Underground in Vietnam: Caves, tunnels and wine cellars
Vietnam may be focused on building upwards, but what's happening underground is perhaps more exciting than the latest skyscraper -- think hidden caves large enough for 40-story buildings and wartime tunnels traversing the earth beneath your feet.
Here are some of Vietnam’s unique sites below the surface.
World’s biggest cave
A Manhattan city block, buildings included, would fit quite nicely inside parts of Son Doong cave in central Vietnam’s Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
But you won’t find anything remotely urban here. In the world’s largest cave passage lofty stalagmites, some shooting as high as 70 meters, stand in for concrete office blocks while shafts of light from above have led to wild gardens taking root on the cave’s floor.
Son Doong is one of the many caves underneath the 85,754 hectares of park, which holds UNESCO World Heritage site honors. While the limestone karst landscape on top is impressive, the system of caves, grottoes and underground rivers give visitors a distinct “Journey to the Center of the Earth” experience.
Getting there involves a six-hour trek into the jungle. Therefore the two caves most visitors frequent are the area’s namesake Phong Nha and Thien Duong (also known as Paradise Cave).
Vietnam Airlines operates four flights a week from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Hoi, 55 kilometers southeast of the caves. Sun Spa Resort is one place offering tours.
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Halong Bay’s 'Surprise'
Halong Bay is famous for its limestone islets peppered throughout the UNESCO World Heritage site. A good itinerary, however, should feature more than just the emerald water and karsts; boats therefore often include a visit to the area’s Sung Sot cave, also known as “Surprise Grotto.”
The spacious cavern consists of two chambers of stalagmites and stalactites lit up by rainbow-colored fluorescent lights. It may seem meager compared to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park but it is still worth exploring.
Local guides delight in pointing out parts of the cave’s bumpy interior that resemble human and animal forms and at busy times tour guides’ red lasers dart frantically around the ceiling. In spite of the crowds the place still feels expansive, with the ceiling a full 30 meters above.
Sung Sot is on the itinerary for most overnight junks and boats on Ha Long Bay. Try the Emeraude, which is modeled after a paddle steamer that traveled through Halong in the early 1900s, or alternately a Chinese junk booked through Halong Continental Sails.
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Wartime warrens
A hunched stagger through the maze of Cu Chi tunnels is not for the claustrophobic -- even in the sections that have been enlarged for Westerners.
The constricting feeling visitors endure for only a few minutes, however, cannot compare to what life was like for the thousands of Vietnamese who spent years underground here during the Vietnam-American war.
Construction began on the web of subterranean paths in the 1940s and eventually the system spread out over 250 kilometers, stretching all the way to the Cambodian border. Inside were hospitals, separate quarters for living, dining, sleeping and military planning, all used by troops to conduct their business secretly beneath the earth for 20 years.
Today only two sections are open to the public, Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc, situated 60 and 70 kilometers (respectively) northwest of Saigon. Besides going through an expanded part of the tunnel, visitors can marvel at once-deadly booby traps or even fire off a few rounds at the onsite range.
You can book a cheap tour in the backpackers’ district of Saigon (around the intersection of Pham Ngu Lao and De Tham streets). Or go semi-private with a day trip through Buffalo Tours.
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Subterranean village
The Vinh Moc tunnel system amounts to just 1 percent of the length of Cu Chi, but still stretches two kilometers. It doesn’t have the same “wow” factor but when you consider the extremes the families went to that built it, it’s easy to be impressed.
Vinh Moc’s location in central Vietnam was under siege from aerial raids during the country’s war with the United States. For protection, villagers moved life underground and created a subterranean home.
The setup consists of three levels, the lowest of which is 23 meters deep. It took around 18 months to carve it all out and the locals used it for six years -- during which time 17 babies were reportedly born inside.
It takes a few hours by bus or private car to get to Vinh Moc from either Dong Hoi or Hue. Some daytrips out of Hue include a stop at both the tunnels and the caves of Phong Nha.
