Visiting Vietnam: Ho Chi Min City

My last stop on my epic 2 week holiday in Vietnam was in the city of Ho Chi Min, formerly known as Saigon which I think is a much cooler sounding name - anywho politics (you can read about my other stops in Vietnam here, here and here).

Like South Africa, every stop we made was distinctly different from the others - in cuisine, atmosphere and culture of the region. This was surprising for me as I always attributed the diversity of my country to the various race groups and 11 official languages. But Vietnam is quite a homogeneous society in comparison - Vietnamese people, Vietnamese Language. I expected it to be all the same but was pleasantly surprised to learn I was wrong. Ho Chi Min was far more cosmopolitan - tall buildings, traffic on the streets, global brands and franchised shops - even though it's not the official capital of the country (Hanoi is) I'm guessing Ho Chi Min City is the economic capital of the country.


Although I enjoyed my stay in Ho Chi Min - 2 unfortunate incidences took place here which attempted to dampen my spirits.
1. I almost got scammed into parting with a lot of cash. You see with countries whose currencies have way too many zero's - a lot of tricks can be played on unsuspecting tourists. Vendors conveniently "mispronouncing" 50 000 thousand with 15 000 for example, in any currency, that means you can end up paying more than 3 times the price you thought you were agreeing on. I experienced something similar one morning when I took a cylco ride by myself to explore the town and neighbouring markets. But after over a week in the country - I was pretty familiar with the value of things and got into a heated argument with the guy. I can understand people trying to make an honest living and I can even accept the higher prices that tourists are charged compared to locals - but being scammed, that I am not cool with!
2. My friends bag got snatched by a motorcyclist riding by. Inside was her camera, phone and bank cards of course - not inside, thank goodness - her passport. We had felt relatively safe whilst in Hanoi and Hoi An, but with Ho chi min being a global city -  things such as a crime are more likely to happen as with any world city. It's a shame really. Despite this incident, we still agree that Vietnam is a beautiful country - our positive attitude probably comes from the fact that in South Africa we do have problems with crime in a backdrop of a gorgeous country that we don't want people to miss out on seeing :(

Except all this bad news of scams and muggings I still managed to have a pretty good time in the city. The highlight being a highly recommended VESPA tour by Vespa adventures. We chose the Saigon by Dark tour and loved every moment. Had we had more time, we would have shelved out for one of their other day tours too - it was that amazing. Motorbikes are already the preferred way to get around the city - but a vespa is a charming little thing, you almost feel like you are in a set of a movie. Having just learned to ride a bicycle this year, I was not yet ready to steer my own. So my friend and I held on for dear lives behind our trusted drivers. But it wasn't long before we felt safe and secure as the skilled drivers manouvered the streets they know so well - we were ready to whip out our cameras and were enchanted by the city of SAIGON.

The tour was so colourful, starting with drinks and light snacks at the Zoom cafe. We then headed for our first stop where I faced my fears - sampling the likes of frogs legs which tasted like chewy chicken. They really didn't taste bad, in fact my companion was enjoying them very much, I could barely shake my fear of it coming back to life - they creep me out. We tasted Vietnamese beer (I am not a fan of beer but tried anyway) and other flavour full seafood delicacies.

my face when I realise what's on the menu for dinner

Its not chicken

Our next stop - to eat more. I remember having a type of Vietnamese savoury pancake which we had learned how to make in the cooking class in Hoi An but this one was much bigger. It was delicious and went down well with my coconut drink (crossed off drinking from a coconut from my list).

Then the tempo switched completely; above what is a motorbike wash by day, is a hidden gem of Saigon. A small cafe type place which has open mic sessions. We sipped on delicious coffee and listened to fine local talent  in the candle lit space. It was truly magical.

