The Marble Mountains: a revered site definitely worth a visit, in Da Nang, Vietnam

View from Marble Mountains

The marble mountains are a collection of 5 limestone mountains in Da Nang area, which is otherwise flat. These mountains are full of caves, and now these have been organized and made accessible. There’s a lift that goes to the first level (chargeable) , beyond which there are staircases to the various parts of the mountains.

There are 5 “karsts”- mountains- named after each of the 5 elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth. Over the years, Cham culture made the marble mountains a revered site in Vietnam, and several Vietnamese emperors also visited these mountains, giving it a special place in the culture of the country.

Huyen Khong Grotto

The highlights of the marble mountains are the caves, and the pagodas and temples hidden in thick foliage, and beautifully maintained as well. The largest cave that must be seen is after a long staircase, called Huyen Khong. 

This is a dramatically large cave, housing one huge buddha on a pedestal (see photo), and two smaller shrines on two sides. It’s a cool, quiet place. This cave at one time also housed the Vietnamese revolutionaries during that conflict, leading to bombing that left openings in the vast high roof (see photo).  The entrance is guarded by two warriors statues.

The other grotto is called Tang Chon, on water mountain, and which has a beautiful lady Buddha statue (see photo). Elsewhere on the marble mountains, there’s the beautiful Tam Thai Pagoda with a nice laughing buddha in the forecourt. 

The other nice temple not to be missed is the Linh Ung Pagoda (see photo). And down the walk from this Pagoda is the tall Xa Loi Tower, which has 200 Bodhisatva statues.

Just going around in this area gives peace of mind. Its quiet, wooded, and when we went, in December, drizzling and cool, though could become humid fairly quickly. 

The Marble mountains also have a lot of stonework shops around the base, with large statues of various deities and Lady Buddha.

The marble mountains are a must visit when in Da Nang. Quite easy to reach and can easily spend 2 hours there. Just time it right ( early morning or later towards evening). 

Lady Buddha

The marble mountains open at 7am (best time to visit) and close at 530pm. The entry fees are not too high- 40,000 Dong, and 15,000 Dong for the lift (about INR 186 per head).We reached about 3pm and left at 530pm, and went off to Hoi Ann the same evening.

The Thang Long Water Puppet Show- Unique highlight of Hanoi, Vietnam

The water puppets

One of the unique places in Hanoi is the Thang Long Water Puppet show, near the old quarter, which holds a record for the longest running such show in Asia- all 365 days for years on end.  Water puppetry is very old – 11^th century onwards and was practiced by the farmers of the Red River of North Vietnam.

The interesting thing is that these are puppets on the water surface , handled by their artists behind a screen. The official website describes it the best, “The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large bamboo rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water.”  

The shows- around 6 separate subparts- depict Vietnamese culture, wet rice agriculture and farmers’ daily life, accompanied by music – vocal and instrumental. It’s quite a show, one that you couldn’t find anywhere else- not water puppetry at least. For more on the show, visit https://thanglongwaterpuppet.com/ .

One of the water puppet dances

Tickets sold out quickly, and we were lucky to get three right in the front row. Sometimes though, because its tank and the front page is level with the water surface, seats in the third/ fourth row may afford a clearer view. The ticket prices are different per row. Our front row tickets cost 200,000.

The artists taking a bow at the end of the show

There are a lot of tourists coming to see these shows, so its best if you book it early. They have online as well, but we booked early, then strolled around the market and cafes and then went in for the 7pm show.Vietnamese Dong (about INR 672 per head). Other rows are VND 150,000 and VND 100,000.  

Music accompaniment 

 The show is about 1 hour but all shows are in Vietnamese language, which is odd, if they proudly announce that over 40 nationalities come to see these shows. Perhaps a background screen describing the shows would add to the charm and enjoyment. Nevertheless, don’t miss this show when in Hanoi!

The Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh- Hanoi, Vietnam

In Hanoi, one of the places to visit is the mausoleum to Ho Chi Minh, the leader of Vietnam who led the North and later unified the country at the end of the Vietnam conflict (which the local Vietnamese call the American war).

The mausoleum is set in a large area, but we couldn’t see it the day we were in Hanoi as a parade was underway and the area was cordoned off. Still, the streets, houses and areas around it were nice to walk about, giving a great feel of the culture, architecture and history of the city of Hanoi. For Indians, the whole area would look very familiar, as it looks quite like Delhi in many ways.

