Vietnam and Singapore Fam Trip Part 1.

Last month I was very lucky to be chosen to go on a hosted trip to Vietnam and Singapore. The original trip was to Hoi An and Hue but due to the intense flooding the trip was changed with 24 hours to go to fly into Ho Chi Minh and from there we travelled to the Mekong which was amazing and having never been to Vietnam I was looking forward to experiencing it.

Flying with Singapore Airlines was great, we sat in economy and the legroom was good, food was nice and there was a snack area at the back in case you were hungry through the flight. We landing into Singapore and had 6 hour layover before our onward flight to Ho Chi Minh, Did you know that if you have a layover of 5.5 hours to 24 hours, you can take advantage of a City tour in Singapore for FREE, yes you heard me correct free of charge and there are 3 options to choose from. We did the Heritage and City tour which was a whistle stop itinerary taking in the heritage of the city so its a great way to pass the time if you have a long layover.

TIP: Ho Chi Minh is one of the busiest airports I have ever been in so if you can do fast track i suggest it in both directions.

After landing in Ho Chi Minh we transferred to the Kin hotel which was great and right in the heart of the city. So a really good location if you are exploring. we unfortunately only had the 1 night as the next day we continued our travels to the Mekong to Chau Doc. It was a long road transfer but with one of the best guides who had so much knowledge about the areas he kept us entertained and we had a few pit stops along the way.

TIP: the service stations are very big but do not tale cards so you need local currency.

On arrival  in Chau Doc we checked into the Victoria which is a great hotel once again in a good location and has a river view . It has a good restaurant and a pool

TIP: Insect repellent is a must in this area,

We had a short walk to a nearby market and had a show round of the hotel.

It was only 1 night here and then checking out and on our way to Can Tho, during our trip to the hotel we stopped at another of the Victoria hotel chain in Nui Sam which is a gorgeous property in lush green area within the side of a mountain, the views were spectacular however not recommended for those with walking difficulties as the property is very staggered and lots of steps. The view from the hotel pool is amazing and the rooms have their own little terraces. We also visited a local pagoda and my favourite part of the day was a trip to the Tra Su Forest where we got to travel on small boats in an area where lots of bird species dwell including a lot of Cranes. After lunch we continued on to our next hotel which was the Victoria in Can Tho, of the hotels we stayed at I liked this one the most. 

We had 2 nights at this hotel and our time here was filled with lots of activities including a cooking class with the hotel chef and a trip to a floating market we also stopped at a noodle making workshop, it was fascinating to see them making the noodles by hand.

TIP: The Victoria Can Tho has a boat pier right outside and they also have a cruise product so its a great way to either do a short 1 or 2 nights on the Mekong or you can do a longer option and cruise to Cambodia.

Although a whistle stop tour of Vietnam and we far from scratched the surface of this amazing country, we certainly got to do many different things and see what it had to offer. The next  part of the trip was in Singapore so keep a look out for part 2 of my blog in this series.