Meskipun makanannya biasa saja, tapi toilet di Restoran Bobby Chin merupakan yang terbaik yang pernah saya temui di Vietnam, apalagi karena mereka memajang foto seperti ini:

Setelah pengalaman di Restaurant Bobby Chin, kami memutuskan bahwa perjalanan kuliner selanjutnya di tempat yang biasa saja, misalnya sate babi yang dijual dipinggir jalan ini:

Kawasan sekitar Hoan Kiem Hanoi bisa disebut sebagai pusat kegiatan di Hanoi. Kawasan tersebut sangat ramai dan lively. Kebetulan kami di Hanoi pada waktu weekend jadi kami pergi ke daerah Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem pada waktu malam. Daerah tersebut luar biasa ramai oleh penduduk lokal Hanoi dan wisatawan dan juga luar biasa macet oleh motor!  Berbagai macam orang muncul disana dengan berbagai macam tingkah laku. Menurut saya, pengalaman kuliner terbaik di Hanoi adalah minum bir dan makan kuaci di pinggir jalan Ta Hien waktu malam minggu, dengan teman ngobrol yang ramai dan melihat orang lalu lalang beserta tingkah lakunya

Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)

Sebagai kota terbesar di Vietnam, tentu saja Saigon mempunyai pilihan kuliner terbaik di Vietnam. Salah satu yang direkomendasikan adalah Ngon Restaurant di Pasteur 160. Mereka menyajikan makanan Vietnam yang luar biasa enak, dekor restaurant yang terbaik, dan dengan harga yang murah menurut standar saya. Ngon menyajikan makanan seperti menjajakan makanan di pasar, jadi unik sekali. Pelayanannya juga cukup bagus dan mereka bisa berbahasa Inggris untuk membantu melayani tamu.

Selanjutnya yang layak direkomendasikan adalah Temple Club. Temple Club dulunya adalah kuil buddha, makanya diberi nama seperti itu. Temple Club terkenal setelah Brad Pitt dan Angelina Jolie datang untuk makan malam disana beberapa tahun yang lalu. Temple Club kelihatannya lebih cocok disebut sebagai tempat para turis, karena isinya kebanyakan bule. Meskipun demikian, untuk urusan harga dan rasa makanan, restauran ini juga layak mendapat rekomendasi. 

Tentu saja andalan wisata kuliner di Vietnam adalah wisata kuliner di pinggiran, alias gak usah bagus-bagus amat tempatnya Daerah sekitar Benh Tanh market juga mempunyai banyak tempat makan yang enak dan jajanannya juga luar biasa banyak. Dan ini dia suasana pasarnya yang cukup hidup (untungnya bukan pasar becek!)

• Bahan makanan terasa lebih segar dan arguably lebih baik. Bahkan buah-buahan yang dijual dipinggir jalan terasa lebih manis dan susu yang biasa dijual juga terasa lebih enak dan segar rasanya.
• Biaya makan disana murah sekali. Makanan di pinggir jalan – yang terasa sangat enak dan banyak – sekitar 20 ribu Rupiah, tidak termasuk minum. Restauran yang agak bagus, seperti Ancient Hue atau Ngon, biaya per orangnya sekitar 100-200 ribu Rupiah.
• Bumbu makanan yang sangat bervariasi. Kabarnya, di Vietnam sendiri ada sekitar 50 jenis bumbu makanan. Tentu tidak mungkin saya coba semuanya, tetapi dengan keragaman bumbu yang sebanyak itu, saya bisa bayangkan betapa kreatifnya orang Vietnam dalam mengolah makanannya.

Beberapa hal yang perlu diperhatikan mengenai wisata kuliner di Vietnam:

