Repeat Tour @Ho Chi Min 14-18 July 2011

My 2nd time visting HCM aka Saigon.  First was in 2009, fully sponsored by a fren ;).  For this trip i was accompany by 4 others ladies...all ladies...Alhamdulillah everything is OK.

We leave KL on 14/7/2011 at 2pm, direct to LCCT so babai my skybus tix.
We reached HCM airport as schedule...look for the tour guide & he send us direct to the hotel because he have been waiting for us quite long & from his face & service we can know that he is tired, haha

Alhamdulillah the check-in process was ok...although there is a mistake on my accomodation voucher which have been quote differently from my passport details, but luckily i can produce the booking invoice & thing able to be settled!!! Alahamdulillah

The travel agent office was located nearby to our hotel & this is so comfortable...following are the program in HCM (My comments in blue):-

HO CHI MINH – MEKONG – CU CHI

5 days – 4 nights

Jul 14: Pick up on arrival:

Please confirm flight details

Jul 15: Ho Chi Minh city:

This trip with our local guide will give you insights into the history, culture and the daily life activities of the locals in Ho Chi Minh City. Kat tour office ni mmg pack every morning sbb all the tourist will gather here for every destination, lots of destination offered by the agent.  1st trip ni weols naik bas.

Morning:  Depart at 8:45AM from TheSinhTourist Office.  The tour starts with a visit to Ho Chi Minh City's oldest pagoda Giac Lam, built in the 17th century. Kat sini mmg tempat sembahyang dorang, so mmg meriah dgn bau colok & ada patung Buddha yg besar, weols x masuk pun sbb x tahan dgn bau colok tu.

We then visit Chinatown with stops at Cho Lon and Binh Tay markets to see the locals bartering, purchasing and selling wares.  We also stop off at the Thien Hau temple that was built in the early 19th Century dedicated to Thien Hau, the Goddess of seafarers. Kat Cho Lon pun weols x turun sbb ianya tokong & ada tourist yg mmg amik kesempatan utk sembah apa yg patut.  Next kat Binh Tay, masa yg diberi cuma 45mins, alamak sekejapnya...weols masuk, amik kanan & dah stuck...hahaha...beli cotton, beli vietnam silk & kain utk audai....dari segi harga & pilihan kat Benh Than market lagi murah & banyak, terpulang kat uols...

The bus will take you to go along the Saigon River side to see  Nha Rong wharf, where Ho Chi Minh first left Vietnam in 1911.  Yang ni biasa ja...hihi...After this morning tour weols amik cab g area Sheraton tuk lunch, weols lunch kat Nyonya Restaurant which operated by Malaysian Muslim.  After lunch weols beli telekung kat belakang masjid hijau, i loike telekung dia, the embroidery santek & untuk muka tu just nice...sedaplah!!!

Afternoon:  Depart at 2:00PM to visit the War Remnants Museum.  The War Remnants Museum was originally opened in September 1975, it displays old military equipment and other related items from the Vietnam War. In the courtyard we will find some larger exhibits including a F5A fighter and a UH1-Huey helicopter. Kat sini entrance kena baya sendiri & dah x ingta hege dia, haha...selain dr muzium brg2 semasa peperangan ada jugak souvenir shop kat sisi muzium ni & jugak barangan oleh OKU, membeli sambil menderma lah...

We will continue with the visit of the Reunification Palace, formerly known as the Presidential Palace, that was the sight of South Vietnam's surrender in April 1975. Walk down to see Notre Dame Cathedral and General Post Office which are beautiful examples of architecture from the French colonial period. Kat istana ni uols leh tgok kemudahan seorng president...ofis, bilik rehat, cinema, bilik tido, dining hall, ruang santai, mini garden, heli pad, terowong bawah tanah which kuaq kat kitchen dia...After this afternoon tour weols amik cab g Hard Rock Cafe.  Pas tu weols p nite market kat Ben Than & g tailor antar kain tuk buat audai...1 day siap!!! Kat area market ni ada local muslim meniaga mknan...so uols boleh beli vietnam noodles or sandwiches or local kueh :)

The tour ends at 5:00PM at TheSinhTourist Office.

Jul 16: Mekong My Tho – Ben Tre:

Depart at 8:45AM from TheSinhTourist office to My Tho city by air-conditioned bus.

Upon arrival at My Tho, crossing Mekong river by motorized boat, cruising along small creek to Mekong River estuary by row-boat.  Motorized boat ride to Con Phung (Phoenix Island) and stop over a garden restaurant at a local house for Vietnamese lunch. Perjalanan agak jauh ya...tp permandangan sepanjang jln menariks...suka tgok awan yg santek, erm...ada kuburan di kawasan sawah, sesuatu yg agak pelik.  Bila sampai guide akn suruh kita buang dulu apa yg patut "nature call" lah...dia akn bg ponco aka "rain coat" jika berlaku hujan,,,pas tu trs ride the boat.  X yakin dgn keHALALan mkn yg dorang serve so weols bw mknan sendiri...agak unik la penyediaan popia guna "rice paper".

