Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam is a beautiful country reflecting a truly asian experience. Main economic activity here is agriculture blessed with good ground providing abundant delicious tropical fruits, rice, nuts and vegetables. Post war led Vietnam to a great economic boom. Although their lifestyle is about 20 year backwards compare to KL, it's a pretty simple and peaceful lifestyle. Food is deliciously great, people are friendly. We had a chance to explore Ho Chi Minh, the largest city in Vietnam and the Mekong delta. The city is ornamented by many post colonization  French architecture buildings, bearing names similar to the ones in Paris. This Church is called Notre Dame

The Opera

We had a chance to witness a live orchestra concert in The Opera. Conducted by their own well known international music conductor and soprano singers

Dong Khoi Street is similar to Paris' own Champs de Elysee. Streets filled with designers boutique, art galleries, restaurants, souvenir shops etc.

We took a weekend tour to the Mekong Delta. 2 hours drive from the city, boarded a speed boat to the River's Delta which is 2 Km width filled with floating markets and villagers living by the river bank.

 We also took a sampan ride to the inner village which led us to our lunch at Mr. Kiet's home. 

Beautiful home with great Chinese influence feel. Walls and ceiling were wooden crafted in chinese characters and design. It's been told that the house was partial destroy during the war and the Japanese came to preserve and restore it to it's best. It's now a restaurant serving great food to tourist especially. It's funny, how this place surrondings do dot feel tourism at all, it feels warm and homely, the food is so delicious!

shopping at Ben Thanh market was almost the same like any other market. Things offered were different though. You can get tailored made clothes there ready within one day. Many selections of fabrics and silk clothe, nice coffee beans, lacquer ware and decorative souvenirs stuffs. Southern Vietnam is known for it's handmade lacquer ware. Exquisite lacquer ware can fetch very high prices. Outside Ben Thanh, you can find many jewelery shops selling gold and precious stones at a good bargain. Gold quality is not as good, 18 carat gold, which is 75% pure gold, hence faint yellow in colour but with lower price. you can also find many high quality jade stones from Myanmar at a good price too. i got mine, i like!