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Tag: Ho Chi Minh

  • Ben Thanh Central Market at Ho Chi Minh City

    My mom used to say one must not travel into a town without going to its market. Although I think this maxim says something about my mom’s shopaholic tendency, I am glad that I visited Ho Chi Minh’s Ben Thanh Market.

    The Ben Thanh market is located in downtown Ho Chi Minh. Ben Thanh is quite organized for a market, the stalls are spaced adequately and the goods are sold in each section. The place looks like a train station with its high ceilings – great because the weather can be quite humid in Vietnam.

    Although I believe the prices here are much higher here than in the market alleys of the city, the selection of goods from all over Vietnam are quite good. Here you can buy dry-fit shirts such as cycling wear, football jerseys, etc. (Vietnam is a manufacturing hub of sportswear), souvenir Vietnam shirts, lacquerware, antiques, tropical fruits and other souvenirs.

    Tin Tin items are quite popular here. Maybe because of the French tourists who go here. They have these Tin Tin shirts and frames.

    We bought these bamboo dragonflies as souvenirs. I think these are also available in other southeast asian countries.

    The shopkeepers have these calculators wherein you punch in the number of your offer for haggling. I tried haggling for three souvenir shirts for $2. The shopkeeper refused so I left, but after a few moments I noticed her (the shopkeeper) following me giving a lower offer. Long story short, I got three shirts for $4. I’d say as compared to their northern neighbors, the shopkeepers here are persistent, but still mild mannered.

    If you’d like better deals I suggest going to the backstreets of the Ben Thanh market, where rent is perhaps lower and tourists are less likely to wander.

    Dragonfly photo courtesy of thirstyfish

  • Mekong River Tour at Ho Chi Minh

    A few zips away from the busy downtown of Ho Chi Minh City, you can be suddenly whisked away to a bucolic setting just by the great Mekong River of Indochina. Due to siltation, the water may be brown and murky but that doesn’t mean you’ll be bored with the standard river tour.

    With the standard boat tour you get to ride in a wooden boat – similar to those junk boats in Hong Kong, but a little smaller and without sails. They may not look very sturdy, but they are equipped with floating vests and life savers, and of course they get the job done taking you from one river delta location to another.

    Cruising down the river, you get to see lots of water crafts, fish pens and prawn farms. One interesting picture I got to take was this fleet of fishing boats tied by the riverbanks.

    Since it was almost lunchtime when we left downtown Ho Chi Minh, our first stop was a restaurant by the river. They served the usual yummy Vietnamese fare such as fresh spring rolls, rice, pho, noodles and fruit. But this time there’s a twist – the fresh spring rolls are prepared in front of you. Below is the picture of the fried fish whose meat was used to prepare the fresh spring rolls.

    Next stop was a place where they make these candies made out of coconut milk. The candies are so gooey that they stick to the roof of your mouth. I went home with a few packs of these and kept them inside the fridge – which made them hard and difficult to eat.

    The last leg of the tour involves us taking small rowboats to zip through the small river tributaries. The rowers are ladies clad in bright blue silk shirts (one of the photos below involves one lady napping in a hammock) and donning traditional asian straw hats.

    You couldn’t imagine the upper body strength of these ladies, rowing every single day. I wonder how they would fare against our Philippine Dragon Boat Team champions. :)

    There are also some shops selling traditional Vietnamese crafts near the restaurant we ate in. Live entertainment was also provided by bands singing local songs while you want to lounge in one of the shops and eat tropical fruits such as pineapple, durian and dragonfruit – Vietnam’s national fruit. The fruits are served with salt and bits of chili pepper.

    After the boat tour, we headed back to our van and went to the Snake Farm – to be covered in another post. :)

  • Boniva Chocolatier at Ho Chi Minh City

    Vietnam may be more famous for its coffee and tea, but a little a shop in downtown Ho Chi Minh is making a name for itself by making chocolates in-house. Boniva Chocolatier, a little store tucked near the city hall is the sole supplier of chocolates in hotels all over Ho Chi Minh City. The store clerks are extremely friendly, who allow you to sample their variations of pralines and ganaches, and even indulge you to take your picture with them.

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    image via 24hr.vn.com