• Jangan anggap remeh penjual makanan yang di pinggir jalan, termasuk yang di trotoar. Makanan mereka lebih enak daripada kebanyakan restauran dan biasanya orang lokal lebih suka pergi ke penjual makanan di pinggir jalan. Restauran kebanyakan diisi oleh turis.
• Mengenai kebersihan, secara umum gak usah terlalu dipikirin. Nikmati aja makanannya dan jangan lupa selalu siapkan obat diare dari Indonesia siapa tahu diperlukan. Membeli obat di Vietnam bukan perkara mudah, karena kebanyakan tidak bisa bahasa Inggris dan obat OTC-nya mempunyai nama dagang yang berbeda. Restauran besar biasanya cukup higienis.
• Jika makan di pinggir jalan, biasanya mereka tidak menjual minuman terpisah.
• Saya pemakan segala macam, jadi saya gak pernah pusingin daging apa yang sedang disajikan, asalkan bukan daging manusia atau monyet.
• Hitung kembalian dengan cermat.
• Turis biasanya di charge lebih mahal kalau di pinggir jalan, tapi sekitar 10-20rb Dong lebih mahal. Itu hanya sekitar 10ribu Rupiah, jadi sebaiknya gak usah diributin kalau agak digetok sedikit makanannya.
• Untuk referensi restauran, wikitravel lebih bisa diandalkan daripada lonely planet atau frommer. Kedua buku itu menyajikan restauran yang cocok untuk selera bule.
• Makan di pinggir jalan harus cepat, dan mereka gak segan-segan untuk membersihkan meja jika dilihat kita sudah berhenti makan atau piring kita sudah kosong. Jika ingin makan santai, pergi saja ke restauran.
• Semakin banyak turisnya, biasanya makanannya gak begitu enak (ada pengecualian tentunya), tapi yang pasti tempatnya jauh lebih enak dan bersih.
• Untuk restauran, biasanya mereka memungkinkan untuk membayar dalam USD atau EUR, tapi sebaiknya selalu bayar dalam dong (VND) karena ratenya tetap lebih murah.
• Menurut saya, makanan seafood di Vietnam tidak seenak makanan yang dihasilkan dari daratan (misalnya sapi, babi, sayur2an, etc).

Nah, dalam tulisan kali ini, saya akan memuat beberapa tempat yang memberikan kesan bagi saya, entah itu kesan baik atau buruk. Kita mulai saja per kota nya:

Hoi An

Hoi An terkenal dengan sandwich nya. Kabarnya, sandwich terbaik berasal dari Hoi An dan menurut pendapat saya, hal itu benar sekali. Sandwich diatas dibeli dari gerobak sandwich di pinggir jalan dengan harga 15 ribu VND saja (gak sampai 10 ribu Rupiah). Rasanya luar biasa enak, apalagi ketika masih panas. Isinya babi panggang khas vietnam, sosis, sayur-sayuran, bumbu tertentu, dan tentu saja roti sandwich. Penjualnya ini:

Selain penjual sandwich di pinggir jalan, di sepanjang blok kota tua Hoi An juga bertebaran berbagai macam restauran yang menjual makanan asli Hoi An. Yang paling saya rekomendasikan adalah Morning Glory. Mereka menjual kopi yang enak, pork belly yang enak, dan pho yang luar biasa enak. Ini penampakan roasted pork belly with caramel sauce yang hmmmm……

Morning Glory beralamat di 1o6 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An. Apa masih ada lagi makanan andalan di Hoi An? Ada! Dan kali ini restaurannya terletak di daerah penduduk (bukan di tempat wisatanya) dan agak masuk gang sedikit….namanya Bale Well yang beralamat di 45/51 Trung Hung Dao, atau silahkan tanya sama penduduk lokal. Mereka menyajikan Grilled Pork Satay, Rice Pancakes, Spring Rolls, Grilled Pork. Cara makannya? Semuanya digabung jadi satu! Sayuran dan dagingnya segar sekali, tetapi yang lebih baik lagi adalah racikan bumbunya yang khas dan luar biasa rasanya. Ini penampakannya:

Hue City

Hue terkenal dengan hidangan mie-nya, meskipun masih terpengaruh dengan masakan gaya Hanoi (oke, itu kata Wikitravel, meskipun saya gak ngerti yang namanya gaya Hanoi itu seperti apa ;p). Hue mempunyai distrik khusus untuk turis, mungkin jika dicari perumpamaannya, lebih mirip dengan jalan Jaksa di Jakarta. Seperti lazimnya daerah turis, banyak tempat makan dan bar-bar yang tourist friendly atau menurut saya, lebih cocok disebut bule friendly karena harganya untuk bule backpack dan kebanyakan staf nya bisa berbahasa Inggris.

