January 2020 – Find Asia

Halong Bay cruise tour

Halong Bay is located in northern Vietnam, about 170 km away from the capital Hanoi. There are about 1,600 islands creating a magnificent view.

Although public transport such as bus is available from Hanoi to visit Halong Bay, it is recommended to join in a tour departing from Hanoi.

Halong Bay tours

There are so many tours available for Halong Bay from day-tours to multi-day tours. It is recommended to take 2 or 3 day tours so that you can sleep on the boat and enjoy Halong Bay fully.

You can check all available tours to Halong Bay here.

Halong Bay day tour from Hanoi

The most popular day tour to visit Haling Bay from Hanoi is “Genesis: Halong Bay Small Group Day Tour w/ Luxury Shuttle & Highways“. This tour is available everyday and the price is from USD 79 per person including a cruise and Vietnamese food lunch on the boat.

For other Halong Bay day-tours, please follow this link here. It includes tours from Hanoi as well as from Halong City.

Halong Bay overnight tours

To fully enjoy Halong Bay, overnight tours are recommended. The most popular overnight tour of Halong Bay from Hanoi is “Experiencing 2 days – 1 night at balcony cabins on Premium boats all inclusions“. You spend a night in a room with balcony on a boat.

Haling bay or Halong Bay

I wondered that many people misspelling Halong Bay and write as Haling Bay. The reason may be auto-correction feature of the PCs and/or smartphones. If I type “Halong”, the system suggests “Haling” as right spelling.

My Son tours from Hoi An or Da Nang, Vietnam

About Mỹ Sơn (My Son ruins)

Mỹ Sơn or My Son in English is a group of abandoned Hindu temples found in Quảng Nam province of central Vietnam. The site is a complex of Hindu temples and towers that were built by the Champa kingdom between the 4th and 14th centuries.

The Champa people were a civilization that existed in central and southern Vietnam from around the 2nd century until the 19th century. They were strongly influenced by Indian culture and religion, and their architecture and art reflect this influence.

Mỹ Sơn was an important religious and cultural center for the Champa people, and the site includes around 70 structures, including temples, towers, and sanctuaries. Many of these structures were built with brick and decorated with intricate carvings and sculptures.

The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and it is a popular tourist destination in Vietnam. However, the site has also suffered damage over the years due to natural disasters and human conflict, including bombing during the Vietnam War. Restoration efforts have been ongoing, but the site remains vulnerable to further damage.

Visitors to Mỹ Sơn can explore the temples and learn about the history of the Champa civilization. The site also hosts cultural performances that showcase traditional Champa music and dance.

Popular tours to My Son

My Son is accessible by tours from Hoi An or Da Nang. Several tours depart daily. Or you can just use car transport from Hoi An/Da Nang to My Son.

The most popular My Son tour is “Private Day Trip to do My Son Holyland & Hoi an city Tour from Hoi an or Da Nang“. This tour is available for from 2 pax everyday.

Transfer services to My Son

Tours to My Son

Banteay Srei Tour from Siam Reap

Banteay Srei is a Hindu temple located in the northeast of Angkor Wat, dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. Banteay is a fort and Srei is a woman, which together means “a woman’s fort.” It began construction in 967 during the reign of King Rajendravarman and was said to have been completed at the time of his son, Jayavarman V.

Banteay Srei is a beautifully carved temple made of laterite and red sandstone, one of the small Angkor archaeological sites that you should definitely visit.

The statue of the goddess of the Orient, called Mona Lisa, is particularly famous in the picture on the right, and there is an anecdote that André Malraux was fascinated by the statue and stolen and arrested in 1923.

Recommended Banteay Srei Tours

Detail of Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei is surrounded by an outer wall and has an entrance to the east. When you pass through the gate, you will find the approach to the approach. In the photo below, the water on both sides of the approach is not a pond, but a puddle formed during the rainy season. Behind the approach, there are no intimidating temples like Bayon or Angkor Wat.

Follow the approach and pass through the gate of the first wall, there is a moat, and a bridge filled with soil leads to the second wall and its gate. The center of Banteay Srei is, as you can see, very small. But there is a surprising sculpture hidden in this.

When you pass through the tower gate on the third wall, it is finally the core. Exit to the front room of the Banteay Srei Central Shrine. Click on the photo below to see a super-detailed enlarged photo. Please take a closer look at the relief of Shiva God dancing in the central gable part. Reliefs are also applied to the left and right gables respectively. Please note that the image is about 8.5 mega.

As you can see, Banteay Srei has many beautiful reliefs depicting Hindu legends in the gable area. The photo below shows a scene from Ramayana, depicting three competing monkey brothers.

At the heart of Banteay Srei is a relief and a statue of a goddess around the tower of the Central Shrine. The photo below shows the west side of the Central Shrine. The photos are slightly distorted because multiple photos were combined into one. Click to display a super-resolution enlarged photo. Please note that there is more than 13 mega. There are several devata (goddesses), so please watch.

More information about Banteay Srei available here.

Beng Mealea Tour from Siam Reap

Beng Mealea Temple

Beng Mealea is a Hindu Temple located about 60 kilometers from Siem Reap. The jungle covers over a 1-square kilometer area of the Beng Mealea temple.

It is said that Beng Mealea Temple was built around the end of the 11th century before Angkor Wat, but there is no inscription and details are unknown. With very little restoration, you can walk through mysterious archeological sites with a sense of adventure. There mey be no great sculpture, but it’s a great way to immerse yourself in beautiful archeological sites.

From Siam Reap, it is not easy to reach Beng Mealea by public transport. It is highly recommended to visit Beng Mealea by joining in a tour.

Most popular Beng Mealea tour

The most popular tour including Beng Mealea is “Featured Private Angkor Wat Tours, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Bantey Srei And Beng Mealea” from Siam Reap. This tour is available almost everyday.

Beng Mealea tours from Siam Reap

Several tours are conducted for Beng Mealea from Siam Reap. There are also some Beng Mealea and Koh Ker tours.

There are tours that visit only Beng Mealea in half day, or 2-3 days adventure tours, or tours combining Beng Mealea with other places such as Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei, Koh Ker and other destinations. Some tours listed on Viator/Trip Advisor are shown below. For all available Beng Mealea tours, follow this link.

Angkor Wat sunrise tour from Siam Reap

Angkor Wat at sunrise

The best time in a day to see Angkor Wat is at sunrise. Sunrise tours from Siam Reap provide you with the magnificent view of Angkor Wat in twilight and sunrise, if there is no cloud. Hotel pick up is provided, though you have to wake up quite early to see Angkor Wat in the light of sunrise.

The most popular Angkor Wat Sunrise tour

Explore Angkor Wat Sunrise Small Group Experience is the most popular Angkor Wat sunrise tour from Siem Reap. Free pick up & drop off service from your hotels in Siem Reap is provided.

Other Angkor Wat sunrise tours

Many tour companies provide Angkor Wat sunrise tours. Choose the one best suit to your preference.