How to spend your weekend in Ho Chi Minh City

People may think that they understand it, explore all or its corners but someday they find out that this city offers more things to feel, taste, smell or do than they have ever imagined.  It is chaotic, crowded, tiring with traffic jam every day. If you have a weekend in Saigon, just try 5 following things then you will gradually feel the lure that only it has.

Take a city tour by yourself

Start your sightseeing with a walking tour of District 1. The Notre Dame Cathedral is at its best in the early morning, and right across the street is the old Saigon Post Office, a worth-while stop with photogenic tiled floors and ancient phone booths. Cut a path through the park on your way to the Reunification Palace to see how young Vietnamese enjoy their downtime. After scoping out the Reunification Palace, let your legs carry you back toward Dong Khoi st., the city's main shopping throughfare, toward the Saigon Opera House.

Soul-treatment alongside Saigon river

A week full of stresses, busy with work will be drifted away after a weekend at An Lam Saigon River- a brand new place for people who love the peacefulness, spa and some moments of enchantment in this crowded Saigon. Nestled under a shaded tropical canopy, An Lam Retreats Saigon River is a 15-minute boat ride from Saigon’s busy centre. You can make an idyllic escape with 19 spacious suites and villas spread across a lush garden, enjoying the delicious Western and Vietnamese restaurant, luxurious spa, and meditative plunge pool.

Enjoy Nguyen Hue Walking Street

Photo Pham Duy Thien

An alternate people watching option for crowded Bui Vien or Pham Ngu Lao street is Nguyen Hue Walking Street. It is a 60m wide pedestrian strip that runs from the colonial era People’s Committee Building, with its Ho Chi Minh statue, 900 meters down to the Saigon River.

Nguyen Hue walking street put officially into operation on 29 April 2015. As scheduled, on weekdays, vehicles are still allowed to run along Nguyen Hue street, but from 6 pm to 1 am on Saturday and Sunday, all kinds of vehicles are banned to travel here. The old Nguyen Hue Flower Street now becomes a square and the first walking street of Saigon. It just likes Saigon that is changing in every breath and in every moment. However, despite changes, Saigon remains deep impression in the heart of tourists.

Dine with the locals

One of Ho Chi Minh’s more decadent eateries is Hum Café in District 3, a highly-rated vegetarian restaurant so popular that a sibling, Hum Lounge, has also opened up in District 1. Dine at the original Hum for an intimate vibe, attentive staff and pretty fairy lights twinkling in the trees outside. The meat-free menu is so extensive that even carnivores should find something they fancy. 

Learn to cook Vietnamese dishes

A food tour with splendid of Vietnamese dishes does not satisfy you? Let’s try something more challenging, Vietnamese cooking class. Unlike any other culinary style in South East Asia, Vietnamese cuisine is a mixture of Vietnam traditional style with China vibe and Western-inspired trait, which reflects in a variety of dishes from the South to the North of Vietnam. Saigon is a land of immigrants from all provinces in Vietnam, thus, it is smart choice to take a cooking class here.

Read more: The most impressive architectures in Ho Chi Minh City

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Top must-visit temples in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai is a beautiful historic city in northern Thailand. It has amazing street food, great restaurants and bars, and a cute walled old town surrounded by what was once a moat. There are also an astounding number of glittering temples lining its ancient streets. It is hard to know where to start, so this is the list of the 7 most incredible Chiang Mai temples that you need to visit.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

This Wat is located further west than the city walls, up the mountain named after the temple ‘Suthep Mountain’. It takes some time to get to but it is so worth it. The temple is located within Doi Suthep National Park which is a beauty in itself, with waterfalls sprinkled amidst the forest, traditional hill tribe villages dotted around, and many viewpoints overlooking this beautiful city, you can be sure to spend quite a chunk of your day here.

It is 30 baht entry to Doi Suthep and the actual temple is open from 6 am – 6 pm. Once, you have finished exploring the temple, you can take yourself outside and look out on the wonderful city of Chaing Mai from this mountain throne at 1,676 metres.

Wat Phra Singh

Thanks to a huge renovation in the 19th century, plus numerous licks of paint ever since, Wat Phra Singh stands as one of the most visually impressive temples in Chiang Mai. The main temple building is the star of the show, featuring those iconic slanted Lanna-style roofs and an intricately decorated façade that shines brightly in the sunlight.

There is also various stupas and pagodas dotted around the grounds, which are free to enter. Walking distance from Wat Chedi Luang in the Old City, our recommendation is to fit in both during a morning or afternoon sightseeing trip on two feet or tuk-tuk.

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang is one of the most famous temples in Chiang Mai. This approximately 600-year-old temple is one of the highest buildings in the old town. Built pyramid-like, it stands in the middle of the temple complex and can already be seen from afar. But also the other temples of the area are impressive. For example, here you will find a beautiful reclining Buddha and you can listen to monks praying. Above all, in the morning or in the late afternoon, you will experience an incredibly beautiful and tranquil atmosphere.

Wat Umong

Still standing after 700 years, Wat Umong certainly shows its age, despite numerous touch-ups over the years. The crumbling, weather-worn central stupa towers into the sky, set around a well-maintained tropical garden and smart-looking green lawns.

While the main stupa provides a neat photo-op, there is plenty more to do at Wat Umong; feed the fish and turtles in the garden’s main pond, walk around the ‘talking trees’ that offer words of advice (in Thai and English), and head underground to check out the series of ancient tunnels. Find it just beyond the airport, in the foothills of Doi Suthep Mountain next to the zoo.

Wat Suan Dok

You may have heard about the famous White Temple in Chiang Rai but you may not know that Chiang Mai has its very own version as well. It is located in between Chiang Mai University and Chiang Mai Old Town, making it a popular spot for both locals and tourists to visit.

