3D2N Vietnam Trip 2016

Hello guys! I went with my family for a short getaway to Vietnam~ Our trip lasted from 28th December to 30th December 2016. We flew by tigerair from Singapore (SIN) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) - Tan Son Nhat - Terminal 2. We took the early flight and departed from S'pore at 07:35 am (S'pore time) and arrived at Vietnam at 08:40 am (Vietnam time).Overall, I would say that it was an enjoyable trip (: 

Flying by tigerair!

Time Difference: 1 hour

Do take note that the time difference between S'pore and Vietnam is 1 hour; S'pore is one hour ahead of Vietnam. This means that we will arrive at Vietnam at 08:40 am (Vietnam time), but it will be 09:40 am (S'pore time) back at home. 

Restricted Items: click here!

Visa Requirements: 
Singaporeans does not need to apply for Visa (if you're staying up to 30 days) in Vietnam. Information adapted from Ministry of Foreign Affairs: here

Customs:

1. Going in Vietnam: The immigration officers seem pretty intimidating, we didn't have to give them the address for our stay there. No fingerprint or whatever needed too. 
2. Going out Vietnam: You will have to remove your jacket, your shoe for the scan. 

Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND) 

We changed the S'pore dollars to Dong at a rate of $1 SGD = $16,000 VND. Their currency is quite big, so you can easily become a millionaire in Vietnam!

Weather: 
I looked up the weather in Vietnam from here. Although it may not be a government website but it does give us a clue to what to expect right? HAHA. It shows the average temperatures, rainfalls, daily sunshine hours.  The exact weather there was pretty hot. Weather similar to Singapore, but it did not rain during our stay there. 

Taxi: 

There are two reliable taxis: Vina Sun Taxi - Tel: 08 38 27 27 27 
                                             Mailinh Taxi - Tel: 08 38 38 38 38 

A list of Taxi Fares at Tan Son Nhat International Airport - Terminal 2

Once we were out of the airport, we turned left for the taxi stand, there will be a lady who will direct you to one taxi - we don't have a choice to choose which taxi to get on. The lady quote us $250,000 VND ($15.625 SGD) for the trip. We have to pay before the driver drives. Just like that, we're in the ride.. LOL. If we clearly know how this 'taxi system' works, we believe we will feel less 'robbed'. 

Hotel:

We placed our luggage at our hotel, since we can only check in at 2pm. We stayed at Silverland Central Hotel & Spa. 

Address: 14 Le Lai St, Ben Thanh Ward Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. 
For exact location in Google maps: click here

For Silverland Central Hotel & Spa website: click here

Description taken from the hotel website: 
Located in the heart of District 01 of Ho Chi Minh City, just few minutes to Ben Thanh Market, Silverland Central Hotel & Spa with 02 frontages on Le Lai street and Nguyen An Ninh street, the hotel is the perfect choice for a business trip or holidays. 

There are several destinations around the hotel such as the Notre Dame Catheral Saigon, Ben Thanh Market Ho Chi Minh City and Central Post Office Saigon. Click here for more. All these information are adapted from Silverland Central Hotel & Spa website itself. 

Pictures of the hotel room: 

 

We requested for two connecting room but we got two separate rooms 

(which are not side by side) instead. 

Review on the hotel: We stayed there for 2 nights. When we checked in, the staff were friendly. They gave us refreshments (orange flavored drink) when we were checking in. When we took the brochures and looked at it, the staff also came over and informed us that there's a tour counter (where they can provide us with more information about the trips that the hotel provides). 

I mean it's a decent hotel, with all the basic stuff like TV, air-con, all those. However, it was not that clean :/ There were stains on the bed sheets, and the toilet wasn't that ideal too.. I don't think I'm returning back to this hotel. I would probably choose other hotels nearby for my next trip. 

We obtained this map from the hotel lobby! 

I took several brochures of the tours available. One of them have a list of recommendations of the local attractions (restaurants, museums, shopping centres, reliable taxis) - (as shown below). 

Day 1: 
We placed our luggage at the hotel lobby since we can't check in just yet, and went off to look around the vicinity. We walked to Ben Thanh Market to have a look (they have many shops that sell mostly similar stuff). It was still an eyeopener though, even though I've been here like 4 years ago? (: We then walked from the market to the People Committee Hall. 

 People Committee Hall 

My dad, sis and bro :D 

We then went to have our lunch at ngon restaurant (Ho Chi Minh City - Sai Gon). 

They have 3 different outlets in Vietnam: 

 One outlet in Ho Chi Minh City. 

  One outlet in Phnom Penh. 

 One outlet in Ha Noi. 

Their menus are like damn thick! It's like a book! 

What's good about this restaurant is that they have English translation for their menu! :D  

Chicken Noodle Soup $70,000 VND (Pho Ga)

The soup was good but the chicken was a bit tough. 

