Top 10 experiences to be had in Ho Chi Minh

I've already written and dedicated a whole blog entry on shopping in my previous post. Now let me talk about the great restaurants, tours, and attractions that made our stay in Ho Chi Minh truly memorable. In no particular order, here's my Top 10 list of things to do and experience while in Ho Chi Minh. We hope that you'll have as much fun as we did in your trip to Vietnam! ;-)

1.) Have dessert at Fanny's Ice Cream Shop!

I won't say much about this place. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. ;-)

Fanny's desserts have a bit of liquer on them and they do look sinful. Ironically though, they taste very light! Their desserts look so pretty and at first, you might not want to touch it. But believe me, you'll get over that really quick. This is the perfect place to go to beat the heat or in our case, to cap off our evening. ;-)

2.) Join Sinh Cafe's Mekong River Day Tour.

To be honest with you, I consider Sinh Cafe's Mekong River Day Tour as the main highlight of our trip. Not only is the trip very organized but there's a lot of surprises along the way too. I'll try not to give everything away, but you can pretty much expect a ferry ride along the Mekong River, a smaller boat ride, a visit to the coconut candy factory, a cultural performance, a horse-drawn cart ride, and another visit to a honeybee farm. I gave you a long list there. But trust me, I haven't given everything away. There are a lot more surprises for you there. ;-)

Sinh Cafe takes care of your lunch and there's a lot of shopping that can be done along the way! Because it is an organized tour, you would think that vendors would charge tourist prices on their merchandise. But they don't. Everything is reasonable and at times, even cheaper than the items that you'll find in HCMC!

I've been on a few tours like this but I would have to say that this is the best one that I've ever experienced. The activities are varied and there's something in store for everyone -- whether you're a cultural traveler, a "shoppingera," more for the outdoors, or in it to meet people and what-not. Jojo and I had a really fun time here. It was a great and amazing way for us to experience provincial life by the Mekong River! ;-)

3.) Enjoy a water puppet show at the Vietnamese History Museum.

To see the water puppet show, you'll have to pay the minimal entrance fee of the Vietnamese History Museum (15,000 dong) and purchase a ticket for the 30-minute show (32,000 dong). The museum was under construction during our visit so some areas were closed. But generally, they have a decent collection. Take the time to explore the museum --- making sure to see the glass-encased mummy and the beautiful porcelain and costumes from different time periods. They also have a cute little courtyard in the middle where you can stop for a drink or check out souvenir stores.

The water puppet show is shown by the hour -- that is, if there's at least 5 or 6 people that are committed to see it. If there isn't enough, you'll just have to wait for more people to join you. That was the case with Jojo and I. While waiting, we went to the souvenir store across the theatre. And there, we had a hoot having our pictures taken with a traditional flower basket resting on our shoulders and wearing a Vietnamese conical hat. You just need to pay $1 for the picture. Wow! I only had plastic flowers on my baskets but it's really hard work to have all that resting on your shoulders! After a couple of pictures, the lady from the theatre called on us to say that there were enough people for the show. The water puppet show, to say the least, was very entertaining! It was truly an amazing cultural experience. I've studied a bit of puppetry before and the timing, spacing, and handling of the puppets were impeccable! There was no dialogue but the mini-narration in the beginning, the music, and the "gestures" of the puppets helped us understand the stories and legends. We also loved the effects used with the water and even a bit of fireworks! Great stuff!
By the way, if you're looking for something else to do in the area, you can visit the Buddhist temple right across the museum. Right next to it is the zoo as well. We got to go to the temple but unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to go to the zoo. We went there on our last day and it was just a few hours before we had to go to the airport.

*Note: If you want to take pictures at the museum, you can do so for an extra fee. It's very minimal and you'll just have to inform the cashier about this before going inside.

4.) Visit the Cao Dai Temple and explore the underground Cu Chi Tunnel.

This tour was also organized by Sinh Cafe. Just like the Mekong River tour, it was a great tour. The only thing that we didn't like about it was the long drive between places. From HCMC, we spent an hour and a half on the bus to get to a factory with the largest selection of lacquer ware in all forms and sizes. The craftsmanship is amazing! This is considering the fact too that the workers there are all handicapped. There were a LOT of beautiful things there. Unfortunately, they were all too expensive! Everything was priced in US dollars too.

After that, it was another hour and a half long ride to get to the Cao Dai Temple. We got there just right in time for their 12:00 worship or prayer. The townsfolk all gathered in this beautiful, albeit, surreal-looking temple. They consider Victor Hugo as one of their saints! Anyway, it was just a unique experience. We were there for about 30 minutes? After that, we drove another 10 minutes for our lunch. Sinh Cafe chose the restaurant but this time, we had to pay our own way. An hour there and it was another 2-hour ride to the Cu Chi Tunnel. That was a painfully-long ride for me. I had to go to the bathroom and there were no bathroom stops along the way! I can understand why though. On the way there, we passed through fields and farms. There was no public restroom that we could use. And I don't think knocking on people's homes was an option.

