Tran Hung Dao's road to Cholon.

Tran Hung Dao Road,the main arterial road of the city which is a few metres towards the right from Crazy Buffalo Bar & Restaurant junction.

Vietnamese and Thailand's time are the same.As early as 6am,the street is already bustling with heavy traffics.

A very clean and pleasant   five foot walkway with all the nice shady tress lining the streets.

This road was named after General Tran Hung Dao, a national hero who defeated the Mongols Invasion in 1285.

Every February at the Cua Ong Temple,Quang Ninh Province( 50km from the centre of Halong city) there will be a festival in memory of Tran Quoc Tang who is the third son of General Tran Hung Dao who defeated many enemies and brought peace to the region during the 13th century. 

Buses on this side goes to Cholon bus terminal while across the road on the other side are buses returning to Benthanh Market terminal.

 For Muslim travelers there's a mosque along Tran Hung Dao for them to perform their "solat" prayers.

This is Thanh Duong Jamiul Islamiah Mosque at 459b Tran Hung District 1.

 As the case of "halal"food (no pork involve) for Muslim,there are also Muslim restaurants around.

 Islam in Vietnam is primarily the religion of the Cham people, a minority ethnic group related to Malays especially around the region of Chau Doc in the Southwest quite related to Kampong Cham people in Cambodia.

The ancestors of the Cham probably migrated from the island of Borneo and they are probably remnants of the Kingdom of Champa (7th to 15th centuries). Approximately 4,000 Chams also live in Thailand; many of whom have moved south to the Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala, and Songkhla Provinces for work.

Cham form the core of the Muslim communities in both Cambodia and Vietnam.

Along the same stretch from the mosque nearby is a Chinese temple.
Tran Hung Dao Road is a very straight stretch of road and Cholon is about 6km from this point.

 To avoid the hassle of road crossing due to a chaotic traffic,one can hop into a local bus with route displayed costing about $0.3/ticket for a person (VND4000~5000), a visitor can travel as far as 15km.

Discovered this only stall along the side street after 15 minutes of walking.
Having breakfast with noodles- "Pho Bo" for 17,000Dong.

Along this side alley is where the seating area is located.

A very unique building just beside the seating area.

Looks like a French architecture.

 "BEATI MORTUI QUI DOMINO MORIUNTUR" This is a Latin word which means "Blessed are (the dead) which die in the (grace of) Lord".

"A Mass of Requiem and the Office of the Dead were said by the community. Please continue to keep him in your prayers."

  A gated entrance and there were also Chinese wording inscription on the side walls.

The inside view.

VINH DANH THIEN CHOA TREN TROI (Glory to God In Heaven)
 BINH AN DUOI THE CHO (Peace to mankind) TUI THIEN TAM (My Kindess)

CHO HOA BINH market is slightly near the riverside off Tran Hung Dao where another short walk further up will be the 5th District of Ho Chi Minh City,Cholon-the largest Chinatown of Vietnam.

The advetisement on VOCA brand refined sesame cooking oil.
Can be used in food industry, pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics making.

Chợ cá Hòa Bình là một trong những khu chợ cá đầu mối của thành phố
(This is one of the fish market area of the city's focal point)
 Hòa Bình means Peace.

Pham Ngu Lao Street,backpackers paradise.

Ho Chi Minh city formerly known as Saigon is a very vibrant metropolis and commercial capital of Socialist Republic Vietnam.

Vietnam is the 65th largest country in the world, covering about 331,689 square kilometers.
However, the massive Vietnam population 90,549,390 (July 2011 est.) , makes it the 14th most populous country in the world.

Thailand ranked 20th with a population of 66,720,153.

Compared to China where bicycles swarmed the street,over here in Ho Chi Minh city motorcyclist zoomed all over the roads even during off peak hours.





 A food stall vendor transporting his wares on a tricycle cart gets his priority against all the super fast machines.

Well he must be a "Pho" vendor. Pho is the closest thing Vietnam has to a national dish, originally from Hanoi; this hearty noodle soup is very famous and one must never miss this while in Vietnam.
 As the sunset in the horizon,the sidewalks of the city emerges with a new set of activities especially the street food vendors.
Vietnam’s street food are some of the best in the world.








