Paris of the Orient

I was in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam last April, the weekend before the election. We (my mum, her sisters, my sister and I) wanted to go earlier but we waited til the PM announced the polling date.

This was not a tourist thingy where we go and visit Mekong river or the Cu Chi Temple etc. This trip was solely for shopping, that is why we were at the Ben Thanh Market for 3 days in a row. :)

Let's look at some pictures I took.

Ho Chi Minh is a bustling city
and the main mode of transportation is by motorcycle.
They even have valet service for motorcycles.
Despite the busy traffic, we hardly saw these bikes crash into each other.

If you are there for shopping, Ben Than Market is the place to be.
You can find fruits, clothes, shoes, accessories, souvenirs, table cloths and so much more.
They have wet and dry sections.
Our hotel was only 5 minutes walk away.

Their fruits were abundant and the king of fruit, the durian was humongous.
Too bad I don't like durian.

You can also find assortment of flowers outside the market.

Souvenirs to choose from to bring back for loved ones.

This is where ladies will hang around for hours.
Pretty cloth to choose from.
They even can custom sew your clothes within 24 hours.

There are ready made kurungs and jubahs available.
Telekung too.

  

Anybody into Bohemian crystal?
My aunt bought a chandelier here.

Ben Thanh Market closes at 6 pm and they continue their sales outside at the night market.
It felt like we were in Malaysia because they also accept ringgit
and you'd bump into fellow Malaysians aplenty.
It's actually cheaper outside too.

My sister and I waiting for the others who were shopping for lace.

Western influenced buildings.
Vietnam was colonised quite some time by the  French,
 hence the buildings and nickname.

In front of Ho Chi Minh City Hall

  

The Municiple Theatre at night

Don't forget to try out their cuisine.
It's not that different from ours.
These are raw spring rolls.

Their coffee is a must try too.
Go to local coffee joints instead of Starbucks.
Cheaper and delicious too!

So we were there for 3 days and 2 nights and it was not enough. I had enough of shopping because I pretty much burnt a hole in my pocket and walked a lot more than usual. It was a wonderful experience exploring a neighbouring city not that distinctive from ours. The people are kind and honest and the streets are safe and clean.

May I get to visit Vietnam again with my kids in the future. Insya Allah.