Backpacking Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2013 - Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh; formerly named Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn; French: Saïgon), is the largest city in Vietnam. Under the name Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina and later of the independent republic of South Vietnam from 1955–75. -Wikipedia

Language: You can communicate in english, it has become a second de facto language in Saigon. Vietnamese is there official language. 

Currency: 1 Php = 480 VND (Vietnamese Dong), 1 USD = 21000 VND at the time of writing.

Hostel/Lodging: Average Cost is around  7-10 USD per night

Top Places to Visit

1. Saigon Square

This historic area is bordered by City Hall, the beautiful Rex Hotel and numerous French and Vietnamese restaurants.

Entrance Fee: No

Ho Chi Minh Square, Saigon, Vietnam.[click to enlarge] 

Saigon-Siem Reap- Bangkok- Pattaya City in 6 Days Backpacking Tour

Few months ago, i was blogging about my long route to several countries in IndoChina. However, that was a bit off the chart. I had several personal issues that need further assessment, and this plan needs a great revision. The original idea was to backpack Saigon-Phnom Phen-Siem Reap- Bangkok - Vientiane. Financially, this original plan was far too expensive and money isn't coming in pretty badly.

Aside from that, my passport is about to expire 2 months prior to departure which gives me just a few weeks to processed the whole thing. My departure flight from Bangkok is a little bit hazy. In short, I'm planning for a trip which i am bit hesitant to undertake.

So cutting the trip for a maximum of 6 days excluding my 1 day stay at Manila is important. The new route is to fly from MLA- HCMC, roadtrip from HCMC to Siem Reap, bypassing Phnom Phen, then another road trip from Siem Reap to Bangkok, and Bangkok to Pattaya City and vice versa.

Anyway, all went will :), So here is a short recap of my 6 days backpacking trip.

Day 1: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Ho Chi Minh Square, Saigon, Vietnam.[click to enlarge]

12:20am : Arrival time at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport

9:00am-9pm : Day tour (Ho Chi Minh Tourist Spots)

Reunification Palace, Ben Than Market, Poo 2000, Saigon Square, Water Puppetry, War Remnants Museum, Japanese Restaurant, Saigon Central Post Office, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, Ticket bookings.

Day 2: Saigon- Siem Reap

Bus departure, putting off the luggage,Sintourist Cafe, Phnom Phen, Cambodia.

6:00am- Bus departure from Saigon
9:00am - Vietnam-Cambodian Border Immigration
9:40am - Bus stop, breakfast at the Cambodia border
12:30pm - Arrival at Phnom Phen , Booked ticket bound for Siem Reap, Lunch at Sintourist
2:00pm - Bus departure to Siem Reap
8:00pm- Arrival at Siem Reap and check in hotel

Day 3: Siem Reap City, Cambodia

The Bayon Temple, Ankor, Siem Reap, Cambodia

6:00am- Swimming at the pool
8:00am - Day tour; Hindu temples and Angkor Wat
1:00pm - Lunch at Neary Angkor Wat Restaurant
2:00pm- Visiting South Gate temples, Bayon etc.
4:30pm- Siem Reap City Tour; Kings Palace, Parks, Angkor National Museum, Night Market, Dinner at KFC
7:30pm - Siem Reap Temple Club; Dining and Watching Cultural Show with Apsara Dance
9:30pm- Citywalk from Pub Street to Hotel.

Day 4: Siem Reap to Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok. Thailand.