The Sorya bus from Phnom Penh stopped across its main office along Pham Ngu Lao Street.
It was already 5:30pm and the whole area was bustling with all sorts of activities.
A park is just beside the main street.
Along this road were many travel and bus ticketing agencies.

Crossing the road is quite hazardous as one has to tackle with the oncoming vehicles on both sides.Heading towards  De Tham Street were many guesthouses which were popularly recommended on travel websites.Don't forget to walk into the alleys which even have more budget hostels.

  A shop selling Vietnamese flags and insignias along Pham Ngu Lao Street.

The flag of Vietnam, also known as the "red flag with yellow star"

Saigon was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. Japan occupied Vietnam in 1941-1945.
 In March 1945, the Japanese deposed the French colonial authorities and proclaimed an Empire of Vietnam with Bao Dai as emperor. At that time Vietnam was also called Annam with its capital at Hue.

In this photo,another 5 minutes walk from where most cross borders buses stop is the Benthanh Market.






Pham Ngu Lao was a prominent general in battlefield of the Dai Viet Army so this street was named after him.
The history of Vietnam begins over 2,700 years ago.
By far Vietnam's most important historical international relationship has been with China. During World War II, Imperial Japan expelled the French to occupy Vietnam, though they retained French administrators during their occupation.
After the war, France attempted to re-establish its colonial rule but ultimately failed in the First Indochina War.
The Geneva Accords partitioned the country in two with a promise of democratic election to reunite the country.
However, rather than peaceful reunification, partition led to the Vietnam War.
During this time, the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union supported the North while the United States supported the South.The war ended with the fall of Saigon to the North in April 1975.







 De Tham Street is the first lane off Pham Ngu Lao and midway is the Bui Vien St junction.

Travelers all over the world will converge in these two roads where there were many bars,guesthouses,hotels ,tour companies,open air bars and food stalls.
It has a similarity to that of Khao San Road in Bangkok except that there were no night market stalls
During the night the streets were fantastically very lively.

 

Crazy Buffalo Saigon Restaurant and Bar at the corner of DeTham & Bui Vien Street off Pham Ngu Lao main street.

A big red crazy club with beer and booze and music 24/7 days a week.
 Located right in the heart of the 'Backpacker Area' This Restaurant and bar is a hot spot amongst backpackers, locals and expats.

Along De Tham Street,same row across Crazy Bull Restaurant is the Sinh Tourist Office.

This is a very popular tour booking office which is unusually pack with travellers even during the night.

They have reasonable cheap tour packages within Vietnam as well as bus services to Dalat,Nha Trang,Danang,Hoi An Hue,Hanoi and Halong. Headoffice address:

246 - 248 De Tham Str., Dist.1, HHCM Tel: +84.8.38389593 Fax: +84.8.38369322
Email: info@thesinhtourist.vn Website: http://www.thesinhtourist.vn/

Hotels and guesthouses along the main street are slightly higher in room rates and easily being fully booked.

By venturing into this narrow alleys and backlanes off Bui Vien Street you'll be surprised to see a large section of the community live inside and as many as about 20 guesthouses similar to that of a homestay were available.

This hawker stall operates in the evening selling Vietnamese noodle called Pho and is quite popular among the locals.There is limited sitting tables as the alley entrance is shared with motorcycles going back to their community.

Most of the buildings here are 5 storey high and the only air flow that can be felt is along the alley's corridor.
Many of the housing blocks here have room to let.

Stayed at Phuong Van Guesthouse.

84/12,Bui Vien Dtreet,Pham Ngu Lao Ward District 1.

Ho Chi Minh City.

Tel:(84-8)22100754 H/p:0906 613 567

email:dungkhanhvan_hcm@yahoo.com.vn






Imagine a single bed fan room for USD7.00 per night.
This is far much better than staying in a dorm with the same price as noted in some travel sites.

It is family owned and the rooms are very clean and tidy.Towel,a small piece of soap and disposable toothbrush are provided minus the toilet rolls.

