Ho Chi Minh City Museum

This girl is in need of some travel adventures. So in the meantime, let's go back to my Vietnam trip, shall we?

We started the third day visiting Ho Chi Minh City Museum. On our way, we passed by Ho Chi Minh City Square. The night before, it was full of people (see post here) and in the morning after, it was a completely different sight.


It seemed like me and my friend we're the only ones in the square. So we took advantage and had some photos taken again. Haha! And aside from the peaceful atmosphere, I also observed how clean the area was even though there were lots of tourists and locals during the night. So, two thumbs up to the people assigned in maintaining the cleanliness of the square!

After a short walk, we arrived at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum. It was not that big (only two floors) but I had a great time checking the exhibits and learning the Vietnamese way of life during the olden times.

Vietnamese marriage ceremony

Outside the museum, there's a lovely garden. We stayed there quite a bit because, well, it's the perfect place to unwind and to rest our tired feet.

*all photos taken by me, the ones where I am included were taken by Shayne

Cafe EON and Ho Chi Minh Square

Cheers to a life of travels and adventure!

After a long day exploring Saigon Zoo and surviving the chaos that was Ben Thanh Market, it was time to sit and relax in a coffee shop, Cafe EON, located on the 50th floor of Bitexco Financial Tower. Even though their coffee and menu are more expensive compared to other coffee shops, I still wouldn't think twice to try it because, seriously, the view is worth it! Based on reading blogs and reviews, it's better to go to Cafe EON and pay for a high-priced coffee than pay for the Skydeck (which is also quite expensive) on the 49th floor. Its like choosing between city view while sipping coffee versus just plain city view. Well, the first one definitely wins! And by the way, their coffee tastes great!

Another advice that I got was to be there from sunset to evening. So, Shayne and I went there before 6PM and stayed until like 8PM. Two hours of chatting, witnessing the horizon changed from bluish/orange/pinkish to pitch black illuminated by the city lights, sipping our coffee, eating doughnuts, and just enjoying every moment of it.

After that, we decided to take a walk to look for a place to eat. We're not familiar with the streets but we're just going to the direction of our hotel. And surprise surprise! When we turned the corner, we saw that there's a wide area in the middle of the road where people just walk and there's even a loud music playing. We crossed the street and tried to look at what was happening. Apparently, we were in Ho Chi Minh Square. 

In the middle of this street is Ho Chi Minh Square

After further walking, we found ourselves in front of Ho Chi Minh City Hall. Its facades were lighted and I have to say, it was such a lovely sight. So far, of all the places I've been to, it's in Vietnam where I saw many buildings with spotlights lighting up its facades. Somehow, it brings a dramatic touch to the French colonial architecture of the buildings.

The lights are so bright. But they never blind me. -T. Swift

*All pics taken by me, the ones where I was in were taken by Shayne

Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden

On our second day, we headed to Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden. It was quite far from our hotel but we just decided to walk. And even if we felt tired, it's such a good thing because we got to witness the sights in HCMC. Along the road (pictured below), you can see sellers with their products tucked in their motorcycles. You'll see orchids and aquarium fishes and lots of other things! How cool is that?

If my memory serves me right, I've never been to a zoo before. I was actually not a fan but I'm glad we visited the Saigon Zoo. You see, one of the benefits of traveling is that it can lead you to experience things for the first time.

We paid a minimal amount for the entrance fee and when we got inside, boy it was huge! There were so many trees and plants and, of course, animals. You'll feel like you're in a forest or something. 

Majority of the animals there, I've only seen in pictures. So it's really great to see them up close, like these elephants. Although they're big, they seem gentle. I was so happy when I saw them (as evidenced by my pic below). However, I'm not sure if it's just because of old age but some didn't look healthy. I hope they're having enough food daily.

And then there's this monkey with her baby. As you can see, they are not in a cage, instead, they are in a tree where they can freely climb from one branch to another.

Hello to this giraffe!

The rhinoceros looked sleepy but still cute.

There were still so many others, like lion, tiger, urangutan, bear, deers, birds, and my least favorite, reptiles. Aside from the zoo, it has also some lovely parts like fountains, ponds, and botanical garden with so many orchids! Oh I almost forgot, we got to taste the all-natural sugarcane juice (sugarcane + calamansi). It was so good! Perfect for all the walking we've been doing the whole morning.

*all pictures were taken by me, the ones where I was in were taken by Shayne

War Remnants Museum

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Since it's a holiday here in the Philippines, I have some time to write about my trip to Vietnam. I still have so many pictures and things to say but let's take it one step at a time.

Our last stop for Day 1 was the War Remnants Museum (see website here). Based on the blogs that I read and based on my experience, it's one of the must-visit places when you're in Ho Chi Minh City. The Vietnam War played a major role in the history of Vietnam and in this museum you'll see different exhibits relating to it.

Different floors have different themes but the exhibit that really made an impact in me was the one showing the effects of Agent Orange. Agent Orange is a chemical/herbicide used by the US military during the Vietnam War from 1961-1971. Aerial spraying was performed in the forests and other agricultural lands to prevent the guerillas (rebels) from obtaining food and shelter but it turned out, some areas were occupied by civilian communities. Imagine that for a decade, people were exposed to this chemical and its effects were seen in the mutations or birth defects in babies born from parents exposed to it. It was found out that one of the main components of Agent Orange was contaminated with a toxic molecule. It was heartbreaking seeing all the images (for example, some children had abnormal body parts and their brain function was also affected). There were even fetuses in containers and you can clearly see the malformations. I did not take pictures because it's really hard for me to. I couldn't help but be emotional. Some babies born even in the year 2000 exhibit defects. It is no doubt that the adverse effects of Agent Orange still lingers up to this day.

After seeing the museum, I was reminded that In war, no one really wins.

I seriously felt heavy, emotional, heartbroken afterwards. I think visiting it in the afternoon was fine because I wouldn't really recommend putting it in the morning schedule. And since our spirits were down we needed something to lighten things up and I was just so glad we saw this on the way back to the hotel.

*All images were taken by Shayne

more info about Agent Orange here

Reunification Palace (Dinh Thống Nhất)

After our break in Cafe de la Poste, when we finally had our energy back, we then explored a historical landmark - the Reunification Palace/Independence Palace. It used to be the home and workplace of the president of South Vietnam. Vietnam was divided before into North and South. During the Fall of Saigon (where the communist government of North Vietnam successfully invaded Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam; also served as the transition period to the formal reunification of two Vietnams), significant events occured in the Reunification Palace - it was bombed twice, demolished, rebuilded. It's also the site where the Vietnam War ended.

The interior consists of different chambers, which are well-preserved and -maintained.

Banquet chamber

Banquet chamber

Ministers' cabinet room

Conference hall

For more information, you can read here or visit their website.

Note: All pictures were taken by me except for the last one which was taken by Shayne.