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Travel Guide and Tips: Ho Chi Minh

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Located in the south, Ho Chi Minh (originally Saigon) is Vietnam's largest city. 

Things to do

War Remnant Museum

Located in District 3, the museum has exhibits from the Indochina War as well as the Vietnam War. Although there's hints of anti-American propaganda, the museum offers tons of information about the wars and the impact it had. It's very eye-opening to learn about what happened during the war as well as the aftermath of it. The museum is mostly pictures, but also has war artifacts, historical armoury and vehicles. There's an entrance fee of 15,000 dong. 

Cu Chi Tunnels 

Head to either the Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc tunnels. These tunnels are located away from the city and takes around 2 hours to get to them. They're definitely worth to visit if you're interested in learning more about the war. There's an entrance fee of 90,000 dong. 

Original tunnels.

Modified for tourists.

Ben Thanh Market

Head here if you're looking to get some shopping done. Just note that the vendors can get really aggressive, so only go if you're going to buy. It's hard to window shop there without feeling pressured to buy something. During the day, the market is indoors where there are tons of stalls selling clothing, trinkets and food. At night, the market is outdoors. 

Please note that the coffee and tea sold there may be fake. If you're looking to buy coffee, it might be better to go to a reputable coffee shop like Highlands Coffee or Trung Nguyen. It's pretty affordable too. 

Saigon Square

If you're looking to shop for clothing, head to Saigon Square. It's just a few minutes from Ben Thanh Market. It offers more westernized clothing that you can wear on an everyday basis. 

Notre-Dame Basilica 

Located downtown, Notre-Dame Basilica is a French-built Catholic Cathedral. Head here if you're interested in neo-Romanesque architecture.

Central Post Office 

Located across from the Notre-Dame Basilica, the Central Post Office is worth a look for it's architecture. It can easily be mistaken for an old train station. Drop by if you're looking to send some postcards home! 

Where to Eat

Bui Vien Street

Located in the backpacker's area, Bui Vien Street has tons of restaurants, cafes and bars. If you're looking for something more local, head to one of the side streets along Bui Vien. There will be stalls in the alleyways offering delicious foods. 

5KU Station

Meat + BBQ = Happiness. If you're looking for a place to grill your own meats, head to 5KU Station. Order different meats off the BBQ section. There are some exotic meats if you're adventurous. You'll have a small coal BBQ at your tables so you can grill your own meat. It's a fun way to spend the night. It was 125,000 dong for one dish of meat. It doesn't come with a carb dish, so we ended up ordering fries to fill us up. 

Where to stay

Saigon Inn

We didn't stay here, but we went to their rooftop bar. But they have pretty good reviews. They offer private rooms as well as dorms. It offers free breakfast as well. It's $8 USD for a dorm. 

If you're interested in the rooftop bar, you need to pay 100,000 dong in advance and it sorta works off the tab. Draft beer was 25,000 dong. 

Happy Travelling!

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DIY Cu Chi Tunnels, Local Style

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Cu Chi Tunnels were the underground network created by the Viet Congs during the Vietnam War. These tunnels were dug by locals and soldiers and used as a place to live, train and fight the enemies (Southern Vietnam and American soldiers).

There are two different tunnel displays: Ben Dinh and Ben Douc. Ben Dinh is geared towards tourists whereas Ben Douc is geared towards locals. We heard how the Ben Dinh tunnels were crowded and not as authentic (enlarged to fit tourists), so we opted to visit Ben Duoc. The biggest different between the two are that Ben Duoc has a temple and is less crowded. 

How to bus to Ben Duoc Tunnels 

If you want to visit these tunnels without a tour, get ready for a long and less comfortable ride. It takes about 2.5 hours to get there using two local buses. 

Step 1: Get to 23/9 Park Bus Station. It's the bus station near the backpacker's area off Pham Ngu Lao street. From here, you need to catch bus 13 to Cu Chi. It will cost 7,000 dong. It's about an hour and a half ride. You'll need to get off at the bus station at Cu Chi. 

Step 2: From Cu Chi bus station, catch the 79 bus to Ben Duoc. It will cost 6,000 dong. It takes around 45 minutes - 1 hour. Make sure to let them know that you want to see the Cu Chi Tunnels at Ben Duoc. They'll let you know when to get off, but if not, keep a lookout for the signs. 

Head over to the booth for information on where to catch the bus. 

