xin chào SAIGON 2014 - Day 3

We woke up a little earlier than yesterday in preparation for the Chu Chi Tunnel tours.

Day 3 breakfast

After breakfast, we headed opposite for my daily fix of Sweet Potato Latte and LY had her satisfying cup of coffee.

We went back to the hotel quickly as we were supposed to be picked up at the lobby at 8.45am, however the van arrived earlier than expected. 

We booked the tour through Kim Travels and we will recommend that too. Our half day tour (from 8.30am - 2.30pm) cost us 310,000VND (~SGD$19), and that was inclusive of entrance fee into Chu Chi Tunnel. This was better priced than the package our hotel offered us so we chose Kim Travels. Simply book the tour through their website and they'll email you for confirmation. If you do not have a SIM card like us and they are unable to contact you via the phone, leave them your hotel and room number and they would leave you messages at the reception. 

For more information, check out their website through: Kim Travel 

And on the way to the Chu Chi Tunnels, the sky was beautifully blue too, with the kind of fluffy fluffy clouds I love! Don't you think they look like cotton candy? 

After about an hour drive, we stopped by for toilet break and it was a warehouse where the handicaps affected by Agent Orange (that's why it would have been better if you have been to the museum or read up on the Vietnam War) worked on handicrafts.

From this short visit, you can truly see the cruelty of the remnants of war, because what remains from the war is not simply remnants of weapons and places, it is the people. You can really see the beauty this people exhibit, not just their appearance, but by their artwork and their love for people. You can support them by purchasing their hand craft inside the shop.

After a quick break, we were back on the van again and finally we arrived at Chu Chi Tunnels.

Ticketing counter

And soon we entered the grounds of the Chu Chi Tunnels, an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi district of HCM.

There were traps in case enemies came suspiciously to explore the grounds. This was just one of the many types of traps that were made in the war times.

Traps

Traps

The working area

 As you move on, you'll come to the shooting range where you can purchase a few bullets to shoot to experience the realness of the guns.

Shooting Range ahead

After the shooting range, you'll be welcomed by the tunnels. Our tour group went into the first underground tunnel, and even though the tunnel was said to have been made widen for the tourists, it was still suffocating and majority of us gave up towards the end of the first tunnel. 

Entering the tunnel

We ended our tour with the food that kept the people alive back in the war times, and that's tapioca. We were given some nice peanut powder to dip in but of course the tapioca was sweet by nature, and it was what kept the people going in those times.

Tapioca - food of war time

Map of the visiting sites of the Chu Chi Tunnel

We were promptly sent back to our hotels by 2.30pm and on the way back, it was pouring heavily, again. We went back to the hotel to wash up and rest before meeting a friend of mine, M, who resided in HCM. 

First stop she brought us to was to a cafe named L'usine. We were aware that they have a few branches, and one near Ben Thanh but we didn't manage to visit when we were around there on the first day. Little did we know that the other branch was right opposite our hotel, tucked inside an alley of art gallery and up a flight of stairs. 

Head upstairs to the L'usine

The menu

Banana Cake

This is the softest banana cake I have ever had, and of course there's a reason it is worth 85,000VND (~SGD$5) for this. 

The cafe is very nice and quiet and conducive for a catch-up sessions with friends. On one side it serves food, on the other side, it is a shop selling designer items. 

La Cafeteria De L'usine

151 Đồng Khởi 

Bến Nghé Quận 1 

 Hồ Chí Minh Vietnam

Opening hours: 7.30am - 10.30pm 

Wifi available: Yes, simply ask for the password 

We wanted to try home-cooked style Vietnamese dinner and so M recommended us to May Restaurant. It is also one of those nice yet hidden restaurant in District 1 of HCM. 

Wifi available

The interior

The room we were seated in

One thing I like about the restaurant is that the guests are separated into rooms, so you can really get some privacy while dining with your friends. There were only two tables in our room and it was only filled when we were almost done with our dinner, and not sure if it was coincidental, they were Singaporeans too.

Our Sumptuous Dinner

Even though it was a restaurant, it gave a family feel maybe because of the privacy we got. Each room even had a bathroom of their own so you'll only need to share it with the guests dining in the same room as you. 

Add caption

 This was so good we just had to order a second plate of it.

Receipt

The dinner meal which cost us 210,000VND (~SGD$13) each.

Artwork on the wall outside the restaurant

You don't have to worry about no taxis to catch after your meal since the restaurant is tucked away in an alley. The restaurant would be more than happy to call a taxi for you after meal. 

After filling our tummy, it was time to pamper our bodies and we headed to Temple Leaf Spa for massage. LY and I went for the full body massage and M had foot massages. Since I had a bad experience on my first massage experience back in Bintan last year (unforgettable long nails of the Masseuse), I was a little skeptical to try again. But am thankful that I did! It started with a cucumber mask facial followed by body massage. It was so comfortable that I could feel my muscles all screaming in relief and even tried HOT STONE MASSAGE for the first time. When she first placed the heated stones on me, I reacted a bit and she immediately removed it before slowly placing it again, and by then I have adjusted to the heat and the stones have cooled down a little. I would justify that it was an overall sweet experience and it totally erased about the traumatic experience I had of massages. Most of it, this full body massage only cost 330,000VND (~SGD$20)... So worth it!!! 

Temple Leaf Spa 

74/1 Hai Ba Trung 

Dist 1, 

Ho Chi Minh City, 

Vietnam

After a relaxing massage, we retreated back to our hotel to rest, signing off our Day 3 in Saigon with style.