Things to know when traveling to: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Jill and I spent the April holidays doing a tri-city trip across Vietnam and Cambodia. Our first stop was Ho Chi Minh City, where we stayed for 2 days and 3 Nights (we arrived midnight April 3).

I haven't been able to finish the full blog, so here's short post on notable things that you should know when going to Ho Chi Minh. Some of these I read from blogs before going to the trip and some I learned as we were there.

Time

• The plane ride takes about 2.5 hours.
• Vietnam is 1 hour behind the Philippines.
• Take note of your plane's arrival time esp. when coming back to Manila

Money

• The Vietnamese currency is Dong (VND).
• Bring US Dollars (USD).
• I didn't notice any Peso rate for currency exchange so it's safer to have a stash of dollars. Also, USDs are more useful in Cambodia compared to other currencies, such as Euro.
• You can buy USDs from banks or money changers such as Sanry's. Just check which one offers the most favorable rate. 
• Some bank needs you to pre-order dollars for exchange, which might take a week to be ready.
• You can exchange USDs for VNDs at the airport or hotel. 
• Unless you carried an obscene amount of dollars, trying to find the best rate might not be worth it.
• Rate of exchange would be 1 USD = 21,000 VND
• The rate we got was: 1 USD = 21,549 VND
• The smallest Dong bill is 1,000 VND
• Quick trick for checking VND to PHP: 1,000 VND is approx. 2 PHP.
• Just remove the trailing 3 zeroes and multiply by 2. 
• 150k VND ~ 300 PHP
• 35k VND ~ 70 PHP
• Some stores accept USD -- hotels, shopping stalls, etc. -- but having VNDs would be the surer way to go.

Lodging

• Find a hotel near Ben Thanh Market
• Most of the in-city places of interest listed at Trip Advisor (War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, Notra Dame Cathedral, etc.) are around Ben Thanh Market.
• You can use Ben Thanh Market as a reference when looking for a good location to stay in.
• In Vietnam, Ground floor is not the same as the 1st floor. Vietnamese 1st Floor is our 2nd Floor.
• This tip is useful when given a choice of room location esp. if your inn doesn't have an elevator. 

Getting around

• Most of the city is walkable, or at least the places of interests.
• Staying near Ben Thanh Market is a huge plus.
• There are lot's of parks in Ho Chi Minh. Take advantage of the shade while exploring the city
• Traffic is the same as in the Philippines: vehicles keep right.
• There are PLENTY of motorcycle on Ho Chi Minh roads. 
• Motorcycle volume in Ho Chi Minh roads might be 100x what we have in Manila.
• When crossing, maintain a steady pace. It's amazing how the motorcycles are able to move around pedestrians and not hit each other -- they're like a school of fish

Vietnamese Pancakes

Pho at Vietnam

Food

• Food in Vietnam is cheap
• You can get good Pho nearly anywhere for as cheap as 35k VND
• I must say it's better than the kind you get from Pho Hoa
• 1.5L of water is about 9k VND at convenience store (open 24Hrs), 7k VND at small stores or groceries, and about 12k at hotels.
• Very cheap, so always hydrate!
• Local beer can be as cheap as 10k VND
• Sobrang mura! 
• Try Vietnamese Iced Coffee which seems to be common around Ho Chi Minh
• Costs about 30k VND
• Masarap at ayos pampalamig!
• Explore around Ben Thanh Market for food that you might like, but I don't recommend doing your shopping there.
• Don't fall for tourist traps: particularly overpriced street food.
• We got charged 150k VND for a piece of Coconut near the Independence Palace which should only cost about 20k VND. The vendor was quick to cut open the coconut and was in a hurry to give it to us.
• Do not make the same mistake, 
• Ask for the price before ordering.
• Use the quick conversion to pesos and  keep in mind that food and drinks in Vietnam are supposed to be cheap. 

Inside Ben Thanh Market

Saigon Square

Shopping

• The most popular place to shop is at Saigon Square, it's near Ben Thanh Market as well.
• This is the place where you can get branded bags and shirt. The shop owners are honest enough to say if their products are original or not.
• A small shop at the 1st floor near the back sells cheap original (as per the owner, and as far as I can check) The North Face bags -- limited modes and color available.
• Sa may bandang kanto sa likod siya. Kahit saan ka pumasok dulo siya.
• You can also buy cheap souvenirs at the Central Post Office.
• The prices are comparable to other shopping areas -- you can knock out touring and shopping in one stop.
• We bought shirts, magnets and key chains there -- usual pasalubongs

There you have it. I'll update this list if something comes to mind again.

Let me know of any tips you have for traveling to Ho Chi Minh City!