October 2009

I lost most of the pictures taken during this trip after my old laptop was reformatted. Good thing I was able to save some pictures. This getaway was part of a backpacking trip with friends for almost two weeks. We packed only the essentials to avoid checking in baggage. From Phnom Penh, we rode a bus to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and stayed in Vietnam for six days. We arrived late afternoon on the first day and flew to Bangkok from Hanoi at around 9 AM on the sixth day.

Filipino passport holders did not need tourist visa to enter Vietnam. After immigration officers stamped our passports in Moc Bai (see Lonely Planet’s Vietnam map), we road the same bus and arrived in Ho Chi Minh before evening. We did not book any hotel or guest house beforehand. It took us some time to find one that was cheaper and near the city center. That was one of the lessons I learned from this trip – book in advance especially during peak season or at least research about hotels or guest houses and take note of their names and contact information.

We stayed within the tourist area and woke up early the next morning. After converting US dollars to Vietnam dong, we ate breakfast. When we were in Cambodia, we withdrew US dollars because it was the more convenient currency to use. We wanted to shop, but we had no idea where to go. There was no plan plan to stay longer in Ho Chi Minh so we did not do a thorough research. It was a mistake.

We just walked to where our feet would take us until we reached Ben Thanh Market. Good thing we were able to remember the way back and take our things from the guest house hours ahead of our flight to Hanoi.