Categories
Asia Vietnam

Vietnam Adventure – here we come!

Vietnam Adventure

Our Vietnam adventure was centred in Ho Chi Minh city which is located in the southern region of the country. Still widely known by its original name, Saigon, both locally and internationally.

This amazing city is famous for its major role in the Vietnam War and its is heavily represented and very evident today. We spent over a week here and left no stone unturned including the incredible and eye opening War Remnants Museum.

Street sellers
Street sellers on our Vietnam adventure

On arrival in Ho Chi Minh city, it certainly was a culture shock, although we were prepared for it to be very different from the comfort we are accustomed to in Australia.

The city centre and surrounding towns are populated by about 12 million people. The pressure of these huge numbers is very evident on the infrastructure of the city.

The electric wires hanging loosely across major roads and the manic intersections, with ‘organised’ mayhem, certainly take getting used to! Bearing all this in mind and the debatable cleanliness of the city in general, it is advisable to choose your accommodation wisely.

The roads of Ho Chi Minh

Tip: Transport varies HUGELY in price, so don’t get caught out! If using a taxi, only use the Vinasun company as the alternate taxi service is SUPER expensive. Uber is available in Ho Chi Minh, so if you have an account, this is probably the most reasonable option.

Nikko Hotel

We stayed in the Hotel Nikko Saigon and would stay there again without a doubt.

Comfort and a high level of cleanliness is so important when visiting a city like Ho Chi Minh as having somewhere amazing to return to after a day exploring a culture so different to your own is comforting

The standard rooms were huge in our opinion. They had a shower room, separate toilet and stand-alone bath, perfect for a long soak after a day exploring in the hot, humid weather.

Each night on our return to the room, we had handmade chocolates waiting for us on our pillows.

Hotel Location

The location of the hotel was perfect for getting around and all major points and seeing the best things to do in the city. Around 2 kilometres to the major markets in the city (Bến Thành Market),and 3 kilometres to some of the major historic attractions such as the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica.

We walked to both areas of the city from the hotel on many occasions but if walking isn’t your thing, there is a complimentary shuttle bus from the hotel to the city that leaves frequently throughout the day.

Vietnam from up high

Hotel Facilities

The hotel also had a well-equipped gym and beautiful rooftop swimming pool. There were complimentary towels available in each and were never too busy which was ideal for a relaxing start to the morning or chill out in the afternoon.

The hotel bar was the perfect place to finish off a busy day and I will admit, we had one or two night caps there during our stay.

Our cocktail of choice was the Saigon Rock, a ginger twist to the perfect mojito, and the perfect partner to the candied nuts that accompanied our drinks.

A pianist on a grand piano and a singer set the ambience in the bar, adding the class you would expect from this hotel.

Ho Chi Minh Climate

Ho Chi Minh has two main seasons, the wet season and the dry season.

Generally, the wet season falls between May and October with the wettest month being July. The dry season usually begins in December and comes to an end in April. The average temperate throughout the year is approximately 28 degrees Celsius, with slight variations between the wet and dry seasons.

The rain that fell during our stay, fell at night and there was hardly any evidence of it the next morning.

The humidity may be something to consider though, if you are travelling from a cooler climate. Living in Australia, hot days and high levels of humidity are conditions we are somewhat familiar with.

Our Vietnam adventure took us to many places
During our Vietnam adventure we saw many a street shops

And Finally Our Vietnam Adventure Has Begun

Wow, reminiscing on this trip makes me appreciate it all over again.

The astonishing features and breathtaking structures from different cultural influencers also communicate its tumultuous past. And even the interesting back streets and street culture of this city, is one of fascination in itself, making this an incredible trip from start to finish.

street sellers vietnam

Thank you for taking the time to read our Vietnam adventure post.

We are so excited to be sharing this adventure with you and can’t wait to show you the amazing places we visited and the remarkable food we found experiences we had.

Don’t forget to interact and leave a comment or ask a question. Did you have a Vietnam adventure you want to tell us about.

By chalkandcheesetravels

We are adventure seekers who love to explore the world. So one day, we decided to write about it here is our story so far

2 replies on “Vietnam Adventure – here we come!”

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Chalk & Cheese Travels

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Discover more from Chalk & Cheese Travels

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading