During my previous trip to Cambodia last year, I decided to make good use of my holidays and took a bus en route from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh (HCMC), previously known as Saigon.
After doing some research on which bus company to book my bus, I decided to go with Sapaco. I was not disappointed! The bus ride was safe, quick, spacious and comfortable, and the staff was very efficient at getting all of us across the border checkpoint. Totally thumbs up for Sapaco bus company, I highly recommend any of you who wants to go HCMC from Cambodia to choose them.
The final stop was at Pham Ngu Lao, which is the backpackers' area in HCMC. I then took a taxi to my hotel, Hoang Ngoc 2 Hotel. It was a small hotel, but the room was pretty huge for myself and it was very clean! I'm extremely particular about hotel cleanliness, especially the toilet. After dropping my bags, I wasted no time and based on my memory, I followed the route the taxi driver took and walked myself to Ben Thanh Market, which is about 10 minutes walk from my hotel.
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| Shopping heaven! |
At Ben Thanh Market, you can find everything you need. Souvenirs, shoes, bags, clothes, tidbits & snacks, food, coffee, toiletries, watches, etc. Stall-holders tend to quote you a high price, but fret not, they love it when you bargain with them. Don't be shy because they are used to it. I usually start off cutting the price by 50% at least, sometimes even 70%. Well, you see to the situation yourself and gauge how much you wanna pay for that item.
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| Finally got to savor authentic vietnamese spring rolls! |
I walked for awhile, bought some touristy clothes, ate some vietnamese spring rolls and decided to rest my feet at a cafe opposite before searching for a tour agency to book day tours. I ended up at Art Cafe, which is a cafe on the first floor and an art gallery on the second and third floor. I got an iced vietnamese coffee to cool myself, then checked out the art gallery, before heading out in search for my tours. I ended up only signing up for a tour near a tour agency near my hotel at 11.30pm. In between, it rained heavily, but I didn't want to waste my night away, so I went to check out one of the more popular cafes in HCMC.
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| i.d. Cafe at District 1 |
This cafe doesn't have an extensive menu, however, the ambience is good and good music is played. Staff speaks good English too. Don't be surprised to spot a few tables of Singaporeans!
Day 2 started really early for me, because I was off to my Mekong River Tour! It was raining the entire day but the rain didn't stop us from having fun during the tour. There are a few types of Mekong River tours, ranging from one-day to three-days, and there're also a few routes to choose from. I chose the floating market route, and it was really interesting to me. During the trip, we learnt how rice pop crackers and coconut candies were made and then there was a smaller boat tour after lunch.
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| Thankfully the boat for the tour was well-sheltered from the rain |
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| Settlement along the Mekong River |
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| The floating market. It's actually a wholesale kind of market. |
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| A boat selling turnips |
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| Spotted a nice cathedral |
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| Making of coconut candies |
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| Rice for making rice crackers |
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| The must-eat Mekong elephant fish |
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| Row row row your boats |
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| Companions on my boat |
After the boat ride, it was time to call it a day. I'd highly recommend to go on the Mekong River tour, and I believe whichever routes you choose, it will be equally fun.
For the next day, I went on another tour to the Cu Chi Tunnel. This is yet another tour not to be missed if you are traveling in HCMC. Filled with a rich history, it is a great experience to know how it was like for the soldiers during war time last time. Especially when you get to enter into the tunnel, you'd know what I mean. Just a short distance was enough for me to take it, I cannot imagine how the soldiers walked through the narrow, dark tunnels last time. Well anyway, after the tunnels, you get to do shooting with the choice of your guns - machine gun, AK-47, etc. And last but not least, enjoy a little dessert of tapiocas and tea to end off the entire trip.
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| The guide filling us in on this tunnel |
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| AK-47 baby! |
After the Cu Chi trip, I was back to the city and had the whole night unplanned. Hence, I decided to check out the streets and perhaps some cafes along the way. Well, I really must be in luck, because I happened to chance upon another popular cafe in HCMC. L'usine, is a shop cum cafe. In the shop, you'd find stuff like clothes to vintagey goods; pricing however, is on the high side.
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| Best banana bread ever! |
And with that night at L'usine, I concluded my journey to HCMC. Such an amazing city, I wish I'd be back soon to check out more of the city.
