The-Not-So-Frugal-Travel: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (and things you must know)

..So the story continues

We (yes, I just had to use this term) arrived in Ho Chi Minh from Cambodia at around 9 PM via Sorya Bus Company. Having been ripped off in Cambodia, we didn't have any Vietnamese Dong anymore -- just Philippine peso. We were worried about having to walk miles from wherever-the-bus-drops-us-off to our hotel in Bui Vien.

Luckily, we met some friendly Vietnamese travelers while traveling on the same bus to Ho Chi Minh and we shared taxi with them after the bus dropped us off somewhere in District 1. We decided to split the bill-- i'll  pay using my credit card and they'll pay me half of the bill in cash. And YES, taxis in Ho Chi Minh accept credit cards (although you still have to call your credit card company in advance and let them know that you'll be using your card abroad) so we were able to get to our hotel without any difficulty.

photo from http://www.tan58hotel.com/Room/

We stayed at Tan 58 Hotel in Bui Vien which we booked online through Agoda.com when we were in Cambodia. I do apologize for not taking pictures of our hotel. The rooms were pretty good, they basically have the necessities (wi-fi, a/c, soap & shampoo, fridge, drinks, coffee & tea, towel, slippers, etc.)  that a backpacker needs. This hotel is located at the center of Bui Vien so it won't take much time to find this hotel. This is one of the inexpensive hotels in Bui Vien.

Eating at a local Vietnamese Restaurant in Bui Vien

We were restless, but that didn't stop us from going out and enjoying the nightlife in District 1. We basically splurged on food and drinks. We didn't have the chance to drink in Cambodia, but we did have a lot of chance to drink in Vietnam. 

Heineken Ho Chi Minh Version

The beer that gave him terrible hangover-- Saigon Beer.

The best nachos I've had.

Ho Chi Minh is very lively at night. Most hotels have money exchange so you don't have to worry about your Peso not being changed to Dong. If I were given enough time, I want to explore more around Ho Chi Minh city. Anyway, the next day, we woke up a little early to have coffee in Starbucks. We spoke to the manager and she told us that Starbucks has just been established in Ho Chi Minh 2 years ago. The servers were very friendly and they even helped us find a souvenir shop in District 1.

One lovely morning in Bui Vien.

Ben Tanh Market

According to our research, Ben Tanh market is the most popular spot in District 1 to buy souvenirs. But, the problem is, we only have few Vietnamese Dong left so we decided to shop around Bui Vien and look for some souvenirs. We paid by credit card, which really saved our trip. You can negotiate the price in most shops, especially in Ben Tanh, so getting a cheaper souvenir won't be a problem for tourists. I do agree with some travelers that vendors in Ben Tanh are just way too aggressive. So I suggest not to show so much interest in their product, otherwise, they will grab your arm and force you to buy it.

THE LUNCH LADY

Finding Lunch Lady was a little bit of a challenge for us, since we didn't know exactly where her food stall is. We rode a taxi to 23 Hoang Sa St., District 1 (thank you Google Maps) and had lunch at her food stall. As most people know, Lunch Lady appeared in Anthony Bourdain's show and she has been famous since then. We were surprised with the amount of food that they serve! We were so full that we weren't able to eat everything!

 Lunch Lady's Pho

 Fried spring rolls

 Veggies as a side dish

Fresh spring rolls

We came in on a Wednesday afternoon. Lunch lady serves different dishes everyday as she has no fixed menu. Her food stall is packed with customers when we went there at lunch time. The cost of our lunch is pretty reasonable (200 PHP per person).

There's a lot of places to see in Ho Chi Minh, but because we were so hyped on eating a lot of local foods, we weren't able to go to historical places and museums. We just strolled around and eat a lot.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh

Park on Pham Ngu Lao

If you're planning on traveling in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh, here are the things you must know:

• Most stores and restaurants accept credit cards (mastercard and visa). 
• Motorbikes are for rent so if you wanna stroll around Ho Chi Minh, you can just rent a motorbike. 
• Some hotels have money exchange.
• Bui Vien and Pham Ngu Lao hotels are inexpensive and you can negotiate the cost of room especially if you're staying for less than a whole day. In addition to that, hotels offer city tours with a reasonable price.
• Banh Mi (Vietnamese bread) costs around 35 PHP each.
• You should try the coffee they sell on the streets -- it tastes like coffee with a mix of chocolate in it.
• Mekong Express is one of the commonly used bus transportation by foreigners and their office is located along Pham Ngu Lao st.
• Some food stalls are open even until 3AM.
• Vietnam is 1 hour behind Philippine time.
• There's no airport tax in Vietnam but still be aware of the weight of your baggage, as you will be charged for excess.
• The airport is approximately 30 minutes away from the city.
• I highly recommend VinaSun taxi. Taxi from airport to Pham Ngu Lao should be just around 150,000 VND. The flat rate is half of the flat rate here in the Philippines. To find this taxi at the airport, walk left outside terminal 2 and you will find VinaSun taxis lined up. They don't speak English very well so you have to simply tell them the name of the place you're going to. DON'T use taxis that charge 400,000 VND to go to the city center.
• Have most of your money changed at Forex in NAIA
• Chocolates are a bit costly, I suggest buying coffee as a souvenir (from Highlands Coffee or other local coffee shops) instead of chocolates.

This is the estimated cost of each person (for 2 nights/3 days) for Vietnam travel only.

Terminal Fee instead of Airport Tax, sorry! :)

Again, this budget can go down to as low as 8,000 PHP if you are backpacking and if you don't plan on spending so much on shopping and eating. This estimated cost excludes Ho Chi Minh City tour. I would appreciate corrections, if there's any, regarding the information above. Vietnam is a pretty safe place and Vietnamese are one of the kindest people I have met. 

Happy Travel! 

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(Day 2) Ilocos Norte: St. William's Cathedral (Laoag), Sinking Bell Tower, Ilocos Norte Capitol and Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud

JM was quick to wake me up on our second day in Ilocos Norte. He's probably excited to tour around the city. We had our breakfast at McDonald's Laoag Branch.

McDonald's Laoag (selfie)

After our breakfast, we did a walking tour and took pictures of the Sinking Bell tower, St. William's Cathedral and Ilocos Norte Capitol.

Sinking Bell Tower

St. William's Cathedral

Ilocos Norte Capitol

Located just across the Capitol

I was impressed with the architectural designs of the government buildings in Ilocos Norte. It reminded me of the Spanish Era. After the walking tour, we went back to our hotel and prepared for our trip to Pagudpud.

LOST ON THE ROAD..

We took the Pagudpud-bound ordinary bus (60 PHP per person).One passenger (let's call him Kuya Pulis) told us that we should have taken the Cagayan-bound bus because it could drop us off near our destination, the Blue Lagoon in Pagudpud. After about an hour of traveling, Kuya Pulis told the bus conductor to drop us off at a waiting shed where we can take the Cagayan-bound buses.

I couldn't remember where we waited because the area was pretty isolated. We stood there for about 20 minutes and there were no buses passing through-- only tricycles. Finally, we gave up waiting (It was against my will, actually! I wanted to save!) and asked the tricycle driver to accompany us to Blue Lagoon. We paid him 220 PHP.

Lesson learned? Take the Cagayan-bound bus!

Travel time: 2 hours from Laoag

KAPULUAN VISTA RESORT, PAGUDPUD

Kapuluan Vista Resort

Being a compulsive planner, I always make sure that I reserve a hotel and pay it in advance. I chose KVR simply because it offers surfing lesson and the room that we got was very affordable. When we checked in, we were given Frozen Margarita as a welcome drink. 

Frozen Margarita (FREE!)

KVR's Lobby

I guess this is their massage area.

We got the dorm-type fan room (650 PHP per person) w/ shared bath. It has two single beds and a small table. I love the simplicity and cleanliness of the room. If you're looking for a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, KVR is a good choice.

Our room

Dorm-type fan room

Small table with necessities.

For lunch, we ordered Sinigang with rice and Carbonara. The food was expensive but it was delicious. I appreciate how they used all-natural seasonings (from their organic garden) and their food is MSG-free.

KVR's Restaurant

Sinigang (240 PHP)

Carbonara (250 PHP)

Restaurant's Menu

For dinner, since we were on a budget, we shared one set meal-- Dinakdakan with rice and pumpkin soup.  Their Dinakdakan is tastier than other Dinakdakans I have eaten.

