plied past us. They whizzed past and the paddlers were so adept at ensuring no-one collided despite the narrow waterway and the speed we were travelling at.
The paddlers picked up speed and we were really flying through the water – did they have a schedule to keep to as there was clearly a pick up and drop off point for this journey?
The blue coloured boats looked picturesque against the brown water and green foliage and all the paddlers were wearing the traditional rounded but pointed reed hats and in colourful tops and costumes.
The ride was magnificent and clearly the crew put a lot of work into getting us to our destination about 20 mins downstream. We were advised to hand a tip to the paddlers as there is no set fee and an amount equivalent to £1 was suggested by our guide.
I would have willingly paid 5 times that price as it was an exhilarating ride, quite unlike anything I had done before and so unique. The paddlers certainly earned their tips.
We stepped ashore and were told our next venture was to a local community farm and entreprise to see local crafts and food production in the making.
Sweet making by hand
The guide showed us the beginning of the sweet making process. We saw how cultivated coconuts were harvested from their shells using a rudimentary spike . The shells would later be recycled into matting and brushes but the coconut shell was placed into a small machine to be desiccated.
The dessicated coconut was then taken to a small open air production line. Basically a table with molds amd mixed with honey and other items to form a fudge like mixture. The fudge was rolled in molds to form long slim stick-like sections and then removed and flattened – all by hand in the open air.
The flattened fudge was cut into small squares, wrapped by hand in paper – they did it so fast and accurately it was a wonder to watch. It was placed into piles and then the piles were packed into blocks of twelve and wrapped into a packet to form a selling unit.
They were producing these quite fast, even though it was all done by hand so they must have a big market for them. The packets were taken to local stores and obviously to local tourists spots and sold as hand made coconut fudge.
It was amazing to watch this local handcrafted item made from start to finish, all along a few metres of a production line.
We continued on to see other locally made handicrafts produced by the village and all the ingredients came from areas in the immediate vicinity.
On the way out of the community factory we were invited to pass through the shop – we were tourists after all and we might want to buy some things- however no pressure was exerted to do so and we were pretty much left to wander for 10 minutes.
Snake wine
Some of the available items were quite unique and quite scary too. They were selling vats of snake wine!
Yep, those are actual snakes marinating in the see through vat to produce a liquid to be drunk . Another vat had banana wine, something that sounded unusual and to my palate probably revolting, but there it was.
Other bottles had a nicely shaped design of a dragon motif, but look closely at what was pickled/soaking inside them and they were snakes with scorpions . That drink would give quite a bite I suppose (pun intended).
I assume these were touristy trinkets and probably not meant to be drunk but was assured they were for real.
Nearby was a bottling machine used to make up these items.
I passed on the chance to buy a few bottles but I did buy a packet of the coconut fudge and it was actually really nice.
Horse and cart ride on Ben Tre
We left the market to be greeted by another unexpected sight. We were to be taken to our next destination by horse and cart and waiting for us outside were several traditional rustic carriages with horses.
I am always wary of the use of animals abroad in tourist locations due to mistreatment, as judged by European standards, so gave the horses a look over. We were encouraged to pat the horses so we could get up close to them and they seemed remarkably well treated, clean and lively.
The ride to the restaurant, which was to be our next stop, was a bit rickety. The carts’ suspension was not that good and the road a bit bumpy and we knew that these are carriages used by locals also so we could not expect State Carriages.
It was good to pass through and see several small villages on the way. Their reed and wooden shacks lining the roadway and the occasional shop dotted in the line up.
Meal on island restaurant
The restaurant was open air again – when you have such glorious weather why would you want to sit inside !
The food was brought to the two big circular tables covered in a colourful black and red checkered tablecloth. We had a view to the nearby river and the palm tree forests. Being under a canopy gave us shade from the sun with a gentle breeze blowing through.
Food was arranged for us to chose whatever we wanted on a table-buffet style.
This meal was included in the quite reasonable price of the ticket and so made this trip even more of a bargain.
