Ho Chi Minh City

Hi! I'm back from a week long holiday in Ho Chi Minh. It all started out well until the second day when I fell ill with a viral fever and spent much of my time for the rest of the days sleeping in the hotel, leaving my husband to tour the city on his own.

We stayed at Ma Maison, a charming little Provence inspired boutique hotel about 20 minutes from the city center.

A perfectly manicured garden at the hotel's front

Guest dining area

Located a few lanes behind a block of buildings, the hotel is inaccessible by car and we were dropped off the main street . The short walk to the hotel gave us a glimpse into the homes of local folks.

The must-haves in Vietnam...

Pho (beef noodles in a delicious broth)

Broken rice

Spring rolls...so many types

Vietnamese coffee

Buildings in Vietnam are typically narrow and phone lines are haphazardly strung around the city. The infrastructure in Ho Chi Minh may appear disorganized but there is WiFi in nearly every cafe and restaurant. Great for modern kids like us.

Whether it is coffee at a chic cafe or cool drink at a roadside stall, Vietnamese folks love to hang out and watch the action of the bustling city as they unwind over their favourite drink.

I'll leave out the attractions that we visited and end it with my lasting impression of Vietnam, that is a country that has gone through formidable change from its war torn state only a few decades ago to a modern and vibrant place that it is today.