Monday, 31 December 2012

Holiday in Ho Chi Minh ..... Day 5

Day 5 :

Today is our last day in HCM . As usual wake up early , performed Suboh and then taking bath . After that we go for breakfast at the hotel restaurant . There are so many guest today at the restaurant but most of them are Malaysian . I think most  of Malaysian like to stay because  of the halal foods, beside near to the market .

We spend more time eating and enjoy the foods since today no major agenda just waiting to check out and catch our flight to Kuala Lumpur . After breakfast , my wife like to make final shopping at one of the fabrics shop that we already had window shopping yesterday . Today they gave us special discounted price at 50USD per silk compare to 70USD previously . My wife bought 3 different design of the fabrics and she really happy . Soon after that we proceed to the Ben Tanh market to buy high heel for my sweet teenager daughter .

At 10 am , we check out from the hotel . We booked the taxi and pay through the hotel receptionist which only cost us 9USD to the airport compared to 20USD from the airport to the hotel . So I really recommend to you all booked and pay the fare at the hotel which is much more cheaper . One thing more I would like to share here , the receptionist and the bell boy are very very very helpful that we ever experienced with , I give max "10" star value to them .

Journey to the airport took us for 20 min . At the airport we go to the bag drop counter . Over here they are more strict on the weight of the luggage , make sure you don't exceed or else  you have to pay penalty for 5USD per Kg . The airport ! .... they quiet similar with KLIA but more smaller in size .

We have a smooth check in and boarding our AirAsia AK1457 flight to KLIA . The journey was very smooth and we arrived KLIA after 1 hour 50 min flight . At KLIA , we performed solat and have some break with KFC .

At 6:30 pm , we departed from KLIA with MAS and arrived at Kuantan Airport at 7:45pm .  We have to wait until 10:00pm for our driver to fetch us to go back to our home town , this is due to the flood occurred and causing some of the road closure . Finally . Alhamdulillah , we managed to reach home safe and sound .

For info , this week its really flooding at our hometown Kemaman and some part of  the city also affected ...incl MayBank and Bank Islam area . This is the first time  happened since I had stayed here for more than 20 years . But Alhamdulillah my house area was not affected .


My observation from our visit in HCM :
1. The hotel staff very friendly and helpful.
2. The things for shopping are cheaper but its depend on how you bargain . Always ask for 50% discount.
3. There are so many tourist from Malaysia and Europe , but most of Malaysian come here for shopping    
     especially Vietnam silk .
4. Halal foods much more expensive compare to Malaysia and easier to find especially at District 1 .
5. Always use taxi either from Vinasun or Mai Linh coz they can be trusthworthy .
6. The building is narrow and slim with a French colonial style .
7. Most of the Vietnamese can speak Malay ... so easier to bargain .. advisable to know the currency
    conversion @ change currency in HCM since they offer better rate  . You can use VND , RM and USD
    when you shops .
8. Carefull with street hawker ..esp coconut seller ... they charged you "mercedes ".




morning view .... 6 am
the restaurant for breakfast

more hotel guest today

enjoyed the breakfast

buy Vietnam silk at this shop

buy a pair of shoe here ..... Ben Thanh market


farewell photo at the hotel lobby .... took by the receptionist

the helpful bell boy

the old parks

one of thr big pagoda in Vietnam

otw to airport

the airport

so many people waiting ....at first I thought this is arrival hall but it is not ! , but actually they sending off  their relatives

the departure time ... our flight AK1457

bag drop ... they took long time do the processing 

photo at bag drop counter

another photo

look not many people .... only passenger allowed

walking to waiting hall ... after immegresen check

our waiting hall ... Gate 19

waiting hall area

the Singapore Airlines

smile ............

