Mui Ne, Vietnam Accommodation: Mai Am Guest House

Easily located along the highway and main beach strip of Mui Ne. You will never lost in finding this accommodation in Mui Ne as the SinTourist Bus Terminal is just beside it. So catching a ride back to Ho Chi Mihn City is not a hassle for visitors. 

It offers affordable but clean and well-maintained accommodation with free breakfast.  During my stay, the room designated to us were good for at least 5 people when we are just 3 in our group. Our room is very clean and no odor to smell during our stay. Mai Am Guesthouse offered us a rate of 35USD a night which is equivalent to around 1400PH. This rate also comes with free breakfast good for the 3 person quoted. I think the rate given to me is a good cheap deal already since this is a budget trip and considering Mui Ne is resort town of Phan Thiet City. 

Welcome to Mai Am Guest House!

Beach front of the accommodation.

Mai Am Guest House.

Beach front area of the accommodation.

Mui Ne Beach  portion at Mai Am Guest House.

They also cater for long stay accommodation like for European home care centers who does international travel with their patients. During our stay, we met these people from Switzerland who are also touring Mui Ne as part of their long vacation in Vietnam.

And they also cater tour packages to Mui Ne's spectacular sights like White Sand Dunes and Fairy Stream. We were offered 25USD for 5 hour tour of Mui Ne's sights good for 3 persons via jeepney (the strong wheels of jeepney are needed for a sand dune trip). This rate is equivalent to around 1000PHP which I find it an affordable deal already since we will be covering 4 sights of Mui Ne for the tour - White and Red Sand Dunes, Mui Ne's Fishing Village and Fairy Stream. Tour starts at 4 in the morning so go to bed early to get an early start because part of that morning tour is sunrise watching in the sand dunes.

Room good for 2 plus extra bed for 3rd guest.

Triple sharing room.

Room good for 3 person.

Private bathroom in every room like ours.

They got free wifi and has a nice beach front area where you can either relax, take your breakfast or just swim in its inviting waters - though the sand is not white but golden khaki color. But nonetheless the beach is cleaned and maintained by the resort. Their best asset is the location of tourist terminal beside the resort. So it is no hassle in catching your 5 hour bus back to Ho Chi Mihn City upon rerturn. 

Outside facade of Mai Am Guest House rooms.

Our jeepney service for our Mui Ne tour owned by the hotel.

Open-air dining area of the hotel.

I recommend Mai Am Guest House for those who are going to Mui Ne for a short overnight stay like we what we did. It is also best for those an budget travels but want to experience quality accommodation on their stay Mui Ne like our experience and style of travel. But if you are picky and prefers grand resorts and has the budget to splurge then try to look for other options that will cater for you. But as far short stays trip to Mui Ne only, Mai Am Guesthouse is best for you.

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Mai Am Guest House

148 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet City, Vietnam

Contact No: +84983618974 

Email: guesthousemaiam@gmail.com 

Website: https://www.guesthousemaiam.com/en-us

Vietnam: Timeless Charm

From the hidden charm of Asia, Vietnam slowly progresses to become Asia's timeless charm. This wouldn't be possible if not for the strong campaign and unity of people behind working for its tourism goals. Vietnam truly lives to its campaign since a visit to the country is an offer to its timeless charm - places, people, history, tradition and culture. My return to Vietnam after 7 years was a real worthy return trip because Vietnam on its progress has truly become a destination of choice.

If you want to have an authentic taste of Vietnam's timeless charm, visit its emerging capital of business, tourism, history and economy - Ho Chi Minh City. Named after its reknowned revolutionary leader, Ho Chi Minh, it is formerly known as Saigon which is still known for this name until now. In Saigon, signs of progress are evident but still intact with tradition and history that still lives in the city. In a corner they may be skyscraper buildings and modern structures like BITEXCO Tower but also in every corner you’ll see Vietnamese people honoring their culture by wearing their traditional dress of Ao dai.


A glimpse of Vietnam from the plane window as it ascends to Tan Soh Nhat International Airport.

Before I fully explore Saigon, I traveled 5 hours to a coastal town of Mui Ne in the city of Phan Thiet and Binh Thuan Province to see the timeless charms that I can find there. Our accommodation was at Mai Am Guesthouse, which also arranged our tours in exploring Mui Ne. Via jeepney, we started the exploration of Mui Ne to its famed sand dunes. We traveled for 30 minutes to reach the White Sand Dunes. It was early in the morning trip so we can watch the sunrise in the vast desert haven. And when the sunrise starts to unfold, I witness the most beautiful day in Vietnam. The White Sand Dunes also reveals itself - a beautiful and scenic vast white sand desert marvelously lighted by sunrise. This makes a visit to White Sand Dunes ideal at morning time. Then, we had a short stopover in Red Dunes Formation, which is like Red Canyon version of Mui Ne only smaller. The red dunes are formation of eroded walls of red soil in the site where there is an overlooking point to see it. We headed next to Red Sand Dunes which is called for its reddish orange sand. It is also a vast desert of sand dunes with scenic sights of a desert haven but because of its reddish sand dunes, it is best to visit it by sunset time.

