So this is my first installment of my Vietnam travel series. I planned this trip to Vietnam months ago, as I have been wanting to do a volunteer trip for a long time, before I was even 18, and now I finally had the chance. My sister went along with me, as it was our first time overseas by ourselves, we thought twas better to not go solo, and we managed to meet some wonderful people on our way. I will be writing about my volunteering experience in Part III, but to start off I will be recounting all the fun and exciting touristy activities we did.
Day 1:
Arriving at Saigon International Airport, we were greeted by one of our program coordinators, and got a taxi back to the accommodation,
and thus our first experience braving Ho Chi Minh's chaotic traffic had
begun. Our first night there, we realised we would be awoken early every
morning by the roosters crowing, plus the constant hum of traffic and of
course the ever present humidity.
Day 2:
Was spent exploring Tan Binh province. Honestly thank God for
Google maps, otherwise we would of spent hours finding our way back.
However, this wondering around did help improve our skills of mastering
HCMC's traffic, by the end of the week we were just as fearless as all
the motorcyclists on the roads. To escape the afternoon heat, my sis and
I, along with the other volunteers we newly met, decided to head down
to the cinema, and yet again we managed to go the long way. However, the
cold aircon, relaxing seats and ridiculously cheap ticket prices were
all worthwhile. Now I can say Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is the
first movie I've ever watched, in cinemas, overseas.
Day 3:
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| Central Post Office |
Monday had arrived, and it was our first official day of the placement. Today we had a cultural introduction to Vietnam which began with a tour of our stay area, we were residing at a Tourism/Hospitality College, similar to colleges and TAFE here, where students specialise in a specific service e.g. hotel management or chef. We then had a language learning class, and yes I still remember a few words in Vietnamese. After lunch we headed into the central district and visited a few significant sites i.e. the Reunification/Independence palace (where past presidents use to reside before the Vietnam war), Notre Dame Cathedral (a spectacular church built by the French), the historic Central Post Office (really massive and still operational today), the Opera House and then Ben Tanh tourist markets (where you really should haggle for less than half price, a skill I didn't acquire). Then we all had dinner in District 1, and let me tell you, Vietnamese people seriously eat so little. The servings of Asian food you see in Australia, would be double that in Vietnam, I seriously could finish a share dish on my own. That said, I guess they do compensate for it with loads of carbs.
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| Independence Palace |
Day 4:
Day two of week one began with a visit to another historic site, the Cu Chi tunnels, a network of tunnels and bunkers that the residence of Cu Chi used to hide from the military attacks. We did a 100m "crawl" through a section of the tunnels and honestly I don't know how they did it, I'm small and for me it was tight. In the afternoon we had a look around the local markets, I bought some clothes, well over my time in Vietnam, I really managed to buy a lot of clothes (maybe I should do a shopping haul post).
Day 5:
Our third day of the week was spent at the College, with another language class and culture lesson, as well as a fun towel folding session with the college teaching staff.
Day 6
Day four involved more cultural enlightenment. We went to the War Remnant Museum, where many famous war photos were displayed. It really was saddening to see so much death, pain and unnecessary losses. They had a whole display on the effects of chemical weapons, mainly Agent Orange and it was just so devastating to see innocent people, generations later, fall victim to such a horrible crime. However, our moods were definitely lightened with a trip to the Botanic Gardens to view a water puppet show. Honestly, it the puppeteers were so talented and it was so funny. In the afternoon we had a fun cooking class learning how to make rice paper rolls and spring rolls (YUM!). Tonight we also headed out to District 1 for some drinks, we went to the Sky Bar, in the Bitexco Tower, the tallest skyscraper in HCMC and took photos of the amazing view, then we bar hopped around to a few more bars.
Day 7:
Our last day of week one was spent finally starting our volunteer
placements. As much as I loved being introduced to Vietnam's culture and
getting to understand their history a bit better, the main reason I
went on this trip was to help people. As such, I was glad to finally be able
to do that. Check out my volunteering experience in my later posts.
Day 8 & 9:
Our weekend was spent more up north in Da Lat. The climate was so much cooler, with crisp, fresh mountain air, it was such a nice change, and also the streets were so much quieter. We spent the first day touring around Da Lat, with a cable car trip over the mountains, to a Temple with a very beautiful garden. Then we were off to ride an elephant, OMG I wish I could've taken it home. After that we went visited a waterfall and the local Flower Gardens before strolling back home along the massive lakeside. There were so many people exercising and jogging around the lake (waahh so fit and healthy...unlike me). The night was spent exploring the Winter Night Markets, right outside our hotel doorstep. It took up the whole street and a few neighbouring streets. There were plenty of vendors selling food, clothing, toys and random knick knacks.
Day 14 & 15:
My sis & I's 2nd and final weekend was upon us, so our group decided to take the afternoon off (selfish I know) and head to Mekong Delta. Honestly the river delta is so vast. We visited the floating markets, local lakeside houses and had a stroll along the foreshore and main streets. Our hotel was so cool, it was open to the outdoors in the centre, with a fish pond. The climate although more south than HCMC seemed more temperate and cooler, I suppose due to the cooler coastal air. If you are into natural sightseeing, I definitely recommend visiting Mekong.
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