Vietnam – Our Pamela discovering Vietnam

Vietnam for the disabled

I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Indochina, more precisely to Vietnam and Cambodia . It was my first Go4all trip . Click here now to discover our accessible travel for the disabled in Vietnam! I am honest, it is a demanding journey and it takes a lot of adaptability, but with the right help it can be done. Go4ll provides a guide , a driver and an assistant , that is a person who stays next to the disabled all day to help him overcome the various difficulties found in Asian countries. In this way, I managed to do everything, indeed, everything and more! After the continental flight that lasted about 14 hours with a stop over in Singapore I landed in Hanoi . If I think of the Vietnamese cities I visited, Hanoi is the one I appreciated the most. It is the capital of Vietnam and is located on the right bank of the Red River . The first thing that struck me is the exaggerated number of scooters that circulate on the streets. The traffic is absurd and it takes a long time just to get from one side of the city to the other. I considered Hanoi still authentic, little exploited by tourism and ancient. The one-pillar Pagoda , the Temple of Literature and the Ancient University are beautiful , attractions that I admired with pleasure. But I loved seeing the local people living on the sidewalks, their daily day eating fruit or even cutting their hair even more. This way of life is far from ours , perhaps this is why it fascinates me so much. Many think that Hanoi presents itself as a typical French city given the legacy of colonial rule. I, on the other hand, found and emphasized only the aspects that recall the centuries-old Asian culture . After visiting Hanoi I spent two days on a boat in Halong Bay. The typical boats for navigation are called "junks" , so called because one of the main woods used for the construction is the rush. This type of boat does not have access for wheelchairs and even inside it is difficult to move in a wheelchair. The restaurant and reception floor are accessible, while help is needed to access the rooms and the panoramic terrace. But no problem! The staff on board offered to help me by making me spend two days wonderfully well! Do you think that I managed to make the two excursions in the program. Each time you have to move to a smaller boat that acts as a "tender" with which you can reach the various points of interest. Those who do not feel like hiking can safely remain on the junk and admire the panorama with its limestone islands, cliffs and numerous karst caves. Before finally going ashore they took me to visit a floating village . I was transferred without a wheelchair to a “basket boat”, a very small six-seater boat where a Vietnamese woman paddled along part of the bay. Unique and fantastic experience at the same time for me. The negative point is that this little boat has no seats to lean on, but only wooden planks where you can sit. The food on the boat was great, all seafood. I took the opportunity to try the jellyfish or jellyfish. I don't want to dwell too much on Ho Chi Minh , the old Saigon. I found it too modern , with an American twist. LED lights for the streets and skyscrapers, from the East I look for something else. But from this city we reached the famous Cu Chi underground tunnels , truly UNMISSABLE! The road that winds to reach the various tunnels is rather winding and unpaved. This underground network of tunnels tells the story of the Vietnam War and some videos and stories from the guide give you goosebumps! I recommend this visit to everyone. This is one of the few places that has a disabled bathroom. My pride… Having navigated the Delta of the infamous Mekong River ! The boat used on this occasion also does not have wheelchair access. But in the East people are so kind and thoughtful that, I repeat, they allow you to do whatever you want to do. There were many stops along the river, so up and down the boat. Visit to floating farms for fish farming , floating markets bordered by papaya and coconut trees, fruit tastings, typical local liqueurs … But what remained in my heart most was seeing with eyes and touching the real life of these villages, the uses of its inhabitants and the traditions carried on over the years by previous generations. For example, how they make coconut candy , honey tea or their home appliances made from coconut trunks. During the visit we had lunch in a local house. Big problem for me since to reach this house you had to cross a narrow Tibetan bridge … How to do it? But no problem! I was carried on the shoulders of my assistant along the whole bridge thus accessing the typical restaurant!