Visas for Vietnam .. what you need to know!

People often ask questions which regards to how and where to get a visa for Vietnam in Hong Kong, especially since Dragonair flies to Danang and is now a new beach destination in the area.

There are basically 2 ways to acquire a visa:
- Visit the Consulate in Hong Kong on Wanchai Road
- Apply for a Visa on Arrival (VOA). A good FAQ on this subject can be found on Tripadvisor

I have only done the first way, 3 times actually. Simply because of I have no desire to line up upon arrival especially with 3 children in tow. There might not be any lines, but certain times and months may be a lot slower than others.

Quoted from the Tripadvisor website:
"One disadvantage of the VOA system is that the process at the airport can be slow. HCMC airport (Tan Son Nhat) in particular, where things can become pretty chaotic if people do not form an orderly queue. HCMC airport is Vietnam's busiest and handles far more traffic than the other two airports. In the high season, it is not uncommon to have to wait for an hour or two, even more so if you are stuck behind a large tour group. In Hanoi and Da Nang, and even in HCMC in the low season and during quiet times of the day, it can take less than 15 minutes to get your visa and pass through immigration - indeed you are likely to arrive at the baggage carousel before your bags do."

Going to the Vietnamese Consulate is easy, the waits are generally short and sometimes non-existing.You simply fill in the form (I prepare everything at home especially when I apply for the entire family), bring a simple passport picture and cash (no cheques, cards, etc. accepted). They have allowed me to pay when picking up, but they prefer to have payment at drop off, so I would prepare for that. A single entry is now $500 (fees were increased at 1/1/2013) and express service is available (this used to cost $500, so it's most likely a few hundred more now, the fees link on the website is almost 10 years old) and I've gotten it as quick as 45 minutes later. Regular service takes 3 working days to process, pick up takes 5 minutes.

A VOA doesn't mean you can simply get on a plane and apply on arrival, it's not a visa as such. The airline will not take you without a visa or pre-approval letter for VOA. Pre-approval for VOA can be done via several websites (some are apparently more trustworthy than others, just google). You'll pay the agent (website) for the pre-approval service, which can range quite a bit, but often around US$10-25. A few days later you'll get a pre-approval letter which you'll have to bring and show at check-in and later at the VOA counter at the airport of arrival in Vietnam. At that point you still have to pay the visa fee (US$45 for a single entry) so overall, it may end up being more expensive depending on the VOA service you use and the exchange rate. More great information on this whole process can be found on the earlier linked Tripadvisor page, especially the different procedures on the various airports (Hanoi, Da Nang and HCMC).

My personal preference will remain the Consulate. I rather come prepared. Unfortunately Vietnam does not have an online service like the Cambodians, which would make life even easier.

Happy Travel, it's a beautiful country!

Go here for my trip reports on Vietnam

• Siem Reap via HCMC, March 2010
• Hanoi, Hue & Hoi An, October 2009
• HCMC (Saigon), 2010 through 2012 (3 trips)

Additional Notes (from Tripadvisor):
Citizens of some countries do not need a visa for short visits but do please check that the following information is still valid:

1. Stays of not more than 30 days: citizens of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos.
2. Stays of not more than 21 days: citizens of Phillippines.
3. Stays of not more than 15 days: citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Russian Federation.
4. Stays of not more than 14 days: citizens of Brunei.

While there are various Visa Exemptions i.e. for travel to Phu Quoc Island (subject to the 15 day rule), such travel invariably has to be booked through authorised Vietnamese travel agents. 

Very local and laid-back ... Bantayan in the Philippines

When: October 2013
Kids: Big Sister 9y5m, Twins 6y10m
Flights: Hong Kong - Cebu v.v. on Cathay Pacific
Booked through: Flights were on points (kids had all collected 20,000 points that were due to expiring end of this year), hotel was booked directly after an extensive Tripadvisor search.

On Friday 8 November 2013 10.40 am Bantayan was sadly the 4th landfall of deadly typhoon Yolanda. The typhoon has flattened the island completed and 90-95% of the houses have been damaged and 90% of the people of Bantayan are now homeless. Tourism is important source of income for Bantayan especially over the next few months. The people of Bantayan (and those others affected by the typhoon in the region) are in my thoughts. May paradise be restored soon in Bantayan.

The kids' frequent flyer points were expiring this year so we had to use them ... 20,000 points doesn't get you particularly far, especially when it's basically still typhoon season in the area and some destinations are simply not an option this time of year (plus ... my preference to explore new places). Had Chiang Mai on our list, but no availability whatsoever, so we settled for Cebu (fairly safe in term of typhoons, though definitely not impossible, we were lucky though). As we didn't want to do the "standard" Shangri-La again (no matter how comfortable), thanks to a tip, we came up with Bantayan and Malapascua, both north of Cebu Island. We chose Bantayan in the end since it's bigger, and there's more to do. Malapascua is just very small, and some will even say "boring".

So, how do you get to Bantayan? We had the morning flight out of Hong Kong, arrived at 11.15 am (slightly ahead of schedule) and we were outside within half an hour. A big earth quake had hit beautiful Bohol earlier that morning, but things were fully operating at the airport and also heading north we didn't notice anything unusual (we didn't get to see the details until later that day). I ordered a van (PHP3000 as opposed to a car PHP2500 making it more comfortable for the kids) via the hotel to bring us from the airport to the port of Hagnaya, about 2 1/2 hours north of Cebu. A fairly comfortable, but still relatively long ride. We arrived at Hagnaya port at 2 pm where we bought tickets for the 2.30 pm ferry (ferries go about every 1 1/2 hours, and run til it gets dark which is fairly early). On the way out we had Super Shuttle Ferry which took about 1 1/2 hours, on the way back we had Island Ferry which only took 1 hour and we found the latter more comfortable as well. Life vests and passenger list available, definitely not overloaded as far as safety goes. Cost are minimal, about PHP170 for an adult and half price for kids. Porters are available everywhere, and once you let one carry your bag, about five them will request money at the end, so on the way back we just didn't bother and dealt with it ourselves. Once we arrived in Bantayan, we had 2 cyclos waiting for us, and they brought us to the hotel in about 5 minutes, suitcase on its little roof.

Paradise Beach

I had booked Hoyohoy Villas, after going back and forth a little bit. There aren't any high end options and even mid-range there is not a lot. Also I preferred to have a pool and the only thing I could find on Tripadvisor that was well rated AND had a small pool was Hoyohoy. I tend to stick to at least a 4 out of 5 rating in this part of the world especially when it's a less expensive place. It was slightly more expensive than the other options but still very reasonable for our standards. The other option I looked at was the newer Anika Island Resort which is a little further out of town, cheaper, smaller rooms, but it had no pool. The beach does look nicer though (much wider), but not within walking distance from Santa Fe (but you can catch a cyclo). Since we were going slightly off the beaten track, a tad more basic, I really preferred a pool, no matter the size. I have no regrets ... the kids were in it daily, multiple times, so it was definitely good to have!

As always my review on Hoyohoy can be found on Tripadvisor, so I am not going into detail about the hotel itself right here. Hoyohoy is in Santa Fe, close to the ferry pier and the best location for beaches and restaurants, it's the most "touristy" part as far as touristy goes on Bantayan (apparently it does get very busy in December and during Holy Week, it's hard to believe though). Admittedly, the first 24 hours, I thought we might have gone a little too local. You hardly see any foreigners (seen about 20, no kids, and mostly men married or in a relationship with local women so not tourists as such). It felt like we'd been dropped in a local Filipino village. Even locals didn't seem to know about the "touristy" places I read about, and it all looked a little dead as far as tourism goes (the locals make up for the livelihood though, big time with karaoke on every corners and outdoor local discos til deep in the night). Also, as I said before it's a small island at least an hour out by large ferry so not everything is readily available all the time. It was easier to get a beer than a Coke light (not that it mattered). Filipino food is not great when compared to the rest of South East Asia, but most restaurants offer a wide range of international fare plus local cuisine. We mostly stuck to seafood (squid, shrimps, grilled fish) since it's caught daily and they prepared it just fine. Don't get your hopes up on great food, it's nothing special but tasty nonetheless. We basically visited three restaurants, apart from the hotel one: Blue Ice, Caffe del Mare and Coucou. The first two were definitely better than the latter (which was still fine, a little less refined, but refined and Bantayan don't really go together anyway). I also reviewed these places on Tripadvisor. None of these places are by any means fancy or offer haute cuisine, but do provide a good meal with a nice cold beer in a relaxing environment ... flip flops and shorts are just fine! Easy with kids too, so that's a great advantage. 

In case you need cash, you'll need to travel to Bantayan (about 15 minutes) by motorised vehicle. Santa Fe has an ATM but it doesn't take foreign credit cards. We were unable to get money in Bantayan with your HSBC card due to the 6-digit pin code, but it worked fine with our Dutch card (4-digit only). There's also a maximum you can take out each time and it does depend per bank (you can insert twice or even three times if you want). In Bantayan, the church is worth a quick visit. As said earlier, Santa Fe (and Bantayan) are known for its beaches, so we mostly relaxed and went to see different beaches and admired the clear water and the amazing tones of blues, greens and purples that the sea had to offer. We first went to Sugar Beach, which is part of an extremely run down resort (the last place in Bantayan you should ever book, avoid!) with no bar, no restaurant, but a wide strip of beach lined with palm trees. Nice, but not the best, plus it wasn't a particularly sunny day either. The next day we went to Paradise Beach, apparently only accessible by boat, but we made it via an unpaved narrow road and a 10 minute walk, the drivers had to ask the local kids who walked us all the way over, passing some grazing, and noisy, cows on the way. Absolutely lovely, we were the only ones there, clear water, no waves, just silence! No facilities either. Another lovely beach with sand bank which provides stunning views is very close to Santa Fe and located in between Kota Beach Resort and Marlin's Beach Resort (both places have bars for drinks and snacks as well, with some excellent views), more wind and waves at this end, but a lovely place to sit, play and enjoy. Last but not least and absolutely fantastic and utterly amazing was Virgin Island, a small island, a 30 minute pump boat ride from Santa Fe. We were charged PHP1000 for a return trip for 5 people. Virgin Island is a private island with a variety of seating facilities, a small shop (snacks and drinks only) and a beautiful ocean ... a magnificent place to snorkel and to relax. Most beaches in the Philippines are private and require payment. Paradise Beach was PHP50 for an adult and PHP25 for a child. Virgin Island charge a PHP500 landing fee (includes 2 people), PHP50 per additional adult / child and you can rent a table (PHP150-300), and other things you may need (snorkels, towels, etc.). Everything is kept clean by the staff and it comes with an armed guard with a huge gun! No food, but they will help you prepare the food you bring on barbeques or you bring your own things.

Kota Beach

 Getting around in Bantayan is easy with cyclos (take 2-3 people), motorised tricycles (take 5 people max.) or smaller vans. Agree on a price beforehand. In town we usually paid PHP20 per person, so PHP100 for 2 cyclos or a tricycle ... the kids loved it! We didn't really bargain either, and at some point we just paid the same fare and everybody was happy. Bicylces and scooters are for rent to explore the island but nothing for kids really so we enjoyed being driven around.

Virgin Island

It did take a little bit of time to get used to, but looking back, I can truly say we've had a great time. It's not a perfect place, but it's local, laid-back, safe and friendly and away from crowds and tourists. On the flip side, it's not luxurious, more travel time, not great in terms of food (but not bad either), but worth seeing. You get to enjoy the real Philippines, a part that is not yet taken over by tourists and luxury hotel chains but you have to make some concessions. We thought it was worth it. We stayed for 5 nights (4 1/2 full days), mostly due to the long travel time, giving us plenty of time to relax, especially the kids. We had the evening flight back to Hong Kong (leaves 20.05) and we were home at 12.45 pm ... almost 12 hours after we'd left the hotel. A hike, yes, but worth it. Like I've said before, this trip is not for everybody, but it's an awesome and unspoiled place!

My Asian bucket list ...

... My head is always full of new ideas once I read an interesting article, hear about somebody else's trip off the beaten track and immediately, I do a little research to explore some basics on the destination. I save hotels quickly in my Tripadvisor app, so I can easily find the information when needed at a later stage. Weather is always something to take into consideration in his region as you don't want to get caught in wet season or worse, a typhoon.

So what's floating in my bucket ...

Laos
Vientiane and Vang Vieng ... we're actually booked the flights to go here for Easter but fares are not known yet so hoping the total cost are not too bad. Looking at Green Park Boutique Hotel in Vientiane which has good reviews and a pool. In Vang Vieng, Riverside Boutique Resort is the place I want to go after reading an article in Hong Kong Magazine. It's only a few hours by car, so can easily combined. Love Laos & Cambodia, still very laid back and relaxed! Definitely my favourites in South East Asia.
Tick! Read our trip report here!

Philippines
Still many places on my list there, Palawan including Coron, but just saw an old article in Travel & Leisure SE Asia on Siargao Island ... that looks great and very affordable! Only an hour flight from Cebu and Island Dream Palm Paradise Resort is well rated (like the other two places) but also has a pool, which is nice to have with 3 kids!

I've been close to booking Coron as well, Sophia's Garden Resort. Reviews are great, has a pool, but no beach front (it's higher up the hills). Palawan must be great too, especially El Nido but it's a pain (or expensive) to get to and lots of resorts are super pricey and I am still not convinced about the more budget friendly options. Definitely something to monitor. If you have a little more time, you could easily travel up from Puerta Princessa but it's apparently a long trip up (about 6 hours), so you would have to build in stops (and you'd have to get back as well).

Vietnam
After deciding that Phan Thiet and Mui Ne is probably not for us (a long drive from HCMC and very touristy according to many hotel reviews ... not the nicest), I am still keen on Phu Quoc. We spotted Phu Quoc from Kep, and it's an easy flight from HCMC. But again, either quite pricey but not great, well-rate midrange options. Or they don't have a pool or with 2 rooms you still end up paying quite a bit ... Cassia Cottage is definitely a contender and Chen Sea Resort & Spa (both have pools) and there are a few cheaper options that are well rated, but no pools. Close to Hanoi there is always Sapa, which is still worth seeing ... taking the train up into the mountains. October not the best time of year so would have to be an Easter break.

Burma
This is definitely a must go, but I really need to do more research ... Yangoon, Lake Ile, Bagan ... Definitely on my to do list to dig up some more details. A recommended travel agent that can help with local arrangements is apparently Gulliver Travels.

Thailand
Chiang Mai and the Golden Triangle ... really want to see as well. Had friends stay at Rimping Village Boutique Hotel, a good mid-range, family friendly option.
Booked for October 2014!

China
Funny one, there is still so much to see in China, but at the same time I cannot be bothered sometimes, however highest on my list are Xian, Shangri-La/Lijiang/Dali ... So first things first, though China sure has lots of other things on offer.

Malaysia
Affordable, simple and apparently beautiful ... Perhentian Islands on the east side of West Malaysia, the mainland. Hotels are fairly basic, and lots of reviews didn't really impress me, but the best bet seems to be the Perhentian Tuna Bay Island Resort ... unfortunately it doesn't have a pool, but it's by far the best rated option.