Vietnam sunrise in the most beautiful day in Vietnam.

White Sand Dunes reveals its beauty by sunrise.

Next, we visited the local Fishing Village of Mui Ne where we get to sample a daily life in the fishing village of Vietnamese people. Here, I saw the different sea harvest of Mui Ne people sold and traded which are mostly something new to my eyes like giant squids, lobsters, sea snails and giant seashells. Aside from seeing the daily life of a fishing village here, the port is also a scenic sight with boats dock near the port. A few minutes from here is the Fairy Stream or Suoi Tien, a beautiful scenic stream with sand dunes and rock formation formed between the sides of the shallow stream. Fairy Stream is a 2 kilometer walkthrough stream that is best enjoyed by admiring the natural beauty and formations that springs in between it. The last sight we explored is Mui Ne Beach, which undoubtedly the town’s famed tourists spot. Many resorts were located at Mui Ne Beach where tourists lounge, swimming or sun bathing around. Though it sand is ivory white, tourist still love to flock here since Mui Ne has a year-round hot and dry climate.

After an overnight trip to Mui Ne, we return to Ho Chi Minh City for our Mekong River tour. I have been to this tour to Mekong River, 7 years ago on my first visit to Vietnam but since my travel companions have not experience it yet, I gave it a go and see what’s up with Mekong River cruise after 7 years. A Mekong River cruise is basically an immersion tour and trip to see the daily life and culture of Vietnamese people living in Mekong River particularly to the Ben Tre Province. One of the first activities we did on the trip is to observe how the locals do rice wrapper in the traditional way. We get to sample those crunchy and tasty rice wrappers after its making activity. Then, we had a Vietnamese lunch in one of the islands which composed of spring rolls with elephant-ear fish meat, vegetable soup, fish and pork dishes. After a taste of Vietnamese cuisine, we then had a Honey Lemon Tea tasting in another island. It was a pleasant to the taste buds – sweet tea with a mild hint of sourness of the lemon. 

Red Sand Dunes is perfect for sunset viewing.

The magical sight of Fairy Stream.

Experience Vietnam beach life at Mui Ne Beach.

We then ride on a traditional horse drawn carriage to proceed to our next destination. We stopped on a hall with tables where we were served with local fruit produce in the province like dragon fruit, longan, pineapple, papaya and watermelon. While enjoying those local fruits, we were serenaded by a Vietnamese traditional music sung by the local islanders. Though I did not understand the song, one of the Vietnamese we met during the tour, explained to us that the song is a traditional folk music about Vietnam, love and war. After a lovely serenade by the locals, we headed to cruise the Thoi Son Canal via small rowing boats. The views of the canals were the charming, serene and romantic lining of water coconuts where we cruise through for 15 minutes. This is one of the best experiences of Mekong River tour! At the end of the cruise is a look to the coconut candy making factory were locals of the Ben Tre Province are making it for income. Coconut candies come in different flavors like coffee, durian and pineapple. They are perfect “pasalubong” threats to bring home.

Romantic cruise at Thoi Son Canal.

Local fruits during Mekong River tour.

It’s almost a whole day trip to the province of Ben Tre and Tien Giang for the Mekong River tour. We arrived back at Ho Chi Minh City at six in the evening. Even tired and weary, I continued my Saigon exploration that night. We first stop at Ben Thanh Night Market for shopping bargains of class A bags and t-shirts and for local cuisines like Xoi (sticky rice with flavors) and Vietnam iced coffee. As we walk through the streets around Le Loi, visitors will glad to see the brightly lit skyscrapers of Ho Chi Minh City like especially the imposing lotus-like tower of BITEXCO. After walking around for sometime, we finally reached Ho Chi Minh’s Statue contained in a manicured garden and the City Hall at the back of it which is all brightly lit at night to clearly see the stunning details of the building’s architecture. This is probably the most beautiful landmark of the city at night!

 

The beautiful landmark of Ho Chi Minh City at night - The brightly illuminated City Hall and the statue of Ho Chi Minh. 

Saigon skyscrapers at night from 23/9 Park viewpoint.