focus .... the new shoe

our AirAsia plane

inside the fleet ... gentleman in black n lady in red

trendy concept 

inflight magazine

flight take off  from HCM


arrived and landed at LCCT

son with friend from Kedah meet in our hotel in Vietnam

the boys ... then proceed to KLIA by taxi

have a break with KFC at KLIA

towards our domestic waiting hall KLIA

the flight taking off to Kuantan airport

in the MAS  flight

arrived at Kuantan airport ... its raining over here ,, starts with flooding episode




Sunday, 30 December 2012

Holiday in Ho Chi Minh ..... Day 4

Day 4 :

This is our fourth day in HCM  . Today in the morning , I organised our own walking tour  and the rest of the days is shopping  . The list for the walking tour including the Independant Palace , the parks , the Cethadal Church and the post office . For shopping , we will go to Ben Thanh market .

After breakfast , we start to walk to the Independant Palace for our first location . It just 10 min walking distant  from our hotel . Since it is still early in the morning , we have a comfortable and peaceful walks . We did not enter the palace , just snap some photos . There are a lot of tourist starts flocking around the place . After taking some picture of the palace , we walk to the parks , This park is very shady since its have a lot of big and tall trees .

later , we proceed to the Cethadal Church and the Post Office . Both building are old building built during the French colonial era . At that area , there are big Diamond departmental store where we do some windows shopping  and found out that  most of the items sell here are branded . So we do some currency conversion and find out the price a little bit expensive compare to Malaysia . May be the tax charged here are higher for imported goods .

To share our bad experienced .while we walking back to our hotel , a hawker want to sell us the coconuts . so we stop and asked for the price , but suddenly he open the coconut and charged us 150,000VND (RM22) per coconut ... very expensive !, lesson learnt don't buy from the street hawker .... they will stripe you off !!!

At noon we have a rest at the hotel and have a light lunch ... maggi mee and bubur nasi (that we bring from Malaysia ) . Then we left the boys at the hotel . My wife , daughter and me went out for shopping again .  This time we proceed to Ben Thanh market to buy some fabrics and clothes . We went to one of the shop and start bargaining , finally we bought a good quality of Vietnam silk with RM46 per piece and cotton cloth for Rm35 per piece.  My daughter bought a blouse ( 200,000VND) and a blue jeans ( 250,000VND ) . Both of  my wife and daughter were very happy ... they got what they want already !! Then we went back to our hotel after spends more than 1 hour at the market .

At evening , my son and me bought a new extra beg to fill the new things that my wife bought . At night all in the family went out again for a dinner at Champa Muslim restaurant . After that we went to the night market for the last minute shopping @ final shopping since we are leaving tomorrow at 13:25 pm ( flight back to Kuala Lumpur ) . Also finish off all our VND !!!



beautiful view the sunshine

the restaurant

the lobby


inside the restaurant

take the drinks

enjoyed breakfast

same goes to me and my wife

a short break before begin our tour


start our tour by walking

so many motorcycles

the vietnam coffee restaurant

the independence palace

lovely couple

with youngest  son

the beautiful clean parks

wife and sons

with the eldest

looks very cool

one of the big departmental store in HCM

just marriage ... Vietnamese couple

Cethadal Church ... old building

the post office

the brothers

with the eldest

inside the post office

really beautiful and cleans

bought some souvenier

the telephone booth concept

a modern building beside the post office

second son ... don't want to miss the chance for the memories


happy holidays

the Vietnam Hardrock Cafe

inside Diamond Departmental store

infront of the stall ... Merry Christmas !

Happy new year 2013 in Vietnamese letters

special photo

boy ... what so funny ?

have a good chance , photo with beloved mother

back to the hotel

walking to the Ben Thanh market again

looking for fabrics section

bought some fabrics .... wife so happy

evening ... bought another beg , son with the sales girl

at 7 pm , walk to Champa Muslim restaurant for dinner

the dining hall ... upstair

3 action of tired @ bored son without Ipad

2nd action

3rd action

finally enjoyed the dinner

then going back to the hotel ... for nice sweet dream