May 9, 2015 |
No matter which city I travel to in Asia each and every single one has it’s own special vibe. Ho Chi Minh City – formerly Saigon in Vietnam certainly has its own special soul. The sight of hundreds of motorbikes whizzing through narrow streets. The sounds of grilling meats coming from the sidewalks.
Mopeds and motorcycles rule the roads in HCMC…
And the lively chatter from locals sitting low on boxes sipping the finest Vietnamese coffee after finishing their early morning deliveries. Ho Chi Minh is a charged city with an old world charm.
One of HCMC’s most famous tourist area is Ben Thanh Market. For those planning to explore HCMC Ben Thanh Market is the usual first stop. Though some would say the area is too touristy. But that’s the price to pay for a city progressing at light speed.
Fresh meat anyone?…
More fresh meat…
Ben Thanh Market is still where locals come to shop for groceries to take home or even where small restaurants buy stock. Fresh meats and fresh fruits line the outer sections as a wet market. While in the inside you can find whole fresh coffee beans, local snacks, a section on authentic Vietnamese food. So the place is not a total tourist trap.
A payload of fragrant dried shrimp…
Classic Vietnamese Pho…
You can also find many local handmade goods. Lacquer with mother of pearl designs seem to be very popular. Be prepared to brush up on your haggling skills as nearly everything is priced high. Ben Thanh Market is also the place to find fake brand name handbags and all sorts of branded pseudo luxury leather goods and watches reside.
Ben Thanh Market is also filled with local shoppers…
But that’s not all this little neck of the woods has to offer. Just walk right outside around the area and you’ll find more restaurants and local activities. Since the area is heavily visited by tourists many shops mainly restaurants are open with English menus. One thing that I always keep an eye out for are the Ban Mi shops. But I never just duck into any ol’ Ban Mi sandwich shop. I made it my mission around the afternoon lunch rush to look for a shop that had a line of customers out the door.
An awesome Vietnamese sandwich shop…
There are lots of shops selling the quintessential Vietnamese sandwich all over HCMC. And even if it took a little while to search one out it is so worth it. And seemingly guided by instinct I succeeded. Just past a roundabout, weaving and dodging mopeds, past a row of mechanics welding metal I saw a line of Vietnamese waiting patiently. As I came closer I hit pay dirt.
23,000 Vietnamese Dong for a sandwich, about $1USD. What a bargain!…
It is so good. After sinking your teeth into that awesome goodness of salty pate – mixture of cold cuts with tangy carrots and radish wrapped with that warm crusty but soft in the inside baguette and I bet you my life’s savings you can’t help it but order one more to take back to your hotel room.
Gently warmed baguettes. I’d sleep in there if I could…
And as I recall, everyone who stood on line ordered more than one. As the saying goes, when in Rome, you eat like the Roman’s do so go buy a dozen or so. The name of the shop is Banh Mi Huynh Hoa. Go there, you won’t regret it.
There’s no shortage of good food found on HCMC…
Local street vendors cooking their own food is a common sight…
I always love taking a stroll…
After scarfing down your sandwiches take a stroll through the lanes and side streets are a real treat. A part of traveling should involve taking in the scenery. Checking out what the locals do and what they’re up to.
Fresh seafood grilled on open flames at Ben Thanh night market…
So what else is there to do? Starting around 5pm Ben Thanh market’s side street’s are filled with street vendors selling pretty much everything you saw inside, except for the wet market items. You’ve got plenty of chances to buy those t-shirts, odds and ends and knick knacks for souvenir hand outs. It’ also quite the popular place for seafood too.
Xôi Ngọt sold outside the market…
You still have plenty of chances to gorge on fresh fruit and specialty Vietnamese sweets Xôi Ngọt. These colorful sticky rice treats are sold throughout the day. But are perfect with as an after meal dessert with a fine cup of Vietnamese coffee.
To recap, Ben Thanh Market area is located in district 1, Ho Chi Minh City – though many locals still call the city Saigon. There are plenty of hotels near the market and most of them are priced from $50USD to $100USD. So if you’re plan is to stop off and check out this area I recommend booking hotels around Ben Thanh Market.