We roamed around for a while but tiredness has succumbed my body, so we return to our accommodation at Kim Huong Hotel which is just at the back of Ben Thanh Market. The city also has many sights to visit from history, cultural, food trip up to shopping bargains so the following morning I continued my exploration of Ho Chi Minh City via a walking tour with my travel companions. We started with Municipal Cultural Park in the morning where there are morning joggers and strollers roaming around and enjoying the sunny morning. The park has huge shady trees ideal for sitting relaxation and unusual sculptures for photo souvenirs. Then, we headed on a historical trip to the War Remnant’s Museum where I had a glimpse of the war history that happened to the country back to the 70’s. I also had an unexplainable goosebumps all the time during my stay at the museum probably because of the unfortunate and emotional pictures of war history of Vietnam. A few blocks of walking and we passed by Reunification Palace, the former residence of President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. If you want to peek inside the former palace, there’s an entrance fee.

Souvenir shot of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Enjoying the walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City in the morning.

Just a one straight street walk from Reunification Palace is Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, one of the famous downtown landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City. The cathedral is officially known as Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion and it is one of the legacies of French colonization of Vietnam. Just beside the cathedral is the Saigon Central Post Office which was built by famed architect Gustave Eiffel who is also the architect behind the famous Eiffel Tower of Paris.

A few more walks and we reached Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee or the Ho Chi Minh City Hall and Ho Chi Minh’s Statue at the front of it for a morning viewing this time. Unfortunately the city hall is not open for public or for tourist. Even taking a photo by the building grounds is not allowed but the guards let you have a picture of the building if you are a few meters away from it just like what happened to me. The Ho Chi Minh’s Statue at the front of the city hall was a commemoration and honor to the country’s famed revolutionary political leader and former president of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969).


On the way to the airport - Heels on wheels.

In between the walking trips, visitors can rests to the benches of the huge 23/9 Park. The park is just near the downtown and perfect for morning or afternoon strolls for park lovers. The park is also good for night strolls where local families and friends stay here for evening bonding and people watching. In the morning, the local students and old folks like to lounge here until afternoon. Aside from Ben Thanh Market for last minute shopping before flying out, Saigon Square is also worth to shop in for bargains of bags, clothes, mobile phone accessories and jewelries. We check-out their wide variety of shopping items and got some good bargains for bags and mobile accessories.

Whew! What a walking day tour of Ho Chi Minh City! I think I have explored enough of Saigon that day with my travel buddies. So we prepare our things for our flight back that noon. Good thing, we didn’t miss the flight but I encountered a flight mishap upon check-in and I was the only one who got on the flight. But despite of it, I still had a good time in exploring Vietnam’s timeless charms. The places, the people, the culture, the history, the natural wonders… Timeless charms worth to experience. Vietnam had definitely step out of the hidden charm to a timeless one. It was a worthy return trip to Vietnam after 7 years!

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Vietnam: Timeless Charm is the first of my 4-part series of travel stories about my latest travel to Vietnam that happened last October 29 - November 1, 2013. This my 2nd trip to Vietnam and my return after 7 years. You might be interested in other parts of the series (Stories soon):

+ Mui Ne: Vietnam's timeless charm

+ Mekong River: Vietnam's timeless charm

+ Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam's timeless charm

The girl in Ao Dai

Our last hours in Ho Chi Mihn City is spend on finding a Vietnamese girl in Ao Dai. When we passed through a restaurant along Le Loi street, we saw an attendant girl wearing a beautiful blue Ao Dai. We insist to have a photo with her and she gladly participated. The result is one great souvenir catch of a girl in Ao Dai, when we visited the "hidden charm" country of Vietnam in 2006. I made sure to have a souvenir photo with a girl in Ao Dai because they are fascinating and something that is distinct that can only be found in Vietnam. Ao Dai is a traditional and formal dress worn in Vietnam by both men and women but a woman in Ao Dai defines more about its symbol of grace, elegance and Vietnamese femininity. Like Japan's kimonos, Ao Dais color and design denotes the female wearer's status but since recent times fashion designers and artist creates more elaborate, elegant and colorful designs that suits the choice of the wearer. Since day one of my visit in Ho Chi Minh City, I already notice those Vietnamese women wearing beautiful Ao Dais and flocking every street corner of the city. You may see a woman wearing Ao Dai suddenly passed across you while walking down the streets or riding a bicycle or a scooter while strolling around Saigon. I am intrigued, fascinated and even tried to chase them. In the end, this one came a perfect souvenir of a Vietnamese girl in Ao Dai.

Learn more about my Vietnam travel here.

