2024 World Cruise Leg 6: Vietnam, Singapore, Sri Lanka

Vietnam was next on our itinerary, and it seemed the newspaper headlines of the 1970’s still echoed in my mind as I tried to imagine what the country would be like.  But in the decades since, this country of 100 million people (and 50 million motorbikes/scooters!) has certainly evolved and holds many surprises. 

Tourist arrivals have briskly risen over the years, calling attention to its beautiful landscapes and 3,000 kilometers of coastline.  And did you know Vietnam is the largest producer of cashew nuts and black pepper?  It is also a major exporter of coffee and rice.  With a currency exchange of $1 USD equaling 24,806 Vietnamese Dong, our cash may go very far.

We are visiting two ports:  Da Nang in the central region, and Phu My, a southern port that will serve as access to Ho Chi Minh City.

We have left the cooler climates of our northern wake. Ambling down the gangway in Da Nang, we are engulfed in the thick, hot and humid air.   

Our shipmate friend, Lydia, has organized a day’s outing for 8 of us to go and see The Golden Bridge, a scenic overlook and tourist attraction.  Our driver, Mr. Ha, met us outside the commercial port gate and we got a glimpse of Da Nang’s center as we merged with the morning commuters riding scooters.  

The city quickly fell away to lush tropical and rural farmland.  An hours’ drive WSW brought us to Ba Na Hills.

Opened in 2018, The Golden Bridge made TIME magazine’s list of “Top 10 best destinations in the world” and has been recognized by The Guardian as “The most impressive pedestrian bridge in the world”.   What we didn’t know, was that it was within the Sun World Park, an extraordinary and massive entertainment complex. 

We purchased tickets and began our ascent of 4,600 feet that included a series of long escalators and then perhaps the span of another mile by aerial cable car.  

Stepping out of the cable car, we stepped into another world!   Our mouths practically agape, we followed the stonework ‘street’ into the dream-like grandeur of a medieval French Village. 

Including hotels, cafés, floral courts, theaters and sculptures.  The attention to detail, craftsmanship and the assumed fortune spent to create all of this was mind boggling.   Turn after turn, we were amazed. 

After a lot of discovering of what we didn’t know we were in for (but were delighted), we finally came to The Golden Bridge, a 490-foot-long pedestrian bridge overlooking the dense green mountains and gorges, being held by a pair of hands.   It really was eye popping!

Returning off the mountaintop was just as exhilarating over the lengthy cable car ride back down, as we all chattered away in amazement of what we had just witnessed at Sun World.

A delicious beach-side restaurant for lunch, then dropped a few miles south to Hoi An.

As we approach the outskirts of Hoi An, new high-end resorts are popping up along its beach strand. But the real draw here is “Old Town”. 

Old Town Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is said to be a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century.

We found it to be a charming village with narrow streets lined with shops, restaurants, small temples, and colorful lanterns everywhere.  And lots of street vendors!

It is situated along the Thu Bon River, where tourists can hitch a ride aboard a lantern boat to view the town from the water, especially at night.  

Zuiderdam heads south 500 miles overnight to our next port: Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) is known as Vietnam’s manufacturing hub and home to 9 million people.  Its gritty façade and busy roadways are packed with boisterous scooters stampeding forward at every green light.  And they load their scooters very creatively!

A mix of big city wealth, tiny back-alley shops and farmers living in rice fields beneath thatched roofs along the Saigon River are all found within the city limits. 

Our local guide, Loc, was born here in the 80’s and learned English by listening to songs, saying that English and the internet changed his life.  He is well-traveled in the U.S. and a few years ago, began his tour company in Ho Chi Minh City.   We enjoyed his enthusiasm, humor and knowledgeable about the history and culture of Saigon and Vietnam.  Today, he would guide us through the city highlights and introduce us to new foods along the way.   

We began in the old city, Chinatown in Saigon, and walked through the Thien Hau Temple. Passing through an iron gate, you cross into the small courtyard of this ancient Chinese-style temple, completed in 1760.  

Along the roof, there are small delicately fashioned porcelain figurines expressing themes from Chinese religion and legends.