Cu chi Tunnels

Once you get to Cu Chi Tunnels, you'll need to make your way down the street. It's confusing because there's no signs or markers explaining where to go. There should be a ticket booth on the left side selling entrance tickets for 90,000 dong. It's a little pricy, but you're paying for two different entrance fees as well as an english guide for the tunnels. Keep walking down the road and you'll eventually see temples. 

Go through the area by the temples, keep walking down the road. Eventually, you should hit another ticket checking area. From here, a guide will help you since you're not allowed to see the tunnels on your own. 

You'll start with a black and white movie explaining the history of the tunnels before the guide takes you down. He'll start by showing you the original tunnels with a trap door that you can try to fit into. Then he'll show you the ones enlarged for tourists that take you underground. 

Booby trap with bamboo spears.

Happy Adventuring!

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Transit Guide: Nha Trang to Da Lat

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Da Lat is a colourful city located in Southern Vietnam. It's known for its cooler weather, pine trees, lakes and waterfalls. 

We ended up taking the easy route and booked a bus from our hotel. It ended up being 135,000 dong which we had to negotiate down from 158,000 dong. When we researched it, most places say it should cost between 100,000 - 135,000 dong. So make you they don't take advantage of you! 

The bus picks you up from the hotel, which is very convenient. The ride takes around 4 hours total, once everyone has been picked up. There's one stop along the way to grab food, drinks or use the washroom (with a fee). 

The ride there was actually quite scenic. You'll go through the countryside with lush green fields, which eventually turns into a mountain range before it turns into a winding road through pine trees. 

When we got to Da Lat, we got dropped off in the middle of no where as a marketing scheme. The moment we got off, there were many people asking if we needed a place to stay. We had to walk down the street until we reach the main road and tried to hail a taxi from there. 

Happy Travelling! 

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Travel Guide and Tips: Nha Trang

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If you're looking for a beach getaway, while still being in a city with great night life, Nha Trang is the place to be. Just a few minutes walk away from most hotels, is a white sandy beach. 

Things to do

Nha Trang Beach

If you're looking for a quiet and isolated beach, you're going to be disappointed. This beach is located beside a busy street in the city. But if you're just looking to relax a bit, catch some sun and swim in the waves, then it should do the trick. The beach has chairs and umbrellas that are priced at 35,000 dong for the day. 

Since this is an urban beach, it's usually filled with tourists and can get pretty crowded. If you walk down the path beside the beach, you'll come across exercise equipment and a beautiful French-inspired garden. 

Vinpearl Land

If you sit on the beach, you'll notice a sign across the water that says "Vinpearl." It's actually an amusement park and resort island that's quite popular. To access the park, you'll need to take the cable car, that owns the Guinness world record for longest sea-crossing cable car system at 3,320 metres. 

The park costs 600,000 dong to access, which includes the cabe car ride. It has rides, a water park, aquarium and shows. It's perfect for the family or if you're a kid at heart. Note that the water park closes at 5:30 p.m., so head there first.  

Po Nagar Cham Towers

Located within Nha Trang, and potentially walkable (depending where you're staying), are these four brick towers built by the Cham civilization. You can enter the towers, but make sure to dress appropriately - shoulders and knees covered. There's an entrance fee of 22,000 dong. 

Where to Eat 

Hai San (Seafood) Restaurants

If you walked down the street by the beach, you'll notice a bunch of restaurants selling live sea creatures from eel and shrimp to oysters and clams. It's priced by weight, so you can pick and choose a variety of options. Just be careful as we've heard of people upping the price when you pay. We heard the best restaurants are on the other side of the bridge, close to the fishing villages. 

Since it's fresh seafood, it's priced a little high for someone on a budget. But it's definitely cheaper than what you'd pay back home. 

Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa

Nem nuong is grilled pork sausage which is eaten by wrapping it in fresh greens and rice paper. Essentially, you're making your own fresh spring roll. Start by order one "phan" or portion (40,000 dong/portion) and go from there. It comes with fresh vegetables, rice paper, nem nuong, fried rice paper for the crunch and an orange sauce.

If you walk down Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street for about 5 - 10 minutes, you'll find a big restaurant on your left side. 

This was one portion. 

Banh Can

This street food is a mini savoury fried pancake made from grilled rice flour. Usually there's a quail egg in it and it's eaten with nuoc mam (sweet and salty dipping sauce). 

If you walk down Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street you'll find vendors selling this little treat. 

