THE HOLIDAY

Eóin Hurley interviews Eóin Hurley

Eóin Hurley on holiday

Who are you?

My name is Eóin Hurley and I am the Griffith Halls RA Residents Advisor). Some students may know me from working in the SU office part time.

Where did you go?

I flew into Ho Chi Minh City where I spent most my trip, however I also spent some time in Phnom Penh in Cambodia and also to Mūn né which is a beach town on the east coast of Vietnam.

How long was the flight?

22 hours with two stop overs in London and Doha. However I was flying with Qatar Airlines so I got free drinks the entire flight!!!

What was the reason for your trip?

Well I really wanted to get away after my exams and I have a friend who I met while working in Griffith who lives in Ho Chi Minh teaching English. So it made sense to go there as I’d have somewhere to stay and someone who knew what they were doing over there. Also, who wouldn’t want to go to Vietnam???

Eóin and his friend drinking pints

How would you describe the city you were in?

While being the biggest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh is not the capital. Think of it as the Glasgow of Vietnam! Ho Chi Minh really surprised me with how beautiful everything is —lots of flowers everywhere, restaurants and bars were just gorgeous! The city is very French influenced and you see it from the architecture to the food they eat. Best Pastries Ever!!!!!

How did Cambodia compare?

Cambodia was very cool to see however it was much dirtier and lass developed than Vietnam. You got to see alot more poverty which might kill some people’s buzz. On the bright side however, pints were 45 cent!!!! Take that Diceys!!!!!

I heard you ran into a little trouble while getting back from Cambodia?

Ughhhh, yes. We woke up there one morning to the news that the border was closing for the Chinese New Year for 5 days. We were told that if we didn’t get back to Vietnam that day we’d be trapped! All busses were full and flying wasn’t an option, however there was a man who said he would take us across the border by boat and even back to Ho Chi Minh! However, after about 10 hours on the boat it was revealed that he wasn’t taking us to Ho Chi Minh but rather some other random city we never heard of. Once we got off the boat, we were a bit worried about what we were going to do. Luckily, we found a bus that would take us back to Ho Chi Minh. Eight hours on a bus later, and it was home sweet home!

Eóin and his friend on a boat

Surely this was the worst part of your trip?

Actually not quite, and don’t call me Surely! On my last day we visited Saigon Zoo which is supposed to be one of the best zoos in Vietnam. However, while it was cool to see the animals, their living conditions were pretty bleak. The animals were stuffed into small spaces and seemed pretty distressed. That was probably the worst part.

What about the best part?

The best part was definitely Mūi né! It had nothing but long gorgeous beaches, cheap hostels and even cheaper bars. Hostels would usually charge about 3 USD a night but they were all amazing. They would almost all have their own bar and swimming pool while only being a few feet from the beach. We got pretty lazy while staying there, spend most the time asleep on a hammock or just walking along the never ending beach.

Is there any tours or excursions you went on that you’d recommend?

Oh lots. War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh was amazing, however I’d advise you mentally prepare yourself. Some of the things you’ll see can’t be unseen! We also visited the Cu Chi Tunnels which was in the jungles were alot of the war took place. The tunnels were tiny and used by the locals to hide from American soldiers. We also got to see the traps that were made and hidden in the jungle floor which made me paranoid the whole time I was walking around. I also recommend while in Vietnam to rent a motorcycle and just explore yourself, even if you’ve never rode one before it’s easier than it looks.

Any tips to people thinking of traveling to Vietnam?

Mosquito repellent!!!! I got bit 40 times and that’s only on my right leg!! I definitely recommend traveling with someone, it definitely makes things a lot easier and you’ll feel a lot more safe. The currency is kind of insane, so make sure to bring a big wallet that it will fit in. 100,000 dong is worth about 5 euro. There is a phone app called Grab which is extremely useful for getting taxi’s and is very cheap. If you just climb into a random taxi don’t be surprised when the driver tries to rip you off. And finally, don’t get on boats with strangers!