First thing I want to say, VIETNAM IS AWESOME!!! ♥
13 July 2013
I arrived at the Penang International Airport at 9.30 pm and waited to board after dinner at McCafe. Flight departed at 11.30 pm after 10 minutes delayed due to the unfriendly weather of heavy downpour. 12.35 am of 14 July, flight arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). Omg, there were so crowded in the airport, but most of the people there were foreigners.
~ Penang International Airport ~
I immediately grabbed a cheeseburger from McDonald due to starvation! hahaha.. excitement leads to fast-hunger!! I decided to overnight at LCCT as we needed to board at 7 am. The night was so long cause I had nothing much to do in the airport especially I was not allowed to fall asleep! Damn, I'll never overnight in the airport alone once again! No way!
p/s: thanks ken's company until 4 am!! hahaha... unfortunately, you don't like coffee. nothing back for you.
One thing worthed to be happy, Yean & Aim were on their way to airport at 4.30 am!!! Thank God! At least, I did not need to stare at those Bangladesh for too long after ending the chat with ken! XD Went for a quick wash up around 5 am and had our breakfast at Old Town LCCT. I personally suggest food franchisers to run their business in the airport, doubtlessly to gain profit!!
Yean & Aim on the way
14 July (Day 1)
We departed at 7 am and arrived at the Saigon Airport of Ho Chi Minh City at 7.25 am local time (8.25 am Malaysia hour) as the time of HCMC is one hour slower than Malaysia. The first most amazing thing happened in just 2 minutes after we got down from the coach!! Here we came to the round-about in front of the Ben Tanh Market and we tried to cross over the big road. Hey! How we gonna cross that road huh?? There was no traffic light at all and the bikes were all speeding so fast, non-stop!! Then we saw a few of local Vietnameses just walked across the road and we just heard the riders and drivers bombing their horns!!!! Oh ya, that's how they crossed the road like how i used to be in Penang! hahaha! Here we go! We tried to walked slowly and amazingly the vehicles slowed down their speed!! Yup! We reached the market safely. Next, we lost in the market as too many things appeared in front of us suddenly. The market was really crowded with many stalls set up there. Obviously, the very first thing was to grab some local food as our late breakfast!! Ngek ngek! Shrimp Raw Spring Rolls, Fried Pork and Fish Paste Slices, and local Vietnamese noodles (didn't know what it called), btw, the soup was great! We walked along the street beside the Flea Market (Ben Tanh) as we thought of walking to our hotel. We stopped at the Reunification Palace of Saigon and started to snap photos. The renovation of Vincom Centre was so attractive and we decided to take a quick walk in the centre, however we did not manage to get anything out from there as the prices of the goods were really very long figures. We passed by Dong Khoi Street and Diamond Plaza as well in the District 1 before reaching a bookstore for map. Sigh! We then found out the hotel was actually very far from the spot we arrived and finally forced to call a cab to send us there. After checked-in at the hotel reception, we spent around 3 hours to take a nap and wash up. We took our super great lunch around local time of 3.30 pm after getting a recommendation from the receptionist (very beautiful Vietnamese lady yo! XD) It was around 5 pm when we finished the superb beef noodles (pho) and I started to feel dizzy and headache with cold sweat all damped my shirt. Yean & Aim continued their walks along the street for fashion boutiques, while me, decided to get back to hotel room for a throw up due to migraine. Gargh! I slept in the hotel from 5.30 pm until 11.30 pm and so I missed the Water Puppet Show. Fortunately, my lovely girlfriend and Aim brought some good fruits back for me as dinner, thank you! Muackss! The pink guava was really soft and juicy although the seeds were really hard and probably could break your teeth if you insist to chew it. Papaya looks normal but the taste would definitely amaze you with its' sweetness and juicy bits. After finishing the pink guava we just started to talk with pillows.