Da Nang- historic center of Vietnam

Beach front , Da Nang , Dec 2022

Our next stop from Hanoi, a 1 hour flight from HaNoi , was Da Nang. This is a beach side city in the center of Vietnam, with a distinctly different weather than Hanoi, which is the far north, and has a distinctly colder feel to it. That said, Da Nang is the closest an Indian can get to Goa in Vietnam. The beach is long and wide and clean, bordered by a road like Marine Drive of Mumbai, and beyond which the skyscraper hotels have sprung up.

Our hotel was in one of those series, the Radisson blu. There’s the option of staying near the beach, or near the river with a view of the Dragon Bridge. We chose the beach.

Da Nang is famous for the Hue-Da Nang campaign, when the PAVN (People’s army of Vietnam/ North Vietnam) attacked these two cities and area to take them over on March 5, 1975. The campaign ended with a victory for PAVN by April 2, 1975. Another slice of history is that on March 8, 1965, units of the US army landed at Da Nang ostensibly to defend the airbase there, but that marked the start of active US involvement in the Vietnam conflict.

That was of course part of the history of Vietnam. Today, Da Nang is a modern city, with all the trappings thereof. It’s the largest city in central Vietnam, and a big port and commercial center.

Da Nang, looking out at the Lady Buddha ,
Linh Ung Pagoda, Son Tra Peninsula

You visit Da Nang for several attractions. Hue, the ancient imperial capital of Vietnam (1802-1945), lies about 90 km to the north of Da Nang, and it’s a nice day trip clubbed with the Tomb of  Khai Din and the Thien Mu Pagdoa. (each will be covered in subsequent posts).

Another attraction is Hoi Ann, a very beautiful and well-preserved ancient village is about 20km to the south. Another attraction, which we decided not to visit, is the Ba Na hills, which is a large amusement park reached by two cable car journeys, and at which you can walk on the famous “Golden Bridge”, so often shown when you look for Da Nang.

A great attraction not to be missed are the Marble Mountains, a series of 3 mountains in an area which otherwise is flat. These are several caves and temples which are inside the mountains, reached by a series of staircases. Nice place to take a stroll around and see the surroundings.

The Dragon Bridge, Da Nang

Along the way south to Hoi Ann, you can see a series of empty shells of hotels and casinos which were started to cash in on the tourism boom planned but got derailed in the covid years. When we visited this area in December 2022, there was a whole series of hotels under construction and incomplete.

The Dragon Bridge is another sight, a bridge in the shape of a dragon. Every night at 9pm there's a fire works and light show which attracts large crowds. You can see it from the road, or from a boat ( for a price). Its a well marketed attraction, like Hoi Ann and The Golden Bridge. But an undiscovered gem still remains Hue and its surrounding areas. Dont miss it when in Da Nang. 

Half and half make more than one!- Vietnam travel

An interesting aspect we noticed in Hanoi. We went for lunch at a Japanese restaurant in the Lotte Center in Hanoi; mostly pizzas are shared , or by slice ( there was an exception to this that we got in Switzerland- but later on that). This time, there was an option to make a full dish with two half pizza of different types. That was good - allowed us to try two options in one dish! Wish more restaurants do this. 

As far as the Switzerland issue goes, in Zermatt, the restaurant near the railway station made a pointed statement to us " no sharing". That may be the culture there, we don't know, as we wouldn't be there long enough, but that left a rough edge to an otherwise nice trip. 

The saddest part is the service charge of Euro 2 for serving tap water. On inquiry, we were told that it costs that much for the server to serve the water, which is essentially free from the tap (and not bottled which I understand would have a cost). This is such a contrast from India, which is supposed to be a poor country, where even the smallest restaurant or roadside eatery will serve water glasses for free. Something to understand, when we tend to play down India or play up the first world! 

Tran Quoc Pagoda - Hanoi , Vietnam: Beautiful and peaceful.

Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hanoi 

The Tran Quoc Pagoda is one of the oldest ones in Vietnam, today placed on a small peninsula on the lake called West Lake. 

This Pagoda was made around 541 AD- that makes it over 1500 years old, and witness to many of Vietnam’s cultural and evolutionary landmarks.

Tran Quoc Pagoda was originally on the banks of the Red River, but was moved to this place after the dyke there collapsed. The words Tran Quoc means “national defense” – clearly the hope was that this pagoda would protect the people and bring happiness and peace to the people of Vietnam.

Buddha statues on very floor

The most interesting part of this heritage site is the 11-story pagoda, a red-brown stupa structure that you can’t miss. Each floor has distinct Buddha statues. People place offerings, much like we do in India, for blessings.

