Thursday, April 17, 2025

Mekong Delta River Tour, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, historically and still famous as Saigon, is the largest city, business and financial hub in Vietnam.  It is also the most populous city in Vietnam of around 10million in 2023.

We planned to travel this Christmas season to Indochina.  We entered through Bangkok and exited through Ho Chi Minh.  We booked all our bus trips and attractions through Klook, and our hotels through Booking dot com. 
Our first stop, Vin Thrang Pagoda

Vin Thrang Pagoda

My five kids, 5Js 


coconut-candy making family run-business as part of the tour

The distance from Ho Chi Minh to Mekong Delta River is around 75 kilometers and it took us more or less two hours to get to our destination.  I arranged our tour through Klook at Php 1103.  Our guide, Mr. Khun, was knowledgeable enough and toured us in English language. He's so funny and really took care of each one of us.  The tour is superb and is a must when visiting Ho Chi Minh.  Everything is included in this trip including all mode of transportations, entrance fees, buffet lunch, free taste of coconut candy, beehive and snake experience, crocodile farm, Vietnamese singers in Unicorn island with free fruits of different kind, and a lot lot more.


rowing the boats along the Mekong River

the sumptuous lunch as part of the Mekong River itinerary 






my brave kids holding the friendly snake


free tasting of local honey with a pinch of bee pollen

free coconut while cruising the river

Touristic places to go in Ho Chi Minh
1. War Remnants Museum
2.Ben Thanh Market
3. Cu chi tunnels
4. Saigon Central post Office
5. Notre Dame Cathedral
6. Binh Tay Market (Chinatown)
7. Nguyen Hue Walking Street
8. Landmark 81
9. Jade Emperor Pagoda
10. The Coffee Apartment
11. Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda  

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Salzburg, Austria

 Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg. Austria is popularly known as a "City of Mozart" because it is the birthplace of the renowned composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  The city celebrates through the city's museums, festivals and concerts.
Salzburg is also popular as the "Sound of Music" city because of the movie  based on the real Trapp Family, who lived in Salzburg and later emigrated to the United States. 
The filming locations of the 'Sound of Music" in Salzburg are the Mirabell Gardens, Schloss Leopoldskron, and Hellbrunn Palace.

Salzburg is filled with the memories of Mozart's life and music in Salzburg's museums, concert halls and guided tours.  Tourists can also visit Mozart's residence in Makartplatz.




The Historic city center of Salzburg became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, with its unique baroque architecture and narrow streets.  Salzburg is  also as an example of a European ecclesiastical city state, exhibiting well-preserved ecclesiastical buildings from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.  
There is a hop on, hop-off sight seeing tour bus with Yellow and Bule Lines.  Yellow lines tour around Mirabellplatz, Hanuch Platz, Herbert-Von-Karajan Platz, Leopoldskron palace, Hellbrunn palace, Kleingmain, Justizgebaude, Mozartsteg.
The blue line explores Salzburg Mirabell Square, Hellbrunn, St. Leonhard Untersberg Railway, Hallein Old Town, Saltz World, Celtic Experience Mountain, Bad Durrnberg Zinkenlifte, Eagle's Nest, Berchtesgaden Market, Konigssee and Berchtesgaden Salt Mine.
The tour fee is 29euro for adult and 16euro for children. 


Gosau, Austria

 

Gosau is a picturesque village in Upper Austria, situated along the Gosaubach stream in the Salzkammergut region and a UNESCO World heritage site, and is nestled in the center of Dachstein mountains and is popular for its astonishing and impressive scenery.  

We stopped by Hallstatt a day before our visit here in Gosau.  Hallstatt  is only 14 kilometers away from Gosau. We were accommodated in Sonnenalm less than two (2) kilometers from Gosau.

my brother Raymond and me


Gosau is a hiking favorite by mountaineers with numerous trails ranging from easy walk to challenging treks that leads to the picturesque alpine pastures. 