Before Depearture
Shrimp Raw Spring Roll
BBQ Pork fillets
Local seafood mee
~ Saigon International Airport ~
Ho Chi Minh City Hall
A noob doing yoga
Local coffee stall on the sidewalk
3 idiots selfie with HCM
Water Puppet Show in Saigon
Selfie with the doll
pink guava
Hotel: Huy Chuong Hotel (Medal Hotel)
Address: 184, Tran Quang Khai - Tan dinh Ward, District 1, HCMC, Vietnam
Tel: (84) 8.3848 3998
Website: www.huychuonghotel.com
Remarks: The light of the hotel room was dull, the washroom was clean actually but the light was really limited. Air-conditioner wasn't in good condition as it produced a very noisy sound. The female receptionist was very helpful, gentle and polite, while the male receptionist was careless as he did not return my passport to me after I finished making payment. I almost needed to stayed permanently in HCM. Thank God, I got it back with the blessings.
***p/s: beef noodles somewhere nearby the hotel is really awesome, remember to try Beef noodle lovers!! Cheapest one is around 40,000 VND
Shop Name: Pho Hien( Van Hien)
Address: Tran Quang Khai
Tel: (84) 8.3845 0080
15 July (Day 2)
We had our breakfast at the hotel with a very simple meal which is local instant cooked soup noodles. Luckily, the taste wasn't that bad and I fell in love with their local instant noodles. hehe. After washing up we call a cab to War Remnant Museum of HCM at District 3. We reached there around local time 12.30 noon and it was closed for lunch hour until 1.30 pm. Due to the raining day, we ran into a cafe to wait for the museum reopen. Oh gosh! You can never imagined there's such a nice hidden cafe in this busy city. It looks like a very small and simple cafe from outside, but it was a vintage classic cafe restaurant with their traditional Vietnamese style of renovation and displays. The prices of the food & beverages were affordable and it tasted great!! Here, I tried the Vietnamese Milk Coffee, FANTABULOUS! ^O^ Other than the coffee, we ordered a dessert called Fruity Milk Jelly and local black sesame with a total bill costs 140,000 VND including service charge and government tax of 5% and 10% respectively. ♥ ♥ ♥
Vietnamese Milk Coffee
Me selfie in hotel room
War remnant museum Saigon
New waitress of Hum?
Hidden paradise of Saigon 'Hum' Restaurant
Typical Vietnamese Milk Coffee
(My Favourite)
Cafe: Hum (Few units beside the War Remnant Museum - Left)
Address: 32, Vo Van Tan, P6, District 3, TP, HCM
Tel: (08) 3930 3819
Here we came to the War Remnant Museum with the entry ticket of 40,000 VND/ person. Just 5 minutes after we entered the museum, it rained like dogs and cats again, hence we forced to walk around indoor for photos in the museum. Found out what has happened in the recent decades after the military war with Agent Orange in Vietnam. The effect of the Agent Orange due to the war has brought so much suffer and grief to the later generations of the victims. The offspring of the victims were all in mutated condition and majority born to be retarded, handicapped, disabled and etc. I sincerely feel guilty of looking at all the photos, seeing these people were trying so hard to survive, to learn new things, and to do as much as contribution to the society of theirs. I read a letter for the President of United State, Barack Obama from a young girl who are the only child of the Agent Orange's victims. The synopsis was like the girls tried very hard to study until she got a Master Degree in Pharmacy and Medical as well, but she was advised to give up of being a doctor as she has no arms and legs. Thus, she can hardly help her people in this country even she has all these knowledge. She sincerely asks for more helps from President Obama, and treats her people well like how he used to treat his daughter. She believes that President Obama shall love the people of the world like how he loves his daughter, because HE is the father of the world. My tears were rolling in my eyes while reading the letter and wondering what can we actually do to help them? If we are feeling so suffer just because of very small things when we are all healthy, then what kind of sadness and pain are playing in the hearts of these victims? I sincerely pray to God, may them obtain your graces and blessings.