Vietnam Diary Part 3: Stray roses in the streets of Vietnam

Day 3 - May 1: Stray roses in the streets of Vietnam

Today is the last day of our stay in Vietnam as our flight will be at 6pm tonight. And today is our search for a Vietnamese woman who is wearing Ao Dai - a traditional formal and symbolic dress in Vietnam. Why I feel like searching for a Vietnamese in Ao Dao on our last in Ho Chi Minh City? Well, ever since we have arrive here, we have been seeing numerous times these Vietnamese girls wearing tight-fitting silk tunic of different colors worn over pantaloons. You may see a woman wearing Ao Dai suddenly passed across you while walking down the streets or riding a bicycle or a scooter while strolling around Saigon. I have been fascinated of what is the concept behind wearing this formal dress in public. Later I realize that Ao dai symbolizes Vietnam in a way of an attitude that amidst the progress of the country towards modernization and embraces development they never forget their culture and traditional concepts by wearing Ao Dai. It also symbolizes Vietnamese' femininity as girls wearing it looks classy and prim. I think it has been a tourist’s trademark that without a photo with a Vietnamese in Ao Dai you're Vietnam experience is not complete. That's why we were searching for a Vietnamese in Ao Dai. But we were not just searching for an ordinary Vietnamese in Ao Dai, we we are searching for someone that is a perfect epitome of a Vietnamese femininity. And so we begin our search...

In the morning after we ate our free breakfast from the hotel, we planned to tour the city of Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh City named after their revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh). We started our Saigon downtown tour by visiting again 23/9 Park and Ben Thanh Market in the morning. We take a look again at the shops of Ben Thanh Market. We are looking for souvenirs this time. Then we walked towards the central disctrict of Ho Chi Minh City. I realized that by just walking around the city and have a little help with the city map with me, you can reach the nearby places of interest that you want to visit in Ho Chi Minh City.

I got a glimpsed of Ho Chi Minh's City Hall. And at its front, I saw the famous landmark of Ho Chi Minh City which I frequently sees in travel magazines - Ho Chi Minh's Statue. It was located at a central park in front of the city hall. Colorful flowers and trimmed shrub trees adorned around the park where the statue is located. While, other tourists also flocks the place for photo souvenirs. Ho Chi Minh City Hall or Hôtel de Ville de Saigon was built in 1902-1908 in a French colonial style for the then city of Saigon. It was renamed after 1975 as Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. Illuminated at night, the building is not opened to the public or for tourists. All that you can do is admire the buildings' French colonial style architecture. Or take a souvenir shot of it in any angle you want. Though, it wasn't opened for public visiting, picture taking is not prohibited in the surroundings of the building. That day, Vietnam's red and single colored yellow star flag flutters the whole outside facade of the city hall.

Downtown Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City

Around the city hall, there were many blocks of establishments like boutiques, shops, restaurants, hotels and other business offices. We tried to visit some of them as we were looking for a great but cheap souvenir items that we could bring home. Then, we went to Dong Khoi Street that leads us to Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica - a cathedral that is said to be one of the oldest Catholic churches in Vietnam. Located in the downtown of Ho Chi Mihn City, it was established by French colonist and has two bell towers. The cathedral is noted for its Roman style mixed with Gothic elements architecture. It is said that the cathedral's all original building materials were imported from France. On the opposite side of Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica is the Saigon Central Post Office which was built by Gustave Eiffel (the same architect who also built the Eiffel Tower in Paris). The building was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the early 20th century. It has a Gothic architectural style. The building is one of the tourist attraction in downtown Saigon. After touring and strolling we returned to Ho Chi Minh's statue to explore the other nearby flower parks and take more souvenir photos.

Ho Chi Minh City Hall or Hôtel de Ville de Saigon

From the map, one can easily locate the tourist places in Ho Chi Minh City as these places were just nearby that you can reach it through walking. The other nearby visiting places that we have not visited were the Reunification Palace (home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War and site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon), Ho Chi Minh City Museum (one historical site in the city) and Municipal Cultural Park (a large expanse of greenery behind Reunification Palace). From one district to another, no one can see the scars of war nor any clue that the war exist in the city. There might be hints of turmoil of the past but the peaceful and harmonious scenery that is living now in the city is covering all the scars of the past. Vietnam is really different now.

