Trip to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam Day 2

Let’s continue with 2nd entry for Vietnam trip. Woke up quite early with new mission and more positive on Day 2. Our plan for today is to go to Binh Thay (Bin Tai) market. But before we start our journey, we went to Hjh Basiroh restaurant (across my hotel) for breakfast.

Full of Malaysians waiting for Nasi Lemak (RM5) and curry puff (RM2)

It looks like Nasi Lemak and taste a lil bit okay, should be good for me

After breakfast, we walked to Bus Terminal (near Ben Thanh market) and waiting for bus no. 1. The journey took about 30 minutes and it will stop at the last terminal near the market. Once we reached there, we need to cross the road and arrived in destination.

Me in the bus. Sama je macam RapidKL

Wet market

Shop near Binh Tay

When you spot this building, you’re on the right location

Actually, Binh Tay market is dedicated for wholesalers. If you guys nak beli, it must be in bulk (6pcs min.) All sellers tak akan bagi kita beli if kita bukan wholesaler. Since malas nak tanya2 dah, we make a move back to Ben Thanh. Nasib bus tak full, can sit anywhere I want.

Inside the market. Only wholesaler allowed to purchase

Helmets in Saigon are cute

Took the same items (6pcs min.) = Wholesaler price

Put my hairband as weather get hotter


On the way back to Ben Thanh

Near Chinatown area

Arrived at bus terminal and terus melintas untuk ke Saigon Square. This shopping mall is just 5 minutes walking distance from Ben Thanh. Finally, an air conditioned mall. Kalau kat sini, semua fashion lagi update sikitlah. So for those yang memang kaki shopping, singgah2 lah kat sini. Tak rugi pun sebab confirm tak berpeluh. And kat sini please bargain hard 🙂


We’re at Saigon Square

Habis shopping, terus pergi ke shop lots opposite Saigon Square. Macam biasa jugaklah, baju, bags, socks semua ada. Tapi baru nampak kedai yang ada jual buku2. Siapa2 yang nak beli pirated Lonely Planet, you guys boleh pergi sini jugak. Only 8-9USD, anda boleh dapatkan Lonely Planet book untuk New Zealand, Aussie, China, Europe and macam2 lagi. The latest edition is 2011. 

Photocopy books for SALE

What kind of name…

Dropped our shopping bags in hotel room. Since takde exact plan for today, I suggested that kiteorang pergi Saigon Post Office. Sebenarnya location post office tu takdelah jauh sangat. Cuma, kaki dah keras nak berjalan di tengah2 panas kota Saigon. Panas dia lain macam, sebab panas kering. Kalau panas macam kat pulau ke, takpe jugak. At least ada angin sikit2. *Banyaknya complaint*

Okay, since dah malas nak jalan. We took taxi from hotel to Central post office area. We paid 39,000VND to the driver as he dropped us in front of the building. Inilah experience pertama naik taxi in Vietnam. Not bad jugak. As recommended by few people in Malaysia, you can only trust Vinasun and Mai Linh company as they are metered taxi.

In the taxi

Reunification Palace


5 mins later, we arrived in front of Saigon Post Office. What a beautiful building. It was so classy! Memang tak rugi if visit this post office. It’s a great idea when Vietnam keeps it as one of tourist attractions. Since background pun dah cantik, apa lagi bergambar sakanlah kan. Lepas dah jalan2 tu, tetiba rasa nak kirim post card to ibu, ayah and baby(Opah) as kenang-kenangan. Bought few postcards and start mengarang ala-ala dah duduk overseas 3 tahun kan. Propa laaa sikit!


My sister pun start tulis postcards to her daughters. Once dah siap, kiteorang terus ke stamp counter untuk beli stamp. Stamp to Malaysia costs us only 10,500VND each. Then, terus bagi to the clerk. Please don’t expect friendly service kat sini. And by the time I wrote this post, the postcards have arrived in my letterbox. Woot2 1 week la kirenya service dorang. Not bad!  
Big clock hung over the entrance way

Cantiklah building ni… Vintage sangat

Me in front of Saigon Post Office entrance

Tempat orang dolu- dolu buat phone call

Pandang atas terus nampak ni….

