Ho Chi Minh City airport bus.

Ho Chi Minh's City Tan Son Nhat International airport is the main gateway to Vietnam for flights arriving from other countries.

Most major international airlines fly to the city. There are two terminals:new international terminal and the old but functional domestic terminal 600 m away.

The airport is conveniently located about 8 km from the heart of the city.
To most backpackers and travellers,getting the cheapest means of transport from any airport to downtown is the most important task.

On exiting the arrival hall of Tan Son Nhat International Airport,walk towards your right just a short distance is Bus No:152 waiting to pick up passengers.

The bus fare per person is 4,000 Vietnam Dong so you need to prepare some small notes as there is a coin slot machine,but anyway the bus driver cum conductor will accept your big notes and refund the balance in coins.

In the event you have a big luggage that occupies a seat,you need to pay extra 4,000 Dong.
This is an aircond bus and takes about 40 minutes to reach the city's main bus terminal opposite Ben Thanh market.
The bus do stop at interval to pick up passengers if there is space.

Metered taxi van like Mai Linh which has a lower green colour body and Vinasun taxi are the most reliable taxis to use.

Only at the departure area on the 2nd floor where you can easily get taxis,not the arrival area.

That purple colour taxi(Sasco) operates from the domestic terminal and is the only concession company allowed there.

 From airport to district 1 (downtown), the metered taxi fare around 100,000 dong and plus toll fee 5,000 dong will be added.

Along the way from the airport,visitors will find that Ho Chi Minh City is such a vibrant place with non stop bustling activities even after office hours.
There were lots of sights to see.
As evening falls,the nightlife became even more robust.
One eye catching billboard is VINATEX,the Vietnam Textile and Garment Group which is among the top global garment exporter especially to the United States and EU community.
Products they produce: Shirts:Veston:Jacket:Trousers:Towels:Knitwear

This "Cong Chao" separates Truong Son Road parallel to each other half way from the airport road.
Wonder why one part is taller than the other,could be the 17th parallel line north model, a circle of latitude in the Northern Hemisphere, used as the demarcation line between North and South Vietnam in the early days.

 So after about 35 minutes journey from the airport with the evening rush hour,the airport bus arrived at the Ben Thanh terminal just across the market with the same name.

 It was a very wet July month with occasional rainfall. There won't be any seats around here for waiting passengers,arriving travelers will be behind this terminal.Small and very cramp place.
Pham Ngu Lao Road is towards the left,a 10 minutes walk through the first and then the second park.
Cross the road here and beware,traffic is notorious on both side.If you have large baggage,you might have problem crossing.The oncoming vehicles never stop for you.
One has to catch the timing and negotiate through.

If you do feel hungry and like to have a snack,the street vendor in front of the station has this baguette with enrich fillings for 6,000 dong.A very healthy Vietnamese food for thought.

Colourful glutinous rice called "gạo nếp" in Vietnamese is a great appetizer.One push cart vendor behind the terminal is selling it for 10,000 dong per packet.Must try this delicious stuff.

Bogus Buddhist Monk in Hatyai,Thailand South.

Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2011 is back between June 15 till August 15.
This grand Coca-Cola bottle and the shopping bag display model was just beside the ODEAN Shopping Centre in Haadyai.

 It's an annual shopping extravaganza which offers world-class shopping, a diverse selection of quality products and services, special discounts of 10 - 80 per cent and promotional offers being extended by leading department stores, shopping complexes, King Power Duty Free shops, airlines, hotels, spas, hospitals, jewellery shops and participating retail outlets.

Special attention is also being paid to promote the sale of locally-made products; such as, handicrafts, apparel, decorations, and home-use products made under the umbrella of the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) scheme.




On Sunday 31st August 2011,there will be an International Alms Offering And Mahasanghadana to 12,600 Monks along Niphat Uthit 3 ,that is the Hatyai Walk area.

It's a very grand ceremony that should not be missed by all visitors and tourists.

  As early as 6:00am in the morning,Thai monks were already on their alms round at the Kim Yong market.

  Eldery Thai monks with their new orange saffron and alms bowl passing by the street vendors.

A lone Thai monk being offered food by a well wisher.

A group of Malaysian tourists took this opportunity to offer food and made a prayer.

The chief Abbot leading the group.