HCMC, a cosmopolitan city coming soon..
It’s a wonderful city holding onto old world charm. Though not too far off you’ll see a changing landscape of tall skyscrapers amidst rows of shops selling high end luxury goods. I much prefer the old but progress if done correctly and with much respect to the old is always a good thing.
May 5, 2015 |
APA branded hotels are a familiar sight all over Japan. It’s yet another one of those short transit business hotels that are also very popular for travelers who don’t need a posh room nor services. This time around my wife and I stayed at the APA Hotel in the Itabashi ward of metropolitan Tokyo.
Though this hotel is in a very quiet neighborhood there is a JR train station just a short 3 minute walk from the hotel doors. From there you can hop on the train and in 2 stops you’re in all the action of the Shinjuku district.
Itabashi JR Station – Only a short 3 minute walk to APA Tokyo Itabashi Hotel…
So like a lot of 2 or 3 star business hotels in Japan the APA Itabashi is a basic no frills hotel. Services are always good in my opinion in any Japanese hotel. Hotel staff are always friendly and quick to assist guests. But this hotel has no swimming pool or gym which is common for the types of hotels. There is free Wi-Fi which to me is way more important.
A little late night snack near Itabashi JR station…
I mentioned that Itabashi area is very quiet. It’s mostly a residential area. But there are many restaurants. We arrived late at night and after we checked in at the APA Itabashi we walked a few minutes out to the main road just opposite Itabashi JR station and found a ramen restaurant. I forgot to take a pics of the restaurant. If you’re in front of the train station just look straight and you should find it. So if you’ve arrived to the hotel around 9pm and everything else is closed go give them a try. There is a McDonald’s near the station too and as I recall opened pretty late.
There’s also an Italian restaurant right across from the hotel. They serve large servings of all kinds of spaghetti and decent pizza. It’s a lively restaurant with super friendly staff. My wife and I were there during Halloween and we played some sort of guess the weight of the pumpkin game. We lost. But we still got a piece of candy. It was a really fun place with good grub. I took pics but because the interior was very dark the shots came out poorly.
APA Hotel Tokyo Itabashi Ekimae – This is the small double room I booked…
So the rooms at the APA Itabashi are small. Okay, that’s not a shocker. It’s not a complaint as I am quite used to it. Their small double bed rooms are 12 square meters. It is what it is because most hotels in Japan in the $125 and under price range cost that much. There’s a small desk with a wide screen TV that nearly takes up the entire table space. A small fridge plus a hot water kettle with bags of Japanese green tea. And our room is clean. Though the bed sagged in the middle but my wife and I still slept fine. Sightseeing and walking around exploring is the best sleep medicine.
Door in the middle leads to the bathroom with a shower/bath tub…
The last time I stayed at this hotel was back in October 2013. I booked the room through Agoda and paid $120USD per night. But I just checked Agoda as I wrote this post and saw pics of the APA Itabashi and noticed that the hotel looks renovated. The hotel lobby looked totally different than the time I was last there. And just doing a random price check saw that a small double bed room cost around $90USD for the month of July with taxes included. Too bad I’m not planning on going to Tokyo then.
I like this hotel a lot. Taking a stroll through a cool October night through the hotel’s neighborhood was nice. And because the train station was so near we could hit a lot of the major tourists destinations easily. APA Itabashi is easily one of the easiest hotel for me to recommend to anyone looking to visit Tokyo.
(Just a quick note. APA hotels are all over so be sure you have the right address for the hotel. The first night we arrived in Tokyo we checked in at the wrong hotel called APA Ikebukro. A total rookie mistake. It was a $10USD mistake since we had to hop on a taxi to take us to APA Itabashi which was only a 5 minute taxi ride.)
Read reviews and find discounts for APA Hotel Tokyo Itabashi Ekimae.
May 4, 2015 |
Seoul has a lot of wonderful neighborhoods but I mostly stay in Myeongdong, a really popular shopping district. Why? No matter what day of the week it is – Myeongdong is always busy and full of locals wandering around, shopping and enjoying meals in groups. It’s a trendy shopping area popular with young fashionistas and wide eyed tourists looking for good grub and unique Korean fashion and cosmetics.