There are also several other places worth seeing here. One of the incenses burning house, where visitors can burn incense for health and good luck. The Stele House houses poetry of scholars of old. And of course, don’t miss the Bodhi Tree, which was a gift from the late President of India, Rajendra Prasad when he visited Vietnam in 1959. It is said to be extracted from the Bodh Gaya tree, and today it’s a nice peaceful site.

Overall, this is a nice place to visit. ( no entry fee). It’s calm and peaceful (on most days), and its easy to reach from the city; we took an uber back to the Tha Long Water Puppet show from here.

For more pictures of Tran Quoc, and our Vietnam trip, please visit my instagram handle (sjbaxi). 

A day trip in Ha Long Bay– Vietnam Travel

Islands in Ha Long Bay

Once on the waters of Ha Long Bay, it was a great day. The knifing cold wind notwithstanding, the voyage on the boat was nice. Although it was grey day in winter, it was sufficiently clear to see the green waters. On a clear summer day, the water would have really been a magnificent shade of green.

Typically, a day cruise covers Ti Top Island, Tunnel cave and Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave, before heading back to Tuan Chau marina, from where all cruises start. 

There’s lunch on the boat, which we found quite good in its quality and variety, especially the vegetarian dishes (rice, noodles, dimsum).

The famous "kissing Rocks" 

Ti Top Island

Ti Top Island is a sort of staging point on the cruise. It was so named because of a visit by a USSR cosmonaut Gherman Titov back in 1962, but otherwise earlier it was named after sailors who had perished in a shipwreck in the Ha Long Bay in 1905. The statue on the island is of Gherman Titov. 

Ti Top Island

The island is steep wooded on one side and a slope going down to a beach on the other side. This seems to be man-made beach (quite neat and clean) nice enough for a swim if you planned for it; else you could climb the many steps to the top of the island and have a look around the bay. We climbed halfway to a stage, and got a view, but most people take a quick walk up. Takes about 20 minutes, but we weren’t the heavy outdoorsy type. 

People were also kayaking, and we understand you could also do some paragliding- check with your cruise operator, or the people on the island. 

Luon Cave entrance 

There’s a smallish restaurant and a rooftop where you could lounge around as well. The bathrooms were clean enough- just don’t expect 5-star cleanliness as there are simply too many visitors to the island.

Beach on Ti Top Island

Luon Cave

Leaving Ti Top, the next stop is an island formation with a secluded cove called Luon Cave, reachable thru a tunnel that’s got carved in the side of the island. You get transferred to a smaller boat which takes you into the tunnel and into the cove inside the island. 

A short scenic ride in a small boat with travelers wearing life vests. You could kayak thru the cave as well. This cave entrance must have been carved by years of erosion from the sea (see the photos).All in all, quite a neat nice excursion.

Sung Sot Island - Surprise Cave

This was the really surprising part of the trip. From outside, its just one of the many islands in Ha Long bay, but climb up on the steps and enter the cave, and its gigantic within. Its apparently called Surprise cave because the French who discovered it were surprised by the sheer size and scale of it. In the local language, its called Sung Sot Cave. 

The soaring ceiling of "Surprise Cave" 

The steps are many, and go thru the grotto and up and down thru the mountain, finally descending to sea level after about a half hour walk. Its not very easy, but there are more steps than slopes, so those with knee or heart issues may well be advised to skip this part.

But important notice! The boat that brings you to the Sung Sot cave does not wait there- it leaves after dropping off the passengers and goes to the other side of the island where the exit of the cave is. So if you don’t want to visit the cave, do NOT leave the boat! The cruise operator does tell you this, but many people miss it. Be careful!

It’s a very huge place with water streams, green- and brown-coloured stones and pathways and a lot of Stalactites (caused by water dripping from the roof of the grotto). Theres also many stalagmites there, as the water keeps dripping onto a place and the minerals harden over time. Makes for dramatic landscapes and arches all over, highlighted by strategically placed lights.

Stalactites in "Surprise Cave" 

Its worth a quick walk thru, if your health permits. Do note: you must be aware that this part of the trip can be difficult if have ailments.

There are other tours also- some with overnight stay on the cruise ships; some on hotels on the mainland, and some with more activities. But the one we took was just right without getting tiresome or boring. 

View from the exit of "Surprise Cave"

Of course, the weather was great, and that helped. The tour organization was perfectly fine as well, with good buses, ships and food. 

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam travel : how to reach

We took a one-day trip to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi on December 28 2022.

