The yearly Singapore Food Festival (first started in 1994) is back again and this time featuring the culinary cultures behind different Singapore Chinese dialects. From 16th to 24th July 2010 (4pm to 11pm), Clarke Quay Reed Bridge is transformed into Clarke Quay Food Street where you can enjoy and savour many unique flavours! For more information on other programs on Singapore Food Festival 2010, please head off to http://singaporefoodfestival.com.sg/.

There are more than 30 famous restaurants and hawkers available for your selection. Payment of the food is done via Singapore Food Festival Souvenir Card(Kopitiam Card).

Fortune Food Popiah is having a long queue. Uncle is wondering whether he should eat the popiah as there are so many food available!

Another stall selling Pork & Bun. I didn’t get to try any of the food as I already had lunch and it wasn’t time for dinner yet but I am keeping it in mind to come back again before 24th July 2010. If you are interested in the price and food available, please visit “Local delights by famous hawkers and eateries at Food Street (Source: Soshiok)“. Please do visit Singapore Food Festival 2010!

Related posts:

1. Beerfest Asia 2010
2. Lantern Festival at Chinese Garden
3. A Week in Singapore 4

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Bali, I went to scout around for a waterproof case for my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 camera so that I can have the option of taking the camera into the water. The research made available a few options for shooting under wet conditions – 10bar underwater housing, Nereus Waterproof Housing WP-500 and DiCAPac WP-610 Waterproof Case. The 10bar housing is definitely over my budget and is more suited for the serious & professional users. The Nereus WP-500 is good value for money (S$45) but I wasn’t really comfortable as the bag is clamped tight with 2 plastic strips and 3 screws. I needed a product that gives faster and easier access such as the DiCAPac which uses Velcro and sealed with waterproof zipper. DicaPac WP-610 for LX3 (made in Korea) is priced at S$89 and comes with free postage in Singapore. The delivery was very fast as well – I made the order on 14th July 2010 and received it on 16th July 2010!

DiCAPac WP-610 waterproof case is also compatible with various camera models. Check the DiCAPac Fitting Guide if your camera is not listed above. It is most likely that DiCAPac will have suitable case for your camera.

Another side view of the box. The waterproof casing is recommended for swimming, surfing, kayaking, snowboarding, bathing, rafting, wake-boarding, snorkeling, etc.

Extracted from http://www.dicapac.com.sg/

Features of DiCAPac

• Guaranteed underwater performance for up to 30 ft (10m) depth.
• UV coated polycarbonate lens allow consumers to take clear pictures.
• With more transparent and flexible case for convenient camera control.
• Reliable closing system with waterproof zipper and Roll & Double Velcro.
• JIS (Japan Industrial Standards) waterproof test 8 grades.
• Individual Quality check up.

Dimension & Weight: 190 x 142 mm (7 1/2″ x 5 2/3″), 130g Fits digital cameras up to 125mm in length and circumference no more than 250mm.

Contents in package

• Case & Lens
• Sponge (for supporting the camera)
• Silica-gel
• Neck Strap
• Extension Connector (for zoom lens)
• Manual

Prior to usage, it is recommend in the manual to conduct a leak test by putting a piece of tissue paper in the waterproof case and then submerged it in water, shake it around and leave it for a couple of hours. After that, remove the tissue paper and check whether it’s dry. For my case, I found it to be perfectly dry.

Although I do not expect that the photos will come out professionally but it’s more of having the novelty to snap photos while in the water so that I can have some memories to reminisce. This is a vast improvement from previous experiences where I have to leave the camera on dry land (or even the hotel) when I am out having fun in water sports.

So now it’s really putting it into use during my trip to Bali and then update with a review.

Related posts:

1. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
2. Lumix LX3 Accessories

Passing by Esplanade area, so decided to head off to Merlion Park to hang out for a while and take some photos. Merlion Park is located near Marina Bay, Singapore and is a popular tourist attraction. Walking along Esplanade Bridge towards Merlion Park.

Mini-Merlion – great for children to take photos with.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlion):

The Merlion (Malay: Singa-Laut) is an imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot of Singapore. Its name combines “mer” meaning the sea and “lion“. The fish body comes from Singapore’s ancient name back when it was a fishing village — Temasek — meaning “sea town” in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore’s original name — Singapura — meaning “lion city” or “kota singa”.

Marina Bay Sands – there are still some construction on-going but the main block is already open. You can also visit the Sands SkyPark which is 200m into the sky and see the spectacular views of Singapore.

The Merlion was used as the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in use from 26 March 1964 to 1997 and is a well-known icon of Singapore.

