OpusMuse: Good Morning Vietnam!

For some reason, Vietnam was never on my list of places to visit with a small child in tow. So when my other half suggested we take a short family trip there, I was skeptical but looked forward to it at the same time. I needed a break, so anywhere away from home is fine. We stayed at three different accommodation on a 4 day trip to experience Vietnam on a fast forward button. Here's what we saw...enjoy!

We were greeted with this sunset view upon check-in. Shot was taken from our room on the 19th floor, Sofitel Plaza Saigon.

Beautiful food at the alfresco restaurant ~ Quán Ăn Ngon. The concept at Quán Ăn Ngon is a one stop shop for Vietnamese street food of every region and variety. It is designed with seating in a spacious courtyard surrounding a giant central tree, with food stalls on all four sides cooking the food to order so you can also browse the stalls and simply point at what piques your interest to order. Be sure to try it out if you ever visit Ho Chi Minh City. Book early! Quán Ăn Ngon >> 138 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Dist. 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel:38257179

This building was designed & built in the early 20th century by the same architect who desgined & built The Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel. It has a Gothic architectural style which I love.

Saigon Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

One thing worth mentioning is the traffic in Vietnam. The "synchronized" traffic formation is something which I'm seeing for the first time. And coming from an organized country like Singapore, it was a huge difference. There weren't many traffic lights, no lane markings, but everyone managed to drive without running into each other in a major intersection from all six directions, with constant beeping. Crossing the street...I didn't know where to look, but just walked straight towards my destination in a predictable pace so that the traffic could anticipate your movement and avoid running into you. It wasn't as daunting as I imagined it to be. Strangely, after the second and third time round, it became second nature.

View from the balcony of my second accommodation in District 1, Liberty 4 Hotel. About 10-15mins walk to Ben Thanh Market (photo with clock tower), similar to the Chak Tu Chak Market in Bangkok.

Walks, parks, wide footpaths, power cables & handmade paper animals.

Most of the time, you need to walk almost everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City. Public transport is not readily available, therefore the location of your hotel becomes critical.

Dinner at Ben Thanh Night Market. Very delicious & freshly cooked.

Next destination, we took a ferry across to Vung Tau, our last stop at Ho Tram Beach & Spa Resort, to get away from the hustle & bustle in the city. It was an idyllic resort to relax and de-stress, a great way to end our short getaway.

Unique ceramic hand painted wash basin, four poster bed, vibrant colored silk lanterns and plush daybed can all be found in our seaview suite.

The strong winds are not great for swimming at the beach but the locals love using this opportunity to fly their giant kites, Ho Tram Beach, Ho Chi Minh