Ha Long Bay is a world UNESCO heritage site since 1994. Its about 2.5 hours by road from Hanoi, and is most of the most popular day trips. Its most famous for its many islands (over 1100)-  rugged, rocky and heavily wooded; the water really is emerald green (we thought this was just hyperbole, but it really was!) and there are some spectacular caves on some islands. Ha Long (which means the ‘descending dragon’) has become the symbol, the most recognized natural formation for Vietnam and with good reason! Over the years tourism has steadily increased here, and now the logistics seem well settled.

There are several options, from private buses to tours. Most visitors do a day trip but there are now hotels and cruise ships on which you can stay overnight as well, but expensive. We left our hotel Tirant in the old quarter around 845amm and returned to the hotel around 9 pm the same day. This was December 2022, and it was decently cold on the water- that’s a tip- wrap up warmly! Ha Long bay in December can have cold winds and mist like any European winter! 

Most options cost US$ 55-65 per head in December 2022 (please check latest prices); the one we finally booked was US$ 60 per head. 

Our tour operator, booked via Viator, was VietnamTonkin Travel and Cruises. The bus was quite nice and we were quite impressed with the organization of the trip- the coordinator Mr Trinh Tran was in good touch with us thru whatsapp (which seems the preferred method of communication in Vietnam). As expected, the bus stops at a oyster/ pearl shop and set up on the way for a quick break. The marina to Ha Long bay is quite like an airport terminal with a few shops and counters. The transfer from bus to boat at Ha Long bay shore was quite smooth, and the boat itself was clean and neat. But the most surprising part was the included food. It was quite good- simple, tasty and had good vegetarian options as well (noodles, rice, dimsum, and  local wine / beer/ soft drinks).

Everything was on time, and quite enjoyable. More surprising ( to Indians at least), which also shows how little visitors know about Vietnam, was the good quality of the roads from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay. Could be specially made for the tourist trade, but it was smooth and painless. There were no constant start-stop / grinding gear changes that are so common in India. 

Full details of the visit in next posting! 

All in all, good day trip and worth the effort and money.

The coffee of Vietnam – Iced coffee, egg coffee and the cafes!

Giang Cafe, Hanoi 

Vietnam is famous for its various types of coffee, and the country has successfully cultivated the industry and imagery for a connoisseur of coffee. This is in spite of the fact that Vietnamese coffee we found tended to be more bitter and dense than the usual, and quite often was a cultivated taste. However, there’s a lot of variety in it, and its become quite well accepted. Accordingly, we also decided to take a “coffee run” in Hanoi to see what it was all about.

The most prominent brand that we saw everywhere was actually Highlands coffee, similar to Café Coffee Day in India, or like Starbucks. It has its own coffee farms and brands, and runs cafés, which we found practically where in Vietnamese cities, like Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

Iced Coffee, Hanoi 

Egg Coffee, Giang Cafe

There were a few things right off the bat. First was the egg coffee, which we tried at Giang Coffee (see picture). This is an old place, on the first floor and not very attractive at first look- full of stools and low tables and nooks and crannies, but it was well frequented and did not give any negative vibes. Its also in the old quarter and is famous for the thick coffee with egg yolk, Robusta Beans, condensed milk and sugar. A thick concoction (see photo). It’s a cultivated taste, for sure. And unique- a good experience.

The other thing was the Vietnamese iced coffee which we had at a place called Kafa (see photo). This is made by letting coffee drip thru a filter into a glass of condensed milk and ice ,and the flavours of condensed milk and bitter coffee make for a unique brew! This is widely available as well.

Our coffee run went from The Giang, to Highlands ( near the Tha Long Water Puppet theatre) , to Kafa and Trung, typical Hanoi places around the old quarter. Not many tourists when we were there but a lot of young people. Good cool vibes around the place.

When in Vietnam, don’t forget to try the coffee. It is a different taste and style than what we see perhaps in India or western countries, and which has now become a USP for Vietnam itself.

Hotel Review: The Tirant, Hanoi - Good hotel in a great location

The Tirant Hotel (pronounced "Tai-Rang") in the Gia Ngu Street,
also came recommended thru Club7Holidays. It was in the old quarter, very close to the Water Puppet show Theatre and right in the center of shops and coffee cafes, for which Hanoi is famous.

From the outside, the hotel and its sister hotel (Rex) are cheek and jowl with other buildings and a host of cars and retailers all around. Looks very much like Mumbai or Delhi, especially Delhi with its buildings with common walls everywhere between residences. But that’s the charm of many of these cities in Asia- so alive and vibrant, so tightly integrated and inter dependent. Very familiar to most Asians (especially Indians) and very exotic for the western world.