Lanterns and wooden models of Chinese theaters hang over the entrance and the smell and smoke of incense was thick. 

The banks of the Saigon River are lined with traditional wood-planked keel boats serving as their home and transport for the Mekong Delta River dwellers and farmers.  Entire families, dogs, birds, and all they owned were aboard.  

The complex and extensive river system of the region are vital to the distribution of their fruits, vegetables, animals, and a wide variety of goods.  We stopped by this floating fruit market for a quick drink like the locals do:  a straw shoved into a coconut for its refreshing coconut water and some jack fruit, which tastes much like Juicy Fruit gum.   

Back on the street, a common snack bought from push-cart style vendors is called banh quai vat.  It’s sort of like an empanada…golden pastry stuffed with mushrooms, pork and potato and sweet potato.   Hot and filling!

Pho (Vietnamese pronounce it “faaa”) is a traditional dish featuring broth, noodles and a protein, often eaten for breakfast and lunch. With over 3,400 Pho restaurants in town, Loc brought us to his favorite.  We ordered the lean beef, bean sprouts, fresh basil, lime which cost roughly USD $2.00.   Along with a cold Saigon Beer, it was a hearty meal.    

In Vietnamese, “ chuoi ” means banana, “ nep ” means sticky rice and “ nuong ” means grilling. Therefore, Chuoi Nep Nuong  perfectly describes the dish, which features ripe bananas wrapped in sticky rice. The banana sticky rice rolls are then wrapped in banana leaves and grilled until the outside is golden. Then unwrapped and served with coconut sauce, toasted sesame, and toasted coconut.  Sweet, chewy and tasty.

The shopping experience here is similar to other countries we’ve visited, where all like commodities are clustered on the same street or block.  This makes for some tough competition. And for the shopper, it’s like walking the gauntlet!  We walked through the fabric/sewing/button alley, which was next to the fish aquarium supply district, and adjacent to the decorations area where one would go to buy a dragon ‘float’, for instance.  Each shop owner sold their wares on the street level, while living in the apartment above.    

The colorful and exciting Vietnamese dragon dance is performed during Lunar New Year and other important holidays or occasions and is strongly believed to dispel evil and bring good luck, prosperity and wealth. An entire street is dedicated to these shops.

We visited the “Secret Basement”, an underground storage arsenal for the Independence Palace attack by 19 soldiers of the Saigon Special Force during the Tet Mau Than in 1968.   Back then, there were 220km of underground tunnels containing more than two tons of various weapons such as B40, AK, carbines, pistols, grenades, gun powder, TNT, C4 and other war equipment devices.  It also had a system of compartments in the ceiling with locks, ropes, and hooks to close when entering inside, lock the door and move to the neighboring houses or to the floor, then withdraw safely.   

We had to lower ourselves through a 24” x 24” secret hatch through the tiled floor to find the only room still accessible for viewing.  The rest of the tunnels and rooms have been sealed off.

We also passed The Rex Hotel, which served as a residence for U.S. officers and a bustling hub for war correspondents. The daily U.S. briefings on its infamous rooftop garden became known as “The 5 O’clock Follies”.

And finally, our last stop was for Egg Coffee.   It is a Vietnamese drink traditionally prepared with egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and robusta coffee. The drink is made by beating egg yolks with sugar and condensed milk, then extracting the coffee into the cup, followed by a similar amount of egg cream, or egg yolks which are heated and beaten, or whisked.  It was incredibly rich and delicious!

Vietnam surprised us in many ways, and we would enjoy visiting again to explore more of this fascinating country. 

Spectacular Singapore!   Yes, it has the second highest population density of any country in the world, yet due to their innovative urban planning, it doesn’t feel as crowded as some of the enormous cities we’ve visited recently.   Modern and clean, Singapore boasts some of the world’s most iconic architecture.  It’s a diverse mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences along with the tropical climate that 1 degree of latitude brings.  We were anxious to revisit this dynamic city for an entire weekend!  

One of the best things about Singapore is their subway system, or MRT, which is spotless, and quite easy to navigate!  

Over the two days, we made it to all the interesting neighborhoods like Ann Siang Hill, Little India, Clarke Cay, Chinatown and Dhoby Ghaut, each with their own vibe, foods, music and ethnic apparel. 