Japan & Korea
You may wonder why Japan & Korea are not on here. I was lucky to studies Japanese Studies and lived in Japan for a year and have been back a few times. I traveled all over Honshu and Shikoku and visited several places multiple times. I'd love to go back, but it does get pricey fairly quickly. Also hotel rooms can be small, so I would really need to look into some family friendly ryokan or minshuku options ... I'd definitely go to Kyoto and Nara (possibly in combination with Osaka, which is extremely boring in my opinion) first with the kids.

Have travelled through South Korea as well with friends during our stay in Japan. Obviously this was in my "previous" life, but I did love it back then. Great cultural treasures, love loved the food, great country ... really need to go back at some point ...

Ahhhhh, too many plans, too little time!!! But the exploring is already lots of fun, making it come true remains the best!

Flights with extremes ... Emirates, the good and the bad, and hot Dubai!

When: July - August 2013
Kids: Big Sister 9y2m, Twins 6y8m
Flights: Hong Kong - Dubai - Amsterdam v.v. on Emirates
Booked through: Flights were booked through Sunpac (couldn't get the stopover and the same fare out online, but same fare which was good value). Five night (became four) stopover in Dubai on way to Amsterdam, stayed at friends.

This summer Dubai was part of our travel plans. Not because Dubai is great, definitely not in summer, but we simply had to visit our great friends after missing them in Hong Kong for a year. Because of our itinerary we chose Emirates, and we got a pretty good fare.

Where to start ... well, it started really, really bad ... Our flight was supposed to leave at 7.05 pm and arrive at 11.00 pm. Because of our arrival time in Dubai (which is prime time for Emirates) we booked the Marhaba arrival services to avoid the feared queues at immigration. In the end, our flight never left that night. At 10 pm after lots of non-communications they cancelled the flight. They actually told my twin girl the "pilot was fixing the plane". Then the chaos and dramas began and we had to deal with the most incompetent ground staff (local third party) ever. I will spare you the details, but it wasn't pretty. There was no plan, no back up arrangements, just lots of waiting, not knowing what to do and in the end we ended up in the Hyatt Regency in Shatin (of all places, another 40 minute transfer), which I reviewed on Tripadvisor since I was there anyway. We opted not to go home as we had no food, no made beds, no nothing and at least the hotel was very nice, we got a 2-bedroom suite (we'll go back one day!). The kids ... they were truly fantastic, no whining, no nothing and they were up all the time, walked, played, listened to the dramas unfold, and eventually passed out in a King bed together.

After a nice breakfast buffet we left to go back to the airport. The smartest thing we did was catching a taxi 5 minutes before the busses left and we were first in line (which was smart as we heard from others who were stuck in line for 2-3 hours) for check-in, which was still an hour away. After another delay, and hours of no-communication, we actually did leave at 6 pm. The flight itself ... I cannot fault anything. The staff was lovely (trying to make up for all the inconvenience), the food more than decent, smooth flight, great entertainment, kids got a cuddly toy with a fleece blanket which was a huge hit. The same can be said for our onward flight 4 days later to Amsterdam in an A-380 (sooooo quiet, love it!). It's a great product all around, but their ground staff in Hong Kong is truly pathetic and if you end up needing them like we did, they're nothing but useless!

As for Dubai ... like my friends say, it's a completely unsustainable city in the middle of the desert ... it's fun to see, but obviously the temperatures in summer are beyond hot (it makes Hong Kong in summer feel cool), making it not very enjoyable, and to an extent everything is just all so fake. We had fun though, saw the Burj Kalifa at day and night, did a bus tour and got out at some stops (some houses, Dubai Museum, Spice Souk), went to Abu Dhabi (the mosque is truly fantastic), did a desert tour (never heard my oldest scream so loud, it was a roller coaster, touristy trip but fun), drove the MTR, visited the huge malls, had drinks overlooking the city but most of all, we enjoyed our friends' company. I'll go back, not because of Dubai but to visit our dear friends, just in a different time of year.

Tomorrow we're flying back. We already had our first "situation" as the seats I got confirmed (have a printed confirmation) were given away and there were no 4 seats together in the plane anymore, or anywhere near each other (imagine me and 3 kids all scattered around the plane, an A-380 for goodness sake) ... Spent another 45 minutes in the phone and they promised I got them back ... seeing then believing ... as I am not seeing it yet online ...

To be continued ...

Well, we did make it back, in the seats we were promised. Two busy but very smooth flights with friendly staff and good food. Layover in Dubai (from midnight to 3.20 am) is far from ideal, and I wouldn't do it again unless I would get out in Dubai to visit our friends. The airport is busy, with no good places to sit (I did pop my 6 year old in one of the free available strollers), at a very difficult time for the kids and it breaks your total flight in two halves which just simply sucks. Had a vomiting child on the second leg of our flight and staff was super helpful and accommodating especially since I was traveling by myself with the 3 of them. Again, cannot fault their onboard staff.

Got a reply to our complaint ... we'll each be getting 40,000 miles in our Skywards account ... enough for a free return to Bangkok ... so why not! Let's just hope they'll improve the ground service in Hong Kong ...

The less travelled roads of Cambodia ...

When: March - April 2013
Kids: Big Sister 8y10m, Twins 6y4m
Flights: Hong Kong - Phnom Pehn v.v. on Dragonair
Booked through: Flights were on miles / points. All hotels were individually booked, mostly based on Tripadvisor reviews and lots of internet searching. Transfers were arranged locally.

Phnom Pehn, Kampot & Kep, Cambodia, March - April 2013

This was our second trip to Cambodia. We visited Siem Reap in 2009 already and decided to go slightly off the beaten track this time. We started in Phnom Pehn and travelled south to Kampot (about 2 1/2 hours), then onward to Kep on the coast (another 30 minutes). The night before our flight we traveled back to Phnom Penh in 2 hours 45 minutes.

Most travelers need visas for Cambodia. Easiest way to do this is through the internet. Some simple steps and within 48-72 hours you have the visa in your email box, print and off you go (the website says you need 2 copies, but nobody checked our visas on departure on either visit). Definitely not worth lining up for visa on arrival, especially when travelling with kids. To apply for a Cambodian visas, please visit this website. Please note that Cambodia basically uses US$. Only very small change will be given in Riel. Make sure you have plenty of small notes as US$100 and US$50 won't get you very far with tuk tuk drivers but should be OK in restaurants and definitely hotels.

Let me start by saying that if you love 5* resorts with kids' clubs and your kids only want to eat kids' meals, this may not be your trip. Phnom Pehn would still be a good city trip but Kampot and Kep are definitely still fairly undeveloped. Things are improving and tourists are starting to flock in but there aren't lots of great (upmarket) choices just yet. For us, that was part of the charm and the main reason to travel into the south. Also in the south, more west, along the coast is Sihanoukville (west of Kep and closer to the Thai border, while Kep is closer to the Vietnamese border). However Sihanoukville is more of a party town with lots of back packers. Even locals we talked to said it's rapidly turning into a second Pattaya (and not in a positive way, never been to Pattaya though), due to its proximity to the Thai border and sex tourism is an issue in Cambodia, and apparently especially in towns like Sihanoukville. The beaches are supposedly better and nicer. It is more developed, more night life, but our understanding is that Kep is definitely the better option for a family.

Also great knowing, hotels like The Kabiki are part of the ChildSafe network which protects children from abuse and prevents them from being put in abusive situations as this remains a major issue in a poor country like Cambodia.

Below is our trip summary. I've reviewed all hotels and restaurants on Tripadvisor so I won't be reviewing them here. This is mostly about what we did and where we went. At the bottom, I'll link all places at the end, or you visit My Tripadvisor.

Phnom Pehn
We arrived in Phnom Penh in the morning at a well organised and nice small airport. It was hot, really hot. March through May are the hottest and driest months in Cambodia and temperatures easily hit 38 degrees while we were there. Since we already had our visa, we basically got in and out of the airport in 30 minutes. Caught a taxi for US$9 (flat fee) to the city center. After going back and forth, I had booked a room at The Kabiki in a quiet part of town next to the prime minister's home so plenty of security all around. The place is surrounded by greenery. Lovely hotel, great for kids, family room including a bunk bed and a day bed / sofa bed for US$95 a night including breakfast. Nothing super fancy as you will read in my review, but more than sufficient.