Next, we zipped through the streets and found ourselves at a place with live rock band type music, listening to tunes while sipping on delicious Mojitos - I just love the fresh minty taste in that cocktail :)

It was an amazing night and definitely the highlight of my time in Ho Chi Min and one of  favourite experiences in Vietnam as a whole.

our sweet tour guide

Dipalesa and her driver

me and my driver 

We also managed to do a day trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, a harrowing experience indeed. I didn't know this about myself but I do get a little claustrophobic and was haunted by the thought of people living underground in these tunnels for weeks on end, just to survive. When it came down to it, I could n't bring myself to walking through the crammed up tunnel, despite that as a tourist attraction, the section is now well lit and paved. I just couldn't do it!!! In fact when I saw people going underground, tears starting running down my face. When it was brought to my attention that it was not compulsory to go under - and not going underground doesn't make me any less of a person, I breathed a sigh of relief, realising how silly I was being.

watch out: booby trap

my big smile right before bursting into tears

My overall stay in Ho Chi Min was more than pleasant with a number of highlights but Hanoi old quarter was quickly calling me back and I was happy to return there for our last 2 days before flying back home.

Tips 
1. Even in relatively safe countries, as a tourist you are more likely to be a target for petty crime than a local. Have your wits about you. Carrying a sling bag like in the picture above is better because its hard to snatch it. Back packs are also quite sturdy but I am still uncomfortable with them because people who pick pocket are quiet and can easily come from behind you and remove your valuables without you realizing.
2. Leave your passport in the safe of your hotel room (not just on the bedside table) unless its required on your particular tour for identification. Losing your passport in a foreign country I can imagine is not fun. Embassies have very limited working hours, the service in 3rd world countries can be notoriously poor :( and getting a police report in a foreign language is such a task!!!
3. Please be super careful with currencies with many zeros. I usually do a quick conversion (not precise) to my currency at home and assign each note a value using the colour. For example in Korea the green note of 10 000 won is worth R80 but I see it as a R100 note in South Africa and 5000 won note as R50 even though its worth R40, it just gives me a number I am familiar with so I have an idea of how much I am spending without doing some heavy maths - its not precise but it works for me.
4. When negotiating a price and it sounds too good to be true - get the vendor to write the number down with all the relevant zeros. If you are not sure, you can show the amount and make sure you are in agreement- if there is any confusion this can get ugly people!
5. Do the vespa tour! It was amazing! Saigon by dark one was like a crash course of what the city has to offer after sunset. The food is wonderful and the places we went to, I don't think I would have found them as a tourist on my own even if I had stayed in the city longer - definitely hidden gems.  If I had more time I probably would have done a day tour too. Such value for money :)

the hotel room of a good holiday should look like this :)

Final Thoughts
Vietnam is an incredible country and the most affordable destination I have visited so far - your money goes a long way - you will live like a queen. Thank you for reading about my adventures in Vietnam and I hope you get to visit it soon.

Visiting Vietnam: Hoi An

Hoi An is the cutest little town I have ever laid eyes on; its history and heritage are so well preserved that Unesco made the whole town an official Unesco Heritage site (this is also where I bought the most postcards). My previous post I shared my favourite pictures of this gem but now I want to tell you why I simply adore this town.

It's small.
I could picture knowing everyone by name or being a regular at a particular coffee shop, having my morning cappuccino ready for pick up everyday, same time. Because of its size, you can walk around most of down town, browsing through shops, sampling delicious ice-cream and buying pretty jewellery. You can also rent a bicycle from your hotel and dash to town in an eco-friendly manner, plus its good exercise, a win for you and your environment.

It's colourful
The bright yellow townhouse type buildings of downtown will give you the feeling of warm sunshine even on a cloudy day. The people are just as colourful too. Mainly a tourist destination for clothing, art and all sorts of tailor made goodies, the locals have become rather creative with their sales pitch to get you to see their shops and place an order or two. side-note: I think they have an eye of spotting the new comers in town.

Its a shoppers paradise 
Even if you are no shopaholic or keen on bargain  hunting, the town, its people and all the pretty things on offer lure you into their web. Bring a picture of a designer dress you want, custom make a leather jacket, pimp out your all-stars with bling or even copy your favourite leather sandals that are about to go bust - you name it they can do it and at very irresistible prices too.

