Thursday, January 05, 2017

Travel Diary: Ho Chi Minh City (Day Two)


On our second day in Saigon, we kind of woke up a bit late so I told my then fiancé that as much as I’d love to explore the city soon, I’d want to grab breakfast ANYWHERE first. The first place that popped in my mind was the KFC just beside the hotel where we’re staying. I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous! I’m in a different country and I’m thinking about eating fast food; but when you’re hungry, you don’t really have much of a choice.


The menu here is a bit different. Even in fast food places, food seems to be a bit healthier. Another surprising thing is that fast food here seems more expensive than the restaurants. Yikes!



Anyway, after our KFC breakfast, we walked going to Trung Nguyen to check out and try some good Vietnamese Coffee. To be able to know how the real Vietnamese coffee tastes like, we both went for black but iced. The coffee was served using a stainless-steel single cup coffee filter/dripper. Afterwards, you can pour the dripped coffee on a separate mug with ice and condensed milk. It was intense as it is and tastes even better with the milk.

After our coffee adventure, we were so energized and decided to walk again going to our next stop.

Learning More about Vietnam’s Political History






Our next stop was the Independence Palace or the Reunification Palace. The Independence Palace is known as the abode of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War and one of the iconic sites when one talks about the Fall of Saigon. From the rooms of the government officials to the war equipment used during the Vietnam War, you’d really learn more about the political history of the country by visiting here. As most of you know, I don’t take much photos of museums when I’m travelling because I prefer you seeing it for yourself. Plus, I prefer savoring the experience more than consume so much time taking too much photos people will probably just scroll away from.

Getting to know the History & Culture of Ho Chi Minh


 I was able to appreciate Vietnam more when I’ve gotten to know its history and culture through its museums. If the Reunification Palace will tell you more about the political history of the country and the Fall of Saigon, the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City will introduce you to the culture and history of the city, itself. It actually has that National Museum feels.

Night Out in Saigon


We decided to go back to the hotel after our two museum visits so that we can rest for a bit and prepare for a night out in the city. If you’re thinking, “how can two museum visits tire them?!” Well, we never took a cab. We just walked the whole day!



Anyway, our first stop for the night is Board Game Station, a board games café near the backpacker’s district. They have the more popular board/table top games but we still find it a bit lacking. When we went there, some of the food we initially prefer weren’t available which kind of sucks since the other stuff listed in the menu were pretty normal. So to make the most out of our trip there, we played a round of Ticket to Ride. Maybe we’ll visit the café again if we’d be with a larger group; but if it’s just the two of us, I think I’d pass.




After a round of Ticket to Ride, we went straight to the Backpacker’s District for some beer. FINALLY! It was a fun new experience because everyone’s just sitting outside the stores facing the street and food depends on which street food cart will pass by in front of you. We were able to meet new friends, try various street food, and had a really great night.

10 comments:

  1. I remembered when we were in China, we looked for the nearest McDo because we're not familiar with the other restaurants there. Haha! I haven't been to Vietnam but hopefully I get to travel there soon. Beautiful pictures!

    xoxo,
    SHAIRA
    www.missdream-girl.blogspot.com

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  2. I'm guilty for having fastfood in another country too! It was really rare to see fastfood in Korea, so I went to have lunch at the first McDo I saw! They have different menus from ours tho so I have a bulgogi burger and I didn't regret it!

    xx, Richel Goes Places

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  3. Nice to read the second part, I was wondering where did it go hehe. The Backpackers district is a revelation, I haven't seen such thing as moving food store. I enjoy reading this girl until the next post.

    www.busyandfab.com

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  4. Ho Chi Minh City looks like a beautiful country. A Board Game Station might sound like the coolest thing ever, but I think the best thing about visiting new cities is learning about the history behind them. So happy to got to go to the Museum <3

    xx BASH   ||   HEY BASH

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  5. Looks like you had an amazing time!
    Great post!

    Vanessa x | www.springlilies.com

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  6. I would have gone eating at the same fast food or even 7-11 if available to save money.

    I hope you enjoyed Vietnam! Happy 2017!

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  7. You're so lucky you got to visit Vietnam! That place is on my bucket list for so long.

    Andreea,
    http://couturezilla.com/

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  8. I would've stopped by KFC also! HaHaHa It looked good. That's something how the prices are higher. It's good to know a place's history & culture. It gives you a better understanding of the place. So good for you.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  9. I've noticed that fast food does tend to be different in other countries, much better than here in the States that's for sure! I don't typically eat fast food, but I remember the Starbucks in Aruba was SO different than here, everything tasted much better and it looked like a little bakery or cafe, so cute! Anyway, I'm glad you were able to enjoy some time with the hubby, even if everything didn't turn out as planned. I absolutely hate when I dine out and all the good, interesting food is no longer being served, it makes me just want to leave, lol. I hope you're having a wonderful start to your new year so far, beauty, and thanks so much for sharing!

    XO,

    Jalisa
    www.thestylecontour.com

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  10. So cool! I have never been to Vietnam. I haven't even seen any photos of urban areas. Thanks for sharing. What a cool experience!
    xo, Janea
    www.theSTYLetti.com

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