Nah, untuk di daerah ini, saya merekomendasikan Ong Tao ( 31 Chu Van An) yang menyajikan makanan tradisional Hue dengan harga terjangkau dan rasa yang luar biasa. Ini contoh penampakannya:

Dan satu lagi adalah Mandarin Cafe. Sebenernya ini lebih cocok disebut cafe daripada restauran. Menu andalannya adalah Banana Pancake with Cholocate Sauce yang luar biasa rasanya. Memang kedengeran agak touristy dan gak asli dari Vietnam, tapi emang bener rasa panekuknya enak sekali. Pemiliknya adalah Mr. Cu dan beliau merupakan fotografer andal. Di kafenya beliau memajang karya-karya fotografinya yang menurut saya bagus sekali. Mr. Cu senang sekali berbicara mengenai foto-fotonya. Harga makanannya juga murah dan sesuai dengan standar di Vietnam. Ini penampakan Banana Pancake-nya:

Belum puas dengan yang diatas, kami mencoba restaurant Ancient Hue Royal Cuisine. Menurut saya, ini adalah restauran terbaik yang saya kunjungi selama di Vietnam. Makanannya luar biasa enak, service nya luar biasa baik – bahkan kokinya rela datang ke meja tamu untuk memperagakan food carving, dan harganya juga menurut saya sangat reasonable – harganya diatas standar Vietnam, akan tetapi tetap jauh lebih murah daripada restauran umumnya di Jakarta! Apa menu andalannya? Tentu saja saya memesan bun bo hue yang terkenal itu dengan penampakan seperti ini:

Selanjutnya kita memesan Crystal Spring Roll – Steam. Rice papernya luar biasa enak dan halus!

Yang menariknya, restauran ini juga menyediakan kerupuk udang dan acar sambil menunggu makanannya keluar dan itu juga enak! Kami sampai minta tambah 3 kali! Sayangnya saya gak sempat ambil fotonya karena keasyikan makan kerupuk . Setelah makan siang selesai, kami kemudian minum ice coffee supaya gak ngantuk kekenyangan :p

Dan ini dia koki yang menunjukkan food carving kepada kami:

Hanoi

Salah satu surga makanan di Vietnam. Makanan terbaik di Hanoi dapat ditemui di pinggir jalan dan pemandangan menarik juga bisa ditemui disana . Berhubung masyarakat Vietnam/Hanoi sudah terbiasa dengan motor, maka jangan heran jika melihat pengendara motor di Vietnam/Hanoi biasanya cantik-cantik dan modis, berbanding 365 derajat dengan pengendara motor di Jakarta. Jangan kaget juga kalau melihat cewek modis dengan sepatu hak tinggi 10cm bisa turun dari motornya dan dengan cuek makan di pinggir trotoar Hanoi

Makanan pinggir jalan yang terbaik kami coba adalah yang berlokasi di 66 Hang Bong. Luar biasa ramai dikunjungi oleh penduduk lokal maupun turis. Harga juga luar biasa murah dan rasa makanannya jauh lebih baik daripada harga yang dibayarkan. Makanannya sudah dibumbui dan tinggal dibakar/grilled saja oleh pelayannya.

Itu teman saya, bukan penjualnya :p

Selanjutnya yang wajib dicoba di Hanoi adalah Cha Ca La Vong. Itu adalah makanan ikan goreng dengan bumbu khusus dan sayur. Menurut Time, Cha Ca La Vong adalah makanan yang harus dicoba dalam hidup ini dan merupakan salah satu makanan legendaris dari Hanoi. Cha Ca La Vong berlokasi di 14 Pho Cha Ca. Nama Cha Ca diambil dari nama restauran ini yang memang legendaris. Tempatnya biasa saja, gak istimewa. Tetapi makanan disini lebih mahal daripada standar Vietnam apalagi jika dibandingkan dengan tempatnya. Harga per orang adalah VND 75 ribu, namun menurut saya, harga tersebut sebanding dengan rasa makanannya.

Berhubung saya sudah cukup ngantuk, artikel mengenai kuliner di Vietnam ini akan saya sambung lagi nanti

Nevertheless, the Vietnamese had – and has – their own identity and they are working hard to preserve it. Although they’re just mimicking, they should be proud of their cultural heritage. Mimicking is one of the ways leading to innovations.

In my opinion as well, the best cultural thing which Vietnamese give to the world is its food. But I’ll post about that later on and in this post I’ll just show some cultural heritages of Vietnam (more on buildings and sites anyway).

A corner in Hoi An

My Son Temple ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage. It contains ruins and some artifacts.  Is it good enough to visit? Depends on your knowledge of Hindu temples.

Marble Mountain is, in my opinion, a must visit. Apart from the complex around the mountain, the Buddhist shrines INSIDE the mountain is freaking awesome and the next best thing: very few peddlers bugging the tourists.