The lobby 

The Tirant was well done up inside. Quick check-in and well-appointed  room ( though it was a bit tight for three beds), but that wasn’t a major issue. The bathroom was quite large after the one in Siem Reap, and overall, it was a slick, modern hotel -quite surprising to many if they form an opinion of the surroundings of the hotel.

Breakfast was, as we had come to expect in Indochina, not very hep- but much better in its mix ( noodles / eggs/ breads etc). Its too much to expect completely standardized food but a judicious mix of International and local would be expected and welcome.  As good, seasoned travelers, we did carry our own food when the local cuisines got a tad too much, but that’s a personal preference.

Double room with extra bed

There were some key aspects we liked our choice finally. One, it was in the heart of the old quarter, the really original Hanoi, which we tend to see in all the pictures of the city. Full of souvenir shops at every corner. Two, very close to the Ho Hoan Kiem (lake) with its Confucius temple with a leafy nice walkway around it; three, walking distance from the Tha Long Water Puppet Theatre, of the really unique highlights of Hanoi ( more on these later), and four, absolute walking distances from several coffee cafes- Highlands, Giang for its egg coffee, The Note, Trung Coffee, Kafa, a hole in the wall cafe, and Timeline Coffee. There are many others. Vietnam is famous for its variety of coffee. Fifth, all buses for Ha Long Bay pass by this hotel and pick up / drop off within 100 meters of the hotel door. Uber is easily found, and they know the hotel as well. And of course, should you need Vietnamese Dong, there’s one of the many money changers right opposite the door of the hotel.

Clearly, this area -the old quarter has started getting“touristified” but its up to the visitor to be curious and absorb the culture and sensations. 

The Hanoi skyline

If you stay there, don’t forget to visit the rooftop restaurant. Beautiful airy place, with great views of Hanoi all around (see pictures). Unfortunately, it was simply too cold and windy in December to enjoy the outdoors, but it was nice nevertheless.

View from Tirant roof top of lake 

All said and done, The Tirant was a good choice, great location and for the brief 2 days we were in Hanoi, very enjoyable. 

Airline Flight Review: Vietnam Airlines - Siem Reap to Hanoi

The bridges into Hanoi 

We flew from Siem Reap (at the at time, the old airport , nice, small and neat, and close by from the city) to Hanoi in the evening flight of Vietnam Airlines ( 1950 hours) It was on time, and we landed Hanoi about 2 hours later in a coldish evening ( 2145 hours). 

The aircraft was clean and neat, with the airline coloured seats. Good enough flight. And the timing is such that you get almost the whole day in Siem Reap for sightseeing before you need to head to the airport around 430pm.  While this particular flight was fine, later on in Vietnam, we did have some delays, but nothing that disrupted the plans too much.

Hotel Review: Amber Angkor Hotel & Spa, Siem Reap, Cambodia

We were recommended The Amber Angkor Hotel and Spa by our long-time travel consultant Club7 Holidays. There were plenty of other options, across the city, but we finally settled on this one. It turned out to be a good choice. It was right in the centre of town, a little set back from the road and just near the Wat Bo (temple), and near to the night market, a short tuk tuk ride away.

The hotel itself is quite large, which isn’t immediately visible when seen from the road. Spacious ground floor and a simple enough lift. We had a triple room, which was quite roomy, though the bathroom was a little on the cramped side, but quite ok. The single room we saw was neat but small. You may be hard pressed to put too many bags. 

The one thing I always dislike in hotels is that one needs to climb into and out of bathtubs for bath. That’s not a good idea for older people, or for that matter, any people in wet areas. Fundamentally, I don’t even know how many people really use bathtubs in hotels! But presumably, a lot do, as I have seen bathtubs in hotel bathrooms across the world. Would this be considered a water wastage?

The restaurant was simple and roomy, but the breakfast quality left much to be desired. It simply wasn’t good enough quality, and variety. It gave the impression that a majority of the guests were usually SE Asian or locals- and even the few locals we saw didn’t look very pleased either. This is one area this otherwise nice hotel needs to drastically improve. The quality of breakfast we had in Helsinki, for example, was top notch- prices were more or less the same ( Cambodia is not a cheap destination contrary to beliefs that Asia is cheap).  

Water dispensers are on the ground floor, and you need to go fill bottles yourself. Nothing unusual in this. The rear area that backs onto the Wat Bo road has the swimming pool, quite nice and well frequented. 

The best part was Daniel, the manager of this hotel. Quick, efficient and polite, he arranged all the taxis and tuk tuk that we hired during the stay. His replies on email before we arrived were also comprehensive enough ( he in fact told us in detail of the small circle and grand circle tours, and arranged the taxi and guide as well). Eased any concerns we had quite bit and other wise made the trip far more enjoyable. On the last day in fact, we had to check out by 11am but our flight to Hanoi was around 7pm- Daniel was kind enough to arrange a single room for us to rest in.

