Aug. 26 - Sept. 3, 2009
within these dates, we also went to tay ninh province in vietnam and siem reap in cambodia. but more of that later :)
this trip was our (almost complete) family's first out of the country trip.super fun!
from almost 2000 pictures,only selected pictures were uploaded.haha :)
if i left my heart in HK, i definitely left my tummy in vietnam!food trip to the max!yummy!!! i actually gained weight despite all the walking we've done.haha
here's my personal guide to ho chi minh,vietnam...
FLIGHT,AIRPORT and AIRPORT TRANSFER
cebu pacific flights inbound/outbound ho chi minh were very late in the evenings. we took the airport transfer of the hotel so we wouldn't worry about our luggage.hehe.Tan Son Nhat International Airport was nice. free wifi! i think this is bigger than NAIA 2.
airport - hotel = $20
hotel - airport = $12
ACCOMMODATION
we stayed in Bich Duyen Hotel in Pham Ngu lao Street.this is the best hotel i stayed all throughout our trip. Mr. Chanh (receptionist) was very accomodating. he was always available for all our traveling needs.hahaha.i highly recommended this hotel :)
big room (triple occupancy) = $27/night
small room (double occupancy) = $17/night
GETTING AROUND
xe-om a.k.a. motorcycle is their main transpo around the city. i never tried it. i'm not a very big fan of motorcycles.
cyclo is a.k.a pedicab in manila.hahaha. sayang,no pictures with it.
taxi - we only rode taxi when it was raining.hehe
WALKING! - i think this is the best way to explore district 1 :) they said it's scary to cross the streets because of gazillion motorcycles.haha.my tip! don't walk too fast.mabagal lang naman sila e and they will avoid you when you cross. their motorcycles are not like pinas na super bilis. cruising mode lang sila.hehe
CURRENCY
$1 = 18,000 dong
Php 1 = 300 dong
TOURIST SPOTS/TOURS
Mekong delta tour - 1 whole day trip. nice but you won't lose that much if you didn't go. better to book it in hotel. we paid $9/pax (transpo and lunch included).
Cu chi tunnel tour - 1/2 day trip. must go! you'll have an idea about the vietnam war. plus you'll experience actually tunnel walking. we paid $6/pax. entrance fee was 25,000 dong/person.
City tour - DIY! just walked around the city with our map as our guide. we went to Notra dame Cathedral, Post Office, City Hall and Ho Chi Minh Museum. we were not able to go to reunification palace coz of the rain.
Ben Thanh Market - for all your shopping needs :)
COMMUNICATION
not all vietnamese people can speak English. sometimes you have to use gestures to communicate.
PEOPLE
vietnamese people are generally nice and quiet. we never encountered rude vietnamese.
SHOPPING!
Ben thanh market - i think this is the best place to buy souvenirs. stalls near the entrances were fixed price but the stalls after were not so you can haggle!
Night Market - they are found on both side streets of ben thanh market. i think their items were cheaper than buying in ben thanh market.
Saigon Square - their version of greenhills tiangge. hehe. this is where you can find winter jackets, northface and kipling items.
Tax Trade Center - it was like landmark department store (makati). this was where we bought our food and coffee pasalubong :)
Diamond plaza - it was like Rustan's Department Store.yun lang.haha.
FOOD!!!!!!!!
save the best entry for last!hahaha. ok here goes...
Pho2000 - pho for the presidents. this was where Bill Clinton dined when he visited ho chi minh. their food is suuuper yummy!my favorite in all we dined in.must try yung porkshop, spring rolls and seafood noodle soup.our bill were around ~1K pesos and there were 5 of us.
Pho24 - like jollibee in pinas, pho24 can be found everywhere. food is ok. yummy din naman.
ABC bakery - our favorite bakeshop. this was always our last stop before going back to hotel. parang breadtalk but cheaper.
Banh Mi - sidewalk sandwich stand! for only 25,000 dong, a big baguette with everything on it.yummy!
Fanny ice cream - fancy ice cream but yummy!
Lemongrass Restaurant - mas sosy sa pho2000 but the food was also yummy.
Chinese Restaurant beside saigon square - food was exorbitantly expensive!!
Tutti Frutti - yogurt place.it was ok.
Crepes and Cafe - nice interior. yummy desserts too.
quan an ngon - most popular place to dine according to reviews. i found it overrated.haha.
within these dates, we also went to tay ninh province in vietnam and siem reap in cambodia. but more of that later :)
this trip was our (almost complete) family's first out of the country trip.super fun!
from almost 2000 pictures,only selected pictures were uploaded.haha :)
if i left my heart in HK, i definitely left my tummy in vietnam!food trip to the max!yummy!!! i actually gained weight despite all the walking we've done.haha
here's my personal guide to ho chi minh,vietnam...
