Tips in Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Thanh, District 1.

1. To HCMC (Ho Chi Minh City) by bus no. 152. It's at your right side as you exit the airport, cost only 5,000 VND/person and 5,000 VND/luggage (sometimes they don't charge it, just like mine. hee..). Use VND to pay. 10,000 VND is just RM2. Took long time to reach but you are able to watch their road life a little longer.

2. To HCMC by taxi (please and please, take metered taxi) Vinasun or Mai Linh taxi. From other's experience, it cost 160,000-190,000 VND which is RM28-34. Look at the meter upon reached. Use VND. It's easier.

3. By Bus, you'll be dropped at the HCMC Bus Centre. You'll just have to walk 350m to reach the Nguyen An Ninh Street which is the Malaysian Street. Refer map below.

That's us, upon reaching the street. Yey!

4. Try to check-in your hotel if it's already available. If it's not, you can leave your luggage at the receptionist and they'll give a receipt for you to claim it later. If no receipt, please don't leave your luggage, it's risky.

5. Or, you can also bring your luggage together to lunch.

6. Do not worry, there's a lot lot halal restaurant along the Nguyen An Ninh Street. Pick one and have your lunch first.

7. Try out their Vietnamese Coffee and their Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup, or Pho. It's like a rice noodle soup with some herbs and tasted sweet n delicious.

8. What's expensive here is their foods. One food starts from 50,000 VND (RM8-9), drinks starts from 20,000 VND (RM3-4). And the cheapest restaurant is Restoran Halal Amin, but all the foods from all of the restaurant here were yummy!

9. If you would like to book tours with Sakinah as I've mentioned in my itinerary, have your lunch in Restoran Halal Amin. So, you can ask after lunch.

10. Please take the private tour RM100 (by comfortable van). Group tour is cheaper (RM70) but some busses were old and you cant feel the air-cond. Because, the Cu chi tunnels and Mekong Delta will take hours to reach.

11. You can also search for other travel tours along the road. If it's cheaper, take it and ask the itinerary. Some of our friends informed, it's cheaper which is 10USD (RM41++) WHICH we only get to know after the vacation -.- but its okay then.

12. Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta are quite far from HCMC. Be prepare mentally and physically because it'll might take more time from what you've expected. I've experienced it. So make each of it a one-day tour in your itinerary.

13. During the Delta Mekong tour, buy the vietnam hat at the jetty, near the gate. There's a mini stall sell it cheaper. 25,000-30,000 VND (RM4++) for adult size. I bought mine at the Ben Thanh Market for RM6 (children size).

That's the hat but it's actually for children. I bought smaller hihi..

14. If you want to shop at Ben Thanh Market, please make it at least one day. I only have hours due to unexpected event :( Refer map, that's Ben Thanh Market. Close enough right ;)

15. I bring a paper-wallet-size of currency between Ringgit Malaysia(MYR) and Vietnam Dong(VND) for shopping :p 

16. I used VND mostly to shop. Because it's cheaper in VND. Evaluate yourself :p But they do accept MYR (RM).

17. Mostly, printed fabrics prices starts from RM25 for 3.5/4m chiffons', RM30-35 for 3.5/4m silks', RM25-35 for 3.5/4m cottons'.

You'll be needed more 100,000 VND, 50,000 VND, 20,000 VND and 10,000 VND when shopping here.

18. They'll open price at higher on any things. Please bid until 65% less. If they don't accept, just leave and suddenly they'll agree. But have some mercy :)

19. I bought a 24" samsonite luggage for 820,000VND (RM145++). Please dont believe if a 20" luggage cost more than RM200. It's ridiculous. Even in our country it only cost RM100-150. Unless it's a branded one.

Cute and kindhearted aunt from the Ben Thanh Market ^_^

20. T-shirts cost RM7 per piece, RM6 for child. Instant shawls starts from RM12 per piece.

21. I bought souvenirs from the shops along Nguyen An Ninh. It's cheaper than the Ben Thanh Night Market. 4 vietnam's simple wallet for RM10, 3 wooden fridge magnets for RM10. 10 keychains/fridge magnets for RM5 along the street. But I'm not sure if it's cheaper than in the Ben Thanh Market.

22. Gobok pants were sold along the street too for only RM9 each. It's cheaper in VND.

23. Telekung were sold in the shops along the street starts from RM25. It's cheaper in VND. Ask them and evaluate yourself.

24. The Vietnamese coffee from motorbikes along the street is cheaper and tastier(for me) than in the restaurant. Please try them. It's RM3 or 15,000VND.

I liked her coffee. Tasted as good as I wanted. hihi.. Oh, that joggerpants I wore cost RM25 at the Ben Thanh Night Market, RM14 at the Nguyen An Ninh (the Malaysian Street). Test yourself for the quality ;)

25. Wrapping bag service is mostly provided by hotels and is cheaper. Just ask the receptionist. Mostly they charge RM10 per luggage. Wrapping bag service in Tan Son Nhat Int. Airport is 100,000 VND (RM18) for big luggage, and 80,000 VND (RM14) for small luggage but they didn't wrap as thick as possible :( Please wrap your luggage and wrap it as good.

26. You can book Airport transfer by Taxi from your receptionist. They usually charge 8USD (RM32++) per taxi. In my experience, we paid 101,000 VND to the taxi driver as what his meter showed. Pay after reach the airport.

