Saigon

I had a journey of a lifetime to Saigon city, January 15 to 18th 2010. Who would have known the city that was once a war zone not too long ago has now undergone tremendous changes!

After checking into the hotel, I waste no time touring the city. I started off walking to the infamous Ben Thanh market. Ben Thanh market is simply a shopping paradise. You could practically get anything in this market, from food to clothes. You name it, they have got it!

I headed up later to the more modern part of Saigon. Here, the more luxury brands outlet were everywhere, somehow reminded me of Bukit Bintang in KL. I spotted some store and immediately went in with no time. Then off we went to the other one and another one   and another.... Got myself a nice watch at a very good deal!!! ( sory mr. chairman... tak sengaja )

Day 2

My reason for visiting Saigon was to see places. So, I have decided to take tour packages to see places in Saigon. The tour packages were very cheap. I ended up taking the Mekong River cruise, which cost me USD15. Journey to the Mekong River was a pain in the ass; I mean literally a pain in the ass. Imagine sitting on bus with bumpy road trip for 3 hours!!! And the traffic, Saigon has got to be the city with the largest amount of motorbikes on the road!

The boat ride through the Mekong River was just alright. I was actually expecting some nice floating market action, but I guess we were a bit too late. Along the river cruise, we had a few stops at Saigon’s traditional handicrafts and food centers.

The cruise took us to an island where we had to paddle our small boats into the next stop to break for lunch. Let me just tell you that I’d rather walk than paddling a boat! It was exhausting but nevertheless FUN!

Day 3

During my third day, I’ve decided to relax a bit. I don’t want to get too exhausted when I return back to KL. So, I decided to take the city tour. I mean, what better ways to know the city, than to get someone to bring you around, right? The tour only costs USD 6!

The tour started off with a visit to a War Remnant museum, and then off we went to the Palace, French-influenced Post Office Building, and the Notre Dame cathedral – a miniature of the exact Notre Dame cathedral in France.

The tour ended at around 5pm and since it’s still very early, I have decided to tour the city on my own.

Final day

By the 4th day, I’ve felt even more comfortable in Saigon and felt really sad to leave. Since my flight home is scheduled later in the evening, I’ve went on a last stroll in the city and enjoyed my last bowl of pho!

The trip was truly amazing and I would highly recommend to anyone to see Saigon. It truly is a wonderful city!