Spring rolls, prawns, green beans, rice, fried vegetables, bottled water and cold drinks were all laid out for us.
The piece de resistance came when they brought over balloon shaped breads and whole freshly fried fish on a presentation stand that, unusually, kept the fish upright. It was all well presented and tasty and enjoyable.
The only downside was that being open aired the food immediately attracted fies so the food was eaten while trying to swot away the occasional fly !
Crocodile Farm, Ben Tre
This restaurant had a hidden secret however. Someone in the party had a wander round the gardens of the place and discovered that there were display pens of animals.
Several more of us then went to investigate and saw that a side show was the fact that it had crocodiles, frogs, fish, snakes and porcupine like animals in large sunken pens.
We were told it was a crocodile and snake farm but had no idea why frogs and other were there. Not being a lover of zoos due to animals being caged and not free, this tourist display did not sit well with me.
However this is a truly local phenomena, so we explored more and found lots of people here to see the displays rather than the restaurant.
We left the restaurant for our final journey, again by river down the wide canal-like rivers on the island.
This time is was by a more comfortable motor boat and traversed what were clearly canals but also the inlet river to arrive back at a jetty. Here our ferry boat was waiting to take us back to My Tho and our awaiting coach back home.
The water trip passed by reed roofed buildings and homes and was again along a thick vegetation banked river with glimpses of cultivated field, banana plantations and palm trees.
We boarded the ferry, most of us weary from the long day but excited by what we had seen and experienced.
Not only had we seen what we expected – Mekong delta, My Tho and Ben Tre, Buddhist Temple, motor boats down the inlets and the meal but we had experienced the unexpected .
The cart ride, Sampan paddle boats, crocodile farm and snake wine were certainly not expected but so different that it added great fun to the trip.
To top it all, on the 20 mins ferry back to My Tho the guide produced a sack of coconuts that he had bought from the village farm that we had been to.
He lopped the tops of each one expertly with a machete, put a straw in them and handed them out to everyone as a cooling coconut water drink to sip on the ride across the Mekong …… bliss.
If you get the chance to go on one of these Mekong delta trips I would heartily suggest My Tho and Ben Tre as two places to see. There are others of course but from what I saw today these two must be high on the list.
Oct 2017- My Tho and Ben Tre
Vietnam – My Tho and Ben Tre
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Lovely detailed account, as ever. We were lucky to see the Mekong Delta when we visited Vietnam but we travelled from Cần Thơ to Cái Bè. We did some of the activities you did (community farm and sweet making) but missed out on others. The Vinh Trang Temple at My Tho looked absolutely beautiful and the laughing Buddha couldn’t help but make us smile! Loved the Sampan paddle boat journey – the women were awesome! The island meal looked absolutely delicious as well. What a fantastic trip.
I would have loved to do many more of these trips that the hotel could arrange but time constraints meant I could only chose one – pity. Scarily, I nearly fell in the river twice – once from an unrailed platform and once when I tripped trying to get into the small boat. They were all memorable visits and unusually for me, I actually enjoyed the tourist group environment. Sounds like we went to some of the same places or there are more than one of these sweet-makng and community places.
I’m probably repeating myself in saying this – but we cannot wait to visit Vietnam one day. As for this particular trip – just the boat ride across Mekong River sounds like it could make the whole thing worth it! Of course, that’s an exaggeration to make a point, as we would love to do ALL of this. A couple of random points: I love the presentation of that fried fish! And, we’re in agreement about the crocodile farm & zoos in general. The snake & scorpion drinks… interesting to look at, I suppose, but I think I’d pass. There is so much beautiful country and architecture in the post alone, aI can only imagine it in person (for now)!
You should definitely make plans to visit Vietnam as soon as possible (and add in Cambodia too). Funnily enough, the ride across the Mekong was a goosebump trip for me. I had read all about the mighty Mekong in my geographt classes as a kid and had to visualise it – now I was seeing it in person. I did not enjoy seeing the conditions the crocs etc were kept in, despite it being the first time I had ever seen one in the flesh.
