Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)
It's a busy city..opps wait...The bus will stop at google map - 10.768422, 106.692728
First thing first, you must know how much Vietnam Dong = USD or RM to prevent overuse
HCMC is a busy city which a lot a lot a lof of motorcycles. The first things you must know how to cross the road! The motorcycle won't stop for you and you must walk slowly and avoid the motorcycle. If you really scare just follow some of the people trying to crossing the road and sooner you will used to it.
After arriving at the bus station (actually on the road side and it's a backpacker area). Try to walk around and ask whether have and available dormitory room, but on that day I walk 10 hostel 9 is full. So I have no choice and have to pay an expensive dormitory which cost me 7.5USD included breakfast
It's a busy city..opps wait...The bus will stop at google map - 10.768422, 106.692728
First thing first, you must know how much Vietnam Dong = USD or RM to prevent overuse
HCMC is a busy city which a lot a lot a lof of motorcycles. The first things you must know how to cross the road! The motorcycle won't stop for you and you must walk slowly and avoid the motorcycle. If you really scare just follow some of the people trying to crossing the road and sooner you will used to it.
After arriving at the bus station (actually on the road side and it's a backpacker area). Try to walk around and ask whether have and available dormitory room, but on that day I walk 10 hostel 9 is full. So I have no choice and have to pay an expensive dormitory which cost me 7.5USD included breakfast
Here the road for all the bus stop
Motorcycle is so irritating
Here is the dorm cost me 7.5USD, totally not worth it so I won't tell the Hostel name
Kebab outside of the hostel cost me 20k dong
Dormitory of the day
4 Sharing toilet
After staying a day at the costly hostel, I decided to find another cheaper and nicer hostel. Just next of the street I found 6USD doesn't included, but the environment is much better then the previous hostel. This hostel uses electric lock which reception will give you a card as a key, even the elevator required the card. The name of the Hostel is The Eco Hostel and location Google map 10.768333, 106.693546
Note : This hostel doesn't provide towel, if you want towel can deposit 20,000 Dong for the towel and during checkout give back the towel to the reception to get back the 20,000 Dong
Note : This hostel doesn't provide towel, if you want towel can deposit 20,000 Dong for the towel and during checkout give back the towel to the reception to get back the 20,000 Dong
I feel very secure since it's not like other dormitory, this dormitory feel a lot more privacy
view from balcony
What to do in HCMC? There have a lot of shops selling the tour such as Chu Chi tunnel tour, Mekong tour or One day HCM tour which cost ranging around 80k dong to ___k dong. Before joining any tour you try to ask few shop and compare the price to avoid scams (some tour included lunch and some don't so need to ask what's included and don't) but mostly the price is almost the same. In HCMC I didn't to go Chu Chi Tunnel because kinda boring? I walk from my hostel to the War Remnants Musuem take me around 20min. I did go to the War Remnants Museum and the entrance fees is 20k dong. For me, it's quite worth it but it's didn't recommend to children because of aftermath war pictures. Here the Google location for War Remnants Museum - 10.779375, 106.692111
War Remnants Museum information you can get in their website : http://warremnantsmuseum.com/
*Please note that the opening hours.
Here is some pictures I took at the War Remnants Museum :-
Here is some pictures I took at the War Remnants Museum :-
TANK
Here is some famous food in Vietnam, can find anywhere in HCMC
Pho Bo - Beef noodle soup cost ranging around 30k-60k Dong
Picture above is 55k Dong
Banh Mi - Vietnam Sandwich price ranging around 10k-30k Dong
Here is the important information about open bus ticket.
I did do some research on the open bus ticket in Vietnam, there has a lot of bus company operate such bus service. During the research you will see a lot of negative comment on a bus stop in the middle of the road and pick people into the bus and sleep on the narrow floor of the bus and so on. There has two reputable company bus, which is The Sinh Tourist and Hahn Cafe. After thinking for a while I go for The Sinh Tourist bus company which I didn't regret at all. Their service is superb and the bus driver is really drive safe average 40km/hr for sleeping bus and for seat bus is slightly faster half hours compared to the sleeping bus.
There have few choices of the open bus ticket. The differences is the difference stop location. For example, some open bus ticket didn't stop at Mui Ne and some didn't stop in Da Nang and so on. I decided to buy an open bus ticket which has 6 stops from South to North. The price of the open bus ticket is depends on how many stops and the sleeping bus is more expensive compare to the seating bus. Each of the bus you seat they will provide a small bottle of water and a wet tissue, if you take sleeping bus they will give you additional blanket.
HCMC > Mui Ne > Nha Trang > Hoi An > Da Nang > Hue > Hanoi
*Important information - Before you purchase the open bus ticket you required to select the time (on 2nd picture). The date is advance 2 days to tell the branches on each station or you can call them up for make reservation to next destination.
The staff told me need to do 2 day advance booking but sometimes I didn't do advance booking, just book on the day. It's depends on the availability of the seats.
Each of the places had The Sinh Tourist branches and they will stop at their branches. Or you can request to stop at the Hostel/Hotel before the Branches but you must tell the reception. Moreover, you required to check in 30 minutes before departure time.
Here the open bus ticket receipt
864k Dong = RM150 = 41USD
This is the time of the bus and some information such as how long of the bus and either sleeping or seating bus
Isn't wondering how sleeping bus look like? Here you go
Below 45 degree?
Leg room
Scenery
Next destination Mui Ne
From HCMC to Mui Ne, 5-6 hours 250kilometer distance
It's a lovely place which near to the beach and have a really hot sun (it's good for body tan). But this place dormitory comparatively more expensive to others Vietnam place. I had no idea why, maybe touristy? Once you arrive you will see a lot of western people topless for man and bikinis walk around. Other than that, a lot of western people rent a motorbike drive around too. It's a straight and long street. If you walk around the street a lot of Vietnam people rent their motorbike for a day (doesn't include fuel).