Nuoc Mia

Sugar cane juice! This is a delicious drink made with pressed sugar cane and lime. It's usually sold for 5,000 dong if you walk down Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street. 

Com (Rice)

For a tasty rice dish, look for a restaurant that has BBQ meats on display. You can choose your meats and they'll make a dish for you. There's a local restaurant on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street that offers this. I got com suon, op-la (rice with pork chop and fried egg) which comes with a small soup for 30,000 dong. 

Where to Stay

Mojzo Inn 

We originally wanted to stay here because it had good reviews. It's a backpacker-friendly place with also offers free breakfast, just minutes away from the beach. Unfortunately, it was fully booked. 

Saint Paul Hotel

Instead, we stayed at Saint Paul Hotel. It was $15 USD for a private room, which ended being the nicest place we stayed at so far. It came with two double beds in a spacious room and a very clean washroom. Although, the Wi-fi was a little spotty. It was in a good location just a few minutes from the beach. 

Happy Travelling!

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Travel Guide and Tips: Da Nang

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Located in Central Vietnam, Da Nang is known as a commuter city among travellers. Most people don't usually plan to stay here long. They only stay long enough to figure out their next destination. 

Things to do

Dragon Bridge

The dragon bridge is an iconic part of Da Nang. To put it simply, it's a bridge with a dragon on it. I hear on weekends, it breathes fire and water at night. 

Marble Mountain

Marble Mountain is their biggest attraction. It's a series of limestone mountains in the city. Head up the steps to the top for a view or visit Huyen Khong Cave to see the big Buddha and temple. 

You can get there by taking the local bus to Hoi An for 20,000 - 30,000 dong. Although, when we passed by it, it was so underwhelming we didn't get off the bus. As as foreigner, always confirm the price and make sure you ask for change. We noticed that oftentimes the bus workers would neglect to give back change to non-Vietnamese speakers unless they asked. 

A day trip to Hoi An

About an hour away from Da Nang, is the quaint little town of Hoi An. It's best known for its tailors who make suits and dresses at a low price. Some people also go to find a good shoe cobbler for some leather made goods. It's generally known as the place to go for shopping and has a relaxed atmosphere. Visit at night and walk around the streets with the plentiful lanterns lighting the way. 

However, with the amount of tour groups that come in every day, it gets pretty busy walking the streets. Also, if you want to see the Ancient Town, it costs 120,000 dong for the ticket which is valid for 10 days. 

My Son

If you're interested in seeing Hindu temple ruins from the ancient Cham Empire, My Son might be worth the visit. The temples are dedicated to the god Shiva. It's actually best to get there from Hoi An, where you use a tour or motorbike to get there. 

Monkey Mountain (Son Tra Mountain)

If you're motorbiking junkie or interested in an easy rider tour, take a spin around Monkey Mountain. It's known for its viewpoints of the Da Nang and Hai Van Pass, but it's a little out of the town. Unfortunately, there's no monkeys on the mountains.   

What to eat

Mi Quang

This part soup, part salad dish originated in Central Vietnam and has yellow noodles, vegetables and peanuts. In Central Vietnam, the bowl is only half filled with broth because historically, the people couldn't afford beef bones to create a hearty broth. You can find local restaurants and stands selling it all over Da Nang. 

Dong Tien Bakery (Hai Phong Road)

Our favourite bakery that sells a variety of affordable baked good from banh mi thit cha and banh bao thit to sweet desserts. Pick up a tray and try the assorted baked goods!

  • Banh Mi Thit Cha (sandwich with meat) - 12,000 - 15,000 dong
  • Banh Bao Thit (Steam bun with meat and egg) -  10,000 dong

Where to Stay

Funtastic Hostel (City)

We stayed at Funtastic Hostel at their central Da Nang location, which was decent. They also have a beach location. The common room has a PS4 and bean bag chairs, where you can lounge and watch movies at night. They also offer free breakfast as well as tea throughout the day. It's not a party hostel, so the dorms were pretty quiet at night. I just wish they had more washrooms. 

Happy Travelling!

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Flying from Hanoi to Da Nang

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Okay, so we spoiled ourselves a little by booking a one hour flight instead of taking a 12 hour bus. It turns out, it costs roughly the same price to bus as it is to fly. So, why not? However, we soon realized that the cost of getting to the airport makes it pricier to fly. 

Where did we book from?

