Information on Arrival in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Simcard

Cheapest one available for 1.2G with a few minutes for calls at VTD90K-100K is not available anymore. The best rate available upon my arrival on 29September2016 was VTD150K for 3G internet with unlimited usage but no calls.  

Taxi

Taxi ranges from VTD220K onwards for vouchers from the airport to District1. Research previously showed that it's supposed to cost only VTD100K. I believe this price might be possible if one walks across the airport to the main road and hail down a cab. Definitely not in the mood with our luggages so have to swallow the heftier price tag for cabs.

Visa on Arrival

Unless you from ASEAN countries, then queue on the left upon arrival at the visa counter. USD20 have to be prepared for the individual visa if I am not mistaken.

Trung Nguyen Coffee, Ho Chi Minh

This is one of the best coffee brands in Vietnam IMHO. They have branches all over the city so going to a specific one does not really matter. Its No.8 gold-coloured packing coffee powder is worth buying! They are amazing! They have a mild chocolate taste to its aftertaste and really robust flavours. Anyway, I tried most of their packed instant coffee and believe me, they do not taste anything like the ones they serve in the cafe so don't bother buying those.

The ambience was great and even cosier than most generic cafes.

Plenty of space on the second floor too!

Anyway, we ordered the No.4 and No.5 with the former being slightly stronger and the latter supposedly is a more delicate flavoured one. I supposed both are equally delicious but nothing beats the No.8.

The coffee dripping usually takes about 5-10minutes to completely strain so patience is needed! Hehe!

This is a must-go cafe stop when in Vietnam. Although slightly on the higher side in terms of price for Vietnamese coffee, I think it is worth trying at least once. And get that golden pack of coffee powder to replicate at home. Yes, the coffee powder produces the same flavours more or less especially when made with condensed milk at home! 

Little Saigon Boutique Hotel, Ho Chi Minh

My husband and I stayed at this hotel for about 5 nights during our trip to Ho Chi Minh this month and I guess it was an alright stay for MYR130/night. I felt it was slightly overpriced from all the "positive" comments it received from TripAdvisor.

The quaint hotel looked rather unique from the outside. They have strands of vines decorating the entrance and the lobby is actually a flight of stairs above this front entryway. Located behind a small alleyway, please expect to walk a little from the main road as cars could not access this hotel.

For the price, especially for a small-scale hotel, I was expecting something a little bigger. It was a really tight room for two of us. Not much room is available to move around and my small hand carry luggage could not be opened properly too. 

Lol. Check out Hubby's happy pose!

On a positive note, the room was relatively clean and it was not an uncomfortable stay. I would prefer it to be cheaper so if you can get the promotion on Agoda for anything less than MYR, I felt it would be a good choice as it was quite convenient to get to most attractions in District 1.

PS: There is a shopping centre for cheap clothes where locals go to: Taka Plaza right next to the hotel. Cheap clothings could be bought with a little bargaining. 

Little Saigon Boutique Hotel

36 Bis/2, Le Loi Boulevard, Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Saigon Skydeck - Bitexco Tower

Instead of paying VTD200,000/pax, it would definitely be more worth your while to walk around the Skydeck Entrance and go up to the Eon51 bar for drinks instead. For slightly half the price or even a little above, depending on what you ordered, it will be more value for money. Granted, Skydeck officially offers a bottle of mineral water but you can probably get a soft drink or tiger beer (glass) for VTD 99,000++ (10%+6%).

You can walk around the bar area for photographs and they give a free bar snack. Heh! We went in the afternoon so it was quite nice with a medium crowd. The wait staffs are very friendly and accommodating, giving us a window table once one becomes available. There were comments on TripAdvisor about the loud music from the live band, but in the afternoon this does not appear to be a problem. If anything, I quite enjoyed the music they played. Crowd eased up after 3pm so maybe it would be a great time to visit.

Cocktails were not much to rave about according to TripAdvisor but we actually ordered beer and apple cider, so it's alright albeit a little overpriced. Both are about VTD140,000++ each and we also had one of the promotional shots, Glenkinchie.

FYI, Citibank card holders get an extra 10% off and they have promotional shots too!

Pollo Bun (Pineapple Bun) (Shida Night Market's Branch)@President Department Store (Wufu Store), Kaohsiung

After the delectable Angel Chicken Chop (天使雞排), a short walk away to the President Department Store would be just nice for a light snack of Pineapple Bun (菠蘿包). This piping hot bun smells amazing even from afar and the queue waiting patiently for the fragrant morsels attest to their quality. It boasts that it comes from the famous stall in Shida Night Market but regardless, I would have queued just because of the smell alone. Haha!

They rarely have anything on their shelves because the crowd clear everything before they even have the chance to line up the buns there. As everything is made fresh, patience is definitely a virtue here.

I did not understand the menu but from what I gathered, the cold butter one is the most popular although you can opt for the cheese or even add a ham or two.

I was so excited when mine finally arrived but I regretted choosing the cheese version. I think the thick cold butter between the hot bun would be a better choice. The top is crusty like what a good 菠蘿包 should be and the inside is warm and soft. Delicious!

For a better gauge on the location, please refer to the Google Map below. I added the Angel Chicken Chop location too!

Angel Chicken Chop (天使雞排), Kaohsiung

Located in SinSing district in Kaohsiung, it is at the start of the Shinkuchan (New Juejiang Shopping District). It might be a much smaller scale night market as compared to the other famous ones in Kaohsiung, but this street is already open during early afternoon, so I guess it's an option for "early dinner" or even afternoon snack. A little distance away is the Central Park (中央公園) and the President Mall where they have amazing Pineapple Bun (菠蘿包).

This is one of the best chicken chop in Kaohsiung in my honest opinion. The queue is always long and they even have people directing the queue. If you like their page in Facebook, you get a NTD5 off your chicken chop.

The batter is thin and crisp, with a little sweet undertone. The chicken breast is completely devoid of fat but still tender and succulent. Despite the rather large chicken chop, I managed to wolf down more than 3/4 of it.

Check out the fat-free chicken!