Anyway, we eventually got to the Cu Chi Tunnel. We watched a documentary first before our guide toured us to the entire Cu Chi grounds. Our guide talked to us about how the people there lived during the Vietnam War. What did they do to protect themselves? How did they sneakily cook their food so that they won't be found by their enemies? How were they able to live their life in these narrow tunnels? It was very educational. The Vietnamese people are a resilient bunch. What they went through was no joke.

In the grounds, you had the option of firing a few rounds at the shooting range. You have to pay for that yourself. They also serve you some bamboo shoots -- food that the Vietnamese ate to sustain themselves. And for the grand finale, you could actually go inside the underground tunnels. They made larger versions of the tunnel for "heavier" and larger tourists. ;-) Every few meters or so, you had the option of going back up. It wasn't a very long tunnel but there were about 3 or 4 exits. We were a group of about 4o or so people. Around 35 tried going inside the tunnel. Only 3 actually went the whole way! I was one of the sissies. I decided not to try it because it looked very dusty inside the tunnel, and not to mention, very claustrophobic. Jojo tried it but decided to come back up on the 2nd exit.

It was an enlightening experience, over all. But if you're not one for long rides, I suggest you just go for the half day tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cao Dai Temple is nice but with the long rides in between, I think it's something that you can do without. You can spend the other half of the day visiting the temples in HCMC instead.

5.) Take advantage of photo-ops at the Ho Chi Minh Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Opera House, City Hall, and Lam Son Square.

Visit these District 1 landmarks and be ready to strike a pose! You can't really say that you've been to HCMC unless you've had your picture taken at these iconic landmarks. The Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral are just right next to each other. Fifteen minutes away by foot is the Saigon Opera House, the City Hall, and Lam Son Square. The latter are conveniently located near Rex Hotel and District 1's shopping strip.

Unfortunately, we had our District 1 DIY tour on a Friday. If you would like to take a picture of Notre Dame's interiors, bear in mind that the cathedral is only open to the public on Sundays -- between 9:30 and 11 am, in particular. They also have a Catholic mass there around that time.

As for the HCMC Post Office, it's open everyday between 6:30 am and 10 pm. We're not entirely sure though if the City Hall and Opera House are open to the public at any given time. We didn't bother trying to find out. The European exteriors and amazing architecture of these places -- on their own, were already a sight to behold.

6.) Awaken your taste buds at Pho 2000.

This restaurant is located right across the Ben Thanh Market. When you go inside, you'll be greeted with tons of framed pictures of Bill Clinton taken at the restaurant. Hence the name, Bill Clinton chose to dine at this place among the many other establishments during his visit to HCMC in 2000. At first, I thought it was just all hype. So what if Bill Clinton ate there right? It didn't necessarily mean that they have the best Vietnamese food. After all, the restaurant is located just five minutes from the five-star hotels in the city. It was probably the nearest restaurant to his hotel.

We had gone to Pho 2000 on our third day in HCMC. Obviously, we had already eaten at other authentic Vietnamese restos in the city -- namely Quan An Ngon, Nam Thanh, and many others. In other words, we already had a point of comparison. And believe me when I say that Pho 2000 has the best Vietnamese food in the city! It was soooo good that Jojo and I ate there twice! That's major because we NEVER eat at the same restaurant twice during our trips. It has been an unspoken rule to explore and try as many different restaurants as we can when we're in a different country. The food at Pho 2000 was just too too good so obviously, this "unspoken" rule had been forgotten! ;-)

For one, the food at Pho 2000 is very tasty. It truly does awaken your taste buds! The servings are huge and beautifully presented. We couldn't get enough of it! Just have a look at our pictures above. Maybe I should warn you that the pictures will definitely make you hungry! ;-)

7.) Be enlightened at the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace.

History books are not known for being objective. So if you studied under an American or even a Filipino curriculum, there are a lot of things that you probably don't know about the Vietnam War. At the least, you've just been exposed to one side of it -- the Americans' side of the story. Go and visit the War Remnants Museum to hear the other side of it all. Learn about the struggles and hardships of the Vietnamese people during this time. Through hundreds of these graphic photographs, see for yourself the violence and atrocities of war. There are a couple of photographs there that affected me deeply. One is a photograph taken a minute before the Americans killed these two little boys. They were in a dirt road and the older boy was covering and hovering over his younger brother while trying to protect him. The other is of two American soldiers with huge smiles on their faces while having their picture taken beside corpses of their Vietnamese enemies. The images were all very powerful. They will depress you and even make you very angry. Most of all, these images will make you think. They're definitely worth a visit. While you're there, don't miss the tiger cages too. You'll have to exit the War Remnants Museum to see them. It's on the side of the museum -- near where that beverage stall is.

