Saigon, Vietnam – Easter, 29 March to 2 April 2018

Tingting and I meet at the MS reception (on Thursday 29 March) - it’s been a looooong week and it’s only been 4 days (well 3.5 but who’s counting)......

I had checked in on my way to work. Nice and easy. We head straight to the airport express where we have a 8 minute wait.
Tingting had been told by colleagues the airport express is packed, as it pulls into the station I can see that. No spare seats so we stand. The 20 minute journey passes by quickly.

The airport is like a zoo! Thankfully the long lines at passport / boarding pass check go quickly. The security lines are next to empty, bingo!

Our flight isn’t showing a gate yet so we head to the Qantas lounge. It’s next to empty so we have the pick of seats. Drinks ordered - holiday has officially begun!



We decide to leave the lounge this time in plenty of time - don’t want a repeat of Christmas a couple of years ago! After exiting the train and walking a bit we notice the flight isn’t boarding yet so decide to pop into the Cathay Lounge for about 10 minutes.

We depart HK a good 40 minutes late - annoying that they boarded us when they did.

When we land I wander if the plane is drunk as we sway left and right a number of times. A tad concerning.

We finally get to the gate after making numerous stops - talk about painful! Tingting has to get a visa on arrival and as she was sitting in premium economy I told her to go and join the line. Super thankful she did as it’s a long slow process. Let’s hope we aren’t here all night.

WTF 30 minutes later and we are still waiting. A very strong drink is required and fast.

Hearing Tingting’s name being called out is music to my ears (a good hour since arriving). Finally! Now to get through immigration.

On exiting the passenger only section we head straight to the taxi line. The taxi line worker informs us it’s Dong 250,000 to the hotel. Yeah I don’t think so! This is not my first rodeo dude! He immediately goes down to 200K. Nope still no. What a complete dick.

We wander towards the back of the line as it looks like there are two operators. Within seconds we are in and away. Still annoyed at how awful the first man was. It’s just not needed!

Check in at the hotel was nice and easy - we dropped our bags in our rooms then headed out to the restaurant the hotel recommended and one I knew very well. I’ve been numerous times before and was even told about it yesterday by someone at work. Clearly everyone knows about this place!!

  

Good Friday, Friday 30 March, I wake just after 7.30am. A nice sleep in for me. I was in no rush to get out of bed straight away. When I finally felt more awake I decide to head to the gym.

30 minutes run on the treadmill done - not my ideal choice running inside but I felt it was going to be too hot to go outside. Maybe tomorrow.

We have a leisurely breakfast - both of us enjoy taking our time given we rush constantly Monday through Friday.
We finally leave the hotel just after 11am, it’s nice not to rush though!

We wander towards the Ben Thanh market. There is a lot of construction going on in the city so some of the roads I don’t recognize at all.

From the moment we enter into Ben Thanh we are pounced on. Tingting wants to buy a small bag so we wander down the tight rows looking at a few stores. Every store owner / worker wants us to buy from them. “Thank you but just looking” is said more times that I care to remember.

We locate a bag we like and ask the cost - Dong 650K (~ USD 28) yeah thanks but no thanks. As we walk away the lady starts to offer lower prices. Tingting manages to purchase the bag for Dong 300K. Crazy! Time to escape and head back onto the Saigon streets.



As soon as our coffee is ordered I realize I’ve been to this cafe before with Mum and Dad. Great for people watching!

  

Feeling refreshed we head back to the streets and wander towards Notre Dame and the post office.

    

Tingting spies a book store which we enter. I was hoping for a/c but on entering it felt warmer than out on the streets where there is a nice breeze.

The post office is a couple of minutes’ walk away. On entering it becomes very obvious we are not the only tourists coming to visit.

  


Unfortunately Notre Dame Cathedral has scaffolding around 3 of the sides so it’s not looking as glamourous as it usually does. We wander through a small park then towards the spa Tingting had been recommended to visit.

I leave Tingting at the spa and wander back towards the hotel. It’s lovely not needing to look at a map.

I spy a restaurant on top of a small building and decide to stop for a bite to eat. While it’s very hot it’s lovely sitting on the small balcony watching the locals go by.

 

I have a couple of hours relaxing in the hotel before Tingting and I meet again, just after 5pm. We head to a restaurant / rooftop bar she had been recommended. On exiting the hotel the breeze hits us - bliss. I love being back in Saigon wandering the streets - always so much to look at.

On arrival at the rooftop I’m doing 360’s to take in the amazing views of Saigon. We certainly arrived at a good time as there’s only 2 other tables here and the sun is setting. Perfect location to watch day turn into night while sipping on a super tasty cocktail. This is the life!