From Merlion Park, you can see also see the beautiful views of the Marina Bay.

The tall buildings from the Singapore Central Business District forms the backdrop of Merlion.

One Fullerton – You call find swanky restaurants and bars here, most offering high floor-to-ceiling windows with great views of Marina Bay.

Another angle of the Merlion.

Visitors who wants to take a river cruise can buy tickets at Singapore River Cruise (next to Merlion). For 30 mins ride, the fees per adult is S$15 and children is S$8. There is also the 45 mins option, which is at S$20 for adults and S$10 for children.

I am done with my relaxing and enjoying the breeze so it’s back to the Esplanade. On the far right of the photo, you can catch a glimpse of the Singapore Flyer!

Think I will be back again another time in the evening/night to capture the night view of Marina Bay. Maybe I will hold on for a while until Marina Bay Sands is fully open?

Related posts:

1. Singapore Flyer
2. Jurong Birk Park Singapore

20th June 2010 (Sunday) marks the day that I attended Beerfest Asia 2010. I wanted to get tickets for 19th June 2010 (Saturday) so that I can hang around later but it was already sold out. The event was held at Marina Promenade (F1 tracks behind Singapore Flyer).

Beerfest Asia 2010 is starting at 6pm and there was already a queue waiting to go in at around 5.50pm. This is the second year that Beerfest Asia is running and offer the opportunities to sample over 250 kinds of beers!

Collected my “1-Day OCBC Exclusive” tickets which I paid in-advance with OCBC credit card for S$12 each.

The “1-Day OCBC Exclusive” ticket comes with 2 redeemable beer. I had initially thought that we can choose the 2 beers that we wanted but at the entrance, we were given a redeemed beer each and another beer token (black) to redeem the other beer of choice in the event. The redeemed beer didn’t come with any label as it must have peeled off while in the ice bath. I had a peek at other attendees’ bottle and it’s actually “Super Bock“. Wifey finds it up to her liking!

Sol beer, imported bottled beer from Mexico.

Jaz Beer and Starker from Malaysia. Starker won the gold at Asia Beer Awards for wheat beer category. Wheat beer is my top favorite and I didn’t managed to try Starker…

Wheat Beer (Source)
Gold: Starker Aromatic Wheat Beer, Starker Brewery, Napex
Silver: Brewerkz Wheat Beer, Brewerkz, Brewerkz
Bronze: Pump Room Wheat Beer, The Pump Room

Dead Frog Brewery from Cananda and Storm Brewery from Indonesia. Had a chat with the folks at Storm Brewery and he mentioned that the crowd on Saturday night was packed to the brim! Hmmm..I’m glad that I came on a Sunday… self consolation… hahaha

Sabeco from Vietnam which carries Beer 333, Saigon Export and Saigon Special. I had lots of them during my trip to Vietnam!

Brewerkz Restaurant & Microbrewery – winner of “Outstanding South East Asian Microbrewery Award”. (Source)

6 Drunk Men – featuring Fosters, Pure Blonde, Red Rock Lager, Victoria Bitter, Magners Cider, etc.

Singha beer from Thailand.

Since the event was held at the F1 tracks behind Singapore Flyer.. there is a showcase of a few F1 cars as well.

Beerlao from Laos. The banner mentioned “Asia Best Beer” (Voted by Times Magazine). Must find opportunity to try this beer!

B.I.D carries various beers – James Boags (Australia), Konig (Germany), Warsteiner (Germany), Samuel Adams (USA), etc.

Went to change for S$30 worth of Beerfest chips. Paid by OCBC card and got 5% off so I paid only S$28.50.

Food and snacks are available at Beerfest Asia 2010!

Sausage platter at S$14.

Outdoor sitting area for dining while you watch World Cup matches at the screen.

North Taiwan Brewery have some interesting concoction – Honeydew Melon Fruit Beer and Li Chee Fruit Beer.

König Pilsener from Germany.

Storm Beer, brewed in Bali. I would love to try the rest of the range (especially Storm Brewing Iron Stout) when I am in Bali next month.

Trying our Storm Golden Ale (brewed in Bali). I love it!

Golden Ale (Source)
Gold: Archipelago Summer Ale, Archipelago Brewery, Archipelago Brewery, Singapore
Silver: Storm Golden Ale, Storm Brewing, Storm Brewing
Bronze: Brewerkz Golden Ale, Brewerkz, Brewerkz, Singapore

Sky is getting darker but the crowd is still starting to pour in.

Live entertainment at Beerfest Asia 2010. Enjoy fantastic live music while you drink beers!

Moving out to enjoy the cool breeze…

Redeemed a Brewerk Golden Ale from Singapore.