Walked from the Kabiki to K'nyay restaurant, just a 5 minute walk from the hotel. Slightly hidden, off the road, with a lovely menu with lots of vegan and vegetarian options (but also options for carnivores like ourselves). Most restaurants don't have air-conditioning, but even with shade and plenty of fans it's never really too hot (you won't need to bring a sweater for sure either, it ain't Hong Kong or the States). From the restaurant we walked over to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda ... that was probably the hottest part of our trip, or maybe it was simply because we were still adjusting at that point ... no shade, no breeze, just blazing sun in the middle of the day. Luckily it wasn't too far. We walked around at the Palace grounds ($6.50 per person; kids under 6 or 6 or under were free, not quite sure and neither were they), tried to stay in the shade, same indoor places to see and it's definitely a must visit while in Phnom Pehn. Fairly touristy but nothing compared to other major tourist sites in Asia in terms of numbers of visitors, and it won't take hours either.

We headed back to the hotel for some cooling down time, had an early dinner, and set off to the National Museum for an outdoor show performed by Cambodia Living Arts, called Plae Pakaa. Not sure if it's still ongoing as it looked like 30 March was actually their last show (they're trying to find more financial resources including the money for a roof once dry season will be over). Nice cultural and fairly educational but also entertaining show, good explanations, interesting and doable for kids (just 1 hour, and after that hour my bum was sore from sitting as well), although they got super sleepy as we rose early that morning to go to the airport.

The next day, we decided to visit Choeung Ek, or better known as the Killing Fields. We had struggled whether to go or not to go, as we were really keen to go but weren't sure it was wise to do so with kids. However, we didn't want to leave the kids behind either with a baby sitter for several hours during the day. Also the tuk tuk drive (US$20 return) over to Choeung Ek (about 30 minutes) gives you a good idea how poor Cambodia still is, and the kids actually enjoyed the craziness on the roads. Unpaved roads, litter everywhere, fully loaded motor cycles and trucks, smelly rivers ... We looked through the travelers' pictures on Tripadvisor about Choeung Ek together to get an idea what we could expect. Any museums with graphic images were definitely a no-go (I had just visited the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City in November), but this wasn't very graphic in the same sense.

It was more about the connections you had to make yourself based on your prior knowledge and understanding. The children were still unable to do so, especially the twins. We did explain in an age appropriate way what to expect, what it was about and why we were going. Big sister (almost 9) didn't seem quite sure, and was a little intimidated and scared. She didn't seem to understand why such a place would exist, and more importantly why visit. We explained that this historical event, so tragic, horrendous and beyond words, must never happen again. We need to learn about the past in order for it to never happen again. It's an incredibly heart breaking part of history, but we must be grateful about the fact that so many people nowadays agree that this should never happen again ... human mankind has hopefully learned from the mistakes made. Also it was about showing respect to the victims. Respect they didn't get back then, but respect they deserved like any human being.

My husband walked around by himself to check out the area while I sat with the kids in a little outdoor cafe near the entrance. I then took the twins who seemed quite keen for some reason and we did a small loop on the premises. In the mean time my husband talked to my oldest and when I got back, she also voluntarily requested to have a look after all (I wasn't going to force her). All three were very quiet and respectful (we did see other kids, mostly 8-10 years and older). They asked some questions and seemed satisfied with the answers. We didn't go inside the little museum (afraid it being too graphic) and we didn't show them the skulls inside the special monument. My husband and I walked around later by ourselves in turns.

I have no regrets about taking them. They grow up very sheltered in Hong Kong. I learned about the Holocaust (and Anne Frank which I recently read to my oldest, the Usborne version) and visited concentration camps and related sites as a child. It is part of our history. This is an important part of history in the area of the world where our children grow up. They've had no nightmares and occasionally still ask questions. We didn't do the audio tour which is supposed to be excellent (but extremely sad) as it was easier this way with the kids. Later at the airport, I picked up a picture book on the subject, which is also available on Amazon. It's called Half Spoon of Rice about the Cambodian Genocide. I just read it to them tonight as they were very keen to hear the story. My oldest was again quiet and seemed a little sad, but the story has a "happy ending". She's fairly sensitive and takes it all in, and I just let her. In the back of the book there are some further explanations as well.

We headed back and had lunch at Friends Restaurants in Phnom Pehn. Most tuk tuk drivers are happy to wait for you knowing they can get some more business out of you. Trips in the city are usually US$3-4. Friends Restaurant also serves a great cause (training former street children in the hospitality business) and has nice food in a lovely setting (make a reservation or come early). Romdeng is also one of their other restaurants and supposedly very good but we didn't have time to try plus it was closed on Sunday.

After some well deserved pool time (the road to Choeuk Eng was unpaved and extremely dusty so in that sense a car would be preferred - or bring something to cover your face - but the kids will chose a tuk tuk over a car almost any time!), we headed to Wat Phnom (a Buddhist Temple, there's a small fee for foreigners only, kids were free) which wasn't very exciting but it's situated in a nice park and offers plenty of much needed shade. Our tuk tuk driver then dropped us off for pre-dinner drinks (comes with plenty of snacks) at the famous Raffles' Elephant Bar. All bars seem to have Happy Hour at some point but prices for cocktails and beer are really affordable anyway (you won't be able to buy a soda or a beer in Hong Kong for that price). That night we had dinner at The Pavillion (as our first choice was closed on Sunday, The Yumi). It's the sister property of The Kabiki but it doesn't allow kids but they gave us the heads up after calling ahead (the fact that the kids were 6 and 9 definitely made the decision easier for them) and they were very accommodating. The kids behaved impeccably, also because Big Sister basically passed out after finishing her food. It's just around the around the corner from The Kabiki. Food was tasty, nothing super special but the setting is very nice, the manager (French) very friendly. He got the kids free ice cream as he seemed to feel slightly guilty of having our table slightly on the side of the restaurant which we didn't mind at all; in the end the hotel was supposed to be kids-free.

The next morning after breakfast we left for Kampot. The Kabiki had arranged a transfer for us (car) for US$65 and the trip took about 2 1/2 hours. We arrived just before lunch time ...

Kampot
Arrived in Kampot in about 2 1/2 hours over a relatively well-paved road. Driving in Cambodia is not too bad, although double lines and the opposite lane don't really seem to bother or stop anyone. Honking your horn basically means "I am coming, get out of my way"! The first half of the trip is definitely less interesting than the latter part. Very dry, little greenery, poor, some factories but most of all, lots of rubbish and litter everywhere, especially plastic. Getting closer to Kampot the landscape got greener, calmer, less populated and nicer. Kampot is a very sleepy town located next a river that leads to the sea (and Kep area). We stayed in Rikitikitavi, which offered some of the best value I every experienced in my life. We had a family room for less than US$65 a night and the room was absolutely great! Really well done by the English-Dutch owners. Had lunch, walked around, had a massage at Jolie-Jolie (1 hour for US$12 in a nice clean place) while my husband took the kids to the Sisters II Bakery for snacks and looked around. We booked a boat trip on the river, but apparently he had forgotten (as I booked months ahead, a disadvantage of being so organised) but the owner still got things going and we ended up taking a private trip with snacks and drinks for about 1 1/2 hours. Slightly overpriced given it wasn't really our fault he had forgotten, so would recommend just shopping around town once you get there. There are various places that offer the same thing, and there is no need to book months ahead (for Rikitikitavi you should!) like I did unless it's a major holiday or Khmer New Year (in case of the latter, you may be better of postponing your trip a little anyway). We had a light dinner and a cocktail at Rikitikitavi after the cruise while the kids played a game and ate some more. I wanted to go to Veronica's Kitchen, next to the Old Market as it was supposedly good, but nobody want to come, they were all happy where they were ... so we stayed and I sat and sipped my cocktail instead ... ;)

The next morning, the staff at Rikitikitavi arranged a driver (car) to show us the salt fields and visit a Kampot Pepper farm before dropping us off in Kep, our next (relax) stop for three nights. Cost was US$35 for the trip. Not much activity going on at the salt fields, still very wet, plenty of evaporation needed. Unfortunately our driver didn't speak much English so we couldn't find out how long it takes and how often they produce the salt. The pepper farm is close to Kep and there were two right next to each other. The one we visited was small and ran by a local family. She showed us around (not much English spoken here either, it's really more of a quick look) and were able to buy some pepper straight from the family (black, white or red pepper corns about US$5-6 for 200 grams). Would recommended seeing both, it won't take a lot of time, but it gives you some insight about the income sources for this region. The area around the pepper farm was nice and green, lovely scenery. More on Kampot pepper can be found here.

