Saigon 16 - 19 September
This September, I visited Saigon for the forth time and made a virgin trip to Mui Ne to see the Sand Dunes (bucket list checked!) Saigon is heavily misunderstood and I realised many have not been! So have a look at my pictures to uncover the beautiful sights, rich architecture and affordable yet delicious food. (Don't even get me started on the coffee, which can be defined as AWESOME) I also love the people (though not as friendly as my favourite Taiwanese but still helpful on many counts, especially on this trip!) and the order within the chaos on Saigon roads.
That said, if it is your virgin trip to Saigon, you should definitely do a half-day tour at the Cuci Tunnels and visit the War Remnants Museum (get your tissues ready!).
Day 1
After meeting up with Amanda at the Hotel Caravelle, we made our way to a popular tourist attraction - Saigon Central Post Office (Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn or Poste centrale de Saigon in French). It was just a 10-minute walk from the hotel and even though it was drizzling this time we were there, the average cooling temperature of 25 deg made it comfortable enough to walk to most of the places in District 1. The Post Office building was constructed with Gothic, Renaissance and French influences in 1886 - 1891 when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the late 19th century. It is located near the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral (in fact they are just next to each other ) so you can hit two places at the same time. Both places have a rich history and are great spots for photography (we saw a wedding couple taking pictures while we were there) which really are the kind of places Amanda and I love.
We made our way to check in at our accommodation booked through Airbnb. We knew it was going to be difficult to locate, we knew we had to climb four storeys to get to our apartment but thankfully, all was good. The security in charge of the building had the key ready for us and even assisted us with our bags. The room was everything we had expected from the pictures the host posted and the location was fabulous. We were literally surrounded by cafes and eateries. The Reunification Palace was just round the corner, Au Parc Saigon and a few other eateries serving local fare were all within walking distance.
Off we went to Cho Ben Thanh for shopping, which by the way is amazing for souvenirs, Vietnamese coffee, lotus tea, dried foods like cashews, lotus seeds and preserved fruits. It would had taken us 20 minutes to walk but we caved in to the convenience of just taking a taxi. Taxis are so affordable that it sometimes becomes our default mode of transport. If it is your virgin trip in Saigon, a few tips to look out for when taking taxis: Always ask for meter fare before you hop on, and take only the registered company taxis like Vinasun (green and white vehicle) or Ma Linh (green vehicle).
The best banh mi in Saigon, which is also my top favourite banh mi, can be found near Cho Ben Thanh. You can't leave Saigon without having this! It is the absolute epitome of "Die Die Must Try". As we all know, the humble Banh Mi is a perfect representation of the French influence on Vietnamese food and I have not been able to find a decent replica of it in Singapore. It's all about that bread (which stays light and crisp, airy and soft inside), that pate, that fish sauce spiked mayo that they spread generously on the banh and that unassuming chili pepper that makes your tongue burn (yet it doesn't taste quite the same if you choose to omit it). Someone please bring the real deal to Singapore, I will be eternally grateful!
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa
Address: 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Opening hours: 3:30 pm – midnight, daily
Price: 32,000 VND
Another place with great banh mi is 7 minutes walk away from Banh Mi Huynh Hoa. Banh Mi 37 sells what the Vietnamese call the Banh MiThịt Nướng or grilled pork sandwiches. Pork patties are grilled on the spot, brushed with a brown sauce (which tasted like a lemongrass scented teriyaki), stuffed into the banh alongside cucumbers, cilantro, pickled vegetables and some chili sauce. Definitely different from the pate version that Huynh Hoa has; it is more hearty and befitting of a dinner banh mi, yet cheaper!
Banh Mi 37
Address: 37 Nguyễn Trãi, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Usually from around 5 pm – 7:30 pm or so daily
Price: 20,000 VND
Not far from the two Banh Mis lies another gem! A Vietnamese friend had earlier last year brought me to this wonton noodle shop and I had fond memories of it ever since! After combing the whole street for 20 minutes, our relentless efforts finally led us to the noodle stall. We ordered, we sat and we buried our heads into the bowls of noodles immediately when they arrived. The Chef said "Eat first, pay later" with a smile and we did just that. Al dente egg noodles tossed simply with lard, scallion oil and fish sauce, topped with char siew, lots of spring onions and more crispy lard bits. I wasn't missing the chili sauce that we often associate Singapore wonton noodle with!
No Name Wonton Noodle (We didn't notice!)
