We traveled to Jeju for a 4 days 3 nights trip, after Busan. We arrived on the evening of 20th May and left for Seoul on the afternoon on 23rd May. So technically, we only had 2 full days in Jeju. I will split the post into two parts, as I'm afraid it might get too long!
Click the link if you want my planned itinerary. Or if you're interested to know my estimated costs. Remember, we did not follow the exact route planned as the trip should be open to new ideas and developments!
Air Busan
Air Busan
I don't normally do reviews or posts about airlines, but Air Busan deserves special mention. Their boarding time is 15 mins before take off (or rather before the planes taxis to take off), and gates closes 5 mins before take off. I don't know if they're just really efficient in getting everyone on board in 15 mins or Koreans are generally on time which results a timely take off. I was expecting some delays of about 15-20 mins but no! The plane actually started taxi-ing on time!
We were really tired, so we fell asleep shortly. However, we were awoken by a loud announcement and a lot of excitement among the passengers. Obviously, we could not understand anything, but after looking around, we realized the stewardess were conducting a lucky draw! The boy beside me won Starbucks vouchers.
Also, Air Busan's magazine on the plane features several attractions around South Korea. And if you present your boarding pass at the counter of those attractions, you get discounts off your entrance fees! Like we had 10% discount off our entrance tickets to Teddy Bear Museum.
Did I mention that they also allow check in luggage of up to 15kg? Actually, most of the budget/domestic airlines in Korea provide this service.
KT Kumho
KT Kumho
So, we rented a car in Jeju as it would be more convenient to get around the island. I've heard horror stories about how people were waiting for a bus for about 30-45 mins in the hot sun, so how the distance of the bus stops to the attractions were so far, they took a cab in, and when they couldn't get out to the main road, they stopped a car to beg them to give a lift out to the main road.
No, I did not want that to happen to us. Since there are 4 of us, and all four has driving license, why not rent a car!!!
Hyundai Sonata
After doing some research and reading lots of reviews, I decided to choose KT Kumho because it's affordable to rent from them! The trick is to create an online account with them, and you're able to get huge discounts as a member (same goes for certain Korean domestic airlines too). For mine, I got up to 75% discount off the original price. After adding full immunity (in case of accidents or scratches), I only paid about 151,000 Won for 4 days 3 nights! You divide it by four, and you have a budgeted transportation!
Remember to email them in advance for confirmation and also to tell them that you need an English GPS/Navigation. According to my Korean Colleague, who helped me to call them up, it's based on first come first serve basis. Also, keep the telephone numbers of the attractions you want to do, so that you could just key in the telephone number into the navigation, and it will show you the route. Even though the navigation is in English, the addresses are still in Korea, so it may prove to be a challenge.
We rented a Hyundai Sonata. It's so damn spacious, and the boot size is so huge, you can fit 3 persons inside! Definitely enough space for all our luggage!
Rainbow in Jeju
Rainbow in Jeju Hostel
Address: 1289-20, ido 1-dong, Jeju City,
Jeju Island
We stayed quite near the airport, about 10-15 mins away, which was good for us, as we didn't have to drive very far when we had to send our friends to the airport (they had an earlier flight to Seoul, than us) or to return the car.
Even with the navigation, it was initially quite difficult to find the hostel, as the navigation could not register the telephone number the hostel provided. So we rang them up to ask them for the address. Eventually, we manage to find our way there!
I really like this hostel. It is very cozy and homely, and every morning, you're to make your own breakfast. They will put eggs, bread and other spreads out, and if you want them, you have to cook it yourself.
We took the 4 person dorm with en-suite and they had 2 double-decker beds for us. What I found really impressive was that they had curtains around your bed and a night reading light attached to your bed rail, so you could continue doing your things without disturbing anyone else! & they had free laundry & wifi too!
Small Little Korean Shop
Ramyeon
So, we arrived at the hostel at almost 9pm. We were all starving and craving for some good Korean... ANYTHING! We were soooo hungry, we walked around the hostel's vicinity, but all the small little shops and restaurants were closed! We walked and got more depressed, and we finally found this hole in the wall. I think the Ajuma has closed for the day, but she was just watching TV. We went in and asked if she could cook us something, anything! She agreed after we asked for just Ramyeon. It was one of the best Ramyeon I ever had, because we were so hungry!!
THE NEXT DAY...
U-do Island
We wanted to go visit some attractions around the South of Jeju, but after talking to a guy at the hostel, he really recommended going to U-do Island for the view, scenery and all the fun!
We drove to Seongsan Harbour (found it's telephone number in the tourist map and routed our way there!) and took a ferry to U-do island.
Ferry to U-do Island!
It will cost 11,000 Won for a car and 4,000 Won per person to get on the ferry. We had to reverse our car onto the ferry, and it took Sock a lot of mad skills and bravery.
U-do Island Scenery!
The roads in U-do Island are very small and narrow, it's really quite scary when you have BUSES coming in the opposite direction. In the end, we just parked our car aside and rented an ATV for 20,000 Won for 2 hours!
ATV!
The ATV could go quite fast! It was such a hot and sunny day, but because of the cool weather and wind, we all got a little sun burned and we didn't even realized it.
Haenyo Divers
After riding the ATV along the coastal route, we saw a group of Haenyo Divers (literally meaning 'Sea Women'. It's a dying trade and most of the divers are in their 50s and older!
Horse Riding
After returning the ATV, we drove up to climb the hill. I forgot what the name if the hill/mountain is called, but I've heard that it provides a better view as compared to Sunrise Peak! At the foot of the hill, you're able to ride horses as well! We paid 10,000 Won for about 5-8 mins. The horses started to canter and I thought I was going to fall off the horse!
Beautiful view!
The hill/mountain was very steep and they placed rubber mats and strips to aid climbers up the hill. Without those rubber strips, I would have slipped and rolled down the hill in record time!
We left U-do Island at about 3pm and took the 3.30pm ferry back to Jeju!
Trick Art Museum
Trick Art Museum
We had 10% discount because we presented our Air Busan boarding pass. We paid about 7,000 Won for each person. There's nothing much to this place, just visually exciting with the different angles and dimensions make the painting look like it's 3D. We pretty much finished the place in about 15-20 mins.
Outside the cave, the weather and temperature is nice and warm, but once you start to descend the steps into the cave, the temperature starts to drop drastically. In the heart of the cave, the temperature was 13 Degrees Celsius! So, please remember to bring a light jacket/windbreaker along with you. There's no wind inside the cave, so it was bearable for Kenneth who refused to bring any jacket along with him! Also, you have to wear proper shoes as there's water puddles throughout the whole 1km route into the cave and it may be slippery. Cold water will sometimes drip on you too from the roof of the cave.
Many centuries (?) ago, this cave was where lava used to flow through to the surface. Throughout the cave, there are many signages and panels educating you on how the cave was formed, how the lava was so hot, the roof (made from natural rocks) started to melt and when it cooled, resulting in spikes on the roof. The only way in, is the only way out, so you walk 1km into the cave, and at the end, there's a lava rock pillar, take photos, and then make a U-turn and walk 1km back out.
Black Pork Street
Black Pork Street
The guy at the hostel recommended this street when we asked him where can we find awesome black pork Korean BBQ! As usual at a Korean BBQ, small dishes of Kimchi, Radish, and other preserved veges were given to us. If I am not wrong, we ordered the set menu for 4 persons which cost us 78,000 Won. In addition, we ordered steamed egg and seafood soup as well. Total, we paid about 100,000 Won for 4 people.
The pork they gave us were big pieces! Do not be alarmed as you're supposed to cut it up to small pieces and use the lettuce leaves they provide to wrap it up with a bit of Kimchi or other preserved vegetables and eat the whole thing! It was so awesome and I ate a lot, it gave me a sore throat the next day.
So, my boyfriend, Gilbert, has recently finish his university education, and we decided to embark on a journey to South Korea for his graduation trip! I think for me, this is my Nth graduation trip. I've been to a few countries, after my last exams (Thailand), after my graduation ceremony (Vietnam), and now, after Gilbert's exams, to KOREA!
We visited 3 cities, Busan, Jeju and Seoul, which I will blog about in different entries. We did a lot of activities, ate a lot of awesome Korean food, so I might break the post up into different days to shorten the length of the posts.
If you're interested in my planned itinerary, please click here. Also, I have uploaded a PDF file with the rough estimate of my travel costs! Please note, I spent almost ALL my money. :( Date of Travel: 19-20th May Pusan Inn Motel
Pusan Inn Motel
Address: 1200-14, ChoRang Dong, Dong Gu
Tel: +82 514635505
Website: http://pusaninn.com/
Don't believe whatever directions the website says. We got quite lost trying to find the motel. Website says, "take Exit 10 and facing Starbucks..." But when we came out from Exit 10, there was no Starbucks in sight! & because we did not know which direction to walk to, we went back down into the station and asked for help, they couldn't really understand us, nor we them, and what we understood was to take Exit 10 again.
So, we just went out and walked towards our gut feeling, and about 50m away (blocked by trees and a bus stop), we saw Starbucks and eventually found our way to the Motel.
You don't expect much from a motel, considering the amount we are paying. There were no lifts in the building, and we stayed on the 3rd level. If you have difficulty climbing or have old folks or children I wouldn't advice you to stay here. The rooms were clean, a computer inside the room, and apparently, the air conditioner was not working. It was fine, because Busan was still cooling and we just opened the windows and turned on the fan.
When we checked in, the guy at the reception, just looked at our booking printout and handed us the keys. Just like that. No greetings, no checking of identity, only just a grunt to which level our room was. So, if you're a fugitive, this is a great place for you!
Pusan Inn Lobby
Jokes aside, if you just need a place where it's close to the Subway, clean, cheap and just a place to sleep and shower, this is probably the place to go. Besides the disgruntled guy at reception, I thought the location was very convenient! In the heart of Busan and close to everything!
Jagalchi Fish Market
Jagalchi Market
To me, Busan is like a port, a place where seafood is freshest (maybe San Francisco of South Korea?). One of their famous attraction is the Jagalchi Market where they sold the day's catch. You can find anything from the sea here! From cockles as big as your thumb, to moving octopus, seaweed, and even crabs and lobsters!
Pork Skin
We were just walking around, and we thought this was cuttlefish mixed with Kimchi Paste, and so, we ordered it. It turned out to be Pork Skin mixed with Kimchi Paste. I could feel my arteries clogging. It cost us 5,000Won and it comes on a hotplate with seaweed, garlic, onions and chili. I just told myself it's full of collagen and it's good for my skin. Taste wise, it's alright.
Fresh Baby Eel
Next, we continued walking and we saw this Ajuma skinning a live eel!
Similar to the Pork Skin, the live eels were washed, seasoned and placed on a hot bbq plate together with onions and other condiments. It's crunchy and oh do delicious! The hotplate of eels costs us 30,000Won!
Live Octopus, Sea Urchin & Seafood Soup
In Jagalchi Market, there's the outdoor area and indoor area. For the Pork Skin and Live Eel, we ate outdoors and afterwards, we proceeded inside the building to continue our eating spree. This time, we had:
Live octopus - 20,000Won
Sea Urchin - 20,000Won (5pcs)
Seafood Soup - 40,000
The plate of live octopus was probably only 2 tentacles (from what the Ajuma showed me), she chopped it up, sprinkled with sesame oil, soya sauce and sesame seeds. It was still moving even though it was chopped up! The suckers still sucked to my tongue and inside of my cheek, but it could be easily removed with the flick of the tongue.
I don't really like sea urchins, it's tooooo fishy for my liking and I had to put soya sauce and wasabi to mask a little of the fishiness. The insides were a little jelly like, and the experience wasn't very pleasant. I only had 1 half, and gave the rest to Gilbert.
Now, the seafood soup is the best! The broth is very rich and thick and the soup contains all kinds of seafood! From a clam that was the size of my palm, to huge prawns, scallops, clams, etc! We regretted eating so many things before drinking this soup, as it is really fantastic.
Jetty by Jagalchi Market
As I've mentioned before, Busan is a sea port city, and Jagalchi Market is just facing the jetty/sea too! After eating all the wonderful food, we went to the jetty for some fresh air and photo taking. Gilbert really loved the scenery behind us with all the ships and landscape. There were street performers by the jetty too. Too bad they performed in Korean and we couldn't understand their jokes. We did enjoy their singing and dancing though.
Gwangbok-Dong Street
Street Food & Shopping
So after we were done with Jagalchi Market, we walked to this street where they had pushcart or makeshift stalls set up selling all kind of things from formal blouses, cute socks to rice cakes. If we weren't so full, we would have eaten even more street food! Most of the stalls sold hiking apparels in striking colours. I understand in Busan, that is the normal, everyday wear for the Ajumas and Uncles.
After a day of walking, eating and just enjoying Busan, we wanted to go to a 'Hotspring' or a spa to just relax the rest of the evening away. This enormous spa occupies some 1,300 pyeong (4,300㎡), and is able to accommodate a total of 3,000 spa-goers, with about 40 different baths including the longevity bath, hinoki wood bath, cave bath, and an open-air outdoor bath. There are also a variety of special event baths that use natural bath powders and seasonal Oriental herbal medicine ingredients according to the time of year.
I read some reviews that there was a strawberry milk bath, but when I went there, it was coffee instead. I ended smelling like my all time favourite beverage for a sleepy morning! It is normal tradition to have a shower before you went for a soak, and if your visit was impromptu, you're able to purchase soap and other bathing necessities at the locker room.
There are 2 lockers when you enter, first a small one just for your shoes, and the next would be in the changing room for you to hang your clothes and keep your bag. Afterwards, proceed for a bath, and into the spa pools you go! There's even a small cafeteria where you have sit on plastic chairs (in full nude by the way) and enjoy some light snacks and beverages while you take a break from all the heat from the spa pools. How do you pay? They just charge it to your locker key! & you pay when you check out or return the key at the front desk.
Taejongdae Resort Park
Taejongdae Resort Park
Address: 257, Jeonmang-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan
부산광역시 영도구 전망로 24 (동삼동)
Tel: +82-51-405-2004
Opening Hours: 4am – 12am
Website: http://visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264167
Admission Fee: Free
Danubi Train (다누비열차) – 1,500W
Directions: From Busan Station, take Bus 88 or 101 (22 Stops, 40 mins) and get off at Taejongdae (태종대).
The next morning, we visited Taejongdae Resort Park as our flight was in the evening. We can take either Bus 101 or 88 from Opposite Busan Station. We had to walk down a few bus stops & check if the buses stopped at those bus stops.
According to Google Maps, it'll take about 45mins by bus journey to our destination, but the bus driver was driving like he would in F1! We arrived in 30mins and I also nearly flew out of my seat when he jammed break!
There are trams too to bring you round the park and it will cost you 1,500Won per adult and it starts at 10am. If you're not taking the tram, be prepared for a looooooong walk up hill. I suggest taking the tram halfway up, visit the attractions there, than walking down. If you're lazy, just hop on the tram and head down the hill/mountain again!
Be prepared for fog! It seems fog follows me everywhere I go! First it happened at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, than at the Bund in Shanghai, and now, in Busan too! I was pretty upset that I could not fully enjoy the beautiful scenery!
Please remember to bring a water bottle and a light jacket/windbreaker. I went in May, so it was still pretty cool and temperatures drop without warning. Also, remember to wear proper shoes, you're gonna do a lot of walking!
The easiest, most convenient and no-brainer way of travelling around a city is always by taxi. Obviously, if you have lots of things to carry, or if it's late, you'd want to catch a taxi to your hotel ASAP. However, in some cities, taking a taxi could actually burn a hole in your pocket!
No doubt taxis are a convenient way of getting around the city, most travelers might fear the costs one might incur just by hitching a ride in... let's say, metropolitan Japan or even Singapore!
This website helps calculate the fare based on the destination's taxi meter regulations.
You just need to find the city you're looking for, plot your location and your destination and you're able to have a really good estimate of the fare!
Before I did my exchange in Las Vegas, I was desperately searching for alternatives to get to the University from the Airport. I thought I had struck gold when I chanced upon this website! I was able to weigh my options more thoroughly.
The website allows you to choose from a list of Places of Interests (POI) which eliminates the time you have to go searching for the exact address of prominent landmarks or hotels in the vicinity.
So I've plotted in from the Airport to UNLV........
And my estimated taxi fare is US$15.40! It is a norm to tip the cab drivers about 10-20% of the metered fare, and it's even calculated into the fare! This is so amazing! Not only does this website calculate the fares, surcharges, and tips for you, it even shows you the best route to go, the rough breakdown of the fare, estimated distance and time and even the estimated cost with light or heavy traffic!
In the end when I arrived in Las Vegas, we bumped into more of our peers and all of us just rented a mini bus to bring us into school. It was the cheaper alternative as we had about 18 people! Each of us paid around US$8 including tips.
Now, lets find out the estimated fare of the ever expensive Japan! I've heard stories of travelers who did not do proper research and had no choice but to catch a taxi as they've missed the last train. & I've also heard my friend recount how she missed the last train and she had to walk back for 2 hours back to her hotel as she refused to take a taxi.
So it will cost about 6,166Yen to get from Haneda Airport to downtown Tokyo Metro Station, bearing in mind that Haneda is very close to the City Center. That is roughly US$64.18 for a 20 mins ride. To me, that's an absurd price. It gets worst if you arrive in Narita Airport and taking a taxi to downtown Tokyo, it'll cost you about US$250!!!
What's amazing about this website is that it even add in all the crazy surcharges and government tax into the fare, depending on the destination. Take for example, Singapore. We have an additional Peak Hour surcharge (30%) during certain time of a weekday, and a midnight surcharge (50%) for taxi rides after midnight, surcharges for picking up at the Airport or Casinos downtown, and even ERP, which is government tax (or more like electronic toll) imposed on all motorist and operated only during certain timings of the day. It's so complicated sometimes, even for a Singaporean like me.
So, an average taxi ride from Singapore Changi Airport to our bustling shopping district of Orchard Road will cost you.....
An estimate of SG$ 22.44 (US$17.96) during non-peak hours and SG$31.16 (US$25.30) during peak/midnight charge. For us locals, we will never take a taxi into downtown Orchard Road during peak hours if we can, but if not, it's not that expensive if you compare it to Japan.
I've joined the working world as a fresh graduate (or rather, fresh blood for the mosquitoes to suck on) for the past 3 to almost 4 months. I'm officially finished with classes (as you know from my Bangkok + Krabi post), but yet to attend the graduation ceremony.
On 11th January 2013, I officially graduated from Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and my boyfriend and I decided to travel to Ho Chi Minh (or Saigon as popularly know by the Vietnamese) as a short getaway, break and reward from all the stress of school/work.
A friend recommended Asian Ruby 4 hotel located at 277 Le Thanh Ton St.. However, after much research, we decided to stay at Asian Ruby 3 as it was closer to the backpacker's alley (Bu Vien). We wanted to be able to walk to the backpackers area for bookings of tours, bars, and all that the street could offer.
We really couldn't complain much for the price we paid for the room (SG$53/Night) . We were contented enough to have air-conditioning, hot water and clean sheets. The room was rather small and cramped (27sqm), but it was enough for 2 persons and our small luggages. There's even complimentary WiFi for all hotel guests!
Food
Street Food
Don't be afraid or intimidated to try their local street food! It may not be the most comfortable or sanitary dining experience to some, but to me, I LOVE STREET FOOD! It's cheap, it's good, and it's done properly, the local style. For me, I always always try to eat and enjoy the local cuisine. What can you expect from a foodie like me!
Street Food Noodles
We were walking around Bu Vien, the backpacker's alley, when we chanced upon this street stall with a friendly looking Auntie selling noodles. Hungry and wanting to try local food and just after touching down, we settled at this place. We had Beef Pho and Fried Noodles. The soup of the Beef Pho was so-so, with a lot of coriander taste, as you can see from the picture, it was flooded with that and some other herbs. The fried noodles on the other hand was to die for! It looks like the regular Mee Goreng (without chili) here in Singapore, but it's sooooo different! It's not too oily and the beef slices were rather generous for the price we paid! I think we paid a total of 73,000Dong for the 2 dishes and 2 bottles of coke. That's about SG$4+!
Banh Trang Nuong - Ricer paper pancake
If you're lucky enough to find this, you gotta try it! It's a rice cracker/paper topped with minced meat, spring onions, and some red spices. A quail's egg (or two, if you like) is cracked on top and together with a bit of butter (I think?), everything is mixed and BBQ-ed over charcoal. Finally, some special sauce is squirted on and it's folded in half.
It's a light, tasty treat on the go! However for me, the sauce was sticky and trickling down my arm as I slowly savored every bite. After a few days of passing by this place where I found the banh trang nuong stall, I realized that this place, outside the Notre Dam Cathedral, was only bustling on Sunday and eerily quiet during the weekdays that I was there. I am not sure if it is as bustling on Saturdays and it's a norm for people of all walks of life and nationalities (very distinguished accents and languages) to gather and sit on curbs and enjoy their snacks and drinks.
I believe it's not easy to find a peddler that sells banh trang nuong anywhere else, as I was craving it the next few days, but I could not find any! Perhaps I was not looking hard enough.
Fried Skewers
Also around the Notre Dam area, there were several peddlers that sold BBQ cuttlefish and deep fried 'stuff' on skewers. In Singapore or Malaysia, it's commonly known as Lok Lok. The only different between Lok Lok and this, was that it was all fried in oil while Lok Lok was sometimes cooked in gravy, deep fried or barbecued depending on the type of ingredients you choose.
We got quails eggs, ladies finers, and sausages. Very simple, yet uber delicious. All the curbs had colour coded cardboard placed on top and patrons usually tend to sit on such 'reserved' places only after they've placed an order. I found it very amusing actually.
Banh Mi - Baguette sandwich
As we were walking along the streets of Ho Chi Minh, we saw a lot of peddlers selling this Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich. However, different stalls or peddlers sold different types of ingredients inside the sandwiches. Some served cold cuts and hams, others served BBQ meatballs.
I was so intrigued by the thought of having BBQ meatballs in between my baguette bread, I dragged Gilbert to get 1 for us. Inside each toasted sandwich had 5 fat and juicy meatballs, a few strands of (what looked like Japanese Udon) noodles, fresh sliced cucumbers, coriander, some special sauce and chili. After assembling everything, the lady used a piece of small paper, wrapped it up and tied it with a rubber band so that the contents don't spill out while tourists like us swing our plastic bags around.
I felt that the baguette was a tad too tough for my liking (aren't all baguette hard on the outside anyway!), but the meatballs were juicy and complemented well with the sauce which tasted a bit like a Vietnamese version of BBQ sauce.
Xoi - Colour sticky rice
Colourful Xoi
If you've been to HCM, you will be able to see many peddlers selling Xoi right off their bicycles or motorbikes! They are not hard to miss with the vibrant coloured rice in the steamers. I understand there are two types, the savoury and sweet types. During my trip, I only manage to try the sweet colourful ones. Gilbert and I shared a packet which contained a mixed variety. It was topped with coconut shavings and condensed milk. Very delicious and filling as well. Some of the flavours had peanuts in it, and I am not a big fan of peanuts.
It is a yummy dessert, bearing in mind that it is very filling and it is suitable if you have someone to share with. I did not even finish my half of the packet before I waved the white flag.
Hot Vit Lon - Half developed duck embryo
Vietnamese and Phillipines Delicacy - Hot Vit Lon/Balut
Hot Vit Lon, or Balut as people in the Philippines call it, is a rather dark and gruesome delicacy to try. Basically, the duck embryo was allowed to develop halfway before it is being boiled or steamed. Some of my friends who used to intern in one of the resorts in HCM as well as a very close Vietnamese friend of mine told me that Hot Vit Lon is easily found along the streets. I beg to differ.
We did not find a stall until the 3rd night when we were desperately looking for one. The vendors and peddlers of Hot Vit Lon did not display obvious signage, and you have to keep your eyes peeled out for one who sells shellfish. Some vendors display a row of white duck eggs and that's your cue!
I've always wanted to try Hot Vit Lon ever since I confirmed my plans for HCM. Friends who tried it loved and the rest condemned it. The egg I got was a little more cooked and less developed (I guess it's a good thing?) as the ones I researched online. The eggs were placed on top of a little egg holder and you're supposed to use your spoon and crack the top of the shell. After removing the small piece of cracked shell, you're to drink the liquid/soup/juice that's inside the egg before enlarging the hole and scooping the solid contents out. You can see how developed the embryo is as you could see tiny feathers, bones, wings, and in my case, an imagined head of a duckling.
You need a little bravery, courage and an open mind to fully enjoy Hot Vit Lon. To make it easier, use your spoon to break up the solid parts so you do not really see what (or which part of a duckling) you're scooping out. The embryo part consisted of only half of my egg, with the other half, like a normal duck's egg white.
To be honest, I quite like it while Gilbert was so disturbed after trying it out. I've found a video of Anthony Bourdain on YouTube trying Hot Vit Lon and look how disturbed he was while smoking!
Restaurants
Apparently, 2 out of the 3 proper restaurants we went to are Pho Restaurants. Pho (Pronounced as FUH) is a Vietnamese favourite and can be considered as their national dish or icon. Pho consists of rice noodles, broth, either chicken or beef, herbs and lots of bean sprouts!
Beef Pho
Pho 2000
Pho for the President!
Cho Ben Thanh
1-3 Đ Phan Chu Trinh (opposite Ben Thanh Market)
District #1 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: (84.8) 822 2788
Le Thanh Thon
26A Le Thanh Ton
District #1 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: (84.8) 829 2612
Pho 2000 is most famous for the visit of then US President, Mr. Bill Clinton. He visited the shop at Cho Ben Thanh in 2000 (Propably that's the reason why they changed their shop name to Pho 2000) and their slogan ever since was "Pho for the President."
Every bowl Pho came with a plate of garnishes which consisted of several herbs, bean sprouts, lime, and chili. The beef broth was light and everything blended well with each other. However, I felt that the beef was not as tender as I imagined or how many people raved about it during my research for reviews.
Garnishes for Pho
It is rather expensive as you are able to get better Pho or noodle soup along the streets at half the price. I would say, just try it once, for experience.
During our meal, there were some commotion near the entrance of the restaurant. Turns out, there was a LARGE rat running around! The waiters were actually attempting to kill it with a broom while the waitresses shrieked and ran away terrified. By attempting, I actually meant, them, chasing the rat around the restaurant with the broom, hitting it occasionally and continue to chase it around again; oblivious to terrified and disgusted diners within their vicinity.
This is definitely not something you'd see in a restaurant in Singapore, but I was unfazed as I wasn't afraid of rats per say, just afraid where in the restaurant or kitchens the rat has been and what viruses and diseases it brought along. What amused me the most was the look on the two Japanese ladies sitting behind us. They were so distressed, they were chasing the rat and the waiters with their eyes, barely touching their food. They immediately drew up their legs and brought out hand-sanitizers. They even put on masks, covering their nose and mouth and I could not really read their expressions anymore. At the end of all the drama, one of the waiter opened the door while the other chased the rat with the broom onto the streets.
When we left the restaurants, the Japanese ladies' food were barely touched still.
No doubt Pho 24 belongs to a chain, having many stalls overseas (Indonesia, Hong Kong and Philippines , I would say it is one of the best Pho I've tried in my limited time in HCM. We bought a travel book before heading to HCM and there's one section where it claims that Pho 24 served the best bowl of pipping hot rice noodles.
We did not really plan on sniffing out Pho 24 stores, we just happen to chance upon the shop when were were walking around aimlessly (I wouldn't say lost). We just rounded a corner, and there it was, the bright green signage was screaming at us. It was a sign.
Now, Pho 24's menu has more variety as compared to Pho 2000. Gilbert ordered the typical Beef Pho while I had the deep fried Pho. We also order Pho 24's four seasons which was just 4 types of Vietnamese rolls.
Beef Pho, Deep Fried Pho and Four Seasons
The soup was savoury and slightly thicker than Pho 2000's. What sealed the deal was actually the Deep Fried Pho. It closely resembles Yee-Mee here in Singapore, but so much better!! If you've tried Yee-Mee, you know that the noodles itself is flavourful as it is fried. The same goes for Deep Fried Pho. The sauce was stir fried with onions, spring onions and beef and it produced such an amazing aroma!
My stomach just growled by thinking about Deep Fried Pho! =P
Hai Vuong
02 Nguyễn Thị Nghĩa ,
P.Bến Thành , Q.1
Telephone: (08) 6670 0511
On our last day, before heading to the airport, we walked past Hai Vuong and Gilbert was quite attracted to the large banner hanging outside which screamed cheap prices for a set menu.
I ordered the beef steak with egg, which came sizzling on a hotplate with a loaf of baguette bread and a side plate of fries. Gilbert got a hotpot of salted fish fried rice. The price was good for budget travelers like us, but the food a tad too salty.
Vietnamese Coffee
Vietnamese Coffee or Ca Phe Da (milk coffee - cà phê sữa đá) is usually made with finely ground Vietnamese-grown dark roast coffee individually brewed with a small metal French drip filter (cà phê phin) into a cup containing about a quarter to a half as much sweetened condensed milk, stirred and poured over ice.
What makes Vietnamese coffee so unique and tasty? Well, when I was shopping around in the night markets, I smelt the coffee beans and it reminded me of chocolate or cocoa beans! I asked the vendor, why did it smell so delicious and heavenly, and he replied that it was roasted in butter! I was sold! I bought 1kg back home. There are other reasons contributing to its unique taste such as climate and roasting techniques, but I shall not bore you with all those details. You may visit this site to learn more about Vietnamese coffee!
Places of Interests Reufication Palace
Hours: Sat, Sun - Closed; Mon to Fri - 7:30–11am, 1–4:30pm Address: 135 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Bến Thành, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Telephone: (08) 3822 3652 Ticket: 30,000 Dong per adult
Reunification Palace formerly known as Independence Palace, built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, is a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. There are several tanks and jet planes outside the palace. That was probably the most interesting thing about the palace. Inside, it's just rooms filled with tables and chairs and it looks really badly kept.