All in all, a good stay- recommended as on December 2022. Readers need to go thru the latest reviews and take their own decision.

The Bayon Temple : Enigmatic and dramatic centre piece of a vanished empire

 

The Bayon temple , Angkor 

The Bayon Temple sits at the center of the city of Angkor Thom and is every bit as impressive as Angkor Wat.  This is a must visit site when travel to Angkor. Its part of the Angkor Thom complex, which as I had mentioned in an earlier post, is the fortified city , and holds several of the main temples of the Angkor. This temple is part of the "small circle" tour. 

Do note that Angkor Wat, the main temple of the Khmer empire, is actually outside the walls of Angkor Thom. This city is itself surrouded by a moat, and crossed by five gates ( the gates of the victorious and and the gate of the dead are part of these five). 

This Bayon temple is famous for many reasons. Firstly, there is no clear knowledge as to why it’s called “Bayon”. The French explorers apparently heard this name from the locals in the early 20^th century when the discovery of Angkor was underway. Literature suggests it could mean “pedestal for sacred statues” ( https://smarthistory.org/bayon-temple-angkor-thom/).

The temple is built on three levels, to represent Mt Meru, There certainly are many “faces” in the temple, all show enigmatic smiles. These face-towers are on the inner most, or third level of the temple, and today only 37 out of the original 49 face-towers apparently exist (as heard from the guide). These faces, with eyes open, elaborate head dress, and broad smiles, could well represent The Buddha, or Brahma, and remain the source of much debate and discussion even today. Be that as it may, this is a sight to see. Really massive, and intricate.

It’s also generally considered one of the only Buddhist temples in Angkor, which was a Hindu site, and one the largest and last temples to be made. It was the centre piece of the royalty, the state temple as it were.  By the 12^th century, the prevailing religious belief was Buddhism ( King Javavarman VII), around which time this temple could have been completed.

Its walls depict many of the daily lives of Cambodia/ Khmer in the 12^th and 13^th centuries as well as depictions of the Angkor wars with the Chams.

Overall, this site inspires awe and reverence for the scale, and skill of the builders. A glimpse into the distant past. This temple is over 1000 years old. We must appreciate the time frame. Much of what we see, experience and use today did not exist when this monumental temple was already at its peak!

Cambodia has had a dark history in the 1970s-1980s, with the Khmer Rouge running amok in the country. 

The Killing well, Wat Thmey

One of the sites of their outrages is near Siem Reap , now an active Pagoda site, called Wat Thmey. This is a small museum just on the outskirts of Siem Reap, which one may visit for an understanding of this dark era. 

This place is also sometimes referred to as " the killing fields" in literature. The skulls and bones of the people who died here are displayed. Its a somber site, and we hope such atrocities never happen again anywhere. 

The larger Cambodia Landmine museum with the war materials and all is a bit further away and we didn't visit that. 

Business of Tourism : Extent of tourism in numbers - the T/P Ratio

Overtourism is the current rage in the travel, tourism, government and social circles. There are cities being overwhelmed by visitors in particular months and empty in others; there are protests and water being squirted over tourists ( which is sad because tourists cant be blamed for local policies that enable them to arrive!).

That said , I thought it would be interesting to gauge from numbers exactly how bad is the problem of over tourism. I compiled a few numbers (see table) from various sources - the Ministry of Tourism India (2022 data) , UN tourism site, Euromonitor, Statista, ET, TOI, The Guardian, CNN and a few others). 

The "T/P ratio" is essentially simply Tourist- to- Population ratio. Just my way to grasp the scale of the issue. 

Not surprisingly, western Europe has some T/P  ratios that could be called alarming. The point here is that not all these millions are leisure travelers. Quite a large component will be business arrivals too. Still, the numbers are huge in already huge cities. Istanbul, for example, gets 25% more visitors thru its gates in a year than its resident population. London, nearly 2x, and Barcelona, the current hot topic, 37 % more than its population. These are serious enough "overruns" to stress out people, resources like water and sanitation, as well as transport. ( populations are measured differently in different cities - some take in only metro city areas; some the wider metro area including suburbs, but the core purpose of the analysis remains good). 

numbers in millions.
Sources: Euromonitor, Statista,
WTTO, UN Tourism Dashboard, media reports,
TOI, ET, Guardian, CNN

India : big on population, low on tourism

Ironically, in the second half of the table, you can see how under-developed India is on the tourism scale. India gets less than 1.7% of global tourism, and its FTA (Foreign Tourist Arrivals) are about 9 mn. Basically, the whole, huge subcontinent of India , one of the oldest and most diverse cultures on Earth, gets less tourist arrivals than any one of the cities in the table! 