Gosau is also popular as a place of happines or "Glucksplatze" in the Hallstatt Duchstein Salzkammergut region, with locations like the Kalvarienberg church, Lockernmoose and Gosaulacke bringing panoramic views and lake famous for its tranquility.

Raymond, Ayen, Julia, me and James



our accommodation in Sonnenalm

The 100 Euro/night accommodation in Sonnenalm 

leaving Gosau
Things to do in Gosau:

1. Guided e-bike tour to the alpine pastures in Gosau

2. Gosausee Lake

3. Gosaukamm Cable Car

4. Toerleck Ski Lift

5. Hoehbuehel Ski Lift

6. Hoher Dachstein

From Gosau, you can have a day trip to Hallstatt, Filzmoos, Obertraun, Abtenau, Salzburg and Ramsau am Dachstein .

Monday, January 27, 2025

Hallstatt, Austria

 

Hallstatt is a small town in the district of Gmunden, in the Austrian State of Upper Austria.  Situated between the Southwestern shore of Hallstatter sea and the steep slopes of Dachstein massif, the town lies in the Salzkammergut region, on the national road leading linking Salzburg and Graz. 

Halltatt is known for its production of salt, dating back to prehistoric times, and gave its name to the Hallstatt culture, the archaelogicical culture linked to Proto Celtic and Celtic people of the early age of Iron in Europe.  Hallstatt is at the core of the Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape declared as one of the World Heritage Sites in Austria by UNESCO in 1997.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallstatt


Hallstatt has been declared as the most beautiful village in the world and an inspiration of a Disney movie, Frozen. The Kingdom of Arendalle has a great resemblance to the picturesque village .                                                  
Hallstatt has view of an alpine mountain, lake and vibrant, rich houses.  And just by walking at the Old Town, you can see the colorful houses  that are so pleasing with the eyes.


  
Before Hallstatt became a touristy attraction.  The locals of Hallstatt were primarily salt-miners, living a traditional alpine village life focused on farming and mining salts.                    
Due to its mountainous location, Hallstatt was relatively isolated and is only accessible by boat during the pre-tourism times.   



This small village has 700 inhabitants with an average of 10,000 visitors per day during peak season.  It covers 60 square kilometers



Things to do in Hallstatt: 
1. Hallstatt Skywalk
2. Central Square Marktplaz
3. Hallstatt Osuary                                                                                                                  
4. Parish of the Assumption                                                                                                          
5. Badestrand Hallstatt                                                                                                               
6. Hallstatt Museum                                                                                                                      
7. Waldbachstrub Waterfalls                                                                                                                                  

Monday, January 20, 2025

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

 

Are you willing to walk in a fairytale? Rothenberg ob der Tauber is considered as one of the best medieval town in Germany.  It is a popular destination and one of Germany's well-preserved historic walled town.  However, if you are planning to get here, make sure to make your way to Rothernburg ob der Tauber because there are a lot of Rothenburg or Rottenburg places in Germany.

On May 15, 1274, King Rudolf of Habsburg confirmed imperial city privilege.  2024 marks its 750 years and the city is celebrating its anniversary with a program.


Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a German town in Northern Bavaria.  A pictureistic old town in the middle of Romantische Strasse.  An old town preserved in time! It's touristy but it's stuck in time!


Rothenburg ob der Tauber is also the inspiration of Pinnochio's Disney movie in 1940.  It has also been featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films.




We were also fortunate to have a chat with the son of the host family whom Pope Francis used to reside.  Pope Francis used to live in this house when he was still the simple Father Jorge Mario Bergolio.  He attended a German course at the Goethe Institute in Rothenburg from August to October of 1986.  












How to get to Rothenburg ob der Tauber?
The most convenient way is to travel by train from nearby cities like Wurzburg or Ansbach requiring a change at Steinach station.  And by car is to use A7 motorway and exiting at Rothenburg ob der Tauber.


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