Kep
We arrived at Veranda Natural Resort in Kep around lunch time. Had lunch at the hotel (nothing super special, kids shared 2 pizzas, we had sandwich) and spent most of the afternoon at the pool before heading to the Crab Market. We had a look around (very small) and have a crab and other seafood dinner at Kimly. A touristy place but food was very good. We mainly stuck to seafood as that's what Kep is famous for!  Kep is a very quiet, laid-back town. It had no electricity and no major roads until a few years back. Electricity is still touch and go (the reason why not all places sell ice cream), the new and well-paved road is there, without lots of traffic and almost every place has wifi (just ask for the password). During the weekend it gets busier because people come down from PP, and it's apparently crazy over Khmer New Year. No ATM can be found in Kep, and the closest is actually in Kampot, about 30 minutes north again. For tourists, Kep consists of a crab market with some restaurants, a little "city center" (a block with a few shops, travel agents, etc.), a small public beach and some other places to stay scattered over town. It's by no means fancy nor very developed. Transport is mostly by tuk tuk and motor cycle. The most expensive hotel would probably be Knai Bang Chatt, which is right on the "beach" (Kep is not known for its beaches as such). However, for 2 rooms for 5 people it would basically have ended up being about twice what we spent on our Deluxe Family Retreat (US$160 a night for a huge 2-bedroom suite with enormous veranda), so we chose Veranda, although reviews are a little mixed. But for some reason spending over US$300 a night for 2 rooms in Kep just felt like too much. Apparently they had some start up issues as well with renovations and upgrading but recent Tripadvisor reviews have been very positive, so definitely consider based on your own requirements. Veranda has a huge pool and all services are available (restaurant, bar, spa, bakery, ice cream store, small kids area, etc.), although it's just a little more basic, closer to nature, slightly outdated and could use some TLC. Not perfect, but given the price tag, we were satisfied with our choice. The kids absolutely loved it.

We didn't do much in Kep except for relaxing and eating. We went to different restaurants for lunch and dinner. Had pre-dinner drinks at different locations. Walked around the crab market, drove around in our tuk tuk, saw some old colonial and completely deserted villas, and made an afternoon trip to Rabbit Island (also known as Koh Tonsay) by boat which is about 25 minutes away (US$25 for a return for our family in a private boat). Not a beach with crystal clear water, white sand, or anything like it, but extremely relaxing and just simply great. Plenty of shade, sitting areas available for free, restaurants that serve drinks and excellent seafood, and you can even stay overnight if you wish (about US$7-10 a night). The kids played in the water, looked for shells, and the breeze made the high temperature slightly more bearable.

Other things to do in the Kep area are several cave visits, Kep National Park (which we would have done if it wasn't the hottest time of the year, hiking in 38 degrees with 3 kids just didn't really appeal to me, hope you understand), Bokor Mountain (although reviews are very mixed saying it overrated especially now that the Chinese laid their hands on the development of the mountain). But above all, Kep is a place to relax and have fantastic sea food!

Worth mentioning is that there is also a luxury villa for rent in Kep, called Villa Romonea. Looks absolutely stunning, I am sure the price tag will match this impression, but worth considering when travelling with multiple families or if budget is not really an issue. This is also an interesting article on the area that was published in the NY Times.

Back to Phnom Penh
We headed back to Phnom Penh after breakfast so we didn't have to worry to much about packing up. We left 9.30 am with a car arranged by the Veranda for US$55. The trip took close to 3 hours, mostly as it was quite busy getting into PP on a Friday afternoon (much busier than our previous Saturday and Sunday stay). This time we stayed at the White Mansion Boutique Hotel, which I tried to book for the first 2 nights because of their excellent Tripadvisor rating but they didn't have the room I wanted, and the proposed 3 roll aways didn't seem like a good idea for 2 nights. Both hotels were quite different. The Kabiki felt more like a garden hotel, away from the city, very low key, could walk in my bikini back to the room, while White Mansion was more like a city hotel, definitely sleeker, more upbeat and better overall, but also at a higher price (US$95 vs. US$159 a night including breakfast). I liked both for different reasons, but quality wise White Mansion is definitely at a higher standard.

As our room wasn't ready we headed to Daughters of Cambodia who run a cafe on the first floor and a shop and small beauty salon on the ground floor. It's a non-government organisation that reaches out to victims of sex-trafficking and sex-exploitation in Cambodia. The cafe offers mostly Western food, friendly service, free wifi, but most of all a new future for the daughters of Cambodia.

Afterwards, we took a tuk tuk back to 240 Street where we visited some more boutique style shops in old colonial buildings. With temps still soaring, we were happy to reach the hotel and have a break at the pool. After some down time and a shower (massage for hubby, as I had mine in Kampot), we headed to the FCC were we joined happy hour at the bar overlooking the river and the craziness below. Slightly touristy, mainly  because of the view, but tasty drinks and good value, especially during happy hour (those were everywhere!). We snapped a few shots in the area while our tuk tuk driver was waiting and he brought us to The Yumi restaurant. A Japanese restaurant with a kind of Asian twist. We were seated outside in the garden and had a lovely dinner before heading back to the hotel for our final night.

Breakfast at the hotel was good until my son spilled his hot chocolate all over his clothes and I could start unpacking the suitcase again searching for some clean clothes. I did tell the kids in advance that I wasn't too keen on the hot chocolate but I didn't win this battle on our last day! The hotel arranged our car to the airport which took about 30 minutes and cost US$10 (fixed fee). The airport is nice with free wifi, several food options, a great book store (where I got the picture book), some lovely souvenir shops with spices like Kampot pepper, Lak Lok spices, Amok spices, soaps, etc. which make great gifts. Prices are about US$5-6, so not necessarily that much more expensive than elsewhere and nicely packaged, great for gifts.

What can I say, we had a great week. I love Cambodia and its people. It's still a very poor country, but given the rough (and therefore fairly late) start the country had, progress is being made and there are definitely great places to visit besides Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Slightly less well-known places which are equally great fun with children. We saw several other families with children in Kampot and Kep and even met a Swiss family who was travelling around the world with their 3 girls, aged 7, 6 (she had her birthday that day) and 3, so a week or so should be doable as well! I wholeheartedly recommend this trip for anybody who isn't super picky with regards to hotels, likes low key and wants something slightly different with a good balance of culture and relaxation!

My Tripadvisor reviews in a row ... to make things easy! Sorry in advance for some spelling mistakes ... had lots to do, and cannot edit once it's published (pending).

