Saigon Noon, Ho Chi Minh Ngayon (Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)



Dahil na depressed na naman ako last year (Yes, nung last year pa 'to at tinamad akong mag blog!) Isa po akong hamak na impulsive na tao at agad nag purchased ng ticket papuntang vietnam. Wala lang, gusto ko lang mag soul searching.



So the day before I left Singapore, wala akong maramdaman just a litle bit of excitement lang. First time ko 'tong magtravel solo so wala talaga akong kamuwang-muwang. Ni hindi nga ako nag research for my itinerary just go with the flow lang ako. I only got half day tour kinabukasan.

I even texted my mother a day na aalis ako and she was like freaking mad at me.
"Anong gagawin mo dun?"
"Sinong kasama mo?"
"Bakit doon pa?"
"Ang vietnam ay kilala sa pagkakaroon ng maraming war?" (So basically, dahil vietnam, vietnam war siya ganun?)
But in the end... "Ingat ka!" hahaha wala rin naman na siyang magagawa kasi aalis na ako.



This is the famous Changi Airport, napakalinis at napakaganda niya so worth nga namang tawaging 1 of the best airport in the world.





I was like, Okay this is it! Pero kinakabahan din ako. Lol

Umalis ako sa Singapore at 7 pm and I reached Saigon or Ho Chi Minh around 8:30pm.


As instructed ng aking hostel, pinili ko lang yung taxi na sinabi nila either Vinasun or Mai Linh Taxi. Namangha ako sa dami ng mga motorbike sa kalsada at isa yun sa transportation sa Vietnam. Bus, taxi or motorbike lang so pahirapan talaga sa commute. Alam n'yo ba na mostly they owned motorbike and almost 8million people using it sa Vietnam. Waenyol! May nakita pa nga akong naka gown at heels tapos nagmomotor siya, I was like "WTH?!" Lol


Ang location ng aking Hostel ay nasa District 5 so medyo malayo from the airport.
Pagdating ko dun, I was greeted by my pregnant host named Jessie.









Ito pala ang Hostel ko : The Common Room's Project, they were very accommodating and super comfy ng kanilang bed. I stayed for 2 nights and on my first night, dinala ako ni Jessie dun sa mixed room which was puro mga lalaki ang nanduon. Nagulat ako at natakot syempre I was travelling alone and babae pa ako. I'm not used to that at first time ko 'tong travel na to. So ang ginawa ko I went downstairs and asked Jessie to changed my room sa mga babae. Na pissed of talaga ako kasi why should she put me there na may all female naman na room. Hindi ko naman binook yung mixed room. So kahit nasa 3rd floor yung room at preggy siya I don't care! haha demonyita ako eh. So yung impresyon ko sa kanya na nice nung una ay napalitan na. At doon din pala siya nagse-stay sa room na yun. Bali hanggang 4th floor yung hostel at may rooftop siya. Yung gusto ko lang dun ay malinis yung toilet nila. At may private room di sila if you want privacy.







Ito yung rooftop nila.

They had a party last night so aftermath yan ng party. hahaha

After nag check-in na ako and already 9:30pm at hindi pa ako nag hahapunan. I asked this Jessie kung nasaan ang pwedeng kainan at tinuro niya lang ako dun sa may kanto daw. Lol! Pianapatay ko na po siya sa utak ko.

So naglakad nalang ako at 'di alam ang patutunguhan, since district five ay parte ng Saigon na wala masyadong mapuntahan. So sana sa district 1 nalang ako nag book ng hostel kasi mas marami doong establishment compare sa district 5. Nakarating ako sa kanto at yung mga gilid gilid ng kanto lang ako kumain. Naghesitate pa nga ako nung una kasi hindi ko naman maintindihan yung nasa menu nila pero sige na nga for the sake of gutom na ako nag order nalang ako kahit ano.




Hindi ko maintindihan kung ano ang lasa kaya kalahati lang yung nakain ko. Ang ending bumili nalang ako ng biskwit sa may convenience store na nakita ko.

Bumalik na ako sa hostel at natulog para sa half day tour ko kinabukasan.


7:30 am nang sinundo ako ng tour guide ko via motorcycle. Her name is Anne, 23 years old, student at side line niya lang 'to. Na amazed nga ako eh ang galing nila. Bale marami kami at tig-isa kami ng motorcycle at tourguide medyo kamahalan nga lang ang tour pero worth it. Ito ang unang pinuntahan namin. At hinintay muna namin yung iba while enjoying the view at uminum ng avocado shake.