Carlton Pure Blonde, good for ladies who are more weight conscious as it’s low carbohydrate. The beer ambassador mentioned to me that 6 bottles of Pure Blonde is equivalent to a slice of bread. Wow!

Low Carbohydrate Lager (Source)
Gold: No Winner
Silver: No Winner
Bronze: Carlton Pure Blonde, Carlton & United Breweries Ltd, 6 Drunk Men

I left around 9pm to go for dinner but the event actually goes on till 12 midnight. Look at the amount of people still enjoying themselves!

Anyway, Beerfest Asia 2010 is a really great event for beer lovers to have the opportunity to sample different brew and concoction of beer under one roof. It’s also a good event to arrange for a get-together session with friends and enjoy beer! I will be sure to attend the next year’s Beerfest Asia 2010!

Related posts:

1. Singapore Food Festival 2010
2. AFA’09 – Anime Festival Asia

Early morning around 7plus, I was woken up by some commotion at the lobby, think might be some guests checking out. Then, I tried to get back to bed but wasn’t able to so decided to wake up and have breakfast before checking emails and do some work. Above photo shows the complimentary breakfast at 41berangan – there is coffee, tea, milk, bread (jam & butter), etc.

After burying myself in the notebook for a couple of hours, it’s time for lunch. As it was raining cats and dogs, I wore the slippers (with permission) provided by 41berangan to go out. Oh, 41berangan also provided umbrellas too!

I went to Lot 10 Hutong to have lunch, this foodcourt apparently features the best food of Kuala Lumpur and there are plenty of choices!

Walk several times around the whole premises and finally settled for Soong Kee Beef Noodles. There is so much more that I like to try but there is a limitation to my intake.

Soong Kee Beef Noodles Set at RM 7.90.

After the lunch, I took a short stroll to Pavilion Mall.

Interior of Pavilion Mall. Amazed by the grandeur!

Restoran Island Bistro at Pavilion Mall – seems like a wonderful place to relax and have some drinks…

Spazzio at Pavilion Mall – various food and drinks are available.

A myriad view of escalators in Pavilion Mall.

Walking around in Pavilion Mall, it was relatively quiet for a Saturday afternoon…

So this is where the crowd is… having their lunch at Food Republic.

I have taken my lunch so only had a hot coffee from Toastbox.

Passing by a house while on the way back to 41berangan to check out.

After checking out from 41berangan, I walk to Plaza Low Yat to cut through. Not sure whether it’s the faster way towards Pasarakyat Bus Terminal but this is the way that I took when I reached so I am just retracing the route.

Reached Berjaya Times Square and saw that there is singing competition to be held in the evening. Some of the contestants are practicing their songs and I must say that they are very good!

Theme Park at Berjaya Times Square.

Interior of Berjaya Times Square – huge shopping center with over 1,000 shops!

Took a slow walk to Pasarakyat Bus Terminal for my coach back to Singapore.

Located Transtar Express and went to check-in. I had a coffee and some wafer biscuits in the lounge while waiting for the coach to be ready for boarding. There are also stalls around selling various items.

Food court at Pasarakyat Bus Terminal – only a few stalls is operational.

Boarded the coach and went to my seat at the upper deck.

Yeah, the LCD at my seat is working. Oh, I am using the ear phone from my iPhone instead of the ones supplied for easy switching between movies and songs (iPhone). Hehe.

Stop at Yong Peng for a short break. The time is about 645pm.

Transtar did not provide any mineral water for the return trip so I bought a small bottle to hydrate myself.

The Transtar Express Premium bus that I am taking.

The rest of the journey went on smoothly and it was a nice trip to Kuala Lumpur though a bit rush… but anyway I still had the opportunity to roam around and check out some stuffs so it wasn’t that bad. I am quite sure that there will be more trips to Kuala Lumpur in the future. I am anticipating it as there are a few food that I wanted to try!

Related posts:

1. A Day in Kuala Lumpur

A recent business requirement brings me to Kuala Lumpur (KL) , Malaysia. This time round I will be taking the coach up north instead of driving as it will give me time to catch up on some reading as well as work. The journey on the coach is definitely longer then self-drive and it’s usually takes approximately 5 to 6 hours with one stop in-between. I have booked online for premium coach from Transtar Travel and it cost a total of S$54.59.

• Singapore to KL (Pasarakyat Bus Terminal) – S$32.96 (includes 3% admin charge)
• KL (Pasarakyat Bus Terminal) to Singapore – S$21.63 (includes 3% admin charge)

Above photo shows the waiting lounge at Transtar Travel. There are free coffee, tea, snacks available for consumption too.

