Blogs from District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast, Vietnam, Asia - page 13

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Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 July 15th 2013

This was my first visit to Vietnam and was really excited about it. On this trip to Vietnam i was visiting the following cities. Hochiminh City – Cuchi tunnels – Mekong Delta – Condao Island – NhaTrang Beach – Hoian – Hanoi – Halong Bay Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is more modern than other Vietnamese cities, and has retained its French colonial influences. The streets are jam-packed with mopeds and scooters, often carrying whole families. Highlights in the city include the colorful Emperor of Jade Pagoda, an excellent example of a Chinese temple. The Hôtel de Ville is a wonderful example of French colonial architecture. The twin towers of Notre Dame Cathedral have been a familiar landmark in Ho Chi Minh City since the 1880s. The War Remnants Museum bears witness to the suffering inflicted ... read more
Mekong Delta (My Tho)
Mekong Delta (My Tho)
Mekong Delta (My Tho)

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 July 4th 2013

Our arrival to Vietnam was stressful, to say the least. To begin with, you must apply for a visa to enter Vietnam at least 3 working days before your planned arrival. We did so online but did not get our confirmation until the last minute (picture Roxanne stressing - I tend to be pretty good at it). The night before we left we found out we had to take passport pictures so we were scrambling around to do that as well as find a print shop to print off our entry letter of approval. Upon entering Vietnam, each person had to pay a $45 USD stamping fee (in "clean, crisp bills"). However, we assumed that a) there would be an ATM and b) there would be an exchange counter like at 99% of the other major ... read more
War Remnants museum
Markets

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 May 28th 2013

I write from Saigon after a successful night sleeping in the Bangkok airport before my early morning flight! I've managed to find a good value hotel and have enjoyed a little explore of the area before Sam and Harry fly in tomorrow. Vietnam already looks to be full of intrigue - floods of motorbikes, Socialist posters competing with Buddhist flags, and a new style of architecture which I have not yet seen - the many-tiered roofing so common in the far east. Lots of those famous "lamp shade" hats worn without irony, and some lip-smacking food ready to be sampled, from what I've so far seen. I am currently a Dong Millionaire, having exchanged a $100 bill for the Vietnamese currency at the airport! Annoyingly, the useless people at the Bangkok poste restante could not find ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 May 23rd 2013

Hi dudes, Vietnam reis zit erop! Nog een laatste post over Saigon (of Ho chi Minh, as you want). De reis van de Mekong delta tot in ho Chi Minh was best grappig. Het was deze keer met een mini buske, vol locals. De rit duurde zo'n 3 uur, viel goed mee, en was een ideaal moment voor de Vietnamese kerel links van mij en oudere vrouw rechts van Anouk om wat bij te slapen. Bij elke hobbel zakten hun kopkes verder weg, totdat de kerel naast mij op mijn schouder lag te slapen. Bad choice, want mijn schriele bovenlijf beschikt over een beperkte hoeveelheid schokdempend vet. Bij elke bult (geen putteke zoals in Belgie, maar het soort gat in de weg waarvan je letterlijk van uw stoel afvliegt) veert zn kop omhoog en landt hij ... read more
weird thing
mortal combat setting!
mix of cultures

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 May 9th 2013

Today felt like two days in one. The first part was two short flights that felt like eternities for some reason! We flew from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, then from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Some of the information on Stacy's entrance visa was incorrect so it took a wild goose chase to track down a computer to print a new one. We ran all over that blasted airport then finally got some food. I chose a really authentic Asian dish--grilled tuna melt. On the second flight we watched a little Step Up Revolution and dreamed about dancing some sick moves like they do. It took a while for them to review our visas when we landed so we were really nervous about not getting in. Some of Stacy's info was still wrong but ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 April 28th 2013

29.4. Máme tady už třetí týden mého putování, i když první týden jsme vyrazili až ve čtvrtek. Ráno chceme vyrazit dříve na popud Petra, avšak nakonec on je ten, který spí nejdéle:-) Chtěli jsme se trochu prospat, ale zazněla falešná informace, že některé památky jsou otevřené jen dopoledne. Už od rána začíná být pěkné parno a já udělám zásadní chybu tím, že si obleču džíny. Prvně jdeme pěšky přes město směr Zakázané město a přímo u něj naskočíme do místního vozítka, které nás zaveze až před bránu. Náš průvodce David je tak ochotný, že nám nejen první dny nosil tašku s vodou po památkách, ale dnes si přivstal, aby koupil vstupenky do Zakázaného města, protože je zrovna svátek a museli bychom stát dlouho ve frontě. Takovou obětavost jsem zatím v Evropě nezažil. ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 April 11th 2013

Our two night stay at the four star Grand Silverland hotel cost more than all our other hotels in Vietnam put together, but after all that travelling, interspersed by illness and mountain bike crashes, I think we were due a treat. And still, the nightly rate worked out not much more than something like one of those hotels that Lenny Henry does those awful adverts for. We were supremely well looked after and the room was beautiful; this would be a great place to come back to after a day of sight seeing in Saigon.The fact that Saigon is Vietnam's economic power house is clearly evident, the skyline is littered with gleaming skyscrapers and new ones under construction. On the ground meanwhile, we spotted plenty of upmarket designer retail establishments and coffee shops, and the roads ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 April 10th 2013

Day 10 - Today we caught the flight from Danang to Ho Chi Minh City. It was an afternoon flight so unfortunately we didn't arrive until later afternoon. Just time for a quick dip in the small rooftop pool before dinner and then a tour of some of the rooftop bars of Saigon. Our hotel was in an excellent location right in the heart of District One so in striking distance of Sheraton, Caravelle and Rex. There were great views over Saigon and I enjoyed working my way through the cocktail menu. It had to be a Good Morning Vietnam and Saigon, Saigon on the 9th floor at the Caravelle followed by a Cosmopolitan at the Sheraton and a boogie on the dance floor :-) A lovely way to spend an evening, just a shame we ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 April 1st 2013

Vietnam so far has been very "go go go". We lingered a bit too long in lovely Thailand and Laos so much so that we had to cut some time from our stint in Vietnam (unfortunately)...So we've been moving from city to city every 2 days or so. We've managed to travel the whole country from North to South in just under 3 weeks! We took yet another sleeper bus to Hoi An which (yet again) is being claimed as one of our most favourite places. The list is growing by the day! Hoi An is a shopper's dream. If you wanted to have tailor made shoes, dresses, suites and just about anything in between..that's Hoi An in a nutshell. Besides the tailors it is quite the romantic place. Located in central Vietnam on the coast. ... read more
Hoi An specialties - White Rose dumplings and Lau Cau - Noodles with beef and greens
Small alleyways in Hoi An
Colourful bridge connecting two sides of the river in Hoi An

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 March 13th 2013

We left Battambang and did a epic trip to get to the beach in Sihanoukville; up at 6.15am for a 3 hour bus to Pursat where we visited a floating village - not alot to say about that, its a village and it floats :). Then a 5 hour bus to Phnom Penh, an hour wait and a 6 hour bus to Sihanoukville, we arrived at midnight and passed out. There are a few beaches in Sihanoukville we started in Serendipity Beach which is the busiest and full of 'Brits Abroad' types, the first day we went straight to the beach to get our tan on, there are loads of Cambodian women trying to get everyone to get massages and buying bracelets. They are very good at selling and I got my feet cleaned and 3 ... read more
TEQUILA!
Big ass lizard
Otres Beach




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