Friends did good research so we were advised to take the "Vinasun" or "Mailinh" taxi.
Most of their taxis are decorated with something green so I'd really suggest you remember the names instead of how the taxis look like.
We have a colleague by the name of "Vina" and when you are in a Japanese place, use the suffix -san as salutation, so it was like Vina-san. Yes, trust Vina-san always.
Basically, whichever the taxi company, the safest way is to check that they will charge you by the meter :)
We stayed at the CAP TOWN HOTEL. It didn't look huge or grand from the outside but the rooms were spacious and clean. The hotel is located opposite a restaurant that sells Singaporean cuisine so sometimes, you can see a lady in Kebaya across the street from our window. Did that sound a bit creepy?
First meal: IT HAS TO BE BÁNH MÌ!!! well maybe because we got there at about 11am so the breakfast time was over and most shops were closed (point proven at our other bánh mì excursion).
In the end, we came to a French bakery place--une journee a paris (a journey in Paris).
Rating: 9/10
-1 on the price (I'm a budget traveller)
sub ratings:
food: 10/10, other than being slightly more expensive than the usual vietnamese food pricing, the taste was good!
boss: 10/10, perhaps in his 50s, still hot. plus, he speaks French.
To be fair, I'm not a big fan of macaroons. Till this day, I still don't understand how should a good one taste like. I've had expensive and cheap ones... let's just say the cheap ones really teaches you the meaning of "you get what you pay for". At une journey a paris, it's not too sweet and the biscuit was still crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. So I guess, it wasn't too bad?
We picked 2 flavours, lemon and a... was it some berries?
We would definitely come back again.
Next, to the Ben Thanh market place!
First, watch out for pickpockets! When you enter, there is a sign at each exit that tells you the structure of the place and some rules/guidelines to follow.
From there, feel free to roam around.
In the evenings, some stores will move onto the streets outside and it becomes a night market while the main market (indoor) closes.
Other places of interest:
The Saigon Central Post Office--quaint but busy with tourists. The post office kept its original architecture, even its interior and the vintage phone booths actually DO work.
From there, feel free to roam around.
In the evenings, some stores will move onto the streets outside and it becomes a night market while the main market (indoor) closes.
Other places of interest:
The Saigon Central Post Office--quaint but busy with tourists. The post office kept its original architecture, even its interior and the vintage phone booths actually DO work.
but here I'm pretending :)
The post office is situated right next to the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica. Vietnam used to be a French colony so you can find a lot of french influence everywhere.
The 2 buildings are connected to the Independence Palace by a small park along Le Duan street.
The Independence Palace exhibits on the Vietnam war and the then president's living quarters.
Off city center: Củ Chi tunnel !!!
Yes, it is small.
Yes, it's gonna be dirty.
Still, I'll recommend you go through the tunnel.
People lived underground but there is little oxygen so they dug holes like these for ventilation.
Traps for the enemies, holy...
The original size of the entrance into the tunnels... I tried, it's REALLY SMALL and with the cover on, it's REALLY DARK. PITCH DARK.
Story has it that some foreigners got stuck in the original tunnels (maybe it was a joke. or maybe someone really died or got injured badly from being stuck) so the Vietnamese dug a bigger tunnel, it's called the "European size". funny~ Still, it's still small and narrow.
This is what people ate during wartimes. Don't complain.
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