It’s a girls’ weekend out in South Vietnam. ♥♥♥
The road leading to our trip last November was a bit of a blur. It’s the way of being an adult: staying connected is difficult. Then suddenly you’re all boarding the same plane out of the country.
Since we left college and retired from debate, I’ve only seen Jeca a handful of times. By virtue of proximity I did see Marianne a bit more often, but we struggled with that one too… But regardless of the hows or the whys, I’m happy we got on that plane and made it out to Ho Chi Minh City.
Note to self: Creating more shared memories is a necessary investment. (It’s been a long time and a long way away from Manila circa 2015).
The weekend trip was also a good breather before all the chaos of December and January. Am I still alive as I write this? Who know.
Itinerary: Three (or Four) Days in Ho Chi Minh City
A weekend is all you need to enjoy the must-see attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. Is that controversial? I don’t know. But everything appeared to be in walking distance to each other. Or if not, a very reasonably priced hailed ride.
Serious foodies who line up and go out of their way for top-rated restaurants might need a few more hours per day. A longer stay is also best paired with a trip to Hanoi as well —some other time!!!
Day 1 – Saturday
Tan Dinh Church & Le Van Tam Park
War Remnants Museum & Independence Palace
The Cafe Apartment
Wicked Movie at CGV La Vela
Day 2 – Sunday
Notre Dame Cathedral (English Mass)
Central Post Office & Book Street
Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
Day 3/4 – Monday / Tuesday
Day trip to Mekong Delta – My Tho, Vinh Trang Pagoda and Tan Thach canal
Jade Emperor Pagoda
Souvenir Shopping
Tips for Survival
- Download the Grab app for an easier time. We also tried out the food delivery during one of our last nights 😂
- WATCH THE ROAD. Apparently the amount of free reign enjoyed by the thousands of motorcycles is not exaggerated. Be careful!
- Bring antacids. Strangely enough, I don’t remember getting any dyspepsia or heartburn. But with how much coffee replaces water in HCMC, it’s better to be ready than sorry!
- It can get very warm and humid (all the time). At least one in the crew should have a portable handheld fan, and drinking water is a must. Wet wipes are a bonus.
Ho Chi Minh City Highlights
My only goal for this trip was to ride down the picturesque Mekong Delta canal. And also enjoying my body weight in coffee.
We definitely got ROI. It was a great couple of days where I almost completely disconnected from work while reconnecting with friends. 😌❤️
You can easily drink at least 3-4 cups of coffee per day. Delicious! (Mostly. I drink coffee for the vibes). I discovered the wonders of cà phê sữa đá (iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk). The egg coffee I got to try… wasn’t anything special. But I did enjoy the coconut coffee I ordered at the Cafe Apartment.
P.S. There was also some commotion going on in the nearby Quảng trường Nguyễn Huệ public square. Now that I’m googling it, there seems to have been a HCMC International Music Festival being set up???
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The location of the hotel is in district 3, but the average traveller can still walk to major attractions (or book the equivalent of a Php100 Grab car). Also: the hotel is in the same complex as a cinema, which I imagine is super convenient. I finally ticked off watching a film in another country!
The included buffet breakfast set a good start for each day. The coffee was above average. The food was a solid selection of local and continental fares, though it never varied per day. The views plus the opportunity to reset each morning made breakfast time an automatic highlight of the trip. That is to say: I do recommend this hotel for a staycation. For our last day we really just enjoyed breakfast then slept until checkout.
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This “pink church” was so pretty. It was unfortunately closed, so we didn’t get to see its salmon and pink-toned interiors.
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For many of the historical establishments we entered on our first day, we got a pretty good discount because Vietnam was celebrating its Cultural Heritage Day (November 22). What a great coincidence to our benefit.
This photo shows the sewer of Bui Van Vat used in 1969; a group of U.S. Army Rangers stabbed two children and disemboweled another who were all in hiding. The oldest of the children was only 10 years old. And now more than forty years later, you really have to wonder —when is war ever worth it, when it can come to this and worse?
A lot of the installations and displays are depressing, horrifying, maddening… it might not be something you’d look for on a “relaxing” trip, but this museum carries the kind of stories that need to be heard.
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But the real and surprising highlight were the 1960s bunkers and war rooms below the palace. There were war desks, maps, radios and more outdated technology trapped in time. It was also a little eerie because for some time we were the only ones there.
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I loved many of the pieces in the museum. I’d post all of them if only I wasn’t running out of blog storage space. One of the standout pieces was this permanently exhibited “national treasure” in lacquer on wood. Entitled Central, South and North Spring Garden, artist Nguyen Gia Tri depicts women from different parts of Vietnam coming together for a festival. The side panels read out some poetry:
The fragrance of flowers spreads in the direction of the wind
Bright moon with its shadow reflects on the cear water surface
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Read more: 2024 in Museums | Exploring Art and History
Aside from the island hopping and canal ride, this was the only other major stop of our tour. Other day trips in the area (which we did not avail) include a visit and immersion around the Cu Chi Tunnels, which is where Viet Cong soldiers used to hide. Uh, I’m okay with the temples.
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We pre-booked a full day excursion to Mekong Delta online –it’s always a safer bet to book van tours for places that can’t be reached by public transportation alone.
We enjoyed a comfortable ride around the Mekong Delta region, a boat cruise, and even a live music show with fresh fruits and local honey tea.
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Truly grateful that I got to experience this with my friends, with such good weather, and with everyone home safely after. 🥺❤️
To more adventures! (Or just relaxing weekends out of the hospital).
Until next time! ♥
jari m 
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