As I moved along I managed to capture a monk who has a bald head front but with some hairs behind.
The two Thai Buddhist monks have their saffron and alms bowl with barefooting.

As the well wisher knelt after the offerings,the monks will do some chanting.
The same well-wisher came over to this bogus monk to offer a little bit of token not being aware whether he's a real monk or not.
Now where is the alms bowl so that well-wishers may put the food into.
How can the bogus monk "wai" with the foodstuff in his hand.I doubt he's chanting at all.

He is supposed to stand still and not look left or right.
Over here is not similar to his hangout around Pavillion/KLCC/Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur where the tourist police will nab him.

 He's looking to my left hoping to get some prey.
By the way why are the slippers on,must be bare-footed the general rules.
You have no alms bowl so how much foodstuffs can you store.

His bag has a cap ready for instant transformation into lay people.

So greedy..wanna check what's in the plastic bag.
Don't worry lol,no rotten eggs.

As I approached near him to have a closeup photo,he instantly moved away.
When I have left the spot,he came back here again.










I've seen him in Kuala Lumpur so he must be here looking forward to cheat on the generosity of others.
 This photo was from an old Malaysian news report regarding their Modus operandi which is very simple.
They work in a group and aim for the tourists walking along the the Jalan Sultan Ismail and near the Pavillion Shopping Complex area in Kuala Lumpur.
Firstly they will try to hand over a charm or amulet and a booklet for the foreign tourists to write donation amount on it. So to all tourists in Kuala Lumpur and Hatyai as well,beware of this particular scam!!

 Elderly nuns taking a rest.

Kampung Pantai the early traders business hub in Malacca.

The main trading hub of Kampung Pantai has a more wider road in old Malacca.
The early Chinese immigrant chosed this point which was just beside the Malacca River and very near to the Straits of Malacca for easy transport of goods and services to other countries.

 Most of the merchants were rice dealers and general merchandised traders where trading with mainland China has already started as early as the 18th century since most of the Chinese people here has their roots in Fujian,Guangdong and Hainan Provinces in China.

I should say Malacca is the only state to have the longest established relationship with China.
Despite the authorities preventing Chinese citizens below aged 55 to visit China till late 1989,the local Chinese communal associations played a vital role in the process of communications linkage.
The taxi in the photo is travelling towards Jonker Walk which was just a short distance away.



 You can see some of the old  traditional businesses that still existed along the small lanes.
The olden days Chinese owned shoplots building are quite similar to those in Cholon(Ho Chi Minh City) and Thonburi(Bangkok)

They used to have an attic in the building.
 Admiral Cheng Ho arrival: China had been warring with the Siamese over the control of the Straits for a number of years and sought to hold the position in Malacca to control the trading route.
The emperor sent Cheng Ho to bestow upon Parameswara - two silver robes, a mandarin's hat, a girdle of office, and an embroidered silk robe.
Parameswara in return,presented the Emperor with a pair of spectacles. That was the introduction of spectacles to the Chinese.
The Emperor proclaimed Parameswara as the ruler of Malacca and declared that it was a city-state under the protection of the Emperor of China and paid homage to the Ming throne.

With the Chinese securing the trading routes and its special interest in developing Malacca as its regional warehouse for trading of goods, Malacca claimed its position as an entreport.
Malacca was successful because its own Malay traders traveled and traded with the rest of the archipelago bartering with Indian textiles from Gujarati in return for spices, aromatic woods, sea produce and other tropical exotic items highly prized by traders from the East and West.

Kampung Pantai is centrally located in the heart of old Malacca and each and every of the UNESCO heritage sites are all within walking distances.

Areas around here have the most guesthouses.
Malaccan has a good culture of hospitality and will be very happy to greet visitors.

Roof Top Guesthouse located at No:39,Kampung Pantai is one of the gueshouse in the vicinity with a room rate from MYR22.00(USD7) onwards. Raymond and Mani will be on hand to assist all visitors ensuring that everyone will have a memorable and happy stay while in Malacca.

River One Guesthouse is just across Roof Top occupying two shoplots which were formerly a textile company and the back of the building is the Malacca River.

William is the manager here with his excellent public relationship and the interior settings are very cosy while room rates are from MYR15 onwards.
Just in case you did not make a booking,give a call at +6(016) 6846616.