Satellite tv channels and free in house wi-fi is also provided.

I was given the first floor which has 2 fan rooms in a row,while aircond room is on the 3rd and 4th floor.

Travellers have to walk up the very narrow staircase as there isn't any lift.

A western toilet with hot shower.

The lady owner's grandson by the name of Hom is a fluent English speaker who graduated from the University of Dalat majoring in Business English.

He'll be available in the evening after his office work as a land surveyor.During the day,his elder sister will be manning the reception.

A view of the narrow alley where the community live.The local community are very closely knit and with this type of 4 or 5 storey building,olden days Vietnamese must have live in a multifamily in the same building block.

Tan Binh Industrial Zone,suburb Saigon.

It was close to 5:00pm when the bus passed by the Tan Binh Industrial Park.We were now 10km away from town centre and the road is getting more busier with loads of motorcyclist and cars leaving their workplace.

This industrial zone is just adjacent to Tan Son Nhat international airport and about 11km from Vietnam International Container Terminal in the Mekong Delta area.
The main port is just 6km from city centre.

Tan Binh Industrial Park has a planned area of 133.53 hectares, including 91.05 hectares for industrial land, 14.13 hectares for auxiliaries, warehouses and workshops, 19.84 hectares for transport, and 8.51 hectares for shade trees.

Land Leasing term here must be at least 20 years or 45 years at most with minimum area of 3,000 sq.m.

Land rents depend on the leasing term and the time the tenant contacts the proprietor (currently USD 55-60/ sq. m/45 years).

A total of 94 projects have been licensed to operate in Tan Binh Industrial Park.

Most of them are involved in the fields of plastics, packaging, foods, garments, glass, ceramics, industrial electricity, household goods, and mechanics.

The World of ALDO.
This brand name is synonymous with the famous shoes and accessories collection.
ALDO specializes in the creation of high-quality fashion footwear, leather goods and accessories. This sought-after brand pays close attention to detail and to fine craftsmanship.
1972 – The early days of ALDO Shoes was founded as a footwear concession within a chain of popular fashion boutiques.
The original group includes 4 Canadian stores in Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Winnipeg.It caters for the men and ladies footwear.

The SCETPA Building located at 19A Cộng Hòa, Tân Bình Dist, Ho Chi Minh City which is very close to Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

The building comprises a 10 floor tower and 100% of area are for rent.

Thanh Binh 1 Hotel is located at 315 Hoang Van Thu, Ward 2, Tan Binh Region.

Total number of rooms available: 16

Superior Double or Twin Room:USD51.00 .
 Deluxe Double or Twin Room:USD55.00 Suite:USD59.00

Wi-fi is available free inhouse.

Thanh Binh Hotel is 100 metres from Maximark Supermarket, located opposite Hoang Van Thu Park. Tan Binh Exhibition and Convention Centre is just 500 metres away while Tan Son Nhat International Airport is 1 km away.

The street scene after office hour in downtown Ho Chi Minh looks alike to Indonesian cities like Surabaya where the motorcycles are king of the road.

With no overhead pedestrian bridge,crossing the road is going to be a nightmare.

You need a good hindsight and judgement and always on alert at all angles.

The 'E-Town' building at 364 Cong Hoa Street, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The E-Town Building is located next to SaigonTech. This is one of the Software Parks located in Ho Chi Minh City.

E-Town campus is developed by REE Property,in addition to modern top quality office space, it also provides staff canteen, swimming pool, bank outlets, conference hall, supermarket, Gym in a safe and healthy green environment.

REE Corporation stands for Refrigeration Electrical Engineering, was established in 1977 as a state-owned company, became a joint-stock company in 1993, was then one of the first five listed companies in the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange.

 Tan Binh Vegetable Oil Joint Stock Company address is at 889 Truong Chinh St., Ward Tay Thanh, Tan Phu Dist.,

The Tan Binh Vegetable Oil Joint Stock Company before is "Tan Binh Vegetable Oil Mill" is a unit of production – trade belonging to the Vietnam Company of Vegetable Oil – Aromatic spices – Cosmetics of Ministry of Industry.