Buddha inside the Marble Mountain

Pagoda outside the Marble Mountain

Citadel Gate in Hue City – the former capital of Vietnam

Vietnamese style of Dragon – slight modification from Chinese Dragon

Emperor Khai Dinh and his advisers. Just like the Chinese, isn’t it?

Thien Mu Pagoda

The second Emperor of Vietnam – i forgot the name

Shrine to the First Emperor of Vietnam in Hoa Lu – the ancient capital of Vietnam

There are several tomb of Emperors in Hue City, but Khai Dinh tomb is the most preserved site, and also one of the grandeur. The tombs were typically lavish at the time, considering at the ages of those Emperors were not the golden time of Vietnam. From all Emperors of Vietnam, only Khai Dinh body were laid in the actual tomb. Other Emperors didn’t.

Khai Dinh Mausoleum

Statues of State Officials

One Pillar Pagoda was and is the landmark of Hanoi. It’s merely a pagoda, but the story of Hanoi has been developed around it.

The above 2 pictures are part of Temple of Literature. It was the first university in Vietnam (about hundreds years ago) and also a shrine to Confucius. After graduating, students visit this temple to pay their respect and they wear traditional dress. It is a fascinating view.

A city in south may bear his name, but Hanoi holds his body

Sample of French architecture

The Holy See of Cao Dai religion

Cao Dai followers pray three times a day

Vietnam war is probably the most famous part of the history of modern Vietnam

Chu Chi Tunnels….this is a must visit historic site of Vietnam

This painting depicts the French colonialist era in Vietnam. It says the Vietnamese people under the two oppresions – one by the imperialis (French) and one by the feudalists. The painter was Duy Nhat. This was where the Communist gained sympathy from nothern Vietnamese.

And one more thing…this is the best of western civilization can give to Vietnam…I saw this pic from a restaurant restroom in Hanoi:

Long live Capitalism and Socialism!

Vietnam is a communist government with a capitalist economy. Just like China, the Market-oriented socialism (a soft word for Communism) is the new trend. And just like China as well, the social gap is huge between the rich and poor. One can see a block filled with street vendors, foodstalls, and so on but within few blocks the roads are filled with the latest Audi Q7, BMW M5, Porsche Cayenne (a lot!), and Bentley Continental GT. That’s the common view in Saigon and Hanoi. As mentioned in Lonely Planet book, Ho Chi Minh is a national hero but it is Deng Xiaoping’s school of economics that has prevailed.

Vietnam is traditionally a rural agrarian society. With fast economic growth (btw, now the economy of Vietnam is starting to overheat), there are massive urbanization whereby as the big cities becoming prosperous, they are also becoming more populous. Nevertheless, the immigrants are not all becoming prosper, so they still live like what they were used to be, thus making the life in big cities like Hanoi and Saigon very vibrant and interesting: At one side one can see a cool white Maserati and the other side there are people selling fruits and spices with bicycle. That’s the real face of Vietnam: huge social gap between the rich and the poor. Thanks to the Market Oriented Communist and too bad for Uncle Ho, because I think this is not what he wanted before.

Typical Vietnamese are making around USD 2 per day. So if you feel that they ferociously want to squeeze every dollar from you as a tourist, don’t feel offended. Just smile and politely refuse. There is no harm doing it.

Sandwich Vendor

Former Vietkong, demonstrating the door trap inVietnam wars. He speaks good English.

In Indonesia, we called this Super Ojek!

Ho Chi Minh square is a cheap destination for most Vienamese

He can draw your face in 10 minutes

Barber plus fotograpfer

Even in sea, they are trying to make a living

I just bought Nail Cutter from her. I hope her smile is genuine.

Preparing for graduation party

Best food in Hanoi? They are scattered around the place!

“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future” – John F. Kennedy

You can learn many things from children.  How much patience you have, for instance.  ~Franklin P. Jones

Having a baby’s sweet face so close to your own, for so long a time as it takes to nurse ‘em, is a great tonic for a sad soul. – Erica Eisdorfer

“Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them.” – Richard L. Evans

Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.  ~Jane Austen

Great things are done when men and mountains meet.  This is not done by jostling in the street.  ~William Blake

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  ~Albert Einstein

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.  ~John Lubbock

Tam Coc literally means Three Caves and one of the popular destinations inVietnam. Tam Coc is reachable about 2 hours from Hanoi and before reaching Tam Coc, visitors can visit Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam.