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Imperial Hanoi remains
Stumbling into Hanoi’s quiet Thang Long archaeological dig site, it’s easy to feel like you’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be.
Unlike the capital’s other touristy spots what is left of the ancient citadel -- Hanoi’s equivalent to Beijing’s Forbidden City -- and the archaeological dig across the road from the main buildings are relatively quiet.
The dig site covers 33,000 square meters of prime Hanoi real estate and includes remnants from dynasties that have ruled the country over the last 1,000 years. Visitors make their way along an elevated walkway past wells, dried-up waterways, and many a pile of stones.
The signs along the path are all in Vietnamese and unless you have a strong interest in archaeology you may prefer the still-standing buildings across the street, from which Hanoi’s leaders orchestrated their troops during the Vietnam War.
Opens Saturday–Sunday and public holidays: 9 a.m.–11 a.m. and 2 p.m.–5 p.m.
Hanoi’s five-star bunker
Guests at Hanoi’s Sofitel Legend Metropole during periods of wartime tumult were treated to a more spacious underground experience. In the summer of 2011 workers renovating the hotel’s Bamboo Bar stumbled upon a bunker that had long been forgotten.
The 40-square-meter space, two meters below the bar floor, is made up of five rooms and two corridors. Reliable sources say American folk singer Joan Baez once gave an impromptu performance during a 1972 raid, helping calm the nerves of the other guests.
Judging by what was found when it was first reopened, those sheltered below also relaxed with the help of a little French vino.
The management of the 110-year-old hotel aren’t keen to open up the shelter to tour groups just yet -- but they also don’t want to let this opportunity pass them by. There’s talk about it becoming a museum or wine cellar, but nothing concrete has been decided yet.
Stay tuned: this could one day be the coolest wine cellar/bar in the city.
Sofitel Legend Metropole, 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi; +84 43 826 6919
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Vietnamese Food @ Restaurant Kah Hing, Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut
It sounded a little too good to be true.
A place that served cheap and cheerful Vietnamese food in Kuala Lumpur?
My friend S had searched online and discovered this place tucked within the confines of Segambut.
I'm always game for any food brought in by the immigrants that have landed on our shores since that is truly the best way to enjoy foreign cuisines as good as in their homeland.
While we have had an influx of Burmese, Indonesian and Thai cuisines in the city, the one cuisine that always eluded me was Vietnamese.
I yearned for a good beef pho, the kind that Luke Nguyen was showing on Food Network Asia during his travels to Vietnam. Those visions of him fanning the fire while the beef stock slowly cooked away always made me wish Apple had invented some super smell-vision television or gadget that gave us a 6D effect where we could lick and taste the food on the small screen.
Despite visits to Pho Hoa (the closest to almost the real deal according to my Vietnamese friend) and even that swanky place in Starhill Gallery (what possessed me but I guess I was hopeful wagyu beef would be the answer), I was nowhere near the holy grail of pho.
Unfortunately, at this particular place I was to be dissapointed. No pho in sight either.
It seems there is no aromatic beef broth noodles here as a lot of their customers who were Chinese shunned the red meat. Instead, the modus operandi here was to blend with the locals.
Hence you had kuey teow soup (RM4.50 for small) staring up at you in the menu which the owner tells me is a specialty. Exactly how unique it was, I confess I didn't discover anything within that bowl of clear soup. Maybe it was because they forgot my side dish of herbs. I only discovered it is usually served with those aromatic herbs when I looked online for past reviews on this place. Nevertheless that mistake just exposed their weak point.
Even before I tripped over here on a Saturday, I was having a niggling suspicion that it was the same place I had tried before in Segambut. A quick chat with the owner revealed that they are the one and the same. The place had relocated here about seven years ago. Read the previous review here.
Their trump card is "I serve pork!" This pleases their Chinese clientele who swarm the place to indulge in a little porcine. Hence you find pork steak mingling with the noodles and vegetables (pork steak mee, RM5). It would have worked miracles to the traditional dish but instead it was a cop out. While most of the dried noodles would have been tossed in a tangy spicy clear sauce, this one wasn't aromatic or even noticeable. Big fail, we both waved our score cards.