As I marvel through the city sights of the downtown, my mind was still in search mode of the Vietnamese girl in Ao Dai. A Vietnamese girl in Ao Dai is clad a rich or pastel color of the dress while wearing the Nón lá (their famous conical leaf hat) is my ideal shot. I saw a woman of age wearing a black one but she was quick walking out of our way for a souvenir shot. It is said that the colors of Ao Dai indicates the wearer's age and status. Young girls wear pure white, fully-lined outfits symbolizing their purity. Older but unmarried girls move into soft pastel shades. Only married women wear “Ao Dai” in strong, rich colors, usually over white or black pants. Along the Le Loi Street, when we passed through a restaurant, we saw an attendant girl wearing a beautiful blue Ao Dai. We insist to have a photo with her and she gladly participated. We thought we have found already the perfect Vietnamese girl in Ao Dai. But as we headed on walking along, we saw two Vietnamese girls wearing green and gold-colored patterned Ao Dai. I thought that a photo with them will be another great souvenir shot. So, we took photos with them too. The two girls were giggling in laughs as we invite them for a photo shot. I think they were thinking that tourist like us think of them as celebrities because of taking photos with them. They happily participated in a souvenir photo. Still in fascination, I thought our search for the Vietnamese girl in Ao Dai is over but in every street corners, I can see all of them. Walking, shopping or riding a bicycle. The conclusion of my search is not only finding the perfect girl in Ao Dai for a souvenir shot but to a realization that it symbolizes the perfect epitome and beauty of Vietnamese femininity and an attitude that the Vietnamese people prides and does not forget their cultural ways of life.

Before we retire to our hotel, we did shopping for souvenirs. Our girl-in-Ao Dai fascination continued in buying a doll wearing a golden Ao Dai. We also bought miniature Ao Dai figures in key chains and magnets where the word "Vietnam" is engraved on it. All perfect souvenirs of Ao Dai fascination and Vietnam experience. I have notice that souvenirs of same quality were cheaper in street side shops of the down town than in Ben Thanh Market. After a grand exploration of Ho Chi Mihn's downtown, we arrive at Liberty Hotel passed 10 am. We organize our things and packed-up our clothes to leave at 12pm. As we leave the hotel we took souvenir photos with the hotel attendants of the hotel because they were also wearing beautiful green Ao Dai. We bid goodbye to them and says, "kam ang" (Thank you) for their friendly service. Then, we took an airport bus which gave us a scenic tour in Ho Chi Minh City. I saw the Municipal Cultural Park and the back of Reunification Palace. I was also lucky to see the Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, a pagoda built in Vietnamese traditional architecture style where one of the sets of TV series Vietnam Rose took place.

Ho Chi Minh City Hall illuminated at night.

We arrive at 1 pm in Tan Soh Nhat International Airport. Too early for a check-in, the counters were still closed, so we rest for a while. I also took the opportunity to wander around the shops and duty-free around the airport. I have also noticed that check-in agents at the airport, women staff also wears Ao Dai. After check-in at 5pm, we boarded our flight PR596 at 7:10pm and we’re ready to leave Vietnam. The scars of war won't be seen in Vietnam today. The city seemed to have move on into the changing life of today. Vietnam is a promising country to development. The country is progressing and developing. The city glitters as if it has never been in a darkest historic war. And the people who were affected by the turbulent past of the war continues to live... moving on, to continue living life... they are like stray roses flocking in the streets of Vietnam that adds color to its history as each of them brings a story of their culture, war, healing and love. I am satisfied that I have found the answer behind the beguiling metaphor "Vietnam Rose" only by traveling here. Relieving my Vietnam experience, those were the thoughts that were circling in my mind as the plane ascends to the sky... Two and a half hours later we will ascend to Manila.


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Vietnam Diary is a three part series story of my trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam last April 29 - May 1, 2006. I have reached the last retelling of my past travels as today I share the last story of my RetrotTravel series. Actually, this trip is a college graduation gift for me by my mom. This travel trip was a great exploration and discovery of the colorful culture, significant history and natural attraction wonders of Vietnam. I am narrating it via a diary format in which I tell the experiences I had their in my 3-day visit, exploration and discovery of Vietnam. Happy reading!

Read the other parts of Vietnam Diary:

• Part 1 - The Red Country
• Part 2 - The Mekong Journey

Vietnam Diary Part 2: The Mekong Journey

Day 2 - April 30: The Mekong Journey

Today we will have a scheduled one-day tour in southern provinces of Vietnam. This tour was scheduled yesterday in a nearby travel agency found near our hotel. Actually, there were many tour agencies around Pham Ngu Lao street that offers various tour packages for a tourists... all you have to do as a first-timer in Vietnam is to choose which tour agency gives the best tour package at a right price. At 8:00am, we were picked up by the tour bus at the agency. Many people at the tour were Vietnamese and only few foreigners like us. At the bus we met Tiun (pronounced as "Tuan"), a local who were with his family and friends who are taking the opportunity to have a holiday trip.