Address: 234 Ly Tu Trong, District 1
Opening hours: Usually from late afternoons till late
Day 2
The highlight of the trip was definitely the Sand Dunes at Mui Ne which we were looking forward to. As we had a tight schedule, we couldn't stay a night at one of the resorts at Mui Ne (I would certainly recommend you to do so!) The plan was to book the earliest train out from Saigon to Mui Ne at 6.40 am and the latest train back to Saigon at 1.50 am (!!) Train tickets can be booked online https://vietnam-railway.com. I had realized that the website only allows one to view and access the schedule of newer trains which did not run as frequent as we had liked it to. You can get a full listing of the schedule by heading straight to the train station at District 3 to purchase your tickets, but that also means having to make an extra trip to the station and the full schedule shows listing of the new and older trains.
To get to Mui Ne, we first had to take a 4-hour train ride to Phan Thiet. After which we needed to hop on a taxi and ride another 30 minutes to Mui Ne. Many of the beach resorts and restaurants were nestled on Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Phan Thiet in Mui Ne. We figured out we weren't going to explore the sand dunes on our own, so the best way (and came highly recommended on Trip Advisor) was to book a 4-hour jeep tour which we booked it easily at http://www.rang-muine.com. The jeep tour costs USD25 and usually covers the Red and White Sand Dunes, Fairy Stream and the Fishing Village. We signed up for the sunset tour which started at 2 pm and ended off at about 6 pm with Red Sand Dunes as the last stop for sunset photography. If you are up for the morning sunrise, be prepared to be picked up at 4.30 am in the morning!
Day 3
First pit-stop of our last day in Saigon was also where we had our best breakfast - Banh Mi Hoa Ma! We were not here for their banh mi, but their op la which means sunny side up eggs in Vietnamese. Fried eggs for breakfast sounds nothing of the extraordinary, but these eggs were perfectly cooked (yolks still runny) in a skillet with stir-fried onions, sausage, bacon and meat roll. Each skillet order was served with pickled vegetables on the side, pate and enormous banh which I could hug it like a mini face bolster. My tip would be to arrive there early (they open at 7 am), snag a seat at the back alley, eat as the locals do on low tables and stools, keeping a watchful eye on your belongings at the same time as there will be motorists whizzing by the side alley.
The best way to enjoy the op la is to add some fish sauce and hot sauce, happily tear away at the banh, smear pate on to it and dip it into the oozy egg. Bliss!
Banh Mi Hoa Ma
Address: 53 Cao Thắng, District 3, Ho Chi Minh
Opening hours: 7 am – 10 am or so daily
I wasn't going to pass up on Pho Hoa a second time. Pho Hoa is an established pho institution located at the far end of Pasteur Street, which is quite near to the airport. So if you haven't got time in Saigon to try some pho, make this your last food stop before scooting off to the airport! There are typically two kinds of pho in Vietnam - the northern and the southern. Pho Hoa naturally belongs to the latter - a cleaner and sweeter broth. (Well, foods in the south are generally sweeter!) The pho here is slightly more pricey but damn, the broth was good to the last drop!
Pho Hoa Pasteur
Address: 260C Pasteur Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh
The last day in Saigon left us scrambling to eat whatever's left on our hits list. Just minutes away from The Tuckshop is this old school establishment Nhu Lan which is a bakery/deli/cafe. It sells Vietnamese sweets, cakes, local savory dishes and banh mi.
Nhu Lan Bakery
Address: 50, Ham Nghi, Ben Nghe, District 1
Last but not least, no visit to Saigon is complete without trying their coffees. The cafe scene in Saigon is incredible. One would not expect any less from the second largest coffee-producing country in the world. The cafes here are ubiquitous, yet charming in an indie way. Unlike the run-of-the-mill ones here, they are all individualistically unique which makes cafe-hopping in Saigon so much more fun! One thing for sure; the coffee is always good! The ones here were the few we managed to visit. Unravel more cafes here!
Lusine
Address: 151 Dong Khoi Street, District 1
Address: 70B Le Loi Street, District 1
Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily (including the retail section)
The Workshop
Address: 27 Ngo Duc Ke, District 1
Opening Hours: 0700 - 2000 Daily
Paris Baguette
Address: 2 Cao Thắng, P. 2, District 3
M2C Cafe
Address: 44B Ly Tu Trong, Dist. 1Address: Le Quy Don, District 3
M2C Bistro
Address: 103 Dong Khoi, District 1
She Cafe
Address: 158D Pasteur, District 1
Opening Hours: 0830 - 2230 Daily
That said, if it is your virgin trip to Saigon, you should definitely do a half-day tour at the Cuci Tunnels and visit the War Remnants Museum (get your tissues ready!).