We used Vietnam Airlines to find and buy the flight tickets. It ended up costing us around $25 USD after taxes. There's no extra fee for checked-in baggage, but there's a weight allowance of 30 kilograms. For your carry-on, there's a weight allowance of seven kilograms. 

Not too shabby eh?

How to get to the airport?

So this is what messed us up. Due to limited options, we booked the flight leaving at 6 a.m. The only transportation leaving that early is taxi, which makes sense. We ended up booking through our hotel, and they charged us 500,000 dong claiming that taxis double their prices in the middle of the night. Given that we didn't have too many options left, we forked over the money. 

Were we ripped off? Most likely. So, try to be careful of that. 

Other Options:

1) Public Transit

You can take the number 17 bus which connects from the city centre to Noi Bai Airport. It only runs from 7 a.m - 7 p.m. Ask your hostel/hotel to make sure, so you don't get ripped off with pricing. 

2) Mini Bus

There's a shuttle bus that runs from 5 a.m. - 6:30 p.m that costs around 20,000 - 30,000 dong. It departs from the Vietnam Airlines office southwest of the lake.

Good Luck! 

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Travel Guide and Tips: Hanoi

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As Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi is as hectic as ever. With cars honking repeatedly, traffic that never seems to stop and streets lined with food vendors, this city always seems to surprise you. 

We didn't stay in the city for too long, since we spent most of it on different tours. We also stayed in the Old Quarter, which is where most of the budget accommodation is. 

Things to do

Ha Long Bay  - Cat Ba Island - Monkey Island

Vietnam is known for the beautiful Ha Long Bay. It's on most people's to-do list when they visit. Going on a tour is your best bet for seeing it up-close. Depending on your time or budget, you can do a one, two or three day tour with various activities included. However, if you have the time, I'd recommend the three day tour that takes you through Cat Ba Island and Monkey Island. 

Sapa

Sapa is where the terrace rice fields, mountain views and villagers are. It's a place you don't want to miss. You can do this either on your own or with a tour. However, given the transportation costs, it actually might be cheaper with a tour. 

Shopping District

Silk, fake North Face clothing and stores selling trinkets are all over the Old Quarter. Wander around and you'll find different districts selling a variety of things. 

Wander around the Lake

The area around the lake has a lot of coffee shops, although overpriced. In the middle of the lake is a pagoda. There's also a bridge that leads to a temple, but you need to pay a small fee to see it. If you're craving some western food, they have a Popeyes, Burger King, Domino's and KFC there. 

Where to Eat

Street vendors and restaurants line the streets, so it's not difficult to find a place to eat. We switched up where we ate everyday, but it's mostly similar. However, there's a few main Vietnamese foods I'd look out for:

  • Pho Ga - Chicken noodle soup
  • Bun Rieu - Rice vermicelli soup with a tomato broth. Usually has meat (beef or crab), tofu and blood in it. 
  • Banh Mi Thap Cam - Assorted sandwich with various meats, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, chilies and pate. 
  • Banh Bao - Steam bun with ground pork and egg

Personally, we're not a huge fan of the food in the North. Due to the climate, they have less resources than the south, so their dishes lack some of the flavours of the South. 

Where to Stay

Hanoi Backpackers Hostel (The Original)

This is a pretty popular place among backpackers. It's filled with young people who are looking for a fun time. They offer free breakfast, free walking tour and free water refills. They also have mixed dorms as well as female dorms. We enjoyed it since it was quite clean and easy to talk to people. Price: $6 USD/bed. 

Lucky 2 Hotel

This is fairly priced for a private room. They offer private rooms at $9 USD per person, so $18 USD for the room. They offer free breakfast. Their rooms have two double beds and are spacious and clean. 

Aloha Hotel

This was also reasonably priced for a private room. The room was smaller than our room at Lucky 2 Hotel, but had similar cleanliness. We were told it was $12 USD for the room, but when we got there, they told us it was $15 USD. So we ended up negotiating it down to $12 USD since we didn't want their breakfast. 

NOTES:

  • Some of the tourist restaurants may charge and service fee and tax. Local restaurants usually don't. 
  • Always pay for purchases in Vietnamese Dong to save money with the conversion rate. Also, always ask for the conversion rate since some may inflate it to scam you. 
  • You'll need to literally play Frogger when you cross the streets, especially in the area by the lake. We learned that when you see an opening, you need to walk slowly across the street and the cars and motorbikes will avoid you. It's terrifying. 

Happy Adventuring!