Activities include 2 hours excursions by boat through Ngo Dong river, proceeding through scenic landscapes of rice fields and karst hills. The trip includes floating through three natural caves. The boats are typically rowed by one or two men who also sell embroidery. Sometime they’re a bit pushy but it is something manageable. Some rowers unshamedly asked for ridiculous tips but they were not really mean, just ignore it. About 20k VND per person should be acceptable.

“Only mountains accept to be old, but Hạ Long sea and wave are young for ever”. – Nguyen Tuan

“It is the wonder that one cannot impart to others”. – Ho Chi Minh

Ha Long Bay literally means descending dragon bay. It is Vietnam’s top destination and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It boasts magnificent limestone monolithic islands and the geo-diversity of environment. Several islands also feature enormous caves.

Visitors can visit the Ha Long Bay for a day trip, or 2-3 days trips where one can stay aboard the cruises. As a general rule, at least USD 100 per day package can provide basic comfort and sufficient for most people. The activities in Ha Long Bay are cruising the limestone islands, kayaking, cave exploring, swimming, and trekking in Cat Ba Islands. Note that for USD 100 per day trip will include kayaking, cruising, swimming, and cave exploring. Trekking in Cat Ba island is normally for more expensive trip package.

Well, it’s been my style of travelling: I’d prefer to stay an extended period in a single country instead of hopping countries. Let’s say I’d prefer to spend 2 weeks in Spain only instead of spending 2 weeks in Spain, France, Germany, Austria, and so on. This way I can enjoy my stay; learn more about the culture, enjoy the delicacies, know more people, get a grasp on the history and the spirit of the place I visit, not worry of being hurried, and best of all: it is much cheaper than countries hopping.

My verdict of Vietnam is….it is overrated. But it doesn’t mean that it is not worth visited, indeed it is a country which one should visit once in the lifetime. I visited South to North side of Vietnam: Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, and Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh city, but I’d prefer Saigon – it sounds great). The trip also includes out of city trips, such as Marble Mountain, Ha Long Bay, My Son, Cao Dai Holy See, Chu Chi Tunnels, Hoa Lu, and Tam Coc. Unfortunately, Sapa was not included in the itinerary due to time constraint (even I feel that 2 weeks was not enough!). The highlight of my trip is Hanoi. It is a city with character. I love Hanoi very much. If I was asked to go back to Vietnam, I’d opt for Hanoi (and next time, with trip to Sapa).

I would start first with things which I don’t fancy about Vietnam:

• The people. They are trying to squeeze every Dollar from you. They are pretty much interested with how many Benjamins or Uncle Hos in your pocket. They unashamedly asking for ridiculous tips, giving over-promised service (i.e. rip off tour service), luring you to tourist traps, and some taxi drivers are dishonest. But if you consider that most of Vietnamese are making less than $2 per day, perhaps it will ease your exacerbation. However these do not apply to all Vietnamese. Surprisingly you can find modest and honest people in most areas, particularly areas which are not for tourism. How to deal with most Vietnamese: bargain hard, thick face black heart, talk in details, use google translate (always bring your smartphone), don’t be intimidated but feel free to intimidate if necessary, smiles can solve most problems, count the change money carefully, never show how much money you got, and be patient with them. Generally they speak poor English, but I don’t think it is a problem because I understand that English is not their main language and I find it is amusing to convey your mind using gestures, props, or even Google Translate! By the way, I think well educated Vietnamese are mostly honest and helpful.
• Traffic. Crazy motorbike drivers, car drivers, and pedestrians. Oh, get used to the honks.
• Overrated service and scenery. When they say 4 stars service, mostly it is 3 stars service. When they say Halong Bay is awesome, it is…but only for the first 2 days. When they’re very proud of their world heritages such as Hoi An old city or My Son temple ruins (yes, ruins!), they’ve never seen Beijing or even the mighty Prambanan temple in Indonesia. But they’re still worth visiting anyway. I think they are overrated because the Vietnamese government has done good job in promoting and supporting their tourism. Not the best anyway, but when I compare with how the Indonesian Government promotes our tourism, the Vietnamese are way better than our pity Government.
• Social discrepancies. You can see peddlers or very poor people in the streets of Hanoi and Saigon, but within next blocks, you can see cool white Maserati, black Range Rover, latest Porsche Carrera, and the awesome silver BMW M5.

And what I fancy about Vietnam?