Interior of coach – it is relatively clean and comfortable. The seats come with a massage function, which I truly appreciate.

Each seat also comes with a LCD screen where you can watch TV programmes or movies but the screen for my allocated seat is spoilt! By the way, there is also a 3-pin plug power source located near the bottom of the seat, this is especially useful if you are working on your notebook or just entertaining yourself on PSP, iPhone, Nintendo, etc. Each of the traveler are given a bottle of mineral water too!

Lucky Garden rest stop at Yong Peng – is one of the popular rest stop for interstate buses. There are many variety of food available for selection too!

Towards the end, there is a provision shop selling various kinds of Malaysia snacks and products. This is a heaven for those who loves to munch on snacks while traveling on the coach!

Walk around and I decided to have a Ramly Burger for breakfast.

Ramly Chicken Burger RM5. The chicken patty is wrapped up by the egg.

Finally reach KL (Pasarakyat Bus Terminal) and decided to talk a short stroll to Bukit Bintang area.

Walking towards Berjaya Times Square.

Krispy Kreme at Berjaya Times Sqaure. Remembered that Krispy Kreme is extremely popular in Japan and had super-long queues!

Lunch at Marrybrown (Berjaya Times Sqaure) – Lucky plate with Orange Juice at RM10.40.

The interior of Marrybrown at Berjaya Times Sqaure – clean and have various kind of seating available. Love the over-hanging cocoon seat!

After the lunch, it’s time to perk up with a Starbucks Mocha at RM11.75.

Went to Etude House to check out some items for wifey.

After my business meeting, I headed over to Bukit Bintang area. Passing through Low Yat Plaza, which is a shopping centre that specialize in electronics and IT products, much like our Sim Lim Square in Singapore.

Lot 10, another shopping center that serves middle-upper tier products.

Reached my accommodation for the night, 41Berangan, which is located at 41 Jalan Berangan. It is near to the famous street food (Jalan Alor), shopping malls (Jalan Bukit Bintang), night life and restaurants (Changkat Bukit Bintang). Trying out for the first time.

Free usage of the computer and internet access at the lobby area. You can also request for the WIFI password from the staff for free in-room access from your notebook or mobile!

Waiting area of the lobby.

Standard room (twin) – 2 single beds with shared bathroom. I booked this online at RM 100 (which includes RM20 surcharge per room for weekend) and also includes a simple continental breakfast. Room is rather small but still good enough for me. For those interested, please note that there is no TV in the room and you have to use the common bathroom. It is also on the first level and next to the check-in counter.

At a corner, you have an area where you can hang your clothes. You can ask for towels if they are not in the room.

Common wash basin area.

One of the common bathrooms, comes with shampoo and body foam.

Court yard area – There is 2 rooms here that is made from containers. The container rooms comes with 1 double bed with attached bathroom (deluxe).

Dining area – you can also watch TV programs or DVD movies here too!

A shop which is beside 41Berangan, you can get food, drinks or snacks here. The outside sitting seems like a great place to chill out!

Passing by Radius International Hotel.

Checking out Healy Mac’s Irish Bar and Restaurant at Changkat Bukit Bintang.

Reggae Bar at Changkat Bukit Bintang. Looks like a nice place to party!

Havanna at Changkat Bukit Bintang.

Hotel Rae – one of my accommodation consideration.

YY38 Hotel – another of my accommodation consideration. Think I will try either Hotel Rae or YY38 for my next trip to KL.

Temporary rubbish dump in-between Jalan Alor and Jalan Bukit Bintang? I have seen this scene since many years ago and the rubbish are still around…

Federal Hotel – used to stay here whenever I travel (with wife) to Kuala Lumpur.

Passing by Restoran Dragon View. Is the food here any good?

Famous food street – Jakan Alor.

Many food stalls available at Jalan Alor. It’s also a popular place for tourist too!

A mobile kitchen selling Lok Lok (food on wooden skewers and cooked by dipping in a hot satay gravy).

Met up with a friend and headed off to Pavilion Mall to have some beers. Checking out La Bodega at Pavilion Mall.

Decided to hang at Weissbrau German Bistro & Bar and we had Hoegarden, Erdinger and Franziskaner. Nice place to chill!

Back to hotel and was feeling hungry so went to the coffee shop at the end of Jalan Berangan to order a packet of Mee Goreng at RM5. Went back to hotel and dine in the room while checking emails on the notebook. It was already 2am when I went to take a bath and then to bed. What a long day!!!

Related posts:

1. A Day in Kuala Lumpur 1

The following is a guest post by George Christodoulou from OneTravel.com – please head on there if you are looking for travel deals.