Day 1
After meeting up with Amanda at the Hotel Caravelle, we made our way to a popular tourist attraction - Saigon Central Post Office (Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn or Poste centrale de Saigon in French). It was just a 10-minute walk from the hotel and even though it was drizzling this time we were there, the average cooling temperature of 25 deg made it comfortable enough to walk to most of the places in District 1. The Post Office building was constructed with Gothic, Renaissance and French influences in 1886 - 1891 when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the late 19th century. It is located near the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral (in fact they are just next to each other ) so you can hit two places at the same time. Both places have a rich history and are great spots for photography (we saw a wedding couple taking pictures while we were there) which really are the kind of places Amanda and I love.
 |
| Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral. |
 |
| Saigon Central Post Office. |
We made our way to check in at our accommodation booked through Airbnb. We knew it was going to be difficult to locate, we knew we had to climb four storeys to get to our apartment but thankfully, all was good. The security in charge of the building had the key ready for us and even assisted us with our bags. The room was everything we had expected from the pictures the host posted and the location was fabulous. We were literally surrounded by cafes and eateries. The Reunification Palace was just round the corner, Au Parc Saigon and a few other eateries serving local fare were all within walking distance.
 |
| Our bedroom. |
 |
| Little cosy corner. |
 |
| Lots of natural day light streaming in through the wall-hung windows. |
The best banh mi in Saigon, which is also my top favourite banh mi, can be found near Cho Ben Thanh. You can't leave Saigon without having this! It is the absolute epitome of "Die Die Must Try". As we all know, the humble Banh Mi is a perfect representation of the French influence on Vietnamese food and I have not been able to find a decent replica of it in Singapore. It's all about that bread (which stays light and crisp, airy and soft inside), that pate, that fish sauce spiked mayo that they spread generously on the banh and that unassuming chili pepper that makes your tongue burn (yet it doesn't taste quite the same if you choose to omit it). Someone please bring the real deal to Singapore, I will be eternally grateful!
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa
Address: 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Opening hours: 3:30 pm – midnight, daily
Price: 32,000 VND
 |
| It's all about that bread, and that pate. |
 |
| My last meal on earth will look like this. |
Another place with great banh mi is 7 minutes walk away from Banh Mi Huynh Hoa. Banh Mi 37 sells what the Vietnamese call the Banh MiThịt Nướng or grilled pork sandwiches. Pork patties are grilled on the spot, brushed with a brown sauce (which tasted like a lemongrass scented teriyaki), stuffed into the banh alongside cucumbers, cilantro, pickled vegetables and some chili sauce. Definitely different from the pate version that Huynh Hoa has; it is more hearty and befitting of a dinner banh mi, yet cheaper!
 |
| Vietnamese version of a pork slider sandwich! |
 |
| Mystery masked woman grilling pork patties for the banh mi. |
Opening hours: Usually from around 5 pm – 7:30 pm or so daily
Price: 20,000 VND
Not far from the two Banh Mis lies another gem! A Vietnamese friend had earlier last year brought me to this wonton noodle shop and I had fond memories of it ever since! After combing the whole street for 20 minutes, our relentless efforts finally led us to the noodle stall. We ordered, we sat and we buried our heads into the bowls of noodles immediately when they arrived. The Chef said "Eat first, pay later" with a smile and we did just that. Al dente egg noodles tossed simply with lard, scallion oil and fish sauce, topped with char siew, lots of spring onions and more crispy lard bits. I wasn't missing the chili sauce that we often associate Singapore wonton noodle with!
No Name Wonton Noodle (We didn't notice!)
Address: 234 Ly Tu Trong, District 1
Opening hours: Usually from late afternoons till late
 |
| Vietnamese wonton noodle. |
Day 2
The highlight of the trip was definitely the Sand Dunes at Mui Ne which we were looking forward to. As we had a tight schedule, we couldn't stay a night at one of the resorts at Mui Ne (I would certainly recommend you to do so!) The plan was to book the earliest train out from Saigon to Mui Ne at 6.40 am and the latest train back to Saigon at 1.50 am (!!) Train tickets can be booked online https://vietnam-railway.com. I had realized that the website only allows one to view and access the schedule of newer trains which did not run as frequent as we had liked it to. You can get a full listing of the schedule by heading straight to the train station at District 3 to purchase your tickets, but that also means having to make an extra trip to the station and the full schedule shows listing of the new and older trains.
To get to Mui Ne, we first had to take a 4-hour train ride to Phan Thiet. After which we needed to hop on a taxi and ride another 30 minutes to Mui Ne. Many of the beach resorts and restaurants were nestled on Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Phan Thiet in Mui Ne. We figured out we weren't going to explore the sand dunes on our own, so the best way (and came highly recommended on Trip Advisor) was to book a 4-hour jeep tour which we booked it easily at http://www.rang-muine.com. The jeep tour costs USD25 and usually covers the Red and White Sand Dunes, Fairy Stream and the Fishing Village. We signed up for the sunset tour which started at 2 pm and ended off at about 6 pm with Red Sand Dunes as the last stop for sunset photography. If you are up for the morning sunrise, be prepared to be picked up at 4.30 am in the morning!