India has tremendous potential for tourism - both domestic and international. There are some clear concerns, but they pertain to infrastructure, costs, general perception of safety, and that India is destination by itself requiring much time and planning). 

There's essentially no concern on overtourism for India! As it is, Indian cities are densely populated. A few million more may not even be noticed! 

Business of Tourism: Rising costs doesn't deter Indian tourists to Europe

Further to the discussion on if entry fees are an effective barrier to slow or stop tourism, take a look at the numbers from India to Europe, the most preferred destination for Indians.  

Source: schnegenvisainfo.com / TOI/ HT/ 
https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/

Take a look at the data for Schengen visas issued to Indian citizens (see table 1).  

There are three interesting data points here.

First, there was a smart recovery from the low of the pandemic years (2020-2022) and it really shot up post 2022.  

Second, in the same duration. the Schengen visa fee rose from Euro 60 to 80 per head and is today, in 2024, euro 90. Every three years or so, the EU revises this fee. The latest revision was effective June 2024. 

Third, check out the rejections. There was a smart spike in the rejection % as well. India now is the third most rejected country from European visas. There is no refund for rejections (I think that's unform for all countries, even India). The key data point is- how much Indians lost to rejections. In 2023, it was about Euro 12 mn  against about Euro 10mn in 2022. 

So, what does it look like, in money terms? See table 2 below. 

Table 2: 

Source: schnegenvisainfo.com / TOI/ HT/ 
https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/

So, this clearly shows the price inelasticity for Schengen visas in India. Expect this price to cross Euro 100 by 2026, possibly. The point is, increasing price barriers - visa fees / hotel taxes / entry fees/ fines only cause the demand table to readjust to a higher cost level and go on as usual. Dips if any, will be limited and short. 

So how do you slow down over tourism? I believe more long-term damage to image and attractiveness of a destination will be done by singling out genuine tourists with embarrassment, financial losses, or violence (actual or threatened), like we saw in Barcelona. The latent hostility is even more concerning. Many people will pause a bit, and wonder.  Should I spend my money in a place that's clearly hostile? Or at the very least, disdainfully tolerates me for my money? 

Tricky, knotty issue, it sure is! 

Business of Tourism : What enables over tourism?

Over tourism remains a topic of great debate. in an earlier post, I tried to understand what could be done about it (taxes, phase out, new destinations and so on) .  Here, I wanted to explore another closely related issue : permissions and approvals.

Its easy and convenient to say tourists mess up , clog up and in general ruin the place.  That in itself is a broad generalization and not always true. 

But how and what enabled so many to visit so many areas for so many days? 

Some key factors: local authorities, logistics and prosperity.  

To start with, isn't it local authorities ( municipalities, state governments and national ministries) who allow the proliferation of short stay apartments? 

How does a tourist enable / force / cause flats or apartments to be converted into short stay tourism accommodation without active support,  frame work and planning by landlords and city authorities? 

Does a tourist have any say in housing or zoning or public transport policies of the destination? Clearly, no. 

In all the arguments raging across media, I don't find much debate on the role of authorities in allowing the shift of housing for locals into short stay for tourists (Barcelona did say they would ban all short stays, but after 4 years).  They welcomed the money that came in ( both local landlords who rented out and governments who got taxes and income).  

But perhaps it went overboard?

No one fault can be pinpointed here - it is the responsibility of authorities to grow their economies, and they simply used one economic lever. But then to turn around and blame transient visitors  almost entirely for this problem is a bit rich. Local protestors would be aware of this. Surely they would be asking hard questions of their administrators. 

The other enabler is of course, logistics or access. The expansion of low cost airlines suddenly opened up new destinations otherwise out of budget. Here again, landing / docking rights are the economic assets of the destination-its entirely there prerogative to control them. The tricky balance is to get more money in, without messing up the works- economic, cultural, business. 

The third enabler is the growing prosperity of the middle classes elsewhere in the world that puts more money and enables them to travel, supported by vastly expanded air, sea and road links. In India, at least, foreign travel is no longer a luxury, The moment the young people have excess funds and/ time, they will travel. Its just part of being the new Global Indian culture and imagery that has crystalized over the past decade. And India isnt even the largest source markets for many tourism-troubled destinations- not yet. 