FLIGHT,AIRPORT and AIRPORT TRANSFER
cebu pacific flights inbound/outbound ho chi minh were very late in the evenings. we took the airport transfer of the hotel so we wouldn't worry about our luggage.hehe.Tan Son Nhat International Airport was nice. free wifi! i think this is bigger than NAIA 2.
airport - hotel = $20
hotel - airport = $12
ACCOMMODATION
we stayed in Bich Duyen Hotel in Pham Ngu lao Street.this is the best hotel i stayed all throughout our trip. Mr. Chanh (receptionist) was very accomodating. he was always available for all our traveling needs.hahaha.i highly recommended this hotel :)
big room (triple occupancy) = $27/night
small room (double occupancy) = $17/night
GETTING AROUND
xe-om a.k.a. motorcycle is their main transpo around the city. i never tried it. i'm not a very big fan of motorcycles.
cyclo is a.k.a pedicab in manila.hahaha. sayang,no pictures with it.
taxi - we only rode taxi when it was raining.hehe
WALKING! - i think this is the best way to explore district 1 :) they said it's scary to cross the streets because of gazillion motorcycles.haha.my tip! don't walk too fast.mabagal lang naman sila e and they will avoid you when you cross. their motorcycles are not like pinas na super bilis. cruising mode lang sila.hehe
CURRENCY
$1 = 18,000 dong
Php 1 = 300 dong
TOURIST SPOTS/TOURS
Mekong delta tour - 1 whole day trip. nice but you won't lose that much if you didn't go. better to book it in hotel. we paid $9/pax (transpo and lunch included).
Cu chi tunnel tour - 1/2 day trip. must go! you'll have an idea about the vietnam war. plus you'll experience actually tunnel walking. we paid $6/pax. entrance fee was 25,000 dong/person.
City tour - DIY! just walked around the city with our map as our guide. we went to Notra dame Cathedral, Post Office, City Hall and Ho Chi Minh Museum. we were not able to go to reunification palace coz of the rain.
Ben Thanh Market - for all your shopping needs :)
COMMUNICATION
not all vietnamese people can speak English. sometimes you have to use gestures to communicate.
PEOPLE
vietnamese people are generally nice and quiet. we never encountered rude vietnamese.
SHOPPING!
Ben thanh market - i think this is the best place to buy souvenirs. stalls near the entrances were fixed price but the stalls after were not so you can haggle!
Night Market - they are found on both side streets of ben thanh market. i think their items were cheaper than buying in ben thanh market.
Saigon Square - their version of greenhills tiangge. hehe. this is where you can find winter jackets, northface and kipling items.
Tax Trade Center - it was like landmark department store (makati). this was where we bought our food and coffee pasalubong :)
Diamond plaza - it was like Rustan's Department Store.yun lang.haha.
FOOD!!!!!!!!
save the best entry for last!hahaha. ok here goes...
Pho2000 - pho for the presidents. this was where Bill Clinton dined when he visited ho chi minh. their food is suuuper yummy!my favorite in all we dined in.must try yung porkshop, spring rolls and seafood noodle soup.our bill were around ~1K pesos and there were 5 of us.
Pho24 - like jollibee in pinas, pho24 can be found everywhere. food is ok. yummy din naman.
ABC bakery - our favorite bakeshop. this was always our last stop before going back to hotel. parang breadtalk but cheaper.
Banh Mi - sidewalk sandwich stand! for only 25,000 dong, a big baguette with everything on it.yummy!
Fanny ice cream - fancy ice cream but yummy!
Lemongrass Restaurant - mas sosy sa pho2000 but the food was also yummy.
Chinese Restaurant beside saigon square - food was exorbitantly expensive!!
Tutti Frutti - yogurt place.it was ok.
Crepes and Cafe - nice interior. yummy desserts too.
quan an ngon - most popular place to dine according to reviews. i found it overrated.haha.
pictures from our trip :)
hello ho chi minh!
mekong delta tour
Mekong Delta Tour (how to make coconut candy)
river tour
Pho 2000
Pho 24
Notradame Cathedral
Post Office
Quan An Ngon
City Hall
Cu Chi Tunnel Tour
Banhmi Sandwich
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Fanny Ice Cream
with Mr. Chanh (Bich Duyen Hotel)
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