 

We head down to the ground floor for dinner. On sitting down we get chatting to the couple next to us. He’s Singaporean and lives in Wellington and is back in Asia for work. His wife (who I assume is Vietnamese) gives us a couple of recommendations for other places to visit.

So glad we came here early as within 20 minutes the majority of the tables are full. Dinner is absolutely delicious! I would happily come here for the next two nights but one needs to go out exploring other places.

   

Another recommendation Tingting was given was for a speakeasy bar - we had researched earlier and discovered it was close to Anan Restaurant (where we ate dinner). Even though it’s still early (7.20pm) we decide to head off there.

There is still some life in the wet market as we wander through. The people watching is great.

   

Tingting manages to local Snuff Box with no issues at all! Amazing. On entering it’s like we have entered another world - well from the building.

     

It’s super easy sitting here drinking and I could do so for a few more hours however we are being picked up at 8am tomorrow morning for our motorbike tour down the Mekong River so decide it’s time to head back to the hotel.

I’m surprised with the number of people around compared with about 3 hours ago, then I remember its Friday night.

We decide to head to the roof top bar at the hotel for a look. I’d been here once before during one of my many trips to Saigon. As the lift arrives on the 5th floor we hear very loud music - hmmm not exactly what we expected. Walking towards the bar the live band definitely isn’t as loud as it was in the lift.

 

The views down to the street are great. The pedestrian street is alive with people.

 

Saturday 31 March (how can it be the end of March??!) I wake before my alarm. It has been a restless night. We have booked a motorbike tour down the Mekong River today - this time I’m a passenger. Super excited!

We meet at breakfast where there is far too many people around - I assume heading out for tours like us. Please not so early tomorrow morning.

Our drivers collect us outside the hotel on Vespa’s – we are each given a helmet then are off to the meeting place for the tour. Loved being back on a bike again!!



We have a short wait for 2 others who are on the same tour as us. Lots to look at so the time goes quickly.  Finally we are off. Mekong Delta here we come!!

We drive for about an hour before having a stop on a bridge. Definitely not a typical place to stop but there was next to no one else around. Nice to be off the Vespa and stretching the legs! The views along the way were amazing.

   

We are cruising along the back roads which are all dirt. Thanks to the rain earlier there are lots of puddles. Nothing like the rain / water I dr0ve through down south a year and a half ago.

Our next stop is coffee – aah Vietnamese coffee I do love thee.



To get across the river we drive onto a car / bike boat and within minutes are on the other side cruising the streets to a local market.



Driving around the market there are some super strong smells in places. Typical market there are things everywhere to be looking at. Our guide motions for us to stop then walks us around for a bit before we sit and enjoy some food. Half way through we are informed it’s not lunch, just a snack. The 4 of us look at each other and decide no more food! The fresh coconut was super refreshing in a hot day. The food was clams, scallops, prawns followed by some fruit. All tasty.

   

Back onto the bike we go, cruising the streets to a rice wine “factory”. Think a back shed with a few non electrical appliances to assist one with the making of the wine. We have a taste of two kinds – one clear which was super strong and the second was some kind of blood flavour…..

  

Our last stop before lunch was at an incense “factory” – this was even smaller than the rice wine “factory”. A lady positioned behind a machine feeding the sticks through a hole to get the incense added.



The final stop of the tour was lunch in district 7 for lunch. We are pull in it’s obviously we are the only foreign visitors – which I always think is a good sign. Lunch was enjoyed sitting by the pond.

 

 

Aah getting off the bike for the last time is a nice feeling. Walking into the hotel the a/c hits us - heaven! It was hot out there and I’m pretty sure my arms would have got some colour.

I had seen a nice looking spa next to the hotel yesterday on my wandering so we head there to check out the prices. More expensive than the place Tingting went to yesterday so we pass.

After 30 minutes relaxing in the room I take myself off to the gym. 40 minutes’ walk - more than I would have done if Tingting didn’t arrive so I’m pleased.

The couple on our tour this morning recommended Firkin Bar so we head off in search of it. Walking there we are both literally about to eat our arms; to say we are starving is an understatement. Drinks and food will be ordered as soon as we sit down!
It’s not as easy to locate as the speakeasy we went to last night. A “security” guard outside a hotel offers his assistance then points us back in the direction we came from. We have the number of the street address so I look for the numbers - bingo! Definitely not obvious.

On opening the door we walk up some steep stairs into a dimly lit bar - very cool! Drinks and food ordered, we are set.

  

We ask the bartender for dinner recommendations - one of the places is a steak house that we had walked by to get here so we decide to head there.