The highlight of the Mekong Journey - a paddle to the canals.

The bus trip range from 2 to 3 hours duration. Our destination - My Tho City. It rained when we arrive in My Tho City, which I thought will spoil our Mekong tour. There were still few raindrops but right after it stop we took a ferry ride to visit Ben Tre. The ferry ride we took crosses the Mekong River, which was a huge river and actually Asia's 7th longest river to reach Ben Tre. Mekong River is colored brown that it looked a like a river of milk chocolate drink. During the ferry tour, I saw 4 islands of shape, Tortoise Island, Unicorn Island, Phoenix Island and Dragon Island as instructed by the tour guide. Then, we changed our mode of transportation again from a ferry to a smaller ferry at a small station in which I got nervous because the smaller ferry is like a small boat now that shakes up easily when it is not in balance . I am also afraid to fall into the water river. My mom was also nervous and cautious at the same time while transfering to the smaller ferry.

Ferry to Ben Tre province.

When we reached Ben Tre, we were treated to the demonstration of how the locals make coconut candies from a home-made factory. Then, the locals gave us a free samples to taste their coconut candies. It taste good especially when it is just newly-made. Then our tour guide explains to us how the locals use the tools in making coconut candies. There were also restaurants and souvenir shops there. Then we hop again in the small boat and continue our tour in Ben Tre province through the canals again. On our second stop, we walked towards a narrow road with many trees around leading to a restaurant place. The local tourists with us excitedly picked "makopa" fruits from trees that surrounds the area. They are happily giggling in picking it up in the trees while speaking Vietnamese that I don’t understand. We had a short rest at the wood-designed restaurant. Then, our tour guide show us the bee-keeping box nearby, He then proceeds to show us a slide full of bees. He tells us that the locals were collecting honeys to sell. After the demo, a Vietnamese girl wearing an Ao Dai went to our table and serve us honey lemon tea. She demonstrate to us on how make a honey lemon tea. She put a drop of honey on the tea cup, then pour it with a tea. And she then squeeze it with a lemon that looks like a calamansi. Well, its my first time to taste a honey lemon tea and the sweetness of honey mixed with the tea is relaxing and invigorating to the palate. There is also a beer made out honey served to us, which look like a vinegar because of the translucent color. But we did not try to taste it. Later, I am annoyed by a bee who keeps on flying near our honey pot. My mom tried to sway it away. But I warned her that it might attack us. Then, our tour guide showed a large snake (a python) taken from a cage to which my mom was alarmed (she is afraid of snake). We stand up and went away from the others as they were busy taking pictures in the surrounding trees. 

After that, we ride again to the small motorized boat and went out of Ben Tre province to the station where we left the first ferry we rode earlier. It seems that bigger ferries cannot travel inside the narrow water canals of Ben Tre. Our ferry lead us to the Unicorn Island where we ate our free launch from the tour package. The restaurant was placed strategically under a fond of hyacinths with the background of the vast Mekong River. Then after a few minutes of rest, we proceeded to Tortoise Island. There is a large open cottage for an activity area in the center of the island. Me and my mom's colleagues seated in one of the tables inside the cottage. Then, we were served with cuts of local fruits like papaya, pineapple, dragon fruit (my first taste of this fruit) and mango while being serenaded by the local children in their Vietnamese folk music. The whole audience applause after the children finished singing. 

To continue our tour, our tour guide told us to walk further inside the island where we saw many fruit gardens of many trees. We headed to the end of the road and lead us to what I really don’t expect to see! We headed to another canal, the Tan Thach Canal - where we will be taking a small paddled boat just like what I saw in a scene in Vietnam Rose! Vietnam Rose is a Philippine TV series that is partly shot in Vietnam and specifically in Tan Thach Canal! The canal is surrounded by many water coconuts that guides the paddled boat going through the canal. I quickly remember a scene that I saw in TV series because of the water coconuts lining the canal. My mom and Ate Yoly (my mom's colleague) excitedly hop first towards the paddled boat while talking that is what they saw too in Vietnam Rose TV series. I am also elated to experience the paddled-boat riding to the canal. I told my mom that we were like in a scene of "Vietnam Rose". Then the local who will paddle the boat gave us their famous native conical hat, Nón lá (leaf hat) which we excitedly wore. It is called "salakot" in our country. Wearing Nón lá only made me feel a deeper ambiance of being part of a scene in Vietnam Rose TV series. The local paddled us through the canal that was fully covered with water coconuts. It was a beautiful sight to see and a wonderful experience. While enjoying the sights of the water coconuts, my mom keeps on quoting the unique experience of being inside "Vietnam Rose." Maybe it is because of the amazement of the experience. I am too, also feel amaze to the experience of Tan Thach Canal tour. The trip crosses us to the Unicorn Island again and headed us to the floating station for a ferry ride back to My Tho City station. But before we got off the paddled boat we made sure that we got a souvenir picture with the paddled-boat while wearing Nón lá. After the souvenir shot, we cruise on with our ferry to My Tho City again via Mekong River.