Dinakdakan meal (250 PHP)

Pumpkin Soup (70 PHP)

Personally, I was satisfied with the food & service of Kapuluan Vista Resort and I really appreciate the politeness of the staffs. I would love to spend a week or two in this place again because of its serene atmosphere.

Day 2: BUDGET (in PHP)

Ordinary bus from Laoag to Pagudpud - 120 (60 each)

Tricycle to Blue Lagoon - 220

Lunch - 525 (Sinigang, extra rice & Carbonara)

Dinner - 495 (Dinakdakan meal, extra rice, pumpkin soup & 2 iced tea)

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Total: 1360 PHP

Note: We paid the room in advance. There's a security deposit of 1,500 (refundable upon check-out).

For more information about Kapuluan Vista Resort, visit their website:

http://kapuluanvistaresortandrestaurant.com/

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(Day 1) Ilocos Norte: Laoag Airport, Texicano Hotel and Dap-Ayan Ti

Last December 12, 2012, I booked a seat sale at Cebu Pacific and paid 1,200 for two one-way tickets to Laoag. Ilocos Sur is one of my travel destinations this year and I just couldn't wait to visit the place again.

We arrived in Laoag International Airport via Cebu Pacific at past 8PM already and took the free shuttle service to our hotel. It took us about 15 minutes to get to the city proper. The driver dropped us off right in front of Texicano Hotel. Great!

Laoag Int'l Airport

Free Shuttle Service

We stayed at Texicano Hotel and paid 370 PHP for an ordinary fan room (double) with bath. It is a small room with bed, a small table and chair. Nothing really elegant. We got the room facing the street and it was actually difficult for us to sleep at night because we could hear the noise of vehicles outside.

Ordinary fan room (double)

Another view

We had our late dinner at Dap-Ayan Ti which is only a few blocks away from our hotel. We ordered Bagnetsilog (bagnet, sinangag and itlog) and bought one Ilocos Empanada. The empanada is made up of egg, veggies and longganisa wrapped in a dough and fried to perfection.

Dap-ayan Ti in Laoag City

Bagnetsilog (70 PHP)

Ilocos Empanada (40 PHP)

Day 1: BUDGET (in PHP)

Airport to Laoag- FREE

Room at Texicano Hotel- 370

Tricycle to Dap-Ayan Ti- 20 (only 5-minutes walk from our hotel)

Bagnetsilog- 140 (70 each)
Sprite- 30 (15 each)

Ilocos Empanada- 40

Toiletries- 433 (tooth paste, battery, bottled water, shampoo etc.)

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Total:  1033 PHP

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Quezon Series: Kamayan Sa Palaisdaan

Since I've been going to a lot of beaches for the past 6 months, I decided to join JM's sister on a quick trip in Lucban, Quezon province. It was probably 3.5 to 4 hours drive from Las Pinas (with stop overs).  Ate Karla, a local from Lucban, booked a room at Batis Aramin Resort And Hotel prior to our trip. It was nice to be with someone who knows a lot about Quezon Province. 

Before we arrive at the resort, we stopped over for lunch at Kamayan Sa Palaisdaan which is located just a few kilometers away from Batis Aramin. The restaurant is very spacious and it offers a variety of seafood.

photo from Ate Karla's facebook

 photo from Ate Karla's facebook

I love the floating restaurant and the somewhat strange statues. I also love that this place is child-friendly because there's a kids' area and a mini zoo for children to enjoy!

Since there were lots of people waiting to be served at the floating restaurant, we decided to have lunch at a simple hut near the man made lake. 

photo from Ate Karla's facebook

photo from Ate Karla's facebook

We ordered Bulalo, Kare-Kare, Chicken, etc. and it was worth the price, I can say! The dishes we ordered were mouth-watering and tasted so good especially the Bulalo! Pictures aren't enough for me to describe how savory the foods were. 

The ambiance and food are probably the main reasons why this restaurant attracts so many tourists. Will I go back to this place again? Definitely! My family will surely enjoy the food! 

photo from Ate Karla's facebook

There were 8 of us (with two kids) and we spent about 1,300 PHP for lunch. Not bad!

For more information about Kamayan Sa Palaisdaan, visit:

http://www.kamayansapalaisdaan.com.ph/index.php

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