Glorious Food
This has to have been my favourite part of my time spent in Hoi An. After a recommendation from a good friend and further reiterated by my favourite travel blogger, I found the cooking class of my dreams. Housed upstairs of the best restaurant in the town, is the Morning Glory cooking school. We opted for the "Herb garden cycle tour and cooking class" which saw us being educated about the herbs used in vietnamese dishes too. We also made a stop at a "house factory" that produces the famous cao lau noodles, unique to the town of Hoi An. After watering the vegetable gardens, we returned to school to begin the hands-on cooking class. The instructor, who also happens to be the owner of the said restaurant, shared some of her childhood stories which gave us great insight into the History of Vietnam from a culinary perspective. We watched, emulated and enjoyed the feast of our hard (ok not really hard) work :)

We came back later that evening and dined at this fine restaurant and the excellent reviews they receive are no lie. I savoured every bite and had we spent more time in Hoi An, we would have eaten every meal of the day at this establishment for the rest of our time there - its that good.

The people
As with the rest of Vietnam, the people of Hoi An are extremely friendly. Despite all the sales pitches, I didn't feel harassed at all (there was far more of that in Cambodia).

But my biggest weakness are the kids - I mean just look at them....

Tips
1. Go to Hoi An! You simply must.
2. There is no airport in this little town, but you can fly/train into the neighbouring town/city of Danang and take a taxi from the airport straight to Hoi An (less than an hour).
3. We stayed in a hotel with a pool which didn't really cost more than other hotels which didn't have a pool. It really helped with cooling down after a day of cycling/walking in the heat to take a dip in the pool before dinner.
4. Unless you are literally passing through, say for one day, I would not advise buying anything on the first day you are there - although very tempting. Spend the initial time browsing, comparing prices, and deciding how much you can spend in this town while considering how much time you still intend on spending in the country. This is vital because, the prices for big ticket items like leather jackets or bags are far cheaper than what I would pay back home, making it an ideal opportunity to stock up. But if you didn't budget to buy a leather jacket on your trip this will very quickly deplete your funds, making for an unpleasant you, for the rest of the trip. You can't have it all, so sleep on it and come back the next day and you will be more rational with your spending.
5. If you decide to have something tailor made, you will need at least 24 hours in the town. But be fair in your request. We spent 3 nights in this precious town. We spent the first afternoon just browsing and maybe purchasing a few small and affordable items. The next day we got an early start and went to place orders for our tailor made goodies. The factory had the rest of the day and the full day the next day to work on our items. Although our flight was later in the evening of the 4th day, we went back to collect our goodies around in the morning to make sure we were happy with them and that they would have time to make quick alterations if necessary. They were surprisingly very quick with our orders and very honest as to how much time they needed and so everything was ready on time for us to head to the airport comfortably.
6. There are many cooking classes on offer in the town through various establishments and although probably much cheaper than the one we went on, the Morning Glory cooking class was worth every penny spent - and the cook book on sale makes for a great reference for when you get back home or an awesome gift for your kitchen savvy sister - autographed by the author herself.

Final thoughts
Hoi An is so small but stole my heart in a big big way. It's worth the effort of getting there - which surprisingly was n't that difficult either. Have a super time in Hoi An :)

Last insert coming soon: Visiting Vietnam:Ho Chi Min City (Saigon)

Post cards from... everywhere

I have been so blessed in the last 18 months with all the travel opportunities afforded to me, local and international. My first international trip was only 3 years ago - I spent every penny I had in savings to visit the United Kingdom for my 25th birthday, where my friend was studying in Bath University and another living in London.  I ran out of money a few days before returning home (my dad to the rescue here) but gosh I had just the best time ever - like a kid in a candy store they say.

Second to buying mugs and fridge magnets, anyone who has traveled with me will know my dedication and absolute obsession with sending post cards. I try to send to as many addresses as I have jotted down and really put effort into personalizing every message with a memory I share with that person - there is nothing worse than a generic message in my opinion.

I do it because of the joy I feel from receiving a post card and want to someone far far away to feel the same, and when they least expect it.  And having been away from home for so long, I appreciate the gesture now even more. Not only does it say you thought of me whilst on an epic journey but a part of me feels like I was kind of there too - living vicariously  :) As a result I have traveled to more places than my passport leads on.  I have kept every single post card I have ever received, I have from all continents- except Australia :( any takers. I am hoping one day to come up (or copy) an awesome crafty project using them - I really do treasure them so a big thank you to everyone who has ever sent me one. Its so refreshing to sift through a mail box full of bills to pay then see a postcard with an awesome landmark - it really puts a smile on my face ;)

Final thoughts
Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer - unknown