Phnom Penh (2 nights, 30 / 31 March):
- The Kabiki (hotel)
- K'ynay (restaurant)
- Friends (restaurant)

Kampot (1 night, 1 April):
- Rikitikitavi (hotel & restaurant)
- Jolie Jolie (beauty salon)

Kep (3 nights, 2, 3 & 4 April):
- Veranda Natural Resort (hotel)
- Kimly (restaurant)
- Breezes (restaurant)
- Sailing Club (restaurant / bar)
- L'Auberge de Wam (restaurant)
- Kep Saloon (restaurant / bar)
- Rabbit Island (things to do)
- Holy Crab (restaurant, new)

Back in Phnom Penh again (1 night, 5 April):
- White Mansion Boutique Hotel
- Daughters of Cambodia (restaurant and shop)
- The Yumi (restaurant)

What's next? Summer we're off to Europe again, via Dubai (talking about hot!), visiting friends. And I am already planning in my head for fall and Easter (the usual breaks we go abroad).

It can't get any easier ... Cebu

When: February 2009
Kids: Big Sister 4y9m, twins 2y3m
Flights: Hong Kong - Cebu v.v. on Dragonair
Booked through: Cathay Pacific Holidays

Our first beach trip in Asia with our family of 5. We were lucky that the kids were still small and we took our oldest out of preschool for a Wednesday through Sunday trip (4 nights) to the Shangri La Mactan Resort & Spa in Cebu. To be completely honest, I didn't research anything, heard it was good. Had stayed at Shangri La in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur in the 90s as a teenager and back then it was already a well-known chain in Asia. Flight is direct and around 2 hours. We were lucky with a morning flight out and an evening flight back (depends on the days so do check to get the most out of it). Remember we were picked up by hotel shuttle, and was surprised the hotel was so close (told you, did not do my homework this time). We booked the most simple rooms, 2 connecting, overlooking the gardens in the back. I could see the not so nice looking pink Hilton from a distance. Staff was lovely, we brought the strollers, I think, mostly for the airport in Hong Kong probably, but the staff just carried the twins all the way to our rooms, and they simply let it happen!

As it was off season it was quiet, so very easy going and relaxing. We mostly ate lunch at the pool bar, or at the Italian restaurant near the Club Rooms, sharing pizza and a salad. Breakfast was terrific, remember I found it better than Shangri La Tanjung Aru in Kota Kinabalu, not that we were slumming there though. Since the kids were still young, we got baby sitters for 3 nights. They would come at 7.30 pm and stay for 2 hours. We'd feed the kids at the buffet restaurant (free for them at that age) while we sipped a cocktail. Put them to bed, babysitter came and we would go out for dinner. Had the seafood buffet near the waterfront which was very nice, especially the atmosphere and always stayed at the hotel, but a good way to enjoy a quiet evening together. Big sister did play at the Adventure Zone by herself but twins had to be accompanied, so slightly more of a pain. Don't forget to bring socks and a long sleeve t-shirt, I know not something you normally bring to the Philippines, but you'll need, although the sell items as well.

We took one trip to one of the malls, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. Not great, but at least an opportunity to get out, but nothing super special at all. The hotel has shuttle buses to the malls, so it easy to go and come back. An other, and better option is to visit some outlying islands with a boat and do some snorkeling. We didn't, we just relaxed and enjoyed our time. Cebu and especially Mactan Island is very easy break from Hong Kong, nothing super special (the Philippines have way more to offer), but good service, friendly people and overall a great resort.

Guilin, Singapore & Taipei, a 3-in-1-report ...

A small recap of a 3-in-1, as I don't remember lots of details (keeping better track these days), plus the twins were still very young so even though we traveled we didn't do as much at night in terms of restaurants, etc. 

Taipei, Taiwan

When: October 2008

Kids: Big Sister 4y5m, twins 1y11m

Flights: Hong Kong - Taipei vv on Cathay Pacific

Booked through: CX Holidays

Guilin, China

When: November 2008

Kids: Big Sister, 4y6m, twins ... almost 2y

Flights: Hong Kong - Guilin vv on Dragonair

Booked through: CX Holidays

Singapore

When: April 2010

Kids: Big Sister 5y11m, twins 3y5m

Flights: Hong Kong - Singapore on Cathay Pacific

Booked through: CX Holidays

Taipei, Taiwan

We stayed at the Sherwood in Taipei. Two large connecting rooms, great service. And very kid-friendly, remember IKEA plastic cutlery in the restaurants. We ate mostly at the hotel, don't remember venturing out much, twins still napped as well, couldn't stay up that late yet. Went for 3D/2N and had a good time. Weather was excellent. We visited National Palace Museum, Long Shan Temple, Taipei 101 and the area around it where everybody was flying their kites, the gates and landmarks, took the train / subway to the coast, Danshuei district where we had a nice lunch outside. I'd like to go back, plenty more to see, and with the kids being older now it would even be easier. With only a 1-hour flight, plenty to do (the country side is apparently very pretty too), good quality accommodation and restaurants, nice shopping, it's definitely a place to visit. 

Guilin, China

Guilin was slightly last minute, taking of the advantage of the twins not being two yet. Don't know whether it was a good idea after all, especially considering the time of year but it turned out quite nice. We had a good time. Stayed and ate in the Sheraton (things have changed over the past years) in Guilin. Walked around a little bit, but nothing very special. Yangshuo has nicer accommodation, but it's also quite touristy, but I guess nicer-touristy. Due to the water level in the river, we couldn't take a private boat and I didn't think 2 year old twins on a raft would be a good idea, so we took the tourist boat. The kids did really well, most likely thanks to the tens of Mainlanders who thought our blond haired, blue eyed boy girl twins were the best thing ever. They entertained them, and as they couldn't go very far with them, it didn't worry me too much. They were actually quite nice (have seen a lot worse during that time). Lunch was ... well, they also had steamed rice. We arrived in Yangshuo and had time to walk around, look at some stores and then we were taken back to Guilin. The next day we did a few local sights in Guilin like the Reed Flute Cave (where the twins were carried around by two Chinese ladies during the entire tour, only thing we had to do was keep up with them, strollers were obviously not an option), Elephant Trunk Hill, Seven Star Park (poor little pandas) and some of the lakes and pagodas close by. Overall, it was a nice trip, but spring may be a better time, and ideally if the twins would have been slightly older we could have taken them on a raft, which would have been more fun. However the memories we have about that trip with regards to the Mainlanders and our twins (and pictures to prove it) will always stay with me!

Singapore

We visited Singapore over Easter Break for 3 nights. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton Millenia as we got a great package deal which was cheaper than me individually booking the flights and a 3* hotel. Easy choice right? Hotel had a nice pool, large rooms with a hallway connecting the two, so even more space for families, and we had a babysitter coming one night as well. We went through ADP in Singapore (recommended by a friend who lived there), so we could have a Singapore Sling and a nice dinner (although me being unprepared didn't make any reservation so we ended up snacking mostly). Personally, I don't care much about Singapore. My husband and I had been before, prior to kids, on our way to Australia, and although it was nice, after a while I felt it was time to go home. We didn't do Sentosa or anything. To be completely honest, I am not a fan of amusement parks and everything that comes with it. We take the kids to Ocean Park and Disneyland once a year in Hong Kong and that's enough for us. They even seem fine with it too.

We visited the different quarters, like the Indian Quarter (looked at the temples), the Arab Street, went to the Singapore Zoo, including the Night Zoo, did a little river cruise (which I honestly thought was kind of a waste of money), went to the Botanic garden, which the kids enjoyed as well, walked around near the waterfront and the Esplanade, met up with an old friend in Chinatown (I used to study Japanese with her in Japan), and spend a nice amount of time at the pool. Am I dying to go back, not really. Do I think there is more to do, definitely, but for some reason, I find Singapore is nice, but nothing exciting ... I can see it's nice to live, easy to live ... but it's not my idea of a great tourist destination in my opinion. But, it's easy with kids, lots to do, especially if you do go to Sentosa, so it's definitely a must visit. But I am fine for now. 

