I decided to keep the R&R in Asia this year. I scraped up some air miles, booked a flight to Ho Chi Minh (previously Saigon) via Seoul, and I was on my way. I did almost no real research before I went. I knew practically nothing about Vietnam. I was a clean slate.
I landed in Ho Chi Minh late at night, and caught a very inexpensive taxi to my very modest hotel in the centre of town (District 1). I was only staying for three nights, so I figured I’d just rough it.
The next morning, I got a map and some basic information from the very friendly hotel staff, and then headed out to see what the city had to offer. I think there were some temples that I could have visited, but after living in Japan for almost ten years, I’ve had enough of temples and shrines. I headed straight for the shopping. It would have been a 15 minute walk under normal circumstances to the Ben Thanh Indoor Market, but try crossing a road in Vietnam. It’s the most dangerous thing you’ll ever experience. It was like playing Frogger. cars, trucks and scooters constantly coming at you, never stopping, regardless of traffic lights. At least with Frogger I could get another life, as long as I had another coin. Eventually, I got to the market. It was incredible. Clothes, textiles, shoes, luggage, jewellery, you name it, they had it. Tropical fruits were everywhere, so not going to Jamaica this spring wasn’t a complete loss, and it was all so cheap. Some of the stuff might have been “fake”, or “fallen off the back of a lorry”, but you could not question the quality: Top notch. I regret not packing lighter, because I would have gone crazy if I had.
The next day I did a day trip to the Mekong Delta by boat, returning by coach because of low tide. This was excellent. It was under ÂĄ2,000, including lunch, and offered a chance to really see the more traditional side of Vietnam. I especially enjoyed the snake wine, which is said to offer health benefits to men.
For the remainder of the trip, I spent time in Nha Trang (north-east of Ho Chi Minh) and Mui Ne (east of Ho Chi Minh. I went to Nha Trang by domestic flight, which was under ¥5,000 one way. It was a bit chilly, but nothing a light jacket wouldn’t remedy. The rest of my domestic travel was done on coaches. This was a great chance to see the countryside.
I highly recommend Vietnam for your next Asian destination. The people are friendly, the food is excellent (even for vegetarians), the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, and everything is so cheap. The only disappointments were the beaches. Perhaps it was due to the time of year, but there was no clear blue water to be seen, and the waves were very rough. Maybe it’s better further South.
You can get direct flights from Nagoya to Vietnam with Vietnam Airlines. Most people need to apply for a visa (Japanese citizens are exempt), and that can be done online at myvietnamvisa.com. Also, make sure you have US$25 cash per person, ready to pay for the second half of your visa application.
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