• Cheap cheap cheap. Thanks God despite annoying Vietnamese people (not all, remember that), the country is very cheap. Room hotels are comparably cheap, the foods are cheap, and even the people are cheap. I was told that when you hit someone on the road, just ensure the victim is dead because once the victim is dead, you will need to pay equivalent to 20 Benjamins to the family (more or less). If the victim is not dead, or becoming crippled, then you have to take care him or her for the rest of the life.
• Great foods: meats, vegetables, fruits, and even dairy products. Even hawker foods are mostly way better than restaurants.
• Lively city, except Saigon. Saigon is just like a boring megacity. Hanoi, Hue, and Hoi An, they all have certain characteristics with unique crowds.
• Original experience in rural areas.
• Great weather with clean sky (to see the stars).

So in overall, Vietnam is worth visiting but I don’t think I will be there for second time, with exception of Hanoi and Sapa. I will post some pictures in other posts, plus some tips or interesting points for travelling.

Some tips from me regarding travelling in Vietnam:

• bargain or negotiate any price they quote to you. But remember, there are some places which offer fixed price thus not allowing negotiation
• it is better to draw cash from ATM rather than exchanging your money. Always search Foreign Bank ATMs, such as ANZ, CITIBANK, HSBC, or Standard Chartered. They offer much better exchange rates than money changers or local banks ATMs. Vietnam is a bit modern, plenty of ATMs
• use vietnam mobile numbers. They are cheap and reliable. For blackberry users, one can buy viettel sim card for prepaid blackberry service. If using viettel, send text “bb mail tuan” to +116 and then reply “dong y” for 7 days prepaid blackberry which will cost 30k VND. Don’t buy sim card in the airport. They are rip off. Ask hotel reception to help buying sim card
• when you cross the road, see yiur left and your right. Walk confidently and fear nothing because the drivers drive slowly and carefully. Do not hesitate when crossing the road
• dont worry too much about hygiene. Just enjoy the foods and if you have weak stomach, also bring anti diarheaa
• bring hand sanitizer and wet tissue to clean toilets if necessary
• tipping is not necessary but it would be better to appreciate good service by giving tips
• at anytime, dont get angry easily. You’ll be in foreign land, so be nice. Smile can solve most problem

One more thing, with regards to taxi. We were tricked by Vinasun taxi in Saigon. Its taxi number is 1889 and the driver name is Bao Hung. He drove us around the city whilst our destination is only 1km from our Hotel. It cost us 180k VND while later on, we found out it was supposed to be 30k VND. I understand that not all Vinasun taxi drivers are like that, but if possible, try to get Mai Linh taxi in Saigon.

I also have Singapore Zoo files which I haven’t edited yet.

Kuil Man Mo merupakan salah satu cagar budaya di Hong Kong. Kuil ini didirikan pada tahun 1848 dan didedikasikan kepada dua dewa: Man Cheong – Dewa Ilmu, dan Guan Yu – Dewa Perang.  Di dalam kuil ini, terdapat dua patung dewa tersebut dan beberapa patung dewa-dewa kecil lainnya.

Secara umum kuil ini dirawat dengan baik dan pengelolaannya diserahkan kepada lembaga swasta, namun itu tidak berarti Kuil ini menjadi bersifat komersial. Interior kuil terlihat terawat dan bersih. Menurut pendapat saya pribadi, Vihara Petak Sembilan di Jakarta masih lebih besar daripada Kuil Man Mo ini, akan tetapi saya merasa gaya interior dan ornamen di Kuil ini memberikan nuansa yang berbeda dibandingkan dengan Vihara Petak Sembilan di Jakarta.

Kuil ini ramai dikunjungi, baik oleh para wisatawan dan para pemuja dewa-dewa tersebut. Kebetulan saya datang pagi, jadi yang berkunjung kebanyakan dengan tujuan beribadah. Kuil ini terletak di tengah belantara hutan beton Hong Kong, cukup kontras sebenarnya. Tetapi setiap melihat pengunjung yang sedang bersembahyang, saya jadi merasa masih ada tempat spiritual di hati penghuni kota Hong Kong ini.

Kuil Man Mo terletak di daerah Sheung Wan, kota Hong Kong, di Hollywood road. Dari stasiun MTR, jalannya cukup jauh, kira-kira 15-20 menit, dan banyak naik tangga, tapi pulangnya cukup cepat karena ada escalator yang sangat panjang, dapat menghemat waktu perjalanan.

Oh ya, di dalam Kuil ini ada beberapa tempat untuk Fortune Telling, dengan menggunakan tongkat bambu kecil. Berhubung saya cukup percaya dengan hal-hal seperti ini, saya sengaja tidak mencoba menanyakan peruntungan saya .