Paddling in Tan Thach Canal.

In tour bus with our new Vietnamese friend - Tiun.

The sun shines brighter this time. It wasn't rainy anymore. I saw a ferry heading to Cambodia as told by the tour guide and from the distance I can see the city of My Tho. When arrive at the docking station we went to the bus again and drove us to a stopover in Bonsai Garden at 4pm. There we bid goodbye to Tiun, the local we befriend on the tour because their group is in a two-day tour. He was grateful that he met us. We also made sure that we have a souvenir photo with him. Then, we ride the bus that will head us back to Ho Chi Minh City. While passing through the highway, I wonderfully saw kite flying activities of the locals which also amazed the other tourists in the bus. I am very tired of the trip, though sleepy, I still try to have a good look of all the beautiful sights and places that we were passing through in the bus trip.

It was 5:30pm when we arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, the tour guide thanked us for joining the trip. I am soaked again to a wonderful scenery of Ho Chi Minh City as the bus passed through the city streets. Scooters crowds the streets. Old French architectures is evident in the city buildings. Girls wearing Ao Dai while driving a bicycle. And the daily life of Vietnamese people is all around. We were dropped by the tour agency and then we headed to our hotel to rest from a tiring whole day "field trip."

Ho Chi Minh City at night.

I think after 2 hour rest, we were back again on strolling. We went to Saigon Plaza Center. There are so many people and it was noisy due to music at Saigon Plaza Center. It happened that the mall was on sale! And there were many people crowding around especially for gadgets like digital cameras and mobile phone. I am surprised that popular mobile phone brands are being sold cheaper here than in our country. Moreover, I saw a Nokia phone model that I like on sale! I long to have a digital camera and it is also cheap there at Saigon Plaza Center. Later, we continue strolling around Saigon. It was an amazing sight to see the lighted streets of Saigon at night swarmed by hundreds of scooters crossing around. I wonder how it feels riding a scooter and drive along with the other scooters. Saigon is alive again at night. Tourists flocks the bars again and some does night shopping. It feels safe to roam around as I heard Saigon has low crime rate. I have been fascinated by the simple life in Vietnam and I think I have enough exposure of it today. I need to retire for today to have enough energy to savor my last day in Vietnam tomorrow. I am hoping to find what is the meaning behind the enigmatic term -Vietnam Rose.


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Vietnam Diary is a three part series story of my trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam last April 29 - May 1, 2006. I have reached the last retelling of my past travels as today I share the last story of my RetrotTravel series. Actually, this trip is a college graduation gift for me by my mom. This travel trip was a great exploration and discovery of the colorful culture, significant history and natural attraction wonders of Vietnam. I am narrating it via a diary format in which I tell the experiences I had their in my 3-day visit, exploration and discovery of Vietnam. Happy reading!

Read the other parts of Vietnam Diary: 

• Part 1 - The Red Country  
• Part 3 - Stray roses in the streets of Vietnam
  

Vietnam Diary Part 1: The Red Country

Day 1 - April 29: The Red Country

Our journey to the "Red Country" starts in our 7:30 am departure of flight PR591 to Ho Chi Minh City. I am excited on this trip to Vietnam because it is my first time to visit that country. And not only that, I am excited to learn the cultures of Vietnamese people . I am thrilled of what I will discover in this travel trip. This also serves as my vacation after everything about school has finished.

Onboard, the moment that I have been waiting is getting nearer. As the plane starts to descend, I can now vividly see the strip of land of Vietnam in the airplane window. Seeing this, adds more rush of excitement for this trip. But what is striking to me the most in having a glimpse of Vietnam's strip of land is the color of its land from the air. It is colored red. That's why I called it the"Red Country" For me, the red land was a beautiful sight from the air. It made me feel that the trip to this country will be one travel that I won't forget.

Our plane landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. I thought were going out of the plane via plane stairs as I've searched in the internet but I was wronged. Their international airport has already 4 airbridges (where people walk through in and out of the plane). Tan Son Nhat was medium size compared to NAIA Terminal 2. It is comparable to Cebu's Mactan International Airport. But beside the terminal was an under construction building of their new airport of the same name. The work of construction is clearly seen from our plane as we went on taxiway. Ho Chi Mihn City also known for its old name Saigon, deserves to have a new international airport because it will definitely boost its growing tourism.