Main products: varieties of vegetable oil as refined coconut oil, refined peanut oil, refined soybean oil, refined sesame oil, refined palm oil and products serving to process in industry as shortening, margarine.

A shop with a rooftop shrine.
Statue of Gautama Buddha can be seen.
Presumbly, it can also be a chinese temple.

Surprisingly in the bus were a group of Viet Chinese family who spoke the Chinese dialect Teochew among themselves.

It is a language closely related to Hokkien.
"Teochew" is derived from Teochew Prefecture (Chaozhou Fu) in Fujian Province.

Phnom Penh bus to Ho Chi Minh city.

On arrival at Cambodia's Pochentong International Airport,I took a motordup to the Psar Thmei central market.

At 7:30am after immigration clearance walked to the main gate which was just 300yards away where the motordup guys will be calling out to render their services.

Only the tuk-tuks and the taxis were allowed inside the compound. There were not many motordups guys out there and after much haggling managed to get the ride for USD2.00 without the helmet on.




Surprised to see Korean buses with their destinations stickers still on the buses.

This one here goes to Gimpo Airport,Gonchang Ro,Gangnam Bus Terminal,Gangnam Daero and the Lotte World (casino area).

The locals seemed to know where this bus is heading.

A master list of distances from Phnom Penh city:
Ho Chi Minh:220km
Bangkok:750km
Poipet:407km
Sisophon:359km
Battambang:291km
Pursat:186km
Siem Reap:314km
Kampong Thon:685km
Sihanoukville:226km
Kirirom:117km
Kampong Speu:48km
Kep:175km
Kampot:148km
Bouk Kon:189km
Banlung:605km
Stung Treng:481km
Kratie:340km
Nuol:355km
Kampong Cham:124km
Takeo:81km
Kampong Chhnang:91km
Vhney Thom:87km
Neak Leoang:60km




The Sorya Bus Company.
Booked the 8:30am bus to Ho Chi Minh city for USD12.00 (48,000 riels)
Nearby is the GST bus company but opted for the Sorya bus as it has a more presentable ticketing counters with all the destinations listing and fares.
 Every one hour from 06:45am onwards there were buses to Siem Reap.
The same goes to Sihanoukville from 07:00am onwards.
 For Koh Kong near to Thailand's Trat Province,buses available at 07:45am and 11:45am only.
To Bangkok will be 06:30am only.
HO CHI MINH:6:45 am,8:30 am,11:30 am & 2:30pm.



One hour into the journey,the bus driver discovered that the aircond fan was not functioning so he stopped the bus beside a chinese food stall while he called his office mechanic to get a replacement fan.

Unfortunately we had to wait for nearly 2 hours before we could continue our journey.

Henceforth my expected time to arrive at Ho Chi Minh city will be around 5:30pm.

This caused me a slight uneasiness as this was my first time travelling to Vietnam and not making any guesthouse prebooking.

A chinese house beside the foodstall and coffeeshop where our bus had the aircond fixed.

The chinese here are called Khmer-Chen (Khmer being the ethnic group of Cambodia and Chen meaning Chinese in the Khmer language).

The Chinese in Cambodia represented five major linguistic groups, the largest of which was the Teochew(accounting for about 60%), followed by the Cantonese (accounting for about 20%), the Hokkien (accounting for about 12%), and the Hakka and the Hainanese (each accounting for about 4%).
The people of some of these Chinese dialects characteristically tend to gravitate towards certain occupations.

Practically most of the side road leading into a Cambodian village has an entrance arc.

While waiting for the ferry to arrive,I could see that this part of river crossing is just a short distance between both point.