If you’ve never visited Cyprus before, put it on your list. If you live in America the trip will be expensive, but for those who live in Europe, the flight is much shorter and the price is lower. The country is wonderful because there is a beach nearly everywhere you go and the weather is great. Being an island in the Mediterranean definitely has its advantages. During my visit, I spent an entire summer living with my grandparents a few years ago. Even though it has been a few years since my visit, I vividly remember the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the country. Please come along while I share with you some of my fondest experiences in Cyprus.

First let us stop by my grandfather’s coffee shop. There were three coffee shops in a village called Tris Elies, but his was the most popular because he was a fun loving charismatic fellow. The day consists of nothing more then drinking coffee, talking to the locals, playing backgammon, and taking naps when the mood strikes. Although this seems boring, there is not a moment during the trip when I was bored or dreaded visiting the coffee shop.

Next, let’s move on to the mountainous terrain and how amazing walking around the village was. Tris Elies was built on a mountain so the houses are sprawled on different levels with my grandfather’s house at the top. Talk about exercise, every trip out of the house was a workout. Everywhere I walked there was a view of the entire village. The scenery was breathtaking because the homes all had flowers and grape vines growing around. Each house has it’s own individual style and charm because they were build by the village people either fifty or one hundred years ago. The most beautiful sites though, are on the trails of the mountain. There are orchards all around the village with streams, stone bridges, fruit trees, and other amazing sights to feast your eyes on.

What I have described here was an amazing experience I had in Cyprus, but if you visit will your visit be the same? There is a tourist area in Cyprus that is just like any other, but Cyprus is changing. The villages are being quickly depopulated as the elderly natives pass away. The children of these people are receiving the land from their parents and turning the homes into single family hotels for visitors like yourself. Within the next ten or twenty years, Cyprus will have an amazing village experience for all people of the world so look out and have fun.

No related posts.

I needed a car kit to charge my iPhone 3GS while on the move so I went around searching for a car mount with charging capabilities. In the end, I found the above “AllKit Cigarette Mount Holder and Charger with Full Range FM Transmitter for iPhone and iPod” in DealExtreme.com which cost USD $16.45 (S$23). Other then it is a car mount with charging capabilities, it is also a FM transmitter for iPhone and iPod!

The box was pretty mangled up when I received it but the contents are still intact. I made the order on 8th May 2010 and received it on 20th May 2010. Oh yes, shipping is free at DealExtreme.com!

Suitable for iPhone, iPod, MP3 and all cars. For your info, the car mount is made in China.

The contents in the box – it also comes with a mini instruction slip.

Flexible clamp to keep your iPhone/iPod in place and you just need to press the button on the left to release the clamp. Both the clamps and the back are covered with rubbery material to protect your iPhone/iPod from being scratched. For all those folks who are using protective casing on iPhone/iPod, please be aware that there is a possibility that it might not fit into mount with the protective casing on. The reason being – I am using SwitchEasy Vulcan and I just barely squeezed my iPhone 3GS into the car mount with the clamp already fully opened. It’s freaking tight fit!

Top of the car mount where you can select the FM channels (on the left “QS”) and then adjust to your desired frequency (using up/down button on the right).

The audio cable connection on the left of the car mount.

For all the non-iPhone devices, you can still charge them through the standard USB output socket (on the right side).

The angle of the tilt can be adjusted from the the back of the mount.

Cigarette mount with flexible goose-pipe so it is compatible with every car in the world.

Audio cable for you to connect the car mount and iPhone/iPod together so that the car mount can act as a FM transmitter to broadcast the music from your iPhone/iPod.

Setting up in the car. First thing I tried was to see whether the charging mechanism works. It’s works fine!

You can use any FM frequency of your choice from 88.1 to 107.9 Mhz to listen to music from you iPhone/iPod.

Final setup, music streaming via FM was surprisingly good. The quality was acceptable and there wasn’t any noticeable noise or distortion present. This will be fantastic as I will be able to listen to my favorite tracks during any long driving trips up north (Malaysia).

As I do use my iPhone as a GPS, so the car mount as well as the charging is a definite must-have. The only flaw is that I have to look down from time to time to check out the route but it’s not frequent as there are voice intructions for GPS as well. It will be idle if the iPhone car mount is on eye-level.

Well, the reason I didn’t get a eye-level car mount is because most of them comes with a glass suction to stick on to the windscreen. As my windscreen is covered with solar film, it will not hold strong and long. My friends have mentioned this scenario to me countless times and most of them also comes with goose-neck pipe extending from the windscreen, it wobbles a lot when you going through some rough terrain!