At the airport there was a beautiful Vietnamese girl that I won't forget in the airport money changer who was wearing an Ao Dai (Vietnam's traditional dress). She was an attendant of the money changer where we change some of our pocket money for local spending. I won't forget her because of the sweet smile she showed after we changed our money - whatever the meaning of the smile is, hehe... The moment we step out of the airport, my impression of Vietnam is that it has many similarities to Philippines in many ways. The Vietnamese people looks similarly to Filipinos. I can easily blend in the crowd without mistaking I am not a Vietnamese except if I start speaking Filipino language. And the weather is hot! Just like Philippines the weather in Vietnam has a tropical hot weather. But I believe it is hotter in Manila than here. As we ride a taxi to go to our hotel, I got a preview of the daily life scene in Vietnam. Scooters (their main mode of transportation which is amazingly everywhere) are everywhere and the parks are plenty. Many of the buildings were being constructed, a sign that they are a developing country. The place is more of a rural place than an urban. Yet, I can see the progress going into urban development. In addition, Saigon's air is clean and unpolluted. The surrounding is clean too. I think that the few constructions of skyscrapers contributed to its less polluted environment.

We arrive at Liberty 3 Hotel (a 3-star hotel but very satisfactory for me) at 12:00pm. The hotel was cozy. It was beautiful and very clean. I felt a traveler on a real splurge especially when I saw the room. It was wide and comfortable with amazing view of the city from the terrace. The terrace is overlooking the scenery streets and buildings of Ho Chi Minh City! And so I get our camera and take the first photo of my trip to Vietnam. Our hotel was in a strategic location. It is in the heart city of Ho Chi Minh City, where nearby shops, boutiques, malls, restaurant, clubs and bars can be easily found. Pham Ngu Lao Street in District 1 is part of the central business district of Ho Chi Minh City.

We did our first day to trip around the city in an afternoon walk. First stop - we passed through 23/9 Park which was perfectly fine for afternoon strolls (actually according to the tourists information Ho Chi Minh alone has 10 national parks!). I've noticed that around the city and in every buildings or street posts has Vietnamese flags hanged and displayed, together with banners in red and yellow colored lettering in their alphabet. Later, I learned that Ho Chi Minh were in a 3-day holiday celebration because tomorrow, April 30 was the celebration of Ho Chi Minh City’s Liberation from American control and was returned to their communist government. Next stop - Ben Thanh Market - which was like their version of Divisoria Market except it is a decent and cleaner. It is a market building (so no worries when rain comes while in the middle of shopping) where low costs goods are being sold. You can actually bargain for cheaper prices in buying items and asks discounts when buying many items. It is a real bargain shopping paradise for everyone who wants Vietnam-made goods from shoes, bags, shirts to souvenirs and even fruits... everything that shoppers like to buy is available here. And one day is not enough to stroll around Ben Thanh Market because it is a huge market that you'll get tired in exploring it in a one-whole day! At 6pm, we went back to Liberty Hotel after buying few good items as we were tired in trying to stroll around the whole market.

The city skyline and Saigon River

I rest for 2 hours. Walking around Saigon expends a lot of energy. For dinner, we treated ourselves in a Vietnamese cuisine in one of the restaurants along Pham Ngu Lao. It can't recall the beef dish but it was a good Vietnamese food. At night Pham Ngu Lão street was alive! There were many tourists flocking around the street and as the night goes deep many people were still flocking around - trying bars, pubs and night life around Pham Ngu Lao. From the hotel terrace, I saw how night life transforms Saigon from a calm city by day into one of the hotspots to party by night. The streets were brightly lit. And the people were strolling around as every bar you want to visit is just a walk away from hotels.

As for me, I went into a relaxing moment by savoring the beautiful night view of the Saigon in the hotel terrace. Its a worthy first night spend in Vietnam. I ended my first evening by watching cable TV programs and then sleep happily... hoping another unforgettable journey tomorrow.

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Vietnam Diary is a three part series story of my trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam last April 29 - May 1, 2006. I have reached the last retelling of my past travels as today I share the last story of my RetrotTravel series. Actually, this trip is a college graduation gift for me by my mom. This travel trip was a great exploration and discovery of the colorful culture, significant history and natural attraction wonders of Vietnam. I am narrating it via a diary format in which I tell the experiences I had their in my 3-day visit, exploration and discovery of Vietnam. Happy reading!

Read the other parts of Vietnam Diary:   

• Day 2 - The Mekong Journey   
• Day 3 - Stray roses in the streets of Vietnam