Dish after dish we ordered was met with dissapointment. None hit our G-spot of yummy food. Instead it was just a "so-so" reaction that had us plodding through the food. Vietnamese pork ribs noodles (RM7 for small, available on weekends) were home tasting with its carrots that brought in the sweetness but it tasted so ordinary. Our Vietnamese rolls (RM4.50 for 5 pieces), wrapped in the white netting and deep fried till crisp had minced pork with chopped vegetables but eaten on its own, it was tasteless. Instead we had to liberally dip each crispy roll with the sourish garlic and chilli dip on the side.
One thing that did get our ears all pricked up...was literally the braised pork ears (RM7). Beautifully tender, we lapped it all up with the pork belly and stomach that came in a slightly sweet sauce. On the other spectrum is the free range chicken (RM6) version, a braised dish laden with lemongrass to give it aroma. That got a ho-hum impression from us.
Vietnamese coffee (RM3) served cold and hot are also available here. Believe me, you need that strong taste of caffeine as this place uses MSG liberally in their food that had me feeling thirsty the whole afternoon.
Would I return back again, you ask?
I somewhat think not unless I happen to be in the neighbourhood and I am craving for braised pig ears or the trotters with the hard boiled egg that was rather good in my first visit. Sadly, this Vietnamese food has been so diluted that it no longer bears much resemblance to the real deal. I think I better just stick to Pho Hoa for the genuine article in the future. And for those who love Vietnamese food, do throw out your ideas on where I can get good pho as I'm desperately seeking it like Susan in the movie.
Restoran Kah Hing
Jalan 6/38D
Taman Sri Sinar
Segambut
(Non Halal. Place opens from morning to afternoon. Night time has a tai chow serving fried noodles at the same shoplot. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
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Discover China (Full Color Country Travel Guide)
'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other'. New York TimesInteractive and inspiring, Discover China highlights all the must-see sights and must-do experiences through stunning images, insider tips, tailored itineraries and easy-to-navigate content. Discover China is the ideal tool for planning and experiencing your perfect trip.Our experienced, passionate team of authors and local experts immerse themselves in each country they visit, finding and sharing the unique experiences, and practical and honest advice, so you come away informed and amazed.Inside Discover China:• Full color maps and images throughout • Country, region and city maps • Itineraries organized by region, theme or length of trip • Recommended points-of-interest – covering eating, sleeping, going out, shopping, activities and attractions• Local experts recommend what not-to-miss • Map-to-text linking for key points of interest • Additional map options including google maps (online) and PDF map downloadsWritten and researched by Damian Harper, Piera Chen, Chung Wah Chow, David Eimer, Daisy Harper, Robert Kelly, Michael Kohn, Shawn Low, Bradley Mayhew, Daniel McCrohan and Christopher Pitts.'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other'. New York TimesInteractive and inspiring, Discover China highlights all the must-see sights and must-do experiences through stunning images, insider tips, tailored itineraries and easy-to-navigate content. Discover China is the ideal tool for planning and experiencing your perfect trip.Our experienced, passionate team of authors and local experts immerse themselves in each country they visit, finding and sharing the unique experiences, and practical and honest advice, so you come away informed and amazed.Inside Discover China:• Full color maps and images throughout • Country, region and city maps • Itineraries organized by region, theme or length of trip • Recommended points-of-interest – covering eating, sleeping, going out, shopping, activities and at! traction s• Local experts recommend what not-to-miss • Map-to-text linking for key points of interest • Additional map options including google maps (online) and PDF map downloadsWritten and researched by Damian Harper, Piera Chen, Chung Wah Chow, David Eimer, Daisy Harper, Robert Kelly, Michael Kohn, Shawn Low, Bradley Mayhew, Daniel McCrohan and Christopher Pitts.
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