Trip To Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hello everyone! Smile smile smile!

This entry is about my family trip to Ho Chi Minh City on 17th to 20th Jan 2014. Please enjoy reading!

Tips!

1. Money - Bring a lot of RM and convert it to VND in Vietnam! You'll get higher RM value here. Plus, if your plan is to shop in Ben Thanh Market or somewhere in Malaysia Street worry not, they accept RM, VND and USD. Please don't forget to activate your ATM card for overseas usage.. Kalut nanti! hahaha!

2.  Transportation - Once you reached the airport, head towards the front door from the departure hall, turn left and walk straight, there's a lift on the left sight just before Burger King, go up to level 2, find your Vinasun Taxi there. The taxi fare is cheap. I was charged around 140,000 VND (RM+-25) from airport to my hotel. We travel by Vinasun to go here and there in Vietnam... in average the taxi fair is about 50,000VND (RM8+-).

3.  Accomodation - It is best to book your hotel through the hotel online booking. I booked Blessing 1 hotel through booking.com and I paid 3,780,000.00VND (RM570+-) for 3 nights stay. It is strategically located at Malaysian Street , near halal restaurants, convenient store and ATM.The best part is, the hotel is 5 minutes away by foot to Ben Thanh Market!

4.   Communication -Most of the Vietnamese (taxi driver, police, security guard, bell boy) can't speak English very well, some sellers can speak Malay though, so it is important to print out your hotel address or whatever place you want to go so that they can read and take you to the right place!

5.   Food - I cant say much about Vietnamese food because we only eat at Warung Saigon 1Malaysia. Chinese Cuisine, affordable price range from 80,000 VND (RM13+-) to 150,000 VND (RM25+-). People! please try their Trung Nguyen Vietnam Coffee! The best in the world!

Going Places!

Arrival

 

The View of Malaysia Street from Our Hotel Room 

Day 2

 

Day 2 - We pay a visit to the War Remnants Museum 

Entrance Fee : 15,000 VND per person 

Actually, we have planned to watch a Water Dragon puppet show later in the evening, somehow the show was full and we booked for the next day slot. So that evening we take a brisk walk along Saigon Park.

Day 3

  

Day 3 - A quick visit to Ben Thanh Market to get some Vietnam Cotton. In total, we bought 30 pieces of Vietnam Cotton. In fact, there was a Night Market every night around Ben Thanh market, the goods sold are similar to the one in Ben Thanh market only lesser choice. We went to the night market everyday... i repeat EVERYDAY! Hahahahahha! Sorry no pictures here... night market looks similar with the one in Malaysia.. use your imagination people!  hihihihi!

Notre Dame Cathederal .

Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office

 

Walk like this to reach your next destination... Hard Rock Cafe HCMC! 

Give this lady a chair! she's all tired.

Finally, The Water Dragon Puppet Show. A must visit place if you go to HCMC! Very interesting show but I cant concentrate on the show because I was busy breastfeeding my cranky baby. 

Entrance Fee is 160,000VND (RM22+-)

To sum everything up, Vietnamese people are very friendly, nice and helpful. I don't know why but they seems to like my girl's curly hair. Maybe curly hair is somewhat rare in Vietnam. Hahhahah! We don't get a chance to visit Mekong River and Chu Chi Tunnel though, if someday Allah permits, we'll pay HCMC a visit again! Thanks HCMC for treating us well! 

Next in line is Jakarta! 

Thanks for reading!

On tips to cope with the rise of cost of living

Well hello! 2014 will be a rather challenging year for me... The most challenging is my house is expected to finish in August (or earlier) so I'll start paying for my housing loan!!!! Exact amount is RM1300++ a month. Once the house is ready, I'll pay RM3.80 toll to go back and forth from home sweet home to my office. Phew, at that time the battle to satisfy wants and to fulfill needs will arise. 

....and today, I happened to click http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2014/01/13/Finding-newmoney/  found few tips to cope with the rise of cost of living. The point of jotting it down here (even most of the times it is so hard to follow) is, on how we can live a simple life besides care for the environment and of course... our wallet.... so ladies and gentlemen......... 

1. Drink water.Stop ordering expensive drink - I've applied only one sweet beverage in a day - Yes this may help.

2. Batch your errands. Always have a shopping list - Shopping list and I are like the best of friends. But somehow the best friends can turn you down.. Anyway this year I'll only buy what I've list and budgeted :) -   Yes this may help.