Rating: 7.8/10

 Vietnamese Rice Pancake ($80,000 VND) (Banh Xeo) 
Inside is filled with vegetables, you got to eat these with the sauce given. 
Rating: 7.1/10

 Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and Fried Pork & Crab Spring ($75,000 VND) 
You have to pour the sauce inside, it's not that bad! 
Rating: 7.6/10

(Steam Broken Rice Served With Grilled Pork Chop and Shredded Pork Skin 

($75,000 VND) 

Rating: 7.0/10

Salad Roll With Shrimp & Pork ($18,000 VND) 

I am not a fan of this. Hahaha 

Rating: 5.8/10

Thai Red Tea ( $45,000 VND) 

It taste nicer when the ice melts, or not I think it will be too sweet. 

Rating: 8.2/10

Thai Green Tea ($45,000 VND) 

Rating: 8.1/10

 They have an open concept for their kitchen! 

 You can just walk up to their kitchen and order straight from there. 

A picture outside of the resturant! 

Total expenses for the meal : $468,000 VND = $29.25 SGD

We then went to Museum of Ho Chi Minh City by foot. 

 Paid $15,000 VND (per pax) for the entry. 

However, you''ll have to pay additional if you want to take pictures inside the museum. LOL. We did not pay for the additional fee (for photo taking). Therefore, there will be no pictures hahaha. 

 We then walked to the Central Post Office. 

Notre Dame Cathedral (Nhà Thờ Đức Bà) 

Click here for its location on google map! 

Saigon Central Post Office (just opposite Notre Dame Cathedral) 

 Click here for its location on google map! 

You can buy post cards and post your post cards here! 

There are also other souvenirs sold here as well! 

After visiting the Central Post Office, we went to look around for our 1 day trip tomorrow. We walked on the streets and saw this tour agency. 

[hong ngoc ha/EGENCIA - I don't know which is the name of the agency.]

We decided on the trip (as shown below). 

The One Day Mekong Delta Trip (shown above) was priced at $420,000 VND/pax whereas 

the One Day Tour provided by the hotel was priced at $990,000 VND /pax for somewhat similar activities. Therefore, we decided to settle for the agency's tour since it's so much cheaper. 

We paid $420,000 x 4 = $1,680,000 VND ($105 SGD) for 4 adults. 

(Group tour: around 20-25 people) 

We wanted to get a one day trip which is manageable; not too taxing. 

There are many more tours available in the agency. We also saw a trip (picture below) but it's too long for us, so we settled on the trip to the Mekong Delta instead~

We have to pay the full amount when we book the tour and they will give us a receipt in return. This receipt will have to pass to the tour guide on the day itself. All the tips (eg to driver or tour guide or anyone else during the trip) are included inside the tour package. However, during the tour itself, some of the locals will still ask you for tips for their service eg like rowing the sampan (you may choose either to give or to decline). 

After booking the tour, we then went to have our dinner at 'Xoi Ga Number One'  

What's good about this restaurant is that they also have English translation for their menu! :D HAHA

Click here for the location on google map! 

However, I think only one person from that stall understands English.. and they do not have a decent bill/receipt for your meals, so you will just have to pay the price that they wrote on the paper. 

Steamed Chicken Glutinous Rice. 

A small portion but tasted pretty good!

Rating: 8.2/10

Corn Drink. 
I've never seen this drink in S'pore before. 
Rating: 7.8/10

Sour Crab Cassava Vermicelli Soup.
There's pig blood inside this meal. It tasted pretty appetizing, maybe due to the slight sour taste. 
Rating: 8.0/10

I forgot what was this called hahaha 
Rating: 8.1/10

Duck Noodle
Rating: 8.1/10

Chicken Noodle 

Rating: 8.1/10

They give tons of vegetables for each bowl of noodles. You should put in the vegetables into your soup when it's hot. It will taste better. Their coconut tasted so much better than S'pore ones. HAHA. It never fails.  

Coconut: 

Rating: 8.8/10

-End of Day 1- 

Day 2: 

Breakfast was at 07:00 am in the morning. It gave us enough time to return back to our rooms to prepare to head out, since our bus will come at around 08.00 am to 08:30 am. To be honest, I was a little skeptical about their breakfast, since their rooms ain't that good, their food can't possibly be that great either right? However, their breakfast turn out to be better than what I've expected (: It's actually better those hotels with nice rooms. 

Hotel's breakfast place. 

Their yogurt! It's seriously good for your body. HAHA It helped in our digestion alot!! 

Rating: 9/10
I love this. 

There are around 20 people or so in the bus. Mostly Eurasians!  

We stopped along the way for rest rooms and for a brief rest before continuing our journey to Mekong river.  

