Becoming Miss Saigon

With a cheap return flight ticket of IDR 1,121,000, I decided to go to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Some of my Vietnamese friends asked why I didn't go to Hanoi instead. Well, going to Hanoi is definitely going to cost more and create more problems to me because it's winter there. It is interesting how weather can be so different in north and south Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City, the weather in January is similar to Jakarta. On the other hand, it is winter in the northern part, such as Hue and Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh City…or some of my Vietnamese friends would prefer to call it Saigon…is not that much different from Jakarta and other cities in Indonesia. I can feel the atmosphere of Mangga Dua district in Jakarta, Semarang, and even Bantul in Yogyakarta.

However, this city has its own uniqueness. The rickshaws, the traditional dresses…they brought new excitements to me. It is great to see other cultures of another country, no matter how similar they are to your own culture.

The remnants of Vietnam war can still be seen in some parts of the countries. Cu Chi Tunnels is one of the examples. You can experience how it feels like to crawl through the tunnels during the war. But believe me, if you are claustrophobic, don't even bother to try.

More info on Cu Chi Tunnels

Another unique thing about Vietnam is Mekong Delta and the traditional boats. It was a great fun to be able to wear the traditional hats and riding the traditional boats. Somehow you feel like a Vietnamese already.

More info on Mekong Delta

Unfortunately, for most Vietnamese, English is still a great barrier. It is very difficult to communicate with taxi drivers, hotel staff, and other people we met during our visit. Thank God we have our tour guide who had a very good English. And luckily, there was no problem communicating with the traders in Ben Thanh Market (they even understand some Indonesian language).

If Vietnam can overcome the language barriers, I believe this country can become a great tourist destination. They have amazing cultures which can be a great asset for tourism.