Dos and Don'ts in Vietnam

We were in Ho Chi Minh from 28 March-2 April 2013.

My expenses are as below:

Air tickets(Tiger Airways): SGD 340
Hotel: SGD100
Food,shopping and local tours (including souvenirs): ~SGD370

Total: SGD810

There were people asking me "Why Ho Chi Minh?" before we went on our trip.
Well, below are my reasons:

#1 Exquisite cuisine
Vietnamese food can be found in Singapore but none of it is as authentic as the ones we had in Vietnam.

#2 Breathtaking landscape

#3 Coffee

#4 Spa
Spas can be found at every corner of the street in Ho Chi Minh, we were issued brochures and leaflets  every single day when we were out. 

#5 Affordability

#6 Friendly and Hospitable Vietnamese
Like the experience we had at "Trung Nguyen" coffeeshop which i had blogged about previously.




Duc Vuong Hotel is the place which Kia Seng booked through agoda.com for SGD100 each which we think  is affordable for a 5 days stay.
The hotel staff were all very friendly and helpful when we asked questions about the places we are interested in which made us had a pleasant stay.
There is a tour agency at the basement of the hotel for tourists to book their local tours. We booked our "Cao Dai Temple" and "Cu Chi Tunnel" tour there and the bus picked us up from the hotel.

Photo taken by the staff.

Most importantly, not forgetting the Dos and Don'ts each time you travel.

#1 Do face away from the road when counting your money whether it's for transport or food. We were warned that motorcyclists there can be dangerous such that they have sharp eyes for luxury items and money.

Kia Seng was told by Ms Thao to face away from the road.

#2 Do hang your DSLR or compact camera on your neck with the neck strap. I was busy snapping photos around during my trip and a kind old man who was selling shuttlecocks told me to hang it around my neck in case of robbers.

#3 Do not hold your Iphone in your hand while walking on street. Shwu Ping and I were aboard the plane when an uncle who was sitting beside us warn us about the Dos and Don'ts in Ho Chi Minh. 

We were again told that Iphone is considered a luxury item in Vietnam and a tourist was robbed of his Iphone the day before by the uncle who was selling the shuttlecock.

Iphone to us is nothing more than just a phone in Singapore where even a primary school student owns one and toddlers have Ipad/Iphone smack right in front of their face with a video of cartoon in the pram nowadays.

#4 Do not show off your valuables in public for fear of robbers.

#5 Do be vigilant and look out for one another.