Neak Loeang Dockyard.
The bus was in the ferry as we approached the other side of Mekong river which is less than 2km apart. This ferry terminal started operations in January 1997 and was initiated by Goutte d' eau Switzerland in September 1996,a Cambodian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

 








The main town after the ferry dockyard is Phumi Banam.
It was quite a busy township in the Prey Veng Province about 92 km away from Phnom Penh just after the Mekong River crossing along National Highway 1.
According to history,Funan, the earliest of the Indianized states, generally is considered by Cambodians to have been the first Khmer kingdom in the area.
Founded in the first century A.D., Funan was located on the lower reaches of the Mekong River in the delta area.
Its capital, Vyadhapura, probably was located near the present-day town of Phumi Banam in Prey Veng Province.
 The earliest historical reference to Funan is a Chinese description of a mission that visited the country in the third century A.D.
The name Funan derives from the Chinese rendition of the old Khmer word bnam (meaning mountain). What the Funanese called themselves, however, is not known.
During this early period in Funan's history, the population was probably concentrated in villages along the Mekong River and along the Tonle Sap River.
Traffic and communications were mostly waterborne on the rivers and their delta tributaries.
The area was a natural region for the development of an economy based on fishing and rice cultivation. There is considerable evidence that the Funanese economy depended on rice surpluses produced by an extensive inland irrigation system.
Maritime trade also played an extremely important role in the development of Funan.
The remains of what is believed to have been the kingdom's main port, Oc Eo (now part of Vietnam), contain Roman as well as Persian, Indian, and Greek artifacts.
By the fifth century A.D., the state exercised control over the lower Mekong River area and the lands around the Tonle Sap.
 It also commanded tribute from smaller states in the area now comprising northern Cambodia, southern Laos, southern Thailand, and the northern portion of the Malay Peninsula.
Indianization was fostered by increasing contact with the subcontinent through the travels of merchants, diplomats, and learned Brahmans (Hindus of the highest caste traditionally assigned to the priesthood).

 Indian immigrants, believed to have arrived in the fourth and the fifth centuries, accelerated the process. By the fifth century, the elite culture was thoroughly Indianized.
Court ceremony and the structure of political institutions were based on Indian models.
The Sanskrit language was widely used; the laws of Manu, the Indian legal code, were adopted; and an alphabet based on Indian writing systems was introduced.
Funan reached its zenith in the fifth century A.D.. Beginning in the early sixth century, civil wars and dynastic strife undermined Funan's stability, making it relatively easy prey to incursions by hostile neighbors.
By the end of the seventh century, a northern neighbour, the kingdom of Chenla, had reduced Funan to a vassal state. (Source: U.S. Library of Congress )







Right across the So Nguon Dry Port(Bavet),the bus stopped for lunch break at a food court.It was aready 3:00pm.

So Nguon Dry Port in Bavet was established in year 2008 connects Cambodia by road to Vietnamese seaport (Ho Chi Minh City Port).

Their IMPORT
 Foodstuff, beverages, cigarettes, tires, cooking oil, malt, empty beer cans, empty cartons for beer, electrical appliances, machinery cares, automobile spare parts, motorcycles, bicycles, agricultural diesel engines, iron & steel. raw materials for garment factories.  
* EXPORT Garments, furniture, pallet rubber, timber, handicraft, rice, plywood, timber, products, frozen goods, personal affects. They also handles Document for Import Clearance, Duty Exemption Cargoes, Dutiable Cargoes, Garment Cargoes and for General/Personal Cargoes.

Today the 14th April is the Khmer New Year,similar to the Songkran Festival in Thailand.

 Buddhist Khmer prepare a table covered with white floral cloth where they put 5 candles, 5 incenses, 2 bottles of perfume, fried rice, a pair of 5 Baysei prumbountnak (an ceremonial ornament made from banana trunk with 9 layers), a pair of Baysei prumpitnak (7 layers) and prumtnak (five layers), cigarettes, flowers and fruits to offer to the New Year Angel who will be visiting.
Then the family gathers around these offerings to pray for happiness, health and prosperity for the new year.

The Khmer believe that the families that prepare well to welcome the New Year Angel, will get what they pray for.








Due to poverty,this Cambodian child was left to sleep alone along the pavement while the parents were nowhere to be seen.
They don’t have the luxuries of their counterparts in other countries.







A Vietnamese cross country bus also stopped for lunch at the rest area.

To get this bus while in Phnom Penh,just go to No:313, St.274 (Sihanouk), Next to Olympic Stadium Fence, Opposite of Chan Penh Vong Phamacies.