Night view of the car mount.

I must say that I am pretty satisfied and it’s worth the USD $16.45. My comments is that if there is a on/off switch for the charging (off the blue LED too!), then that will be great. Also, the furnishing is not that fine and I was momentarily shocked by the car mount thickness. The car mount also wobbles a bit due to the goose-neck extension. But overall, I am a happy man and will still recommend you to buy it too!

No related posts.

This is my 5th day and also the last day of my Vietnam trip. If you like to see the last 4 days of my trip, please do click here. Above photo shows the corridor of Elios Hotel (which I am staying) – I was pretty satisfied with the overall experience (clean and good location) but just that sometimes it does get rather noisy in the wee hours when other guests return after a “night out”. Some guests also smoke at the corridor and the ciggie smell can get into the room. Not good for those whose are light sleepers or have sensitive nose!

Free wireless is available to all hotel guests. Took this while going for breakfast.

We do not have much on the itinerary today as basically we just want to rest/relax and do some shopping. This is also the reason why we woke up slightly later than usual.

After our breakfast, we went to nearby Highlands Coffee to laze around and also have their famous Vietnamese Coffee. Photo above is showing the 2nd floor of Highlands Coffee at De Tham street (near to Pham Ngu Lao St).

For smokers, you may want to check out the outside seats where you can sip you coffee and see traffic buzzing by. Yeah, the Highlands Coffee is directly opposite Allez Boo (See “A Day in Ho Chi Minh City” for my visit there). Noticed that there are lots of overhanging wires around?

Traditional Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, served with the tin dripper. VND 28,000.

Ca phe sua nong (Vietnamese: cà phê sữa nóng) — literally, “hot coffee with milk”.

After lazing at Highlands Coffee for an hour, we took a taxi to Cho Binh Tay (Binh Tay Market) which is the main market of Cho Lon (Chinatown). Taxi ride costs VND 70, 000 from Highlands Coffee at De Tham street.

Many shops are available here! Decided to quickly head inside the market to escape from the scorching sun.

Ladies, any handbags for you?

Rows of dried food and spices for sale!

Bags, backpacks and travel luggage can all be found here! Wifey bought a “The North Face” branded backpack here at VND 180,000.

Store layout – it’s quite a large market with 2 floors selling a vast variety of products ranging from food, bags, shoes, slippers. Look at the bottom of the chart.

Hats for sale! As it was a hot day, we bought 2 hats (each at VND 30,000). Should have gotten it during our first day not the last day! Haha! But anyway it’s fine, we will use it for other upcoming trips.

Exploring the 2 floor of Binh Tay Market.

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Chinese pagoda/structure at the middle of Binh Tay Market.

View of Binh Tay Market from the opening area in the middle.

Dragon statue sprouting water in a pond with fishes…

Walking out of Binh Tay Market to grab a taxi back to Ben Thanh Market area and saw street peddlers selling their stuffs.

Public bus? We took a taxi from here and the taxi driver really took us for a ride by going round in circles thinking that we don’t know. Then, I purposely took out the map to check and then in less than 3 mins, we reached Ben Thanh Market.

Pho 2000 is the reason why we are coming to Ben Thanh Market area. The restaurant’s slogan is “Pho for the President” and this is because was honored by a visit from former United States President Bill Clinton in 2000.

A photo in Pho 2000 showing Bill Clinton‘s visit in 2000.

Pho 2000 – Lemon Soda VND 20,000. Wifey didn’t expect that it comes separately and she have to mix it herself. Haha!

Pho 2000 – Beef Pho (large) VND 45,000 with all the condiments thrown in. The regular size goes for VND 35,000. Excellent Pho!

After the lunch, since we are nearby to Ben Thanh Market, so decided to walk around for last minutes buys.

Food stalls at Ben Thanh Market. I forgot to try the glass dessert (che) here…heard that it was nice…

For coffee lovers, there is large variety of pre-mixed coffee powder for your selection.

Souvenirs and handicrafts are also available too!

Of course, how can Ben Thanh Market not have the girl’s stuffs such as handbags, purse, hair accessories, etc.

Walking back to Elios Hotel to take a break. There wasn’t much people around as it’s a Sunday and they are likely to be lazing at home.

After the short break, we venture out to look for a manicure shop that we passed by several days ago as wifey wanted to do her nails. Passing by Crazy Buffalo Saigon again.

Another nearby restaurant and bar, Go 2 Eat.

Walking along Le Lai street. The manicure shop which wifey wanted to go is closed. Haha…

Fruit seller along the streets.