Ho Chi Minh portrait

Bought 4 postcards from Saigon. 5000VND each

This was sent to myself

After berjalan2 dalam post office, we make a move to Notre-Dame Basilica which located opposite Saigon post office. Just crossed the road and you will arrive in front of the building. One thing I noticed, kat sini tak terlalu banyak motosikal compared to other places. So tenang je if lepak kat sini. Free from horrendous honking and you can cross the road peacefully. From this place, you can walk and reach Parkson Tourist Plaza which is a Malaysian outlet mall. Bangga tau, ada jugak mall yang dimiliki orang Malaysia.

Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica

Side view of the historical building

Menjaga tourist

To the sky

An alleyway to it

After walking around the place, baru tahu ada statue

Since dah tak tahu nak pergi mana lepas tu, kami pun naik taxi balik ke hotel. Time balik murah je tambang. Hanya 17,800VND. Jalan pun dekat je sebenarnya. Tapi panas lain macam lah kat sini. So naik aje taxi, senang cerita kan. Once arrived in Ben Thanh area, apa lagi sambung tour dalam market pulaklah. But as expected, bila start lalu je depan shop dorang, dah mula tarik2 tangan, jerit2 suruh singgah and bile dah tanye harga kirenya kita kene beli. Or else nanti bisnes dia tak ada luck for that day (itu if u guys pergi awal pagi)…tapi ada jugak yg guna alasan tu dh lewat2 ptg, katanya die langsung takde pembeli. So kita kene beli, kesiankan dorang takde sales, bad luck. 

Belum lagi yang hempas2 barang if kita tak jadi beli. Siap marah2 halau cakap Go, Go. Honestly I never had this kind of experience. Dulu time study, selalu dengar, customer always right. But we can’t use that in here. It’s different. So if you really need to buy that items, barulah tanya and please bargain. If u just nak survey2, you’ll end up buying that items or carutan yang sangat mengagumkan akan dilontarkan. Bersediakah?

Rata2 orang Malaysia yg kami jumpe semuanya dtg sini utk shopping baju kurung and kain. Bila tanya how murah you can get for 1 pc of readymade baju kurung… They said RM50. Then, ada yg bulan lepas dtg, bulan ni dtg lagi. Okay, yang itu totally not understand. Maybe shopping murah sgt but how can u deal with all the peniaga? When I asked them about it, they said dah itu perangai dorang, terima je lah. Wow, sabarnya lah  Sabariah binti Sabaruddin ni. Then, bila dah tak larat nak layan drama2 dorang ni, kiteorang pon balik hotel and get ready for early dins at Vn. Halal.


VN. Halal ini memang dekat je dengan Saigon Pink 2 Hotel. Jalan kaki 5 minit then sampailah depan restaurant ni. Tak silap, sebelah Vn. Halal ni ada Baskin Robbins. So senanglah nak cari. Masuk je restaurant ni, meja semua penuh dengan orang Malaysia. Nasib ada kosong satu meja panjang. So kami pun duduklah kat situ. Bukak aje menu terus cari Pho. Tapi bila nak order Pho dah habis 🙁 Since tak tahu nak makan apa, order je Nasi Goreng Kampung.

My advice, if dah lapar sangat better bawak tidbits before masuk kedai ni. Service agak slow kat sini. Tapi service charge die quite expensive tau. So pikir2kanlah. Food yang disediakan pun tak berapa sedap. Bila makan tu, memang mampu menggamit memori time mula2 belajar masak nasi goreng.  Jadi sesiapa yang nak ingat balik kenangan mula2 belajar masak, mungkin bolehla ke sini. Bukan itu sahaja, bila kita sentiasa didedahkan dgn nasi goreng kampong yang penuh dgn kangkung dan ikan bilis, di sini ia hanyalah nasi goreng biasa. My sis ordered Char Kueh Teow and it tastes good. Go and try!

VN. Halal for dins

The menu

Char Kuey Teow Vietnam

Balik from dinner, terus pergi Cantik shop sebab rindu nak jumpa si Happy tu. Baju dah siap katanya but kene tunggu turn utk fitting. Time tu pulak, ada satu customer tengah fitting and dissapointed dgn baju dia. Lain yg dia nak, lain yg dapat. Apa lagi? Bersandiwara lah dalam kedai tu. Tapi Happy ni memang tetap cakap yang itu salah customer tu. Sebab dia memang buat baju elok2 punya. Yakin kan? Takpela, inikan tempat you, you can say anything you want. Since kami takut jadi mcmtu, we took our baju and try it in hotel room. Fuh, nasib okay! Then terus jumpa balik Happy and bayar payment. Balik hotel and tido awal sebab esok nak pergi tour….

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