Just look at India only (not even that other big source market - China) . 1400 mn people- of which the middle class would be 500mn. To put that into perspective- that would be more than the population of Scandinavia and most European countries, and quite big chunks of S/ S E Asia as well! Even if 10% of these 500mn are able to travel, that's 50mn. Europe holds the pride of place for every Indian- and even within Europe, certain destinations are always top of the list- Switzerland, UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy for sure, Next layer for the more discerning would be eastern and central Europe, and for the jaded Indian, Scandinavia/ Iceland. 

Another interesting aspect is FOMO - the fear of missing out in travel and tourism. Just consider India again. With 65% of its population below 30 years and infrastructure still shoddy for tourism, the longing for the "first world lifestyle" means that a whole mass of people are traveling- and putting on social media that " they made it" . That perfect insta photo/ that perfect facebook post. It all adds to the allure of travel. Its a good thing in many ways for Indians - exposure, style, perspective, confidence. But only if done correctly.

The fourth enabler I would say are the investments into the tourism infrastructure by a lot of players, from hotels, to transport, to F&B and governments. The rapid expansion of chain hotels and Air B&B stays opened up vast accommodation options and allowed more stays for longer. Its a matter of another debate if hotels are better for a city or short stay rentals. Hotels are usually more expensive but offer a control point for the destination. 

In sum, it was a perfect conjunction of circumstances and enablers that drove excessive tourism numbers. There are hard solutions in hand, and some soft, long term. But perhaps the travel industry will find its right, if an uneasy and flexible, balance sooner than later! 

Business of Tourism: Over Tourism causes consternation, concern and chaos

There's a lot of debate and discussion on " over-tourism" these days, on the Internet, print and social media. 

Its a complex subject. On one hand, tourism brings in much needed funds into local economies, helping for services and maintenance, allowing governments to subsidize citizens costs. Clearly, London's museums couldn't be free if the city didn't get so many visitors ( Or may be called "spenders'). Likewise, the big gems of tourism- Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam or Venice, Athens in Europe amongst others. But for every city overrun in Europe, there are tons of others in Asia, the USA and Africa who would love to have (even if temporarily!) the tourism dollars. 

Tourism injects life, vigour, a virtuous investment cycle, jobs, general good feeling, and yes, often times, is a strategic tool in the political or economic arsenal. 

But there are definitely downsides. Too much of a good thing can be a problem. 

Over tourism I believe generally kicks in when local culture, life patterns and services begin to change or bend to the needs and demands of a transient population which attains critical mass to actually cause these changes, and infrastructure ominously breaches the limits it was designed for faster than can be replaced or enhanced. When the local citizen finds no seat on his own city's trams or buses ( as we saw several times across Europe). Or when the local restaurants change menus to accommodate global tastes rather than offer local cuisine, when standardization rather than uniqueness becomes rampant. 

I don't come from a city or nation which suffers from any sort of over tourism, but we actually suffer from "over- population" which , if you think of it, is the same issue as over tourism- and you cant even ban airlines or cruise ships- its there, permanently, every time, every day.  In fact, Indians I believe generally visit the "first world" to experience less crowding, clean air, weather, superb infrastructure and cleanliness! 

While over tourism and over crowding are two sides of the same coin, the approaches and solutions have to be very different.  

Discussing over tourism solutions this time : 

1. Marketing can be used to phase out visits. Not always possible because of weather and vacations. 

2. Entry barriers - visa issuances can be controlled. Easiest method, but could have political and economic repercussions. 

3. Cost barriers- simply make it more expensive, which would filter out the marginal, low and budget categories, but that could be seen as unfriendly, and discriminatory (which it could well be). Cost barriers could be higher taxes, expensive room rates, differential public transport and entrance fees (which does create resentment). It could well be the entrance fees like Venice tried ( But travelers simply adjust mentally to a higher cost plane and kept coming). 

4. Open new areas : could spread the numbers across the land, but presumably, could get overwhelmed as well - necessitating newer areas every few years. Not easy. 

5. Other destinations develop- this could well cause diversion of tourism permanently and cause economic damage. This has started in Vietnam and Cambodia, which have started taking in more Indians diverting from Thailand and Singapore. (When destinations within India develop, that will also divert some tourism- but the sheer numbers of Indians means this is not a worry for Europe, USA , Singapore or UAE and others anytime soon!) 

Just some ideas but no quick solutions. As the massive middle classes of India , China and Asia in general prosper, they will travel. Its a human need. But the numbers can, and will, overwhelm. Destinations need to deal with it. 

I intend to analyze interconnected, historical and economic issues related to tourism and travel going ahead- watch this space.