A picture before continuing our journey! Hahaa 

There are lots of motorists on the roads, You have to peel your eyes open for them and the traffic lights as well. You can look at the traffic lights and gauge when it's the time to cross. You will have to have the 'YOLO' mindset and just start crossing the road (if there are no traffic lights for pedestrians). Unlike S'pore, the vehicles in Vietnam does not stop for you at the pedestrian crossing. You just have to find the opportunity and just cross the road or not you will have to wait damn long just to get across the street. 

The tour guide explaining stuff about the Mekong river. 

About around 1.5 hours later, we finally reached the pier! 

Boarding the boat~

We took the boat and went to some place (idk where), where the tour guide gave us each a small cup of honey tea and some small snacks to munch on. You can choose to buy the honey there. 

Following which, we were then led to take pictures with a snake. My family and I did not participate in this. HAHA, nope. 

We then took the boat to some platform where we got on a sampan! :D 

I think this is the most fun part of this trip! HAHAHA

Dad with the sampan lady and her kid ~

Group picture ! 

The entire ride took less than 10 minutes. 

We then got on land and given these fruits to eat while we enjoy some folk music. They will pass on a basket for you to put your tips in. You can choose to give or not to give any tips. 

After the fruits, we then hop on a horse ride to see how they make the coconut sweets. 

Horse ride! 

The place where they make the coconut sweets. 

Tour guide explaining the making of coconut sweets. 

We then took a boat ride to somewhere for lunch. All the food on the table is free, but the drinks in the basket that they bring over is not. 

After lunch, there is an area for the animals (got frogs, porcupine, crocodiles) for us to take a look. 

We then took a boat back to the pier and a 2 hours ride back to our hotel (no stops along the way). The ride was damn long and bumpy.

Our boat back to pier. 

The famous Ben Thanh Market! 

The bus dropped us at our hotel, we went back up to freshen up before heading our for our dinner! Freshen up = let's take some selfie instead hahaha 

We headed to Barbecue Garden for our dinner.
 It's about 10 minutes walk from our hotel. 

They have nice ambiance and nice Christmas lightings! 

Click here for its location on goggle map! 

The food was overall ok. 

After dinner, we walked to Saigon Square to walk. 

Click here for directions from Barbecue Garden to Saigon Square. 

However, it is open from 08:00 am to 10:00 pm. By the time we're there, it's already like 9 or so, so most of the shops were already closed. We walked around a bit and head back to the night market! 

Several streets near the Ben Thanh Market transformed into a night market! There are several good bargains there! Watch out for your valuable though, although it's a night market, motorcyclist can still enter the area. 

Vietnam coconut never fails :D 

There are 2 entrances to the hotel. 

This is back entrance of the hotel~ 

-End of Day 2- 

On the last day, we booked our transport to the airport through the hotel. It costs us $340,000 VND = $21.25 SGD. It's kind of pricey, but we were too lazy to look around for a taxi on the streets. In addition, it's much more assuring to get a taxi from the hotel too :/ The taxi was like 7 seater car, so it wasn't that bad hahaha. We went for breakfast at 08:00 am and head out of hotel at 09:30 am or so. We headed back to Saigon Square by foot from our hotel. Click here for the map! 

We walked around the place. There are several entrance into Saigon Square and there are two levels in the building. Many good buys inside too! However, not all shops were open when we reached there, so we took a quick walk around and headed to Takashimaya Vietnam. Click here for the location of Takashimaya Vietnam on the google map! It's just across the street from the Saigon Square.

Takashimaya Vietnam is like similar to Singapore's Takashimaya. It's a high class shopping mall with many brands that are recognizable in Singapore. The prices there are roughly the same for both sides too. We had Thai Express for lunch and went to Ben Thanh Market to do some last minute shopping before heading back to hotel for our taxi to pick us up. We managed to bargain and cut some prices for the shirts! Hehe

However, if you're the first customer of the stall, it's advisable not to bargain the prices because I heard that they are more particular in terms of their first sale of the day. They want their first sale of the day to go 'smoothly'.. something along that line. This is what I heard, don't really know whether it's true or not, but it's up to you guys to judge! 

The ride to the airport took around 45 minutes due to the heavy jam. We boarded our flight from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) - Tan Son Nhat - Terminal 2 and flew from 05:50 pm (Vietnam time) and arrived Singapore (SIN) Terminal 2 at 08:55 pm (S'pore time). 

-End of Lim's Journey in Vietnam! :D -

Total Costs: 

1.) Flight: Total flight expenses for 4 people: back and forth from S'pore and Vietnam 

= $1,160 SGD (rounded up).

2.) Hotel: 2 Superior Double or Twin Room for 2 nights through Agoda

= $290 SGD (rounded up).