 Samco headoffice is at 262 Tran Hung Dao St., Dist.1, HCM City
- Tel: (84-8) 39.200.408 - Fax: (84-8) 39.201.876

while KUMHO-SAMCO Express Transport Co., Ltd is at: 292, Dinh Bo Linh St., Ward 26, Binh Thanh Dist., HCM City
Tel: (08) 35.114.648 Fax: (08) 35.114.617 Kumho Samco Bus Line office:

313,Sihanouk Boulevard,

Veal Vong Vard.,7th Makara,Phnom Penh.

Tel:-(+855)023215844,032525313

Ho Chi Minh office:

239,Pham Ngu Lao

Tel:09 45 611611,08 62915389,62915474

Titan King Casino & Hotel.

The hotel rates are:

Deluxe Room:80USD
Luxury Room:150USD
Luxury Suite:350USD
President Club Suite:500USD
Royal Grand Suite:1000USD

The gaming hall offers a free 24-hour buffet so players can enjoy hot food and beverage at any time of day or night. Set meal times are displayed and noodles and snacks are available at any time of night or day.

In house restaurants offers chinese cuisine,Mediterranean style cuisine,Japanese food and a cafe at the Black Piano bar.

As for nightlife,there's a disco nightclub and the karaoke rooms.

Le Macau Casino & Hotel is located in Bavet, Svaay Rieng Cambodia and is open Daily 24 Hours.

 The Casino has 35 slot machines and 25 tables.

 Casino Royale was opened on the 19th of June 2009.








Established in 2004, New World Casino & Hotel features 2 buildings of hotel (172 rooms), other services (such as spa, karaoke, restaurant, beauty salon and duty free shop) is fast becoming one of the most popular casino hotels for gambling and entertainment in Bavet.















 Silver World Casino.

On 1st December 2010, the Group, through its subsidiary company, RGB Ltd. has commenced its operation under a concession program at Silver World Casino which is located at Bavet, Cambodia with 24 units of electronic gaming machines.





 The Crown Bavet Casino and Hotel. In all there are about 11 casinos and a cock fighting arena in the Bavet (Svay Rieng Province) area of Cambodia hence becoming an entertainment centre, ‘much like Las Vegas and Macau’.

Although residents of Cambodia enjoy small-bet tables and gaming machines, the real business in this country is the high roller industry.

 Most casinos in Cambodia offer private tables and VIP rooms for those wishing to bet large amounts of money. Most people don’t realize that Cambodia is a premier gambling destination.


 





The Vietnamese Moc Bai border police manning the entry point.

Moc Bai is located in the south western part of Tay Ninh Province in Vietnam which is 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City and 170 km from Phnom Penh.

This Moc Bai border gate area is very wide and spacious and you never see any touts nor vendors around.
You'll feel very calm and relaxing in such a surroundings and less crowded.
Covering 21,283 ha, Moc Bai is the biggest land bordergate in the south. It is located on the trans-Asian Highway.

Once the trans-Asian Highway is complete, Moc Bai will become a vital crossroad on the route, which links Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Guangxi province of China.

A development scheme for the Moc Bai border zone is envisioning an over-400-ha industrial zone, a 286-ha residential area, a 152-ha trade and eco-tourism area.

The Moc Bai economic zone has become an attractive destination for investors thanks to its simplified procedures and preferential treatment.

 Enterprises operating in the trade and industrial zones will be exempted from import-export and value-added tax.

In addition, investors in Moc Bai will be exempted from land rent in the first 11 years since the signing of their land rent contracts.

 At the Moc Bai (Vietnam)border immigration checkpoint,bus passengers will have to carry along their luggage while awaiting for the Sorya bus company's conductor to have our passport being stamped at the office.

Similarly while at the Laos Bavet checkpoint,the bus conductor did a great job on behalf of all the passengers.

He will called out our names to collect the stamped passport at the immigration entrance.

After making your entry,another immigration officer sitting beside the exit door will double check your passport to ensure that it has been stamped.

Everything was done professionally and with a breeze.I really appreciate the efficient English speaking Sorya's bus conductor.