Heading out of Kampung Pantai after the bridge,towards the left is Jalan Bunga Raya and the Chinatown area while the right goes to Melaka Raya and the Dutch Square.
 Jalan Bendahara(old name Wolfeston Road) was the main arterial road during olden days where you have  the Little India of Malacca where you can try Indian cuisine like the famous banana-leaf rice and tandoori.You'll sure love it.

Walking further straight ahead from the Kampung Pantai bridge is Jalan Temenggong,(old name Egerton Road or Mill Road) which is near Bukit China hill and the Sam Po Kong Temple.
There were so many Indian shops milling curry powders at that time,and that's where the British named it.The oldest market in town is here also.I spent my childhood days at Egerton Road.

 





Behind Kampung Pantai is the Jonker Walk where you can find antiques shops,souvenirs,restaurants and many Chinese clans associations with their superb colonial style buildings.

This arch here is the end part of Jonker Walk just beside the Tamil Catholic Church.
Keeping to your right will be Jalan Kubu and heading to nearby Tesco,old bus terminal and turn back to town.

The left turn will lead to Tranquerah Road along the coastal stretch but unfortunately coastal land refill and reclamation has spoilt the beauty of this section.
At this corner on the left is a small coffee shop and the wonton noodles taste lovely as it was a recipe pass down from generations.


Jonker Walk is also beside the oldest Chinese temple in Malacca.The locals called it Kwan Yin Teng(Cheng Hoon Teng)

Cheng Hoon Teng was founded in the 1600s by the Chinese Kapitan Tay Kie Ki alias Tay Hong Yong.

 During the Portuguese and Dutch eras, Kapitans were appointed chiefs or headmen of the various ethnic communities.

 In its early years, besides serving the community's religious needs, the temple also functioned as the official administrative center and a court of justice for the Kapitans.

Just as you were to exit from Kampong Pantei after the bridge right at the corner is Discovery Cafe & Guesthouse.

The room rates are as follows:
Dormitory RM 17 (aircond with lockers)

2 Single Beds / 1 Double Bed Rooms =RM 40.00 (Fan) ,RM 50.00 (Air/Condition)

 Double Room with Attached Bathroom = RM 60.00 Triple Room (1 Double + 1 Single Bed), RM 70.00 Air-Condition

Triple Room with Attached Bathroom (1 Double + 1 Single Bed), Air-Conditioned = RM 90/=

Quad Room( 4 Single Beds), RM 90/= A/Condition Extra Mattress = RM 15.00 Each.

Contact person:-Mr. Teng : 012 – 6835606 Guest-House : 06 - 2925606

At the end of Jalan Temenggong(Egerton Road) is a small roundabout near the Japanese Occupation Memorial Monument which is also beside the Sam Po Kong Temple.

Herein lies the Princess Hang Li Po's well at the foothill of Bukit China.
This is one of the 7 wells of Admiral Cheng Ho.The Seven Wells are also known as the Dragon's wells according to Feng Shui principles.

The local government bulldozed some of these wells during the 1950-60s on the pretext of road building.
To-date only three wells are left intact and they have never been dry even through the worst of drought. An evening walk up the Bukit China hill to the highest point can be breathtaking to have a panoramic view of Malacca and watch the evening sunset in the horizon.
This hill is the biggest and oldest chinese cemetery outside China and the locals used to jog around here ever since when the nearby seaside has been reclaimed and developed.
The path beside the Sam Po's temple has a gentle gradient and near the peak.
 Some guesthouse nearby:
 The Eastern Heritage Guesthouse at No:8,Jalan Bukit China is a baba and nyonya owner.The interior woodcraft and mother pearls furnishing were imported from Holland.

Old Town Guesthouse along No:119,Jalan Temenggong.

 



  Malacca in the early 1960 was faced with the great flood when the Malacca River overflowed.
It went to the extent of rising nearly half of the shop front.

This old photo was taken along Jalan Bunga Raya,the main shopping and entertainment area those days.

Now you have the Chinatown as an added attraction. Tai Chong Restaurant Ice Cafe is the only western style cafe that have existed since colonial days and still remained as it is. BATA shoes is the only branded footwear and every school going students will never missed this brand, in fact there were no other competitors at that time.