 |
| Enroute to Mui Ne. |
 |
| Lunch before we got whizzed off for the jeep tour. |
 |
| With our jeep driver, Tan. |
 |
| Rock formation at the Fairy Stream. |
 |
| Fishing Village. Come in the morning where the buzz is! |
 |
| Fishing Village. |
 |
| ATV ride is totally optional. |
 |
| Bucket list checked! The White Sand Dune was pristine and beautiful and everything we had hoped it would be! |
 |
| Absolutely surreal! |
 |
| The traveling distance was totally worth it! |
 |
| Red Sand Dunes. |
 |
| Caught gramming! |
 |
| Lines and shadows at play. |
 |
| Caught gramming! |
Day 3
First pit-stop of our last day in Saigon was also where we had our best breakfast - Banh Mi Hoa Ma! We were not here for their banh mi, but their op la which means sunny side up eggs in Vietnamese. Fried eggs for breakfast sounds nothing of the extraordinary, but these eggs were perfectly cooked (yolks still runny) in a skillet with stir-fried onions, sausage, bacon and meat roll. Each skillet order was served with pickled vegetables on the side, pate and enormous banh which I could hug it like a mini face bolster. My tip would be to arrive there early (they open at 7 am), snag a seat at the back alley, eat as the locals do on low tables and stools, keeping a watchful eye on your belongings at the same time as there will be motorists whizzing by the side alley.
The best way to enjoy the op la is to add some fish sauce and hot sauce, happily tear away at the banh, smear pate on to it and dip it into the oozy egg. Bliss!
Banh Mi Hoa Ma
Address: 53 Cao Thắng, District 3, Ho Chi Minh
Opening hours: 7 am – 10 am or so daily
 |
| Eat as the locals do on low tables and stools. |
 |
| Our colorful breakfast spread. |
 |
| Who doesn't love a greasy breakfast! |
I wasn't going to pass up on Pho Hoa a second time. Pho Hoa is an established pho institution located at the far end of Pasteur Street, which is quite near to the airport. So if you haven't got time in Saigon to try some pho, make this your last food stop before scooting off to the airport! There are typically two kinds of pho in Vietnam - the northern and the southern. Pho Hoa naturally belongs to the latter - a cleaner and sweeter broth. (Well, foods in the south are generally sweeter!) The pho here is slightly more pricey but damn, the broth was good to the last drop!
Pho Hoa Pasteur
Address: 260C Pasteur Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh
 |
| Pho Bo with the works. |
The last day in Saigon left us scrambling to eat whatever's left on our hits list. Just minutes away from The Tuckshop is this old school establishment Nhu Lan which is a bakery/deli/cafe. It sells Vietnamese sweets, cakes, local savory dishes and banh mi.
Nhu Lan Bakery
Address: 50, Ham Nghi, Ben Nghe, District 1
 |
| Banh Banh Banh! |
 |
| Banh Mi with pate from Nhu Lan. |
 |
| Hmmmm…. |
Last but not least, no visit to Saigon is complete without trying their coffees. The cafe scene in Saigon is incredible. One would not expect any less from the second largest coffee-producing country in the world. The cafes here are ubiquitous, yet charming in an indie way. Unlike the run-of-the-mill ones here, they are all individualistically unique which makes cafe-hopping in Saigon so much more fun! One thing for sure; the coffee is always good! The ones here were the few we managed to visit. Unravel more cafes here!
Lusine
Address: 151 Dong Khoi Street, District 1
Address: 70B Le Loi Street, District 1
Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily (including the retail section)
 |
| Lusine at Dong Khoi. |
 |
| Tile game strong and lots of natural day light streaming in. |
 |
| Lusine at Le Loi. |
 |
| Going weak in the knees with pancakes. |
 |
| One of my favorite things to have at Lusine - their red velvet cupcake! |
The Workshop
Address: 27 Ngo Duc Ke, District 1
Opening Hours: 0700 - 2000 Daily
 |
| Duan, the barista brewing my Dalat coffee from SON's farm in a V60. He studied in Singapore for 2 years before returning to his hometown to make coffee. |
 |
| V60 brew Dalat coffee from SON's farm. |
Paris Baguette
Address: 2 Cao Thắng, P. 2, District 3
 |
| Mango bingsu. |
M2C Cafe
Address: 44B Ly Tu Trong, Dist. 1Address: Le Quy Don, District 3
M2C Bistro
Address: 103 Dong Khoi, District 1
 |
| Opened by the folks behind I.D Cafe. |
She Cafe
Address: 158D Pasteur, District 1
Opening Hours: 0830 - 2230 Daily
 |
| Light game strong at She Cafe. |
Your products are really nice.I like your blog.Hope to visit you again.
ReplyDeletepackaging design