That's all of my experiences. Happy Travelling :D

Tentang Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Selatan.

Sedikit pengenalan ringkas tentang Bandar Ho Chi Minh sebelum tips perjalanan di Ben Thanh. hee..

Bandar Ho Chi Minh juga dikenali sebagai Saigon. Terletak di bahagian selatan Vietnam. Benda pertama yang menarik aku dan rakan2 ke sini ialah Ben Thanh Market di mana pelbagai jenis kain yang berkualiti dan cantik di jual dengan harga yang murah berbanding di negara kita. Ok itu sahaja. Ringkas sahaja. Sekadar untuk pengetahuan di mana keberadaan kita apabila di sana. hee..

Ho Chi Minh's Itinerary (Mainly Ben Thanh).

Yey, siap pun. Atas permintaan kawan2 aku kemaskan itinerary Ho Chi Minh aku selepas percutian.  Sebelum percutian, aku buat biasa2 sahaja. Matlamat aku dan kawan yang lain hanya mahu ke Ben Thanh Market tu, usha kain2 hihi. Pergi 4 hari 3 malam. Oleh itu, aku cadangkan kenapa tidak pergi ke tempat2 yang menarik kat Ho Chi Minh sekali, kan. Itinerary ini banyak tertumpu di kawasan Ben Thanh, District 1. Cu Chi Tunnels dan Delta Mekong sahaja yang di luar dari District 1 tapi masih di dalam bandar Ho Chi Minh.

Sedikit tips sepanjang percutian aku di Ho Chi Minh akan aku kongsikan dalam post seterusnya. Hee..

Persiapan ke Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam Selatan.

1)      Matlamat – Penting sebelum memulakan pencarian yang lain supaya kita tahu apa yang kita perlukan.

2)      Tiket penerbangan – Beli terus tiket pergi & pulang. Tiket akan mahal bila beli asing2 terutama tiket pulang sebab tiket pulang menggunakan USD (tapi kadang2 lebih murah, ikut nasib hihi). Bandingkan harga setiap penerbangan yang ada. Jangan lupa baca juga review orang. Penerbangan terus dari KLIA 1/KLIA 2 ke Tan Son Nhat Int. Airport mengambil masa sejam dan 55 minit.

3)      Passport - Periksa tarikh tamat passport. Passport hendaklah sekurang-kurangnya 6 bulan sah dari tarikh anda pulang ke Malaysia. Rujuk dengan Jab. Imigresen untuk pastikan.

4)      Waktu semasa – Lambat sejam dari waktu Malaysia (Penting untuk ambil tahu sebab masa pulang akan ikut waktu Vietnam). Set kan masa fon (smartphone) kepada automatik dan ia akan ikut zon waktu di mana kita berada. Gunakan juga jam tangan mengikut waktu Malaysia supaya tidak keliru.

5)      Hotel – Agoda, Booking.com, Hotels combined, hotels.com, dan mana-mana website yang menyediakan perkhidmatan berkenaan. (Penting sambil rujuk google map untuk tahu lokasi hotel), baca review orang kalau ingin tahu keselesaan hotel berkenaan). Bandingkan. Bila sudah tempah, cetak (cetak dalam Bahasa inggeris juga, kalau ada dalam Bahasa mereka pun lebih baik).

6)      Tempat-tempat menarik – Google, baca blog-blog orang. Bila dapat tempat yang ingin dilawati, cari bagaimana untuk pergi ke tempat tersebut dan cari maklumat yang berkaitan supaya tidak tertipu pada hari lawatan hihi.

7)      Agen pelancongan – Ini untuk bawa kita ke tempat2 yang kita ingin pergi. Google, baca blog-blog orang. Bandingkan harga, bandingkan keselesaan, bandingkan pengalaman2 yang mereka dapat.

8)      Restoran Halal – Google, baca blog-blog orang. Carilah yang berdekatan dengan hotel yang ditempah. Yang jauh dari hotel, cari lokasinya kemudian cetak alamat dan tandakan dekat peta cetakan yang kita buat (Rujuk no. 9).

9)      Waktu solat – Cetak atau cetak skrin fon (print screen). Muat turun (download) aplikasi solat sekali dengan kompas untuk arah kiblat.

10)      Peta – Cetak peta lokasi jauh dan dekat (zoom in & zoom out). Tandakan lokasi hotel & lokasi2 penting. 

11)   Matawang – Hadam betul2 pertukaran nilai. Cetak perbandingan matawang kita dengan matawang Vietnam, nanti boleh rujuk. Cetak muat2 dompet kita hihi.

12)   Jadual perjalanan (itinerary) – Penting untuk merancang perjalanan. Draf pun sudah baik, yang penting tarikh, waktu dan tempat yang ingin dilawati dimasukkan dalam jadual.

13) Mental & Fizikal – Perlu bersedia menerima apa jua perkara yang mungkin tidak mengikut apa yang dirancangkan.

HELLO

So yeah, Hello Cyber.

“You say that you love rain, but you open your umbrella when it rains. You say that you love the sun, but you find a shadow spot when the sun shines. You say that you love the wind, but you close your windows when wind blows. This is why I am afraid, you say that you love me too.”

—	I Am Afraid (Korkuyorum), Turkish poem