Within seconds of entering we are seated at the bar. Drinks and food ordered, we are sorted.

Walking back to the hotel there are so many people around - Saigon is definitely a 24 hour city! We are basically asleep on our feet so it’s straight back to the room and bed.



Easter Sunday (and April Fool’s Day) I wake well before my alarm at 7.45am. Tingting and I had arranged to meet at breakfast at 9.15am so I have time to relax.

I decide to head outside for a run - route has been researched, just hope I remember the street names :)

There are already a lot of people around, both locals and foreigners. Thankfully not too many motorbikes and cars. Similar to Singapore if you run in the shade it’s a lot cooler than being in the sun. Yes I appreciate this sounds obvious but in some countries it’s just as hot in the shade.

Breakfast is a zoo! Tingting arrived before me and was still trying to find a table. I join some of the locals by having a Vietnamese coffee.



As part of our room booking we received free tickets to the hotels water puppet show. I recall when I went to Hanoi all those years ago people asking me if I saw the water puppet show - nope. Clearly I wasn’t in the know! So I was looking forward to finally seeing it. I went downstairs to pick up the tickets and was informed there isn’t a show on tonight as they have a party. Ooh come on! We only checked in 3 days ago - why weren’t we told about this. Such a shame!! I’m given a free drink voucher instead. Won’t complain about that.

Right pool time!

Tingting is already here and looking nice and comfortable. On sitting down I let out a sigh - this is heaven and I don’t want to ever leave!! It’s a struggle lying here reading but someone has to do it!



I order lunch early afternoon - don’t want a repeat of yesterday evening where I was starving!!

The rest of the afternoon is spent in the same fashion - reading and enjoying the sunshine.

We meet just before 5pm and head to the roof top bar for our free drink. Great people watching spot!

Someone had recommended Glow Rooftop bar so we decide to head there before going somewhere for dinner. On exiting the hotel the humidity heads us. Thankfully it’s a short 10 minute walk. On entering the office building the downstairs hostess orders the lift - within seconds we have a security guard waiting with us. Seems overkill but hey ho. When the lift arrives he opens the door for us, nice. Then he gets in and stands with his back to the door, arms folded staring at us. Seriously is this required??!!

There is only a handful of others up here, quite nice actually as it means we aren’t sitting on top of each other. Drinks ordered we watch day turn into night. A sight I will never ever get tired of.

  
 


The service is basically non-existent which is strange given there are only 3 other tables here (and us) and it seems like there are more staff than guests. Of course if we wrote this on TripAdvisor fellow travellers will think you are being ridiculous. That’s not the case at all especially when the cost of the drinks aren’t cheap.

On the way to the bar we had passed a Spanish restaurant. We decide that’s where we’ll go for our last dinner. We pay the bill and mention about the lack of service. The waiter mutters something then disappears. We wait for a few minutes then decide to leave. We have a security guard on the lift down. So strange.

The Spanish restaurant is a stone’s throw away. On entering we are struck by the European feel. The chef is resting at the table next to us so gives us his two cents when we start to order. We had been chatting on eating paella earlier but he talks us out of it given the other items we want. Ok back to the drawing board. The food doesn’t disappoint.

  
 

It’s a super quick walk back to the hotel. I decide to walk around to the main door to walk for a bit longer. There are A LOT of people around so I wander down the pedestrian street a bit to people watch. I wonder when / if I’ll ever be back in this amazing city??!

 

Monday 2 April - leaving day - I wake before my alarm. It has been a restless night so I decide to enjoy the peace and quiet before getting up to pack.

Given I didn’t run this morning I decide to head out for a walk around the streets before meeting Tingting for breakfast. The streets are alive…with lots of people sitting around.

   

Check out is a tad painful - the lady serving me decides a couple of minutes in to go and speak with another group of guests. Hmmmm ok. Thankfully another staff member comes to assist.

Within minutes we are put into a taxi to the airport. I could easily stay another day!

It’s a slow drive to the airport - due to our driver (I’m thinking he’s new to driving....) and the Monday morning traffic. Given close to 9 million people live in Saigon it’s not surprising there is always traffic.

On arrival at the airport we are straight through to the check-in counters - brilliant. I leave Tingting in a long immigration line and head to the APEC line where I’m straight through. Security isn’t as smooth. And for the first time in a long time I’m asked (like everyone else) to take off my shoes.

About 10 minutes before we are supposed to board an announcement is made saying we are delayed 10 minutes due to the late arrival of our plane.

We finally depart Saigon a good 40 minutes late. I’m not ready for the Easter weekend to be over. It’s been awesome being back again in fabulous Saigon.