There are also tons of interesting sites to visit, many along the vibrant waterfront. The MerLion, Singapore Flyer Ferris wheel, and the architectural spectacle of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.  

Its surrounding complex is impressive by itself, which includes museums, shopping, eateries, and entertainment all rolled into a vibrant cityscape. 

Speaking of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, we had the privilege to join shipmate friends for lunch at Spago’s on the 57th Floor.   Many thanks go to Jo for making reservations a month ago!  It was a gastro-phenomenal, prix fix lunch with great conversation and magnificent views!   

Situated next to the Marina Bay Sands complex are the Gardens by the Bay.  This 250-acre park features domed conservatories which are home to rare and exotic flora and fauna, as well as their iconic Supertree Grove.   There are 18 man-made “trees” that showcase a vertical garden by day, and are a spectacular light show by night.  The tallest is sixteen stories tall, providing a shady grove to wander.    

That evening, we found bustling nightlife in the Clarke Quay area, where we dined alongside the river at an Indian restaurant and watched the constant parade of people, riverboats and the twinkling lights of this beautiful city. 

Our 2 days in Singapore flew by!

Zuiderdam has now carried us 22,977 nautical miles on this journey.   Our next passage takes us through the Malacca Strait onwards to Sri Lanka, some 1500 miles away. 

After three days at sea, we reached the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka. This island country of 268 miles long and 139 miles wide, has a population of 22 million people.   Its Indian Ocean location is a crossroads of many cultures, languages, and ethnicities. 

Tom’s Birthday begins with the breakfast crew singing and presenting a special cupcake.  The celebration would continue throughout the day with our shipmate friends!

Today, eleven of us including tour guide, Buddhi, board our private 25 passenger bus for the town of Kandy, located in the interior.  Some scenes from along the way:

A 3-hour drive brings us to an Elephant Orphanage & Sanctuary, where these sacred, gentle giants are raised, cared for and/or rehabilitated.  The daily trek of dozens of elephants through the village to the river is a sight to see!

As you can imagine, it takes a small army, LOTS of food, and even more funding to provide continuing care for these incredible animals.   That’s where Poo Paper comes in.  (Caution: The following image may be disturbing!)

Yep, the elephant dung is processed, pasteurized, bleached or colored, and placed into molds to make thick, pulpy paper that is made into a variety of goods.  Bookmarks, stationary, calendars, etc.  All the proceeds go back into the Orphanage to help offset operating costs. 

Several of our group chose to ride and bathe an elephant in the adjacent river. 

Having ridden an elephant in Thailand years ago, Tom and I passed.  But we all enjoyed feeding fruit to the elephants who were eager to receive our offerings.

Sri Lanka’s trademark national export is Ceylon tea.  The Kadugannawa Tea Factory is where we watched as tea was separated, sifted, and fermented into various blends and types.  

Sampling a nice hot cup of Ceylon tea afterwards was a treat.  For sweetener, this part of the world uses a natural brown coconut sugar instead of the refined white table sugar we are accustomed to.  The coconut sugar is said to have a lower glycemic index, a few more nutrients and less processing.

Our late lunch was buffet-style at a resort restaurant, offering curries, coconut fish, rice, salads and desserts.  Some of it quite spicy!

Our tour included an end-of-the-day, 60-minute massage for only $15.  After 7 hours in a small bus, it was the perfect remedy to get our kinks out.  We all disappeared into various rooms; Tom and I sharing the same.   Without much English spoken by our masseuses, it was too late to object to the liberal amount of oil they used on each of us, beginning with a scalp massage and working south.   When our entire group rendezvoused in the lobby afterwards, we all laughed as we looked at each other’s slick hair and greasy body shine! 

It was dark when we returned to Colombo, giving us spectacular views of the Lotus Building and its oscillating colors.  We enjoyed Sri Lanka and all it had to offer!

Leaving Sri Lanka, we cut through the placid Laccadive Sea on our way to Maldives, a 24-hour sail.  The sea was so calm that it appeared we were sailing on deep blue satin.

Stay tuned…