Vietnam Top 25 Luxury Hotels, Tripadvisor and more ways to plan!

I love Vietnam, it's a great country with terrific food and still a little unspoiled compared to other countries in the area. More and more luxury options are popping up and yesterday I got an email from Tripadvisor with regards to the Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Vietnam.

I've reviewed the following from their top 25:
- Intercontinental Hotel Asiana Saigon (have been twice)
- La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa
- Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa

Neither one of the above ones were extremely pricey although the list does include some seriously expensive hotels. Still I think it's a great overview especially for the less known areas like Danang, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet. Con Dao and Phu Quoc are also still high on my list.

The Tripadvisor Traveler's Choice is another good way to come up with new ideas, one of many ways. Whether you're looking for family travel, bargain hotels, small, luxury ... there are different categories per country, and all places have been reviewed frequently with high marks. Definitely a great way to start planning your new trip!

KK also known as Kota Kinabalu

When: December 2009
Kids: Big Sister 5y7m, twins 3y1m
Flights: Hong Kong - Kota Kinabalu v.v. on Dragonair
Booked through: CX Holidays package

The two main resort options in KK where everybody is going to seem to be both Shangri La properties (there is Nexus Resort & Spa as well and quite a few options in the city). One of them is Shangri La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa and the other one is Shangri La's Rasa Ria Resort. I've noticed a lot of people saying the latter one is better. Well, we stayed at Tanjung Aru as there was no availability at Rasa Ria at the time (the week before Christmas).

We had a great time, and visited Rasa Ria as well. I can see why people would say Rasa Ria is nicer ... the orangutans close by, the pool is larger, more spread out, the beach is bigger and nicer (although there could be sand flies), the overall setting is nicer, more spacious, it basically has more of a resort feel. However, that doesn't mean that Tanjung is a bad choice! It has many benefits and things going for it. Also since we've been there the pool area and the rooms have been upgraded tremendously. Tanjung Aru also seems to have lots of slides now (me just looking at their website and Tripadvisor pictures). I remember thinking the pool needed upgrading and looked very tired, so it's great to see that this has actually been done. Our room also needed a make over, but it was spacious (we had 2 connecting) on the ground floor in the Tanjung Wing and we walked straight onto the grassy area in front which was great for the kids. Disadvantage is that you have upstairs neighbors, and I remember a family arriving the night before Christmas and they didn't go unnoticed (but they were loud, not-very-polite-and-quite-rude-loud).

Please note that these pictures were taken in 2009, and the resort has upgraded / changed. 

Other advantage of Tanjung with small kids is the distance to the airport, only 10 minutes, while Rasa Ria is about 1 hour. We even had dinner in KK at some point, nothing fancy but still a chance to get out, while this is definitely less of an option in Rasa Ria. We loved the outdoor bar with char-grilled satay at sunset. Breakfast was great, we had dinner at the Chinese restaurant, the pool side had reasonable food options and the kids even played a round of golf on a lazy afternoon. We even made a little boat trip to another island, called Sapi (Pulau = island, so Pulau Sapi) and the kids fed the fish but they also offered snorkeling, etc.

All in all, you cannot go wrong at either one of them. I truly don't believe one is better than the other. They're just different, and both clearly have their advantages. It really comes down to what is most important to you and your family. They have shuttles going from one resort to another, so it's easy to visit the other property for a change. But knowing that it's about an hour drive, it's more for a day time trip instead of just an evening dinner.

I can only advise you to think what is it you are looking for, check the Tripadvisor reviews for both properties and make up your mind. You'll have a fab time either way! There is no bad choice!

Shangri La's Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa en Shangri La's Rasa Ria Resort on Tripadvisor.

Bangkok! And not so much Hua Hin :(

When: May 2009 and April 2012
Kids: Big Sister 5y and twins 2y6m; Big Sister 7y10m and twins 5y4m
Flights / booked through: booked promotional fare online through / with Cathay Pacific (2009); booked promotional fare online through / with Thai Airways (2012)

One of the greatest cities in Asia for many different reasons. The first time I visited I was a teenager, in 1990 after a 2 week holiday in Malaysia (KL & vicinity and Langkawi, in the only 5* hotel Langkawi had at the time ... times have certainly changed). We stayed in the Shangri-La right on the river front, and I have fond memories of the Thai restaurant, called Salathip. I've been back there in May 2009 and recently in April 2012 and I still like the food, but find it relatively overpriced now and not as easy going and relaxing as back then, but it could as well be the changed "me".

In May 2009 we went back with the entire family, booked some fairly inexpensive tickets over a long 4-day weekend. Since the twins were still young, I was looking for serviced apartment options as most large cities tend to have those. I came across a very reasonably priced (and brand new at the time) Sathorn Vista Marriott Executive Apartments with nice facilities and a nice location. The Baan Khanitha restaurant is across the street and offers nice Thai food (slightly touristy, but kid friendly including Thai high chairs). Marriott also had its own MoMo restaurant downstairs where they served breakfast (not included in the room rate) and also had great and very affordable lunch specials (busy place with plenty of business people popping in from the offices close by). Plenty high chairs, Disney plastic cutlery and plates.

We paid around US$175 for our 3-bedroom suite. It came with a well equipped kitchen, living & dining area, washer & dryer (took some washing powder to do some kids laundry), 1 master bedroom with ensuite bathroom (separate shower / bath), 2 bed rooms with 2 single beds and another bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink. Laminate flooring throughout the suite, modern and new decor, really fantastic value for money. They have a salt water pool with a small kiddie pool, there was a little play room (which wasn't used when we were there but we were within weeks of the opening). We hired a baby sitter in the hotel (was a first for them, that's how new it was), and one of the house keeping girl just sat around in the living room while the kids were sleeping. Very reasonable charge. I couldn't fault much at all. I recommended it to a Dutch friend of mine who lives in Manila and they also had a great experience. More space and some extra facilities just make life a lot easier.

The second time (officially third) we went back with my parents over Easter break in combination with Hua Hin. As a sweet reminder of our early travels we went back to the Shangri-La in Bangkok after 22 years. Me now with 3 kids and a husband. As my parents were taking our oldest daughter in their room I only need a room for 4 and Shangri La actually has these really nice family rooms for about US$175 a night. It's regular room with a small ensuite (living room area) which has a queen sleeper sofa where the twins could easily sleep. The rooms weren't particularly updated in terms of modernization (still a very similar look and feel to 22 years ago), but everything was in good working condition, service was excellent (my twin girl got sick and vomited about 5 times which required the necessary changes of bed linen), the pool really nice, the location on the river is great (get a little bit of a breeze) although f&b prices are fairly steep compared to the rest of the city, like you would kind of expect in a 5* hotel, especially alcohol was significantly more expensive.

As far as Hua Hin goes (we chose it because it was easy with my parents, could combine it with Bangkok, etc.), never again. The Hyatt Regency Hua Hin in Hua Hin is really nice and would recommend it (just read my Tripadvisor review to which the hotel actually responded as well), but Hua Hin isn't for me (goes for all of us, even though the kids loved the hotel slide). The hotel is simply in the wrong location, would it have been elsewhere, I may have gone back. Hua Hin is an easy 2 1/2 hour drive from Bangkok which is nice (but also has disadvantages as it makes it easy for lots of other people too) but it's too touristy, bad urban planning, too big, too busy, nothing special around to see ... Asia, including Thailand, has much nicer places to offer (more expensive but also cheaper), even if you don't plan to leave the resort at all. Personally, I'd say, avoid!