Sure, you can pretty much say the same for many other areas in Seoul, but to me Myeongdong has its own unique energy and buzz. And that’s coming from a guy who’s not a big shopper!
And when the night rolled and as the night got even colder there were more people out on the streets. And that’s just the weekdays. Can you imagine the weekends? Even when the temperature is cold and frigid it doesn’t seem to deter anyone at all from walking around and bumping shoulder to shoulder with strangers.
Myeongdong comes alive at night… And it was cold too…
There are a lot of stores. Many are international brand name shops but I think most were local Korean stores though. Keep your eyes open because there are stores on top of stores. A lot of shops are stacked on top of one another. So if you’re not looking you might miss a cool little hip cafe serving hot waffles and specialty hot chocolate or perhaps a unique shop with hand made tchotchkes.
Sweet, sweet sticky honey fried chicken…
For anyone who enjoys food, and who doesn’t? It’s hard to walk around Myeongdong trying to figure out what to eat. There’s just so many yummy choices to pick. Korean BBQ, French Bistros, Italian Pizzas, skewers sold on the streets and everything else in between. Don’t even get me started on the varieties of Korean sweets and dessert shops.
Lots of shops in Myeongdong…
It’s even harder as a solo traveler since dining seemed like a communal affair. And the food portions are priced for 2 people. Usually, the rule of thumb everywhere when it comes to dining is to go where the locals go. It’s a no brainer to go wherever there are more customers than empty seats.
Yes, I went to an Outback Steakhouse in Seoul. So what?…
But as I mentioned, as a solo traveler it’s hard to dine at the best restaurants alone. But because there are so many restaurant in Myeongdong, finding a decent restaurant to eat alone is not difficult at all. If you know me you know I love a good hunk of juicy steak! Even though there is one Outback in Bangkok where I live most the year, Thailand is not very well known for steak. I know Korea is a nation of beef eaters. So I took a gamble on an Outback Steakhouse restaurant in Myeongdong. It was busy with a long wait too. That’s a good sign.
I ordered up a medium rare rib eye. It was good. A little bit more on the rare side but it really satisfied my steak craving. I was a happy camper. And the meal came out to about $35USD which I recall is about the same price as the US.
Korean street food. It must be good if there’s a line of people waiting…
Eating in Seoul can be expensive. But like anywhere else in the world, even if it’s the most expensive city in the world you can and always find cheap eats on the streets. Seoul is no exception. However, knowing what to order and what’s in front of you aside from the language barrier is the obstacle that could be a little difficult to overcome. This is where having a Korean local as a friend could come in handy.
Apr 30, 2015 |
Hotel Sunroute Higashi is located in Shinjuku district of Tokyo. Like a lot of hotels in Tokyo a Metro subway line or JR East train station is not far away. This is one of the reasons why I chose to stay at this hotel. And also, it’s one of the most affordable business classed hotels that I know of.
And the area is quite nice as well. A Korea Town is located just five minutes walk due east from the hotel. Plus you can walk to the main hub of Shinjuku station and passing many high end shops and restaurants along Yasukuni-Dori Avenue in about 25 minutes.
And if you love those little tiny Japanese bars with colorful patrons then you might want to check out Golden Gai that is about a 10 minute stroll too. Golden Gai isn’t exactly a red light district. But if a red light district is exactly what you’re looking for then head over to Kabukicho, about a 20 minute walk east or just north of Shinjuku train station.
Also from Hotel Sunroute’s doors you can walk south along Meji-Dori Avenue and reach beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in around 30 to 40 minutes. And from there I’ve even walked down to famed Harajuku fashion district and Meiji Shrine in 20 minutes.
You can hit up a lot of popular sites and attractions in the area without stepping foot on a train if you’ve got the time. Of all the times I’ve visited these places the weather was always perfect and beautiful. Which just makes it better when you’re out and about exploring.