War Remnant Museum
28, Vo Van Tan, P6, District 3, HCM
Tel: 08 829 0325
We left around 3 pm and walked to the Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Central Post Office. It took us about 10 minutes walk from the museum to cathedral. The building of the cathedral is really very beautiful and we took many shots from there. The weather was not in good mood and so we changed our destination to the central post office where it is located just right beside the cathedral. There was kinda crowded in the post office, Yean & Aim walked around in the compartments while I chose a postcard to send back Malaysia. We thought to pay a visit to Sky Bar directly from post office, however, we did not succeed to get up due to the special occasion held in the lounge and we did not make prior reservation. *sob sob* It's alright, we walked around that area and got some good food yo! We quickly pack our stuffs and bathed to rush our night bus to Da Lat, in the central Vietnam at Phuong Trang Bus Station.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Actor & actress
Central Post-Office
2 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, Quận 1Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The arch design makes good effect
We tried to call home
16 July (Day 3)
I was shocked actually when I got into the bus, it was a sleeper bus with double decks. I didn't manage to fall asleep at all. People were snoring whole night, and I kept staying awake throughout the night to watch the starry sky and to pray hard for getting back my passport when I arrive at Da Lat (anxiety). T.T 5 am local time, we arrived at the bus station of Da Lat. What the hack yo!! It was freezing cold man! I remembered that the temperature should be 24-29 degree Celsius according to weather forecast what! How could it changed so much differently??? -.- We kept shivering and doing some exercises while waiting to collect my passport!! Here we came to a critical situation after keeping my passport. We tried to ask around to get our direction to town, but you know, no one understands English!! I was almost cried cause they cannot understand any other languages besides their local language. We gave up and tried to walked down to town. God is everywhere, here we met the guardian angel!! So kind and friendly of her to buy us 2 maps for free!! She helped us to bargain with the cab driver and we went down to town together. After saying goodbye, we just simply entered a cafe to grab our first breakfast in Da Lat. Aww, a cup of hot coffee in this cold morning was seriously warm!! Very special way of them to prepare the coffee, I totally enjoyed the coffee and drank it drip by drip like how Janis reminded me. :) We rented two bikes after the breakfast and traveled to the cathedral nearby. Next stop was the Hang Nga House (Crazy House) nearby the Sammy Hotel Da Lat. This is the most unique and fantastic art building I have ever seen with my naked eyes. There were a few chambers in the guesthouse with different theme renovation to beautify the building. We have taken many photos there and spent about 2 hours squeezing through the guesthouse due to the very narrow tunnel and small staircases. ♥ ♥ ♥
Breakfast in Da Lat
~ Golf 1 Hotel ~
Crazy House
Polar bear
Selfie at Crazy House
Best couple ever
Notre Dame in Da Lat
Path to heaven
~ Da Lat Flower Farm ~
Felt like Alice in the Wonderland
The Valley
~Valley of Love ~
~ Valley of Love ~
~ Windmills Cafe ~
Aim with his typical smile
Roses & Mocha
Electronic device Addicts
Hang Nga Guesthouse (Crazy House)
3 Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, 4, Đà Lạt
Lam Dong province, Vietnam
+84 63 3822 070
We rushed to the hotel in the Golf Valley to check-in and rest before lunch and next tours. The hotel was basically alright with only the window was too small and the door of balcony was spoiled. We then grabbed our lunch somewhere nearby the Da Lat Market, the food was not that good with a little more expensive than in HCMC. After lunch, we quickly rid up the hill to visit the Da Lat Flower Farm and Valley of Love. Gosh! You will never ever know how beautiful God's creation can be if you never been here. We just keep on taking photos, worrying the capacity of the camera's memory might be limited. LOL. At night, we did not take a proper dinner. We just took light food and went for snacks all the way. Got into a very nice coffee house named Windmills with France renovation and fresh roses on every table. Yean kept on playing with the roses, pity rosy. XD We were there to have chocolate drinks and chit chat around while Aim talking with his mom and sister back in Malaysia. We left the coffee house around 10.30 pm local time and headed to the night market for snacks as supper!! We tried the local hot soy milk, egg creeps and coconut dessert. Slept around 1 am midnight.
Hotel: Golf 1 Hotel
Address: 11, Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Da Lat, Vietnam.
Tel: (84) 6. 3382 4083
Email: golf1dalat@gmail.com
p/s: You are suggested to learn basic Vietnamese language before you pay a visit here, cause majority of the local people cannot understand or even speak English. Make sure you call a cab earlier before your departure in case the receptionist did not make a good arrangement, cause I almost missed my bus back to HCMC.
