Cambodia & Vietnam

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Learning About Hero Rats at the APOPO Centre

The APOPO Visitor Centre was a wonderful educational experience for all of us. Here, we learned about the HeroRATs – African giant pouched rats with an extraordinary sense of smell that are trained to detect landmines and Tuberculosis (TB). Their work is saving lives and is making a huge impact in Cambodia and elsewhere in the world.

A Night at Phare Circus

This isn’t your average circus – it’s a blend of acrobatics and music with Cambodian storytelling. If visiting Siem Reap or Battambang, I highly recommend it.

The Phare school was founded in 1994 by former refugees from the Khmer Rouge era – they were greatly helped by an art teacher that used drawing classes as therapy, and later set up a school of their own to help other poor and socially deprived young people. The circus school was later added and today, Phare offers students and graduates a place to hone their skills and earn a decent wage, helping them out of poverty.

Made in Cambodia Market

Markets are all around southeast Asia with stall after stall selling similar ware, but this market is different in that the items are created by local artisans, many whom come from difficult backgrounds. While there you can learn more about the crafts and the people who created them – giving deeper meaning to the souvenirs you purchase. I purchased a lovely woodblock print from a man who became a double amputee following an accident on a building site.

Cycling Around the Ancient Temples

No trip to Siem Reap would be complete without seeing the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat and the surrounding ancient temples, but we did things differently by swapping tour bus for bicycles. With a private guide, we were able to decide where to go and to set our own pace which was great. However, one day wasn’t enough so we opted for another half day of sightseeing but this time in an air-conditioned van :)

Da Nang, Vietnam

From Siem Reap we flew to Da Nang via Bangkok. Choosing Da Nang as our base was important for two reasons – 1) we could fly back to Tokyo directly and 2) our family could enjoy the beach with proximity to the beautiful town of Hoi An. We spent a week there and did three excursions (with days in between to relax at the hotel).

Hoi An Old Town

We spent a day in Hoi An, wandering the streets of the Old Town (another UNESCO listed site). It’s a beautifully preserved town with so much to see, but for me I absolutely loved photographing the central market. Unfortunately, Hoi An (like many parts of Vietnam) were recently hit by devastating floods, so I can only hope that the town can recover soon.

Vietnamese Cooking Class

One of the highlights of our trip (especially for the kids as they got to play with knives and fire)! It started with a trip to the local market to learn about some of the produce and purchase some ingredients, then we were taken to the kitchen to get started. We made  many things including rice paper and spring rolls, pho, banana flower salad, crispy pancakes and more. The food was delicious and we were given the recipes at the end (though admittedly I have not tried to make any of the dishes since!). After our meal we got into bamboo boats and floated through the Water Coconut Forest, while the kids got to catch crabs.

Countryside Cycling & Lantern Making

We enjoyed rural Vietnamese life as we cycled to Tra Que vegetable village, passing water buffalo, rice paddies, and friendly locals along the way. At the village we learned how local farmers grow crops and had an opportunity to do some gardening of our own. From there we cycled to Hoi An where we made colourful lanterns and then enjoyed lunch with some more hands-on cooking.

While our journey was brief, I am reminded that sometimes the most memorable moments come from making the most of the time you have. There are plenty of reasons to return, but for now I’m just appreciative for what we managed to discover.