Another great post. Thant get over all the amazing photos. Totally need to explore this part of the world.
Thanks for the kind comments. It is indeed a beautiful part of the world and still relatively unspoilt by mass tourism.
That Buddhist temple looks astonishing. One of the things I want to do when I get a chance to visit that part of the world is seek out large Buddha statues like those. They’re so impressive.
Was anyone kayaking or canoeing those canals? That looks like it would be fun, but they may not allow that because it’s used so heavily for transport.
The statues are a real pull for tourists apparently as they are so photogenic and fun (but clearly of religious significance to). As the post says there were so few tourists here when we arrived, so we had the place to ourselves. Never saw any kayaks etc on teh canals. I get the impression that the canals are a local network (saw a few non passenger long boats) and not really appropriate for individual leisure canoes.
The temple looks amazing! I remember seeing Buddha statues and temples all over Thailand and always wanted to see more in other southeast Asia contries.
It is surprising how the depictions of the Buddha can be so different in their interpretations. The smiling one here is so charming and uplifting. The Temple itself was gorgeous too,
I can see why you wanted to explore the delta area. So much to do and see here, though I would have been finished after the first temple with impression overload. I hope it’s ok for me to ask how much are these day trips? Would you go back and explore these places individually or was the organised tour enough? I often feel organised tours rush through the sites and you’ll end up most of the time sitting on the bus.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
I can’t remember the exact price but I remember thinking it was good value. This day trip was excellent as you saw a lot of places and things so there was minimal time on buses. Also much of this is inaccessible by public transport. Even when you did take other forms of transport to get to the next place it was by paddled long boat and private ferry so they were experiences in themselves. There was also plenty of time to wander yourself around the places as you did not have to follow the guide if you preferred solo orientation at each site. I’d definitely book more of these if I was there again.
It is always fascinating to read these reports from Vietnam, especially for those who, like me, have never been there and have a great desire to visit. I just got goosebumps with the part about the snakes in the bottles….
Am so glad you enjoyed reading the post. I personally have a snake phobia and so when he handled a snake I stood well back. Seeing snakes in a jar also made me squirm! Vietnam is an incredible country and I would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of going there.
What a lovely and amazing post! This tour looked amazing and I love how it was filled with so many unexpected surprises, in relatively local areas. Such a hidden gem of a place and a tour! These types of tours are just the best and offer the tourist so much perspective or insight.
The company running these tours do several other different ones too. I wanted to do more of them but time constraints meant I did not have enough time in Vietnam to do more- pity as I would defo get booked up for more with them when back in HCMC.
What a surprising site to see these large buddhas on top of buildings. I can clearly see why they are the most photographed thing in this area. I would certainly want to do that than seeing the snakes and crocodile farm.
The Buddhas were surprising to see and got a lot of interest from everyone wanting a picture of them! I am not a fan of farms for wild animals and hate zoos too, so I was not overly impressed with them.
This sounds like a jammed pack tour with lots of diversity and well worth the money. I love being on the water so I know I would have loved the boat ride. I too could have passed on the snake!!!
I guess it was quite a full day but it did not feel rushed or packed. It was excellent value and teh long boat ride paddled by the women was an unexpected surprise and pleasure. Yep, I would have happily passed on the snake part in preference for something else, but then others in the group loved that first time experience of holding a massive snake
This was an area I really wanted to visit but unfortunately didn’t have time. Now I want to go. The questionable safety of boat rides on SE Asia is something I don’t miss, but it looks like a great trip. The temple without tons of tourists sounds amazing. And I love those little sweets you saw them making. What a great day out
I too thought to myself why no-one was given life jackets on the river boat rides but its not usual. When you see two, 6 year old kids perched on the back of a moped with the father as the driver, none of them wearing helmets, you realise that safety is often thrown aside here and not enforced by Police etc. I did buy some of the sweets and they were good but maybe a lot sweeter than I’m used to in the UK.