Jill Higson is a guest who traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia with Journeys Within over the holidays (you can see her itinerary here) and has blogged about her experiences to share with family, friends and future visitors. Here she takes a look at the more spiritual side of Southeast Asia…
Related Posts
During my visit, it was definitely the high season at the major sites in both Vietnam and Cambodia. I shared the key photo opportunities with other travelers and even joined some thanks to the boys from South Korea at my favorite temple, Ta Prohm! Even with so many people, I felt the spirit and peacefulness of the temples from sunrise to sunset.
I prayed, meditated, lit candles and was moved to tears, all while being in awe of the beauty and uniqueness of each city’s place of worship, its history and unique architecture.
I also visited incredible palaces and museums honoring Vietnam’s previous government leaders and royalty. They were huge, from the size and number of buildings to their landscape with amazing gardens to walk through. My time in Hanoi, Vietnam’s bustling capital, included a tour of the breath taking Ho Chi Mini Mausoleum and his house on stilts (he had an amazing car collection!) and pagodas including One Pillar and Tran Quoc Pagoda.
A surprise gem was a visit to the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum which provided a fascinating look at Vietnam’s artists and their influences with oil, silk, lacquer and folk paintings, along with Vietnamese artefacts and Buddhist statues. I took photos of every art piece that caught my eye which I had never done before. However, I was glad I did, as the gift shop did not offer a comprehensive coffee table book of the exhibitions (at least I got the oil on canvas art paintings post cards!)
Finally in Phnom Penh, the Royal Palace’s buildings were breathtaking even in the extreme heat. I enjoyed and was fascinated by the National Museum’s per-Angkorian and temple pieces, plus shrines to pray at throughout were special. It also had a lovely courtyard with lily ponds and a Buddhist statue which was perfect for further reflection and of course more photos!
Looks like an awesome trip!