The motorized boat continue cruising along natural creeks and quiet village in Ben Tre Province. Visit orchards, bee-keeping farm, taste natural honey and honey wine, enjoy tropical fruit, traditional music, see round a distillery, explore the local coconut candy production process, taste candy & coconut pulp.The tour will end at TheSinhTourist Office at 6:00PM. jgn lupa beli honey kat bee farm sbb honey dia mmg sedap, coz the bee hisap manisan dr buah longan, pas tu uols leh amik pic with ulaq sawa yg besar, hati2 coz  ulaq ni beyak atas baju 1 of the tourist, pity u...dah lah ensen, hihik.  Later uols akn mkn fruits sambil dengar show dorang & of coz kalau nk bagi tips silakan lah...Next, g coconut farm...most of the tourist minum ayaq nyiok & beli teh coconut candy...but weols x belilah sbb anjing berkeliaran hokey...otw balik apa lagik masa utk zzzzz...Sampai ja weols balik n solat jamak, after solat weols amik cab sbb lapaq & mkn kat Nyonya restaurant lagik & weols continue shopping spreee...

Jul 17: Cu Chi ½ day:

Depart at 8:15AM for Cu Chi tunnels.  Arrive Cu Chi at 9:30AM. View video film and presentation about Cu Chi tunnels.  On site visit of Ben Dinh tunnels.  Cu Chi tunnels were created since 1948 to assist Viet Nam to combat the French.  Construction of the tunnels continued over the next 25 years until they became an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers for the war against American.   For those interested there is an opportunity to fire off rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range.
Leave Cu Chi at noon time for Ho Chi Minh City.  Arrive back Ho Chi Minh City at 2:00PM. For this trip its only 1/2 day tour...im not too interested sbb dah experience this in 2009, so so je lah.  Kali ni mcm agak pack with tourist so x berapa best tuk sesi bergambar sbb kena Q.  After Cu Chi tour weols balik otel & take cab g Ben Than...we had lunch at VN Halal restaurant located nearby Ben Than market.  We continue with the shopping inside the market...carik cotton.  At nite yg lain rest, but i wanted to go to HRC so i decided to go alone...dengan keyakinan berada di bumi Allah...so i take cab zast to HRC. After beli 2 topi kat HRC i g nite market lagik...final shopping sbb balik nanti leh trus pack brg.  Alhamdulillah my journey ok wpun si driver taxi tu nk melencong ikut jalan jauh, syukur Alhamdulillah masih dibawah lindungan Allah...

 Jul 18: go to Airport:

Please confirm the flight time for transfer to airport.  Before balik kami g brunch kat VN Halal, g amik baju yg kononya siap in 1 day (thru 1st experience dulu mmg siap in 1 day) tp disbbkan tourist ramai sgt...so kena delay lah!!! G Nguyen Trung coffee shop beli kopi yg sedap ittew & final shopping dlm Ben Than market...Balik weols pack & tgu 4 pick-up to airport.  Alhamdulillah semuanya OK...just nice lah!!!

From the above programme, we made our own program i.e. visit Ben Than Market, Hard Rock Cafe & also the Green Mosque nearby Sheraton Hotel.  It is easier to take taxi in HCM & the rate is quite cheap.  For HALAL food there are few restaurant nearby Green Mosque i.e. Nyonya Restaurant & you can also find the HALAL food by local muslim behind the mosque.  Here u can visit the local muslim people that sells telekung & the design is nice althought the price a bit expensive from are Ben Than.  There is 1 HALAL restaurant nearby Ben Than Market too i.e. VN Halal

For HALAL coffee, u can buy in Nguyen Trung Coffee shop, its a walking distance fom Ben Than Market. 

In HCM, u can have good quality of cotton & at attractive prices.  The imitation bag such as Crumpler, High Sierra, The North Face...imitation sports wear such as Nike, Adidas...also cheap cap...all u can get cheap if u r good at bargain.  I thing that u need to remember, if u purchase t-shirts, please check the t-shirt quality 1 by 1 because they are good at cheating u with the quality...Remember this ok!!!

List of damages for the trip:-

Flight Tix to & fro LCCT - HCM - LCCT: RM180.00 (inclusive of baggage & sky bus)
Accomodation plus on ground package RM309 (airport transfers, 2 1/2 days trip, breakfast, 1 lunch)
F&B: esteemated RM20/day/pax

Travel Agent Info:
TheSinhTourist Saigon

(Formerly well-known as Sinh Cafe)

246-248 De Tham St., District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Tel: +84 8 38389597 - Fax: +84 8 38385070 / ext: 205

Cellphone: +84 903.302.300

www.thesinhtourist.vn