War Remnants Museum
Address: 28 Võ Văn Tần, phường 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Telephone: (08) 3930 6325
The War Remnants Museum primarily contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War. It exhibits the gruesome pictures and stories about how the Americans tortured and murdered innocent Vietnamese children, women and the elderly. How true, I do not know, but the pictures shown here are really disturbing. This is more educational, albeit dark, as compared to the Reunification Palace.
Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica
Address: Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Telephone: (08) 3822 0477
Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, officially Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception is a cathedral located in the downtown of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Established by French colonists, the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880.
We visited on a Sunday, and there was Mass going on. Outside, there were many street vendors selling fried skewers, cuttlefish, rice paper pancakes and cold drinks. Such scene was only seen on Sundays. I am not sure if there's the same crowd on Saturdays. On weekdays, it was deserted and quiet.
Saigon Central Post Office
Address: 2 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Telephone: (08) 3829 6862
Saigon Central Post Office is a post office in the downtown Ho Chi Minh City, opposite Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, the city's main church. The building was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the early 20th century.
We went in when it was near closing. We still had enough time to purchase postcards, wrote letters, purchased stamps and post it. The whole design and architecture had a very French theme to it.
Cao Dai Temple
Just outside Tay Nihn and 60 miles northwest of Ho Chi Minh City is the Great Temple or Holy See, the center of the intriguing Cao Dai sect. Cao Dai is a syncretist Vietnamese religious movement that incorporates aspect of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and even Catholicism.
The Cao Dai Temple (as it is more commonly known) was begun in 1933 in a unique architectural style that reflects its blended traditions. Most people visit on a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City. Cu Chi Tunnels
Address: Phu Hiep, Phu My Hung, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country.
We bought a full day package tour which brought us to Cao Dai Temple first than to Cu Chi Tunnels. This tour was educational and very very intriguing. I've fired riffles before in different parts of Thailand, but never have I fired an AK-47 nor a Machine Gun. I WAS THRILLED! The bullet was the huge, authentic one, as compared to Thailand where they used the small bullets. The recoil from the AK-47 was totally unexpected given my inexperience with firing arms. Gave me quite a shock and a little bruising for my shoulder.
We crawled through the pitch black tunnels which was widened to twice the size. I managed to walk comfortably by just bending my back and knees a little, and Gilbert (who was obviously taller) had to duck-walk all the way. The Australian family in front of us on the other hand... They had a good time on their hands and knees and even had difficulty at some parts of the tunnel. It was quite a fun experience I would say.
Mekong Delta
At first I wasn't really keen on heading to Mekong Delta cos it'll take up one whole day and we'd be hounded by peddlers to buy their ware. So, on the first day, we were just walking through all the Travel Agencies around Bu Vien, and there were packages/tours heading to Mekong Delta but instead of heading to the usual Floating Market, this particular tour involved trekking, hiking, boat rides, and visits to farms. Something that would be fun and educational, and I also thought of Jeremy Wade's show on Animal Planet, River Monsters and recalled him catching a giant catfish in the Mekong Delta.
Seem legit right? Wrong. This was one of the most boring-est tours I've ever been on.
I've been to many tours in Krabi, Thailand, such as kayaking in swamps. What more can you expect from kayaking in swamps right? It was actually extremely educational and the scenery was so beautiful! We learnt about how the swamps sustained life for the sea and how the sea sustained the swamps. We learned facts and traits about the monkeys living there. Check out my post here.
Boat ride on Mekong Delta
One of the activities was a boat ride peddled by Vietnamese. The whole 10-15 mins ride, the boat peddlers from other boats coming in our direction kept asking for tips or "reminding" us to tip our boat peddlers. Of course I'd tip them, they didn't have to kept hounding us the whole ride. It was VERY unpleasant. I could not enjoy myself, even though the scenery was somewhat nice. I would NOT recommend you to go on this tour at all! Just thinking about it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Bee farm
Other pit stops were to a bee farm and they showed how they collected honey from the bees. Nothing really educational here too. Nothing about how bees sustained the environment, nothing about how the bees live. Zilch. It seems like they just brought us there to buy honey and snacks. The honey tea which they served was nice though. The products they offered were reasonable and affordable, if you would like to know.
Coconut candy
The next stop was to this coconut candy 'factory'. It's not really a factory, just an atap house where a family produces toffee candy from coconut meat and milk. Again, nothing really educational though the candy was nice to eat.
Seriously, I'd rather go to the Cu Chi Tunnel tour one more time than come to this tour. Although it was not expensive, I felt this tour could be so much better.