It may not be as spacious or extravagant as the white temple in Chiang Rai but Wat Suan Dok will not disappoint its visitors too. The temple is most visited during sunset as the stupas (Buddhist structure that looks like a pagoda) reflect the color of the sun, making the view stunning. The main shrine houses a large Buddha statue and a number of Buddha relics. There is a small admission fees to enter the main shrine but the exterior grounds is free.

Wat Lok Molee

Another visually striking temple in Chiang Mai is Wat Lok Moli, well-known for its three-tiered wooden roof and prime location very close to Chang Puak Gate on the north edge of the Old City. The main temple hall has been well-restored, although the weathered chedi at the back shows the temple's true age, dating back to around the 14th century. Although Wat Lok Molee is located very central, it is just hidden out of the way meaning most tourists miss it, allowing it to enjoy a little more peace and tranquillity compared to some of the city’s other temples.

See more: Chiang Mai – pretty little town in Northern Thailand

Wat Chiang Man

Wat Chaing Man is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai (1296) and should not be missed on any temple tour. In this complex there are several beautiful things to discover. Particularly impressive are the 15 elephant figures on the base of the large chedi, the lotus pond, an old beautiful wooden library and the Ubosot.

In addition, there are two important statues in Wat Chiang Man, the Phra-Sila statue and the Crystal Buddha, which are hidden behind a lattice window. This temple is located in the northeast of the old city of Chiang Mai and a visit is highly recommended.

Source Internet

Best local restaurants in Jeju, South Korea

For such a tiny island, Jeju is packed full of specialty dishes. From rich black pork to abalones plucked fresh from the ocean by Jeju’s very own ‘mermaids’, there are plenty of delicacies to try. Here’s a selection of Jeju’s best restaurants to whet your appetite, and our suggestions for places to try them.

Donsadon

Black pork is a specialty unique to Jeju. It’s made from the flesh of domesticated black pigs bred only on the island. If you pass a farm or two, you may well see the small, smooth-skinned pigs snuffling around. Grilled black pork is a dish so well-loved in Jeju that there’s a whole street devoted to it — head to Black Pork Street for pork restaurants galore. If you’re looking to head a bit more off the beaten track, however, Donsadon is an excellent option for fresh, sizzling barbecued black pork.

Myeongjin Jeonbok

Jeju is famous for its abalones, and Myeongjin Jeonbok is one of the most popular abalone restaurants on the island. Abalones are traditionally harvested by haenyeo, Jeju’s ‘mermaids’ — female divers who descend to depths of up to 15 metres to collect delicacies such as octopus, sea urchins, oysters and other shellfish, including abalones. Myeongjin Jeonbok has just four dishes on the menu — abalone sizzling stone pot rice, grilled abalone, rice porridge with abalone and sliced raw abalone. This means that each dish is honed to perfection. The ingredients are fresh and delicious, and the restaurant is good value for money compared to other similar establishments. Expect to wait for a table, as it’s a popular spot.

Deomjang Jungmun

For the Jeju specialty dish godeungeo gui — grilled mackerel cooked to perfection — head to Deomjang Jungmun in Jeju city. The mackerel is served with a wide variety of complementary side dishes, and portions are sizeable and good value for money. Mackerel is particularly well-loved in Jeju because it’s inexpensive, and in the hands of a skilful chef, there is a delicious counterpoint between the fish’s soft, slightly sweet flesh and crispy, sizzling skin.

Samsunghyeol Haemultang

Haemultang is a spicy seafood hotpot, filled with an abundance of fresh seafood. It’s popular all over Korea, but the Jeju version is especially tasty due to the availability of a wide variety of delicious shellfish and other seafoods. The dish is bursting with flavour and healthy vitamins; as well as seafood, the rich broth contains a number of vegetables, and is seasoned with gochujang, a spicy bean paste. Haemultang is the specialty dish at Samsunghyeol Haemultang, and the restaurant also boasts an extensive menu of other seafood options. The seating is traditional Korean style.

Friendship Sashimi Restaurant

Fresh sashimi is a sought-after delicacy all over Korea. Mouth-watering slices of raw seafood are served with side dishes and a mixture of soy sauce and fresh chilli for dipping. Look out for street food tents (or pojangmacha) all over Jeju, or head to a specialty sashimi restaurant such as Friendship Sashimi Restaurant, which has great views over the Jeju seafront.

Manna Sikdang

Hairtail fish, or galchi jorim, is a fish prized by Jeju’s locals. Long, thin and silvery, it’s hard to keep hairtail fish fresh for long once it’s caught, so Jeju — with its ultra-fresh seafood — is the best place to eat this unique fish. It’s normally served in a spicy stew. Many restaurants on the island serve this dish, as it’s now quite famous, but one of the most well-known places to go is Manna Sikdang. Be prepared to wait for a table, and go early, as the restaurant closes once it has sold out for the day.

Guksu Madang

Guksu Madang’s specialty dish is momguk, or gulfweed soup. Pork bones are boiled to make broth, and flavoured with onions, sour kimchi and vegetables. The star ingredient is gulfweed, a seaweed known as ‘mom’ or ‘mojaban’ in the Jeju dialect. Momguk is a dish unique to Jeju, and cannot be found elsewhere in Korea. The dish’s history lies in Jeju’s past: with a climate that included harsh sea winds and cold weather, the island’s crops were vulnerable to failure, and so the Jeju natives turned to seaweed for a reliable source of nutrition. Momguk was traditionally served at family gatherings and events.

See more: 5 most romatic destinations for couples in Jeju, South Korea

Source: Internet