Wet market where the locals purchase their daily groceries. We did pass by this area in the night before and it was really rowdy and gives my wife an insecure feeling!

Pocha Korean Restaurant, seems to me that there are quite a lot of Korean restaurants around. Probably, it’s due to the influx of Koreans working in Ho Chi Minh City.

On our way back along Pham Ngu Lao, there were several fire engines on the road which was creating quite a scene. Wifey said maybe it’s our hotel that caught fire and I quickly dismissed the thought. The fire engines was blaring their sirens as if something drastic had happened but after their loitering around the area for a few minutes, they left! Maybe it was a false alarm?

Anyway, we headed towards Sasa Cafe (242 De Tham Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) for dinner. It’s our second time here in 5days! See here for the first visit.

Having the delicious spring rolls (10 pieces) again VND 33,000.

Spaghetti Bolognese VND 48,000.

Enchiladas VND 62,000. Also had 2 x Saigon beer (VND 15,000 each) and 1 Dalat red wine (VND 22,000). Total for the dinner is VND 195,000. After dinner, we went back to hotel early to do packing up and also to have an early night as our flight back to Singapore is at 9am. We need to leave from hotel around 7.30am to cater additional time just in case we are caught in traffic jam.

Woke up, eat breakfast, checked out and then took a cab to the airport for VND 120,000 (fixed price). It was due to the hotel bellboy asking whether I need a taxi to the airport, which I replied “Yes”. I thought he was going to help us flagged down a taxi (using meter) but instead he bought us over to another taxi which promptly asked for VND 120,000. As I don’t want to be late for my flight, so I accepted without any haggling. My estimation that it will cost around VND 95,000 during 0730am.

Checked-in and waiting for our JetStar flight to arrive from Singapore (which will route back to Singapore).

Boarding the plane for our journey back home.

After our 5 days trip in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), we are back at Singapore Changi Airport.

The overall trip was fun and amazing even though the weather was really hot. Next time we will be more prepared!

There are a few places or activities which I planned but didn’t visit or do respectively, namely

• Visit “Reunification Palace“.
• Try “Jolly Spa” at 38 Mac Dinh Chi Street, Q1, HCMC”
• Visit “Quan An Ngon at 41/1 Pham Ngoc Thach, Q3 – a food-court layout but with various small stalls each whipping their specialties. Prices are inexpensive.
• Eat “Bang Chang” – heard it’s nice and made primarily of vegetables, much like salad.
• Eat “Glass dessert (che)” at Ben Thanh Market.
• Explore more at Vung Tau (beaches, temples, statue of Jesus, seafood, etc.)

Well, it’s fine as it gives us another reason (other then the cheap and tasty beers) to return to Ho Chi Minh City. I also heard great feedback from fellow travelers about Dalat and Halong Bay! Both places will be in my next itinerary for sure! Might even add Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap) if wifey (cannot take hot weather) is not joining!

Until next time then, Vietnam!

Related posts:

1. A Day in Ho Chi Minh City
2. 1 Day in Vung Tau & Ho Chi Minh City
3. 1 Day Cai Be & Vinh Long via the Mekong Delta Tour

Oh, time really flies and it’s already my fourth day in Ho Chi Minh City! No going for guided tour today and will be exploring on our own – We will be going to Vung Tau, which is a popular destination with beautiful beaches.

After breakfast, we took a cab from Elios Hotel to Bach Dang Passenger Quay (Ton Duc Thang Str., Dist. 1). The journey took a while due to the morning traffic and cost us VND 30,000. Initially, I have planned to take a bus to Vung Tau from Mien Dong Coach Station (Bến Xe Miền Đông) as it’s cheaper at VND 40,000 but at a longer duration (2 hours). Lucky thing is that I consulted the staff at Sasa Cafe the night before and they told me that Mien Dong Coach Station is quite far away and we need to take a cab (or bus #26 from Ben Thanh station) first. Then I decided that we should opt for the quick and easy way to Vung Tau via Hydrofoil fast ferry (Tàu cánh ngầm). Above photo is Bach Dang Passenger Quay.

There are 3 Hydrofoil operators in Bach Dang Passenger Quay and the hydrofoils depart for Vung Tau almost hourly. Above photo shows Greenlines and Petro Express.

Vina Express on the other side of the Bach Dang Passenger Quay. All three operators charge the same fare at VND180,000 per person. Although it’s a little more expensive but it’s much faster (1 hour 15 min) and comfortable than bus.

Waiting area at Bach Dang Passenger Quay.

Our tickets from Greenlines. We decided to go for Greenlines due to the timing as they are the next hydrofoil schedule to leave and we only require to stick around less than 30mins.