3. Stay home more. Spend time with your family - hurm.... Perhaps a walk in the park will help. Hurm.....
4. Cancel subscriptions. You may not even miss them. I don't have any subscriptions for magazines and papers, but to cancel my STREAMYX subscriptions? It's rather obnoxious.
Hurm.....
5. Do it yourself. Learn to be a handy man or woman. My hubby is my handyman. Yes, we save a lot here. Yes this may help.
6. Stop paying interest. Pay in cash or don’t buy if you can’t afford it - This means say No No No to Credit Card? -  Yes this may help.
7. Travel on a budget. Budget travels can be fun. - Yes this may help.
8. Use cellphone sparingly. Optimise on free messaging services. - Yes this may help.
9. Cut or colour your own hair. Ask a friend to help you. - I don't color my hair. But to everything other than this might be useful.
10. Maintain your things. Pay for fewer repairs. Yes this may help.
11. Save energy. Do a good deed for the environment. Yes this may help.
12. Buy bargain clothing. Dress down - Hurm.....
13. Plan ahead. Buy in bulk - Yeah we buy in bulk, our kitchen towel. Hurm..... Yes this may help.
14. Cook ahead. Freeze the extras. Hurm....
15. Don't wash clothes so often. Re-wear them at least twice. This is a joke right? Hurm.....
16. Save on groceries. Shop on discount days and discount vouchers. Yes this may help.
17. Frugal festivals. Keep them simple. So simple Baju Raya... No Designer Baju Raya till I earn enough to afford one. *wink *wink -  Yes this may help.
18. Look for used items first. They can be as good as new - I'm not sure about this as I think buying used item involving luck. The item is in between good or spoilt. Hurm..... -
19. Eat out less except on weekends. Hurm, was thinking about Pizza home delivery tonight. Sacrifice wants! Focus on Needs!!  Yes this may help.
20. Bag lunch to work. It’s healthier. I cannot tolerate this SORRY! I'm not a person who wake up early just to save RM15 lunch money!!! Next!  Hurm..... -
21. Don’t window shop. Don’t get tempted. Bye bye IG shop! My mantra is, If i look at one thing and I'll sleep on it. If I still have that thing on my head day after, only then I'll make the purchase. Yes this may help.
22. Use the library. Read online.Yes this may help.
23. Find free entertainment on the Internet. Kids are the latest entertainment! Haven't you heard? -  Yes this may help.
24. Find frugal exercise like walking. Yes this may help.
25. Stay healthy and keep medical bills low.Yes this may help.
26. Carpool, walk or cycle if you can.Hurm..... -
27. Look for discounts. Don’t be shy to ask.Yes this may help.
28. Sell your clutter. Get organised too. or maybe donate.... Yes, I'll donate my clutter more often.  Yes this may help.
29. Reduce smoking. Protect your lungs. Not applicable
30. Stop clubbing. Care for your liver and eardrums too. Not applicable

So thank you for the tips The Star! and peeps wait no more, it's time to switch and be different!! Hihiks!

Throwback : Terengganu Getaway!

Hello people! Happy New Year!

How's everyone doing! ok, to start off the New Year, I'll post some pictures on my short vacay to Terengganu on November 2013. Super duper late post but yeah, I've been busy. LOL! These are some pictures taken while I was there!

 

Day 1 - The view from our hotel Sumai Suite Hotel which is located at Pantai Batu Burok. Sadly we cannot swim there. We booked a 4 room apartment with (about +- RM750 for two nights).

 

 

Day 2 - Pasar Payang : Random picture of a pak cik selling rare stones 

 Day 2 - A visit to Taman Tamadun Islam.. this is the only picture i took, my hp battery went flat at the wrong place, wrong time. Duh! Entrance Fee : Adult RM20, Kids RM15. Tram Ride RM5 per person.

 Day 3 - A Brisk Walk along Pantai Batu Burok. We can't swim here because of the waves.

 Day 3 - A must try Ice Cream Goreng! Very fattening, sinful, Only in Terengganu!

That's that about my short vacation to Terengganu! Next to Update, my short vacation to Kuala Selangor! See Ya!