Tour : Back of the Bike Tours (kasi nga nakaangkas kayo sa kanila0. And mostly, mga student sila at nung time na 'yun puro mga babae ang tourguide namin. Naging friends ko nga yung iba until now kasi ang babait nila.


Yung mga tourguide namin yung mga nakapula. Cool, right?
Nandun po ako sa dulo at hindi kami aware na may picture taking pala dito sa harapan. hihihi 

(Yung ibang pictures kasi was from them at eni-mail lang nila sa amin).


This was our whole itinerary based sa website nila, tamad na akong magsalaysay kaya tingnan ninyo nalang dito:

  • 7:55 AM Pick Up and Introduction on how to ride on the back of the bike from our trained English speaking drivers and tour guides
  • During our first stop we will cover Itinerary for the day and a bit of History of Ho Chi Minh City as we have a cup of coffee or a smoothie
  • Explore some French Colonial Sights in HCMC, including Eiffel’s Bridge, The Notre Dame Cathedral, and The Central Post Office. Sightseeing in Ho Chi Minh City at its best.
  • After the sights we will walk through a local wet market to experience what everyday shopping is like. This is not a tourist destination and is the Unseen Saigon experience.
  • We will eat an early lunch around 10:45, we suggest that our customers have a bite to eat before the tour but do not stuff themselves as we will have a full meal.
  • Experience Cho Lon(Saigon’s China Town) by diving into the back alleys to learn about the history of these streets and why they were all so important.
  • Visit one of the oldest Chinese Assembly Halls in China Town. Experience what a visit to the temple is like for a local Buddhist living in Ho Chi Minh City.
  • 12:00 PM Drop Off and Farewell’s

Credit: Back of the Bike Tours
































We end our tour with some sumptuous meal. 

Nakarating ako nang hostel mga bandang ala-una so natulog nalang ako kasi pagoda ang lola n'yo. Hapon na nang magising ako at nagutom ulit so naglakad-lakad ako sa labas para humanap ng makakainan pero dahil holiday nun kaya wala masyadong bukas. At naloka ako dahil kahit may traffic lights o nasa green light walang tumitigil na sasakyan. Ito siguro talaga yung sinasabi nila na 'buwis-buhay' kapag nagpunta ka sa vietnam. Kahit may pedestrian lane walang paki ang mga lola at lolo n'yo doon. Kaya ang ginawa ko humanap ako nang mga taong sasabayan ko sa patintero ko. Pero jusme walang taong naglalakad! Lahat sila naka motorbike. Mabuti nalang sa 'di kalayuan may nakita akong taong tatawid so takbo ako agad at tumawid na rin. Hayyyysss! kalokang buhay. Kumain nalang ako at nag libot-libot.

Kinabukasan, nag check-out na ako at nagpunta sa War Remnants Museum. Before I checked out nakilala ko si Siiri, super mabait siya at nakakatuwang makipag kwentuhan sa kanya. Parang yung Siiri sa iphone. hihi cornix! Nagpapicture pa muna ako sa labas nang pintuan ng hostel at nag ba-bye na sa kanya. Sad kasi hindi siya yung unang na meet ko bago ako nag check-in. Pero okay na kami ni Jessie, hahaha.

Credit: War Remnants Museum
Currently the War Remnants Museum is a unit under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Chi Minh City. Located in the museum system of Vietnam, the museum for world peace and a member of the World Council of Museums (ICOM), the War Remnants Museum, the Museum of thematic research, collection , storage, preservation and display of the material, photographs, artifacts on the evidence of the crime and the consequences of the war that the invasion force has caused to Vietnam. Thereby, the Museum of educating the public, especially the younger generation, mental struggle for independence and freedom of the country, the anti-war sense of invasion, to protect peace and solidarity friendship between the peoples of the world.













Naaliw ako sa katitingin sa mga litratong naroon. Mostly about the war started nung 1858.

After that naglibot na rin ako since nasa District 1 ang museum. And after that pumunta na ako nang airport to catched my flight back to Singapore.

Ganun lang! Pero happy ako kasi I did my first solo travel. Hurrayyyy!


Bye Saigon! Babalik ulit ako.... :)

















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