Some Donut

Finally I got to try the donuts at Diggin Donut… the donut taste… err… NORMAL lo… still can’t figure out why such long Q for thess donuts ha… probably due to the many different toppings available on the donuts… planning to join the Q… the one at vivo is shorter…

Cafe Del Mar

Cafe Del Mar @ Sentosa – Dine, Wine and Swim under one roof…  not sure how happening this place was during the night… it was definitely not very impressive on a sunday afternoon… esp the service level of the staff there… nonetheless.. the food were quite good…

 

 Cosy private corner

  Beach Babe

  Tapas – Pan fried king scallops S$12

  Tapas – Seasonal Mushroom S$12

Ho Chi Minh

Bulging with a population of nearly seven million, Ho Chi Minh City, is Vietnam’s largest and most exciting city. While Hanoi is the center of government, Ho Chi Minh City is the nation’s economic heart, and money is on the minds of everyone here.

The best way of all to see Ho Chi Minh City is on foot. Most major tourist venues are in District 1, which is fairly compact and easy to maneuver. Below are some interesting pictures taken during the trip…

Residential area

Notre Dame Cathedral

Bikes are commonly used by the locals

Street Dining

Couple taking wedding photo

Policemen

Cinema

Street Hawkers

Some kind of snake alcohol

Dining

Saigon is not a place where you will easily go hungry, regardless of your budget. However, due to our super packed time table… we didnt really had time to enjoy the real Vietnamese food and contemporary Saigon living. Nevertheless.. highly recommended to try PHO 24.. their pho and soup base is really really v nice. And also you must not leave Vietnam without trying their ice coffee (Vietnam is the 3rd largest coffee exporter in the world).

 

Below are some local dishes that we had tried… 

 Steam Mud fish

  Crab Stick

 Sticky rice

 

Must try their Coconut ice cream

Saigon’s Top Sights

Ben Thanh Market - Here, you will find practically every staple commodity imaginable except automobiles and real estate. If consumerism offers intimate glimpses of how people live, wandering among the tiny, packed stalls here will give you some unique insights into modern Vietnamese life. The food court here has delicious and very tasty local specialties. Produce, flowers, and meats are sold on the sidewalks surrounding the building.

As corny as it sounds, Saigon is a paradise for shoppers. Beautiful handicrafts and deliciously tacky tourist junk are in endless supply. If you love to shop and have at least elementary bargaining skills and a good eye, your money will go a long way and you can enjoy virtually endless retail entertainment. Your bargaining skills will come in handy everywhere except major tourist shops. Generally speaking, anything not marked with a price sticker can be had for about two thirds the price first quoted.

Lacquerware made here is practically the best in the world and is still a real bargain. Scores of shops around District 1 sell boxes, trays, desk accessories, vases and other lacquerware items. Rosewood boxes and bowls are especially lovely. These make wonderful gifts.

 

Next head down Le Duan Boulevard towards Unification Palace, the former Presidential Palace occupied for nine years by Nguyen Van Thieu. Tourists stop at the front gate to snap photos by the thousands, but few venture inside. You might find yourself practically alone and wander from floor to floor as though you owned the place. Maps still hanging in the underground military operations rooms remind visitors how close the ‘‘enemy’’ was. On the top floor you will find yourself in a party room with a stage and a huge lanai. Below, lavish reception halls and office, a gambling room, and a private movie theater are all self-indulgent and tasteless reminders of why our side lost.

  

If you have an afternoon or two to escape the frenetic pace of Ho Chi MInh City, several nearby places make interesting day trips. Within sight of Saigon Gòn, the Cu Chi Tunnels are part of an extensive network of underground passages which extend as far as Cambodia. Built by the Viet Kong, the tunnels played a strategic role in the Communists’ victory. Since the vast network included hospitals, kitchens, dormatories, weapons factories and even classrooms, thousands of guerillas could move themselves and their weapons undetected for great distances. A section of the tunnels is open to visitors. If you are small enough, you can try to wiggle through some of the narrow passageways. Another tunnel system at Ben Duoc was constructed just for tourists to crawl around in. If that’s not enough wartime nostalgia, you can even fire a variety of automatic weapons.

Park ranger demostrating how the soldiers wiggle and hide during Viet Kong time…

 

Deadly human traps used during the war

 

Army boots

Tapioca eaten by soldiers during war time

TCC

A good place for coffee or tea with the young and fresh looking concept of TCC… and they serve quite good cakes and desserts too… Members get a 15% discount with min S$20 spending.

Main dish… Garlic Prawn Aglio Olio and Tcc Kahlua’s Salmon

 

Choco Mosaic and Cheesecake Ba

 

 Ti-rum-misu

Dining @ Equinox

Equinox Restaurant @ Swissotel The Stamford. At level 69… one can enjoy the amazing buffet spread and the impressive view from right above… Equinox complex. Good ambiance for dating and catching up with ur soul mate.