Here the entrance of the backpacker. I did told the The Sinh Tourist receptionist stop here
4 mix dormitory
Breakfast not included cost me 25,000 Dong
Half day tour start from 1.30pm and end at 5.30pm. Price 7 USD
Fairy stream - Entrance fee 5,000 Dong
Walk in the water
The tall guy is from Netherlands and 2 girls is from UK
Fishing Village. It's a absolutely stunning view
The white sand dunes it's quite far away from town it take 45 minutes drive and entrance fees 10,000 Dong
ATV, cost 300,000 Dong for 20 minutes and 400,000 for 30 minutes
Red Sand Dunes is free entrance.
Red Sand Dunes almost sunset
Sunset at Red Sand Dunes, it's stunning view right?
Dinner beside the street. Walk 10 minutes from the Hostel you will see a lot of stall/restaurant because the beach selling seafood. I saw a crocodile too!
This picture is taken from internet. Yup there is a lot of restaurant beside beside the beach
G-Dragon bar..quite famous and a lot of Russian too. It's quite expensive for the beer but the environment worth it
Part 3 please click of the right bar
Next destination Nha Trang
From Mui Ne to Nha Trang 5-6 hours 250kilometer distance
It's a small city and a few minutes walk to beach. This city is a lot of Russian, I had no idea why. Even most of the writing has Russian too..
In Nha Trang I stay at Son&Daughter Hostel which cost me 4USD per day doesn't include breakfast. In front of Son&Daughter there have another backpacker hostel cost 5USD. It's really cheap and can stay here longer. I forgot to take the picture of the dormitory. Location of the Hostel Google map - 12.234899, 109.194331
In this place there have 2 famous tours. One is 4 Island tour and second is Spa Mud Bath.
Firstly, I join the 4 island tour, which cost me 7USD or 150,000 Dong included 1 lunch on the boat, but exuded all the entrance fees such as aquarium 70,000 Dong and the entrance of one island is cost 30,000 Dong. I didn't enter the aquarium since a lot of people don't recommend, even the boat staff not recommend too.
The start from morning 8.30am pickup from the hostel and bring you to the jetty. On this tour I didn't bring my phone to snap some photo. This tour did bring you to aquarium, snookering (snookering gear is free, mask and a life jacket), they will offer you for diving which need to pay extra 450,000-500,000 Dong. But I don't recommend for diving as I know it's not a good place for diving? After snookering they start the lunch and live band (someone play guitar and drum). After that, have a party? jump off the ship into the ocean!. Other than that, will go to next island which is a last island need to pay 30,000 Dong entrance, but it's worth the money. In the island there have some activities required to pay money to play such as banana boat/para sailing/motorboat and so on. It cost 450,000 Dong to play para sailing. And finally back to hostel around 5.00pm
*If you want to sit the chair of the beaches need to pay 20,000 Dong. Someone will approach you if you walk near to the chair.
It's a small city and a few minutes walk to beach. This city is a lot of Russian, I had no idea why. Even most of the writing has Russian too..
In Nha Trang I stay at Son&Daughter Hostel which cost me 4USD per day doesn't include breakfast. In front of Son&Daughter there have another backpacker hostel cost 5USD. It's really cheap and can stay here longer. I forgot to take the picture of the dormitory. Location of the Hostel Google map - 12.234899, 109.194331
In this place there have 2 famous tours. One is 4 Island tour and second is Spa Mud Bath.
Firstly, I join the 4 island tour, which cost me 7USD or 150,000 Dong included 1 lunch on the boat, but exuded all the entrance fees such as aquarium 70,000 Dong and the entrance of one island is cost 30,000 Dong. I didn't enter the aquarium since a lot of people don't recommend, even the boat staff not recommend too.
The start from morning 8.30am pickup from the hostel and bring you to the jetty. On this tour I didn't bring my phone to snap some photo. This tour did bring you to aquarium, snookering (snookering gear is free, mask and a life jacket), they will offer you for diving which need to pay extra 450,000-500,000 Dong. But I don't recommend for diving as I know it's not a good place for diving? After snookering they start the lunch and live band (someone play guitar and drum). After that, have a party? jump off the ship into the ocean!. Other than that, will go to next island which is a last island need to pay 30,000 Dong entrance, but it's worth the money. In the island there have some activities required to pay money to play such as banana boat/para sailing/motorboat and so on. It cost 450,000 Dong to play para sailing. And finally back to hostel around 5.00pm
Photo taken from internet. Yup lunch is totally same as i described
Photo taken from internet. Here is the aquarium which I did go cost 70,000 Dong
By the way, I recommend you the join tour! if go by yourself which will cost you more
Mud bath
This is hot mud spa which fit for 2 people
Mineral swimming pool (me and few of my China friends)
The second tour is Thap Ba hot spring (Mud Bath). Hostel did have this tour, but I didn't join. The Sinh Tourist also has this tour, which cost 240,000 Dong which is quite cheap compare you go by yourself. Here the Thap Ba website: http://thapbahotspring.com.vn/en.php
Thap Ba if you go by yourself here is the location from Google map : 12.270499, 109.177022
By the way, I recommend you the join tour! if go by yourself which will cost you more
There have 2 types of mud bath, Hot and Cold. Hot mud bath definitely is more expensive. But if you join tour they will give you Hot mud bath.
Moreover the mineral swimming is superb!
Entrance of the Spa
It's time to enjoy the beach!*If you want to sit the chair of the beaches need to pay 20,000 Dong. Someone will approach you if you walk near to the chair.
Part 3 please click of the right bar
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