As a Filipino, the Reunification Palace reminded of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It's a mix of that and maybe a bit of the Malacanang Palace too. The place is musty, dusty, and VERY retro. It used to be Ho Chi Minh's planning headquarters from way back in the 50's and 60's. They have an eerie basement where the message center is, actual transport (helicopters and jeeps) used during the war, and a gazillion meeting rooms with uber-kitschy furniture, chandeliers, and curtains. Oh and don't forget to have your jump-shot picture taken in front of the fountain outside. Go on the second floor balcony to see the awesome street view there too. ;-)

8.) Sip your coffee and go people watching at the closest Trung Nguyen Cafe.

Out of all the coffees that we've tried in HCMC, Trung Nguyen's coffee is the best for me. I like my coffee light, creamy, and milky. I don't particularly enjoy that common strong aftertaste you get from international coffee chains found here in Manila.

The coffees at Trung Nguyen Cafe were presented very well. The mini-cookies given with the coffee were yummy too! Oh and the service was topnotch! We asked the waiter about how to get to the Vietnamese Museum and he quickly gave us a sketch. Along with it, he gave us tips on where to wait for a taxi, which taxi to get, and suggestions on where else to go in the city. And we weren't even asking for it. ;-) Anyway, the Trung Nguyen Cafe is the perfect place to go people-watching. It's a place to just unwind, sit back, and savor your coffee. If there were more meals to be had while in HCMC, Jojo and I seriously wanted to go back there for breakfast or lunch. We were eyeing the food ordered by the table beside us. Their servings are huge and the food looked sooo succulent! Unfortunately, we visited the cafe on our last day there and we just had lunch too. ;-( Oh well. I guess we'll just have to visit it again on our next trip there.

9.) After shopping at Ben Thanh, recharge at Com Tam Cali (Vietnamese Broken Rice Restaurant) followed by dessert at Une Journee a Paris.

These two places are right next to each other. Com Tam Cali served Vietnamese food which pleased our Filipino palates. In other words, the food they served there were much tastier than what we got used to while in Vietnam. We ate at other restaurants and for the most part, we found them a bit bland and too "herby" for our taste. Com Tam Cali's portions were huge and the servers were very nice and hospitable.

Before going inside that restaurant, we were already eyeing the Une Journee a Paris cafe beside it. We promised to make room for dessert. From its clean blue and white interiors, the cafe was already very inviting. And when we saw the desserts too, wow! We were already very full from our lunch at Com Tam Cali. So it pained me to order just one dessert to share between the two of us. My mind was telling me to order more. But my tummy was saying "No more!!!" ;-) My tummy "won" and we ordered just one dessert -- promising to come back the day after. The day after was our last day in Vietnam. Due to circumstances, tragically, we weren't able to come back. ;-(

Anyway, we went for the Mille Feuille. It was very creamy though it tasted light. I loved the combination in texture of the crust and the juxtaposing smooth cream in between the layers. It's not a sinful dessert at all. But like what characterizes French cuisine, the flavors are subtle but oh-so-addicting and heavenly! No sudden bursts of flavor but rather, the more you bite into it, the more you realize how good it truly is! Loooove it!

10.) Get a massage at Ngoc Anh Spa.

You cannot and shouldn't leave Ho Chi Minh without getting a massage at Ngoc Anh Spa. It would be an absolute sin to do that! In our travels, it has been our "unspoken" rule to get a massage in that particular country. So when I was putting together the itinerary, I had spent a bit of time researching the best massage place in Ho Chi Minh. All of the online reviews and forums pointed me to this place. And we were not at all disappointed. Far from it, actually. I was very very pleased! So pleased that I have considered it the best massage that I've ever gotten! It was just complete indulgence. For 240,000 VND (700 pesos) each, Jojo and I got a 60-minute body massage AND a 75-minute foot massage! Wow! After the massage, I literally felt like I was floating on air! ;-) There wasn't a knot in my body or any tension left in any of my muscles! It was just incredible.

FANNY'S ICE CREAM SHOP
29-31 Ton That Tiep, District 1

SINH CAFE
246 De Tham Street, District 1

VIETNAM HISTORY MUSEUM
2 Nguyen Binh Kiem, District 1

HCMC POST OFFICE / NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL
2 Cong Xa Paris, District 1

LAM SON SQUARE / SAIGON OPERA HOUSE / HCMC CITY HALL
141 Nguyen Hue Blvd, District 1

PHO 2000
1-3D Phan Chu Trinh, District 1

WAR REMNANTS MUSEUM
28 Vo Van Tan Street, Ward 6, District 3

REUNIFICATION PALACE
106 Nguyen Due, District 1

TRUNG NGUYEN CAFE
All over HCMC

COM THAM CALI / UNE JOURNEE A PARIS
(on the street facing the back of Ben Thanh Market)

NGOC AN THERAPY MASSAGE
31, 1st floor, Nguyen Binh Kiem, District 1