Hotel Sunroute is one of the biggest hotels in the area with about 300 rooms. And like any other 3 star business classed hotels in central Tokyo this hotel is basic, meaning no gym or swimming pool. Though there are a couple of computers for guests to use in the lobby.
But the hotel provides guests with free in room Wi-Fi internet access. Plus there’s even a cable for LAN laptop hookup.
The room that I stayed in was clean and even though the hotel was built in 2007 I think the rooms must’ve gone through a renovation process because it looked modern and up to date. One thing I really like though is the mattress. It was so comfortable I slept like a log.
A lot of hotels I’ve stayed in Tokyo have beds that are way too soft. It’s not a big mattress though but it’s just enough for two people because the room I booked was a semi-double.
And like any other typical Japanese hotel the rooms are small because they are meant for travelers on a short trip for business. So for tourists a semi double room could bit tight if you’ve got lots of luggage. Though if you can book a room with two twin beds you get a slightly larger space.
The bathroom is small and tight too but just like the rest of the room modern and clean. There is a small bathtub but even a 6 foot guy like me could fit inside as long as I tucked my legs a bit.
I’ve stayed at this hotel a couple of times, especially when I come across some good deals. The lowest I’ve paid per night was about $118USD per night in March. Not really cheap but considering it’s Tokyo it’s not super expensive either.
I really like this hotel a lot because the immediate area is quiet but you’ll still be near restaurants and convenience stores to grab food and drinks.
Here’s What’s Around Hotel Sunroute Higashi Shinjuku Hotel
- Higashi-Shinjuku Subway Station (located right under the hotel with an entrance on the south entrance of hotel).
- Golden Gai – A very popular spot with private bars. But you can find some bars welcoming foreign visitors.
- Korea Town – Lots of Korean restaurants.
- Kabukicho – Shinjuku’s red light district.
- Isetan Department Store – Just a 20 minute walk south. Get to the basement food level by 7pm for excellent sushi sold at a discount.
Find discounts and read reviews for Hotel Sunroute Higashi Shinjuku.
Apr 24, 2015 |
Quiet beaches are a common sight in Prachuap Khiri Khan…
Just under a 45 minutes drive south of the beach side city of Hua Hin is the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan. It’s an area that is still largely untouched and spared from massive development. So if you love mountains, acres of palm trees and coconut farms or even bands of roving monkeys, Prachuap Khiri Khan you will enjoy.
But it’s not only a place where you’ll find natural beauty. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported through time. Well at least a little. Because the area is largely undeveloped you will see a lot of locals going through their daily lives. And because most live by the coast you will find many small fishing villages with small boats docked by the bay. Freshly caught baskets of squid and dried salted fish line the houses of most locals to be sold to passing neighbors.
This was snapped at one of the many fisherman’s bay in Prachuap Khiri Khan. I only had an iPhone 5s at the time which is why the pic is so noisy. The sun lit the sky on fire as it set, it was beautiful…
Prachuap is not an easy place to get to. You will need a car or perhaps you can hire a driver. But having your own car is the best way to go in my opinion or at least a moped. Hua Hin is the place to go if you need to rent one. And it’s worth it.
Feb 26, 2014 |
My wife will tell anyone that I’ve got this unholy infatuation with coffee beans. And I do. I like coffee beans like Jay Leno likes cars.
When coffee beans are fresh they’ve got this nice oily sheen and an amazing fragrance. You’d swear you could inhale the caffeine right out.
Glorious fresh roasted coffee beans in Ho Chi Minh City…
Fresh roasted coffee beans can be found and bought all over Vietnam. Especially in all the major tourists areas. Just take a stroll through Ben Thanh Market and in the dry market area lined up next to the dried shrimps and you’ll find containers with a dozen varieties of beans.
You’ll also find powdered forms of coffee too. But I highly recommend getting a french press style coffee maker and a grinder. There’s no comparison to commercially prepared powdered coffee to freshly ground coffee.
I’m a simple guy and love my coffee either black or with some milk. But ever so often I’ll go with a bit of calorie overload by making myself a traditional Vietnamese iced coffee!
The vendors will package it as best as they can to keep the beans fresh. Which makes a great souvenir for your friends and family.
