What Makes Vietnam and Cambodia Travel so Appealing?
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
When booking the holiday of a lifetime, have you considered looking beyond Europe for an exciting destination? Discount flights have made travelling longer distances more feasible; a fact proven by the 2.7 million visitors who flew to Vietnam between January and October 2008. The General Statistics Office, responsible for the findings, also discovered that nearly 2.2 million of these travellers were tourists. So, what makes Far Eastern countries so appealing to holidaymakers?
Take Vietnam: local spas in Ho Chi Min City offer authentic relaxation treatments which are unheard of in the Western world, offering the perfect chance to unwind. Meanwhile, historians have the chance to view timeless artefacts which tell the tale of the Vietnamese war. As visitors to this bustling town would agree, nothing rivals exploring such attractions in person.
Cambodia also has attractions for all interests. Photographers and archaeologists will be amazed by the Angkor Archaeological Park, where ancient monuments set in lush, green forestry provide endless picture opportunities. The four entrances into the main temple allow visitors to take in the enormity of the building, the defining feature of Angkor's extensive grounds.
Vietnam and Cambodia travel is easy to combine in one holiday. Travelling between these two countries is made simple because of the strong transport links by road, the transport method chosen by 680,000 people during first ten months of 2008. When considered alongside cheap plane tickets between airports, and the chance to get around by sea, exploring this mountainous part of the world is less challenging than you would think.
The Far Eastern cuisine emulated in restaurants throughout the UK is incomparable to the home-cooked dishes seen in local kitchens. Vietnamese food caters to many tastes and requirements, with healthy eating having a strong presence in the country. With fruits and vegetables comprising the key ingredients to the nation's best-known recipes, it's easy to be indulgent without feeling guilty. Religious values also influence the foods commonly served, with seafood and meat dishes complemented by numerous vegetarian choices in keeping with the Buddhist faith.
If you dine in Cambodia, don't be daunted by the reference to 'Khmer' cuisine, this is the name of the country's language and you can therefore look forward to sampling some authentic local cuisine. Eating here after visiting a restaurant in Vietnam will make you draw similarities between the two, as both countries share many foods. Thailand's culinary background is comparable as well, but if aren't fond of the spicy taste of many Thai dishes, Cambodia's offerings will be better suited to your palate.
Cambodia and Vietnam holidays offer much more than new surroundings. That said, the Vietnam Tourism Board discovered in 2005 that 74 per cent of travellers found the landscape to be 'clean and beautiful'. Looking for a new place for escape is a no-brainer if you bring Far Eastern countries into consideration; they have great food, comfortable hotels and so many things to do.
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