Just around 15mins of wait and the hydrofoil arrived. Seats are allocated so there is no need to rush!

As our tickets was bought rather last minute, we got seats that face the rest of the passengers. Haha!

It was a rather pleasant ride and we reached Vung Tau in around 1 hour 15 min. Vung Tau is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and is the first tourist city in Vietnam. With beauty beach and fresh air, Vung Tau is a very popular destination for weekends.

First thing after alighting the hydrofoil is to go get return tickets back to Ho Chi Minh City. You may choose to stay in Vung Tau but we decided to stick to just a day trip. Better get return tickets earlier, otherwise you will get stuck in Vung Tau if all the tickets are sold out. Hehe!

Went for Vina Express for our return trip back to Saigon. Fares are the same at VND180,000 per person.

Seems like a house to me… and it’s very nice! Sea view for all the rooms!

Long and lonely road. A vast difference from the traffic at Ho Chi Minh City.

Passing by a Chinese temple.

Passing by another Chinese temple.

Vietnamese temple dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, the Vietnamese military hero. (Thanks to Walter for the correction!)

If you are spending more time here in Vung Tau, you may want to visit “Statue of Jesus Christ with outstretched arms” which is on top of small mountain.

Stopping at Coffee Ocap for a breather and to hide from the extremely hot weather! It’s burning our skin!

1 Soursop Shake and 1 Saigon at a total of VND 33,000. Ice-cold tea is provided free-of-charge and WIFI is available too!

After the rest, we continued to walk around. Passing by “The Etta Pub”, which seems like a nice place to chill out.

Buying and selling crabs! Think crabs are a specialty seafood which is very popular in Vung Tau as everyplace have cooked crab on their menu.

Passing by Cafe Chong Chong.

The hot weather made us stop again but this time more for lunch.

Menu at Bayview. Lots of food selection available!

Our lunch – 2 sandwich (as above), 1 Saigon beer and 1 Heineken, which totaled to VND 125,000. Gotta have the beer to cool us down in the hot weather! LOL!

View from our seats at Bayview. It’s nice to hide away from the sun! Haha!

The interior of Bayview. Believed that the owner is an Australian.

Time’s up – gotta board the Vinasun Express hydrofoil back to Ho Chi Minh City.

This time round, we are given seats at the back of the hydrofoil. Personal opinion is that the Vinasun Express condition is worse off then Greenlines.

We sat facing 2 LCD TVs but they are not on throughout the journey. In fact, it wasn’t even plug in! Check out the right LCD TV! Haha!

Anyway, beyond the door is actually the engine room so you get free diesel smell here too!

After alighting the Hydrofoil, it was raining heavily in Ho Chi Minh City so we waited for a while for the rain to become smalller. Then, we grabbed a cab to Zen Plaza and paid VND 25,000.

Explored Zen Plaza for a while and then took cab to Parkson at VND 30,000.

La Dolce Vita Café at Continental Hotel Saigon.

Passing by Saigon Opera House.

Walking along Dong Khoi Street.

Lucky Plaza. Well, not the Lucky Plaza in Singapore.

The reason why we are roaming along Dong Khoi Street – French restaurant Augustin (10 Nguyen Thiep).

The interior of Augustin. We reached early for dinner (7pm) so we were the only customers.

A bottle of house red. Think it was around VND 250,000.

Grilled Duck Confit. VND 150,000.

Grilled Chicken Breast with Cream Sauce. VND 120,000.

Lime Sorbet with Vodka. VND 110,000.

Night view of Saigon Opera House.

Passing by Hotel Continental Saigon while we are walking toward Ben Thanh Market.

Water fountain where locals as well as tourist hang around.

A statue of Ho Chi Minh with Ho Chi Minh City Hall in the background.

Ho Chi Minh City Hall. It was renamed after 1975 as Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.

Passing by Trung Nguyen Coffee. Didn’t really try it as we can also find Trung Nguyen Coffee back home in Singapore (in Liang Court). I remembered always going there to stock up on G7 instant coffee!

Next to Trung Nguyen Coffee is our destination – Bach Dang Ice Cream. A favourite place of young Saigonese.

A recommendation from the staff of Bach Dang Ice Cream – Ice cream in coconut at VND 62,000. Nice!

Night market at Ben Thanh. Never really explore around as it’s likely to be a tourist trap!

Leaving you with a video at Ben Thanh Market. Generally, the traffic in Ho Chi Minh City is somehow similar!

Related posts:

1. A Day in Ho Chi Minh City 1
2. A Day in Ho Chi Minh City
3. 1 Day Cao Dai Temple & Cu Chi Tunnels Tour