To travel from Bangkok to Hua Hin and from Hua Hin to the airport we used Hua Hin Taxi. Transfer to Hua Hin was fine, transfer back was too, except they turned up 30 minutes late, and they were actually the ones who said very specifically that it can be really busy on Sundays and earlier was better. So we moved it forward, and then they were still late, due to some traffic problem in Hua Hin, actually close to the hotel. Van was fine, drivers friendly, so other than the late departure (still plenty of time at the airport, went very smooth) no complaints. They were also the cheapest I found.

Turkish Airlines Comfort Class

When: summer 2012
Kids: Big Sister 8y3m, twins 5y8m
Flights: Hong Kong - Istanbul (2 night stopover) - Brussels and Brussels - Istanbul - Hong Kong on Turkish Airlines (TK)
Booked through: Sunpac travel agent, as I couldn't get the same fare out online with the stop over in Istanbul

Slightly different post this time, but I just wanted to share my excitement over this great product that Turkish Airlines has, their premium economy product. When Big Sister was younger, we'd fly mostly Business from the US to Europe on United, which is nice but absolutely nothing to write home about. When the twins arrived we opted for 5 Economy seats instead of holding twins on our laps in Business. Since then we've always flown economy with them. Initially the company paid for Cathay Pacific which we never really had complains about, always consistent service, good product, except those lousy seats at some point, although I don't hate them as much as everybody else because at least nobody was reclining into my lap. Another few years later, my husband is basically self employed so we shop for the best tickets to go home over the summer. As it's technically easiest to fly into Brussels and there is no direct flight to Brussels from Hong Kong, we have a chance to look into the (often) more reasonable connecting flights. In 2011 we flew back on points (using our final leg to go to Europe) with Lufthansa via Frankfurt. Was fine, cannot fault much, airplane was recently updated (I had night mares about having to watch a movie on the overhead screen for 12 hours), proper in-flight entertainment system, staff was doing their job well and even Frankfurt wasn't too bad at all.

This past summer we ended up with Turkish Airlines. I started looking for flights in October and found this great fare in Comfort Class which was equal to their Economy Class. A promotional fare as they were launching their Comfort product on their own B777 (they used to lease from Jet Airways on this route). Didn't let this chance go, plus I always wanted to visit Istanbul, so an absolute no-brainer.

The Comfort product is very nice and I'd highly recommend it. Seating is 2-3-2 in a completely different, spacious cabin. Cabin comes with own toilets, completely different (and very good) meal service, special amenity packs and amenity packs for kids (with their own socks, tooth brush, eye cover, etc. in a small pack pack). We had a row of 3 and a row of 2. Plenty of space to move around, even if they person in front of you reclines (not a fantastic recline) you can still easily get out of your seat or pass a passenger next to you without really disturbing that person. Foot rest, head rest, lumbar support, fantastic in-flight entertainment system with a proper sized screen, easy to control by touch (the kids could do it all by themselves). Staff is friendly but not overly friendly or warm, but doing a fine job. Food is really good, and I generally dislike airplane food. It's nicely presented with white linen, regular cutlery and table ware. Tasty salads, light meals, no heavy sauces, nice kids' meals (I still believe airlines over think kids' meals and they should keep it even more simple).

The airport in Istanbul is fine, plenty of food options and stores, but it's getting really small now that Turkish Airlines is expending so rapidly. It becomes very crowded and busy. We were lucky to be able to enter the HSBC Premier lounge by showing our HSBC Premier credit card, as we no longer have any note worthy status on Star Alliance since we left the States. The lounge was especially good on the way back when I travelled with 3 kids by myself, arriving in Istanbul at 11 pm, waiting for a 1 am departure. On the way back I had 2 rows of 2 and the staff did come over, saying my 2 children (Big Sister and her twin brother) couldn't sit by themselves in front of me and they had to be re-seated with another adult (read: stranger as they don't have rows of 4), which I refused. They were right in front of me, they're no longer babies, plus they knew about 10 months in advance I booked this combination so why start 5 minutes before take off? Plus who says a stranger would take proper care of my child in case of an emergency? Who wants to sit next to somebody else's child? Apart from the fact they are excellent travellers. They told me, it was my responsibility in the end, which I agreed with (it is anyway, isn't it?) and they didn't mention it again.

Transferring flights looks slightly chaotic at first, but it does work perfectly fine and goes fairly smoothly in the end. Even with 3 kids by myself it wasn't really a big deal at all. It's definitely not the shortest connection (Finnair would have been our fastest connection) but it was great to see Istanbul, even meet up with a friend from Hong Kong there, and the kids loved it too. In case you wonder where we stayed, I booked a family room at the Sirkeci Konak in the old city of Istanbul. Small family run hotel, super friendly, two connecting rooms (by no means large), and bathrooms could use an upgrade, nice breakfast buffet, afternoon snacks, walking distance to so many great sites! Highly rated on Tripadvisor, hence the reason I picked it.

This year we're flying Emirates via Dubai to Hong Kong (booked in September) and slightly cheaper in total than last year (which does confirm that booking early for the busiest time of year does pay off). Regular economy though but also visiting Dubai for 5 nights to see our friends who we miss so much. Will be fantastic, though very hot!

Ho Chi Minh City aka Saigon

When: March 2010 (with kids), September 2011 and November 2012.
Kids: Big Sister 5y10m, twins 3y4m
Flights: In March 2010 our trip was part of a individual package to Siem Reap (on Vietnam Airlines), both other times I booked a package through CX Holidays and Sunpac here in Hong Kong (both on Cathay Pacific Airways).
Booked through: travel agents (Lastminute, CX Holidays and Sunpac).

Over the past couple of years I visited Saigon 3 times, once with my entire family and twice without kids (once with friends and the other time with my mom). The first time I was there was early 2010 when we visited Siem Reap & Angkor What. Recently, mid-November I went back with my mom as my birthday gift to her. Things have changed a lot over the past 2 years. It's still the same chaotic Vietnamese city most people who've been there will remember, however, it's clearly getting more luxurious. Old buildings are being torn down and luxury shopping mall with all the "usual suspect luxury brands" are popping up. Luckily the city still has the same charm but obviously certain trends are not going unnoticed in Vietnam either.

Hotels:
- Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon (Marriott)
-  Asiana Saigon (Intercontinental)
I definitely prefer the latter of the first as it's much newer. Both locations are good, well situated in District 1. You can check my more detailed Tripadvisor Reviews by going to My Tripadvisor (contributions).

Restaurants:
- Temple Club
- Hoa Tuc (one of my favorites)
- Cuc Gach Quan
- L'Usine (for a quick lunch or a cup of coffee)
- Hoi An, quite a traditional set up but brought the children as I found out later about Hoa Tuc which would have been more suitable with them. Although the kids love soft shell crab and lots of other Vietnamese food.
- K Cafe (Japanese); we had lunch here with the girls upstairs on tatami, very affordable and good quality lunch sets though lots of smoking going on, so not very suitable with kids.
- Jaspas is always easy with kids (including crayons) if you need a break from Vietnamese food.

What to see & do:
- Ben Thanh Market, lots of fun and many things to see, not very stroller friendly as it gets very busy.
- General Post Office, worth a look inside
- Note Dame Cathedral, didn't find it very special as a European, but it's a nice area and worth a quick look inside
- Reunification Palace, worth a look around, brings you back to the 60s and 70s.
- Saigon Opera House, nice location on a "square" close to several hotels.
- War Remnants Museum, very sad place (with a slight biased view but nonetheless), went with my mom, wouldn't recommend with small children unless you take turns (few military vehicles, planes to see outside). Especially the Agent Orange pictures are very graphic.
- Dong Khoi Street is the city's premier shopping street with lots of colonial buildings though things are changing. Lots of galleries, silk stores and other selections of souvenirs, etc.

Since mid-2010 you can also visit the Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck (68 floors). Prices are about US$10 per adult.  Would be a fun thing to do with kids, although still fairly pricey and quite depending on weather conditions. You may want to check the reviews in Tripadvisor for more details.