Da Lat Flower Farm & Valley of Love
Phu Dong Thien Vuong Street, Da Lat.
p/s: Both destinations are located at the same street, you will find the Flower Farm first along the street, and the Valley of Love is just about 400m further than flower farm.
17 July (Day 4)
As usual, we woke up at 8.30 am to have our breakfast at the hotel. We had Vietnamese breakfast in Golf 1 Hotel. After that we rid to Domaine de Marie Church. The church was really a very beautiful creature with nice scenery as it is built up on the hill. After lunch, we headed to the Da Lat Railway Station. I guess this is the hot spot for the marry couples to have their bridal shooting as we saw many couples there. Many great photos we have taken, but you will need to refer to another blog for the funky pictures. Then we rid all the way from town to the bus station again to get up to another hill for cable car. When reached the top of the cable car station, we spoke nothing but shouted for the joys of breathtaking superb scenery from hill!!! It was just like a Eastern Greece and Small Paris!! I find no way to describe the beauty of this town due to my limited vocabulary. We bought the tickets for 60,000 VND /person for round trip. The view along the journey down to the hill was really awesome, just like the view of Genting Highlands, Malaysia if you have ever been there. When we finally arrived at the Truc Lam Pagoda, another thing happened. With the scene displayed in my eyes, I wondered how many more hidden wonderland in Vietnam!!!????? I just can't imagine how they made this and how many more places that I don't know on this ground.. Aww, too lovely. We left with heavy hearts.
~ Domaine de Marie Church ~
Da Lat Railway Station
The old train
A cowboy shall make a flawless picture
~ Da Lat Railway Station ~
View from Cable Car Station
Aim: Cable car phobia
View of the valley in Da Lat
~ Truc Lam Pagoda ~
We got back to the night market again, that night, we tried all the snacks at sidewalks! Hah! The BBQ meats, the coconut floss rolls, the baked cassava biscuits, pancake, egg creeps and etc. Too little time for us and too limited space of our stomachs!! T.T We walked back to hotel around 7 pm and washed up to get ready back to HCMC with night bus again.
BBQ
Da Lat Market
Domaine de Marie Church
1, Ngo Quyen Street, Ward 6, Da Lat.
Da Lat Railway Station
Nguyen Trai Street, Da Lat.
Truc Lam Pagoda
Trúc Lâm temple, Dà Lat, Lam Dong province, Vietnam
18 July (Day 5)
We arrived at the HCMC in the early morning and looked for a better hotel around Ben Tanh Flea Market. We then shopped in a mall in District 5 and came back to town for dinner and wash up again. Haha! Here we had a very fun night in HCMC as we chilled in the Saigon SkyBar on top of the 27th floor of the building at the centre of the city. Great experience!! We spent around 3 hours there and left at 11.30 pm.
View from Skybar
~ Chill SkyBar Saigon ~
Skybar Saigon
Cocktails
Chill Sky Bar Saigon
26 & 27 Floor Rooftop, AB Tower,
76A, Le Lai Street, District 1, HCMC, Vietnam.
19 July (Day 6)
We slept until 8.30 am and rushed to breakfast again, haha! Very nice buffet breakfast. After the breakfast we headed to the Benh Tanh Market again to bring back some coffee. The Coffee Prince was kinda friendly, haha!! He gave a very nice service and of course we got some discount as we bought quite many coffee from him. He even brewed some coffee and made milk coffee for us FOC. I highly recommend this coffee stall if you guys would like to purchase good quality of coffee from HCM. We left hotel at 2 pm local time and waited to on board in Saigon International Airport. Flight has been delayed for 20 minutes as it is a very common phenomena of AirAsia Airline. LOL. We departed at 5 pm local time of Vietnam and arrived LCCT at 8 pm Malaysia time. I have to transit back to Penang, hence I grabbed my dinner in LCCT again and back to Penang at 11 pm. Fianlly I got home at 11.53 pm and greeted someone before 12 am.
Remember to visit here for coffee discount
Saigon Airport
Enjoy reading, and I wish you enjoy the journey to HCM & Da Lat in your future vacation.Further details & pictures please refer to http://yeeyean.blogspot.com/
Bon Voyage! :D
I love Vietnam.
Jessie. ♥
