Month: July 2026

[Airline Review] – Singapore Airlines A350-900 (Long Haul Variant)(SQ183) – Business Class, SGN-SIN (1 Jun 26)

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Our flight path today from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore
Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul aircraft that we flew on

At the Airport

Check-in

Singapore Airlines flies out of Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat Airport Terminal 2, dedicated to international departures (domestic destinations depart from Terminal 1). Singapore Airlines operates seven check-in counters from Row E of the terminal in the middle of the departure hall, with Door D1 being the closest entrance to the check-in counters. There are four queues set up at Row E catering for Business Class, Economy Class, Singapore Airlines Elite Gold/Silver members, and Internet Check-in. The two counters serving Business Class passengers are located at the front of the row (E1/E2 are nearer to the terminal’s entrance. There was a ground staff at the line ensuring that only Business Class passengers were allowed in the queue. The agent checking us in was friendly and professional, and processed our check-in with much efficiency. Singapore Airlines had an unusual arrangement for Business Class passengers in Tan Son Nhat Airport. Other than the usual lounge access, we were given two aeditions options – a USD20 voucher to be spent at eateries in the terminal, or a 30-minute massage. We opted for the lounge access. As two of our friends were flying in Economy Class, the ground staff also issued them with the lounge access pass without us asking for it (two of us were Elite Gold members and were able to bring our friends into the lounge). The ground staff gave us directions to the lounge, our boarding gate and timing before we left the check-in counter.

Le Saigonnais Lounge

Singapore Airlines does not have a SilverKris Lounge presence in Ho Chi Minh Airport, it uses Le Saigonnais Lounge, a third-party paid lounge serving other airlines, such as Emirates, EVA Air and Japan Airlines. The lounge is located on level 3, in the left corner of Terminal 2 between Gates 17 and 18. Le Saigonnais Lounge is a fairly large lounge with bright natural light, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the tarmac. The lounge is decorated with Indochrine elements, merging Vietnamese and French elements. The French elements are seen in the European-style lampposts dotted in the part of the lounge near its entrance. A bulk of the lounge has Vietnamese elements, seen in the screens deployed around the lounge; the conical bamboo hat that is so iconic of Vietnam is seen in the decoration on the ceiling of the lounge, as well as the various Vietnamese clothing displayed in the fore lounge.

Most of the lounge is furnished with dining tables for two, spreading along the perimeter of the lounge from the entrance to the innermost part. I reckon the best seats are those by the large floor-to-ceiling windows facing the apron, where we could relax and do some plane spotting. The only different types of seating are found at the back of the lounge. There is only one long table at the back of the lounge catering for single travellers who want to do some work before their flight. Le Saigonnais Lounge has a small business centre in the back corner, equipped with three PCs. Beside this business centre, occupying the other back corner, sits a four-seater dining table. There are also some dining tables placed on a raised platform along a set of curved railings next to the buffet area. These would be the best seats for enjoying the food from the buffet due to their proximity,

The buffet line is located by the entrance on the oval-shaped kitchen island behind the lounge reception. The food offering is arranged into two sections: half of the oval facing the beverage stations houses the warm food, while the other half facing the lounge is stocked with desserts and starters. I find the food selection to be rather thin, and there is only one Vietnamese food – beef pho on offer. The other food options are seafood fried rice, fried fish, congee with condiments, and a small selection of vegetarian warm food. Half of the dessert section is dedicated to condiments for pho and bread, leaving only half of the dessert section stocked with fruits, mochi and pudding. Despite the small selection, other than the soggy fried fish, the food available is quite delicious. Beverages are found on the table by the wall opposite the buffet line, serving up a good selection of wine, soft drinks and Vietnamese coffee and tea. Le Saigonnais Lounge is equipped with two shower cubicles located inside the toilet. These toilets are more utilitarian then luxury with a newly segregated dry area inside each shower cubicle. Usage of these shower facilities is on a first-come, first-served basis and can be requested from the staff at the lounge, who will then provide towels and shower amenities.

The Aircraft

Singapore Airlines operates three daily flights using its A350-900, both Medium Haul and Long Haul variants, as well as its B787-10 aircraft between Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore. We flew on its A350-900 Long Haul aircraft featuring the Jamco Business Class seats (2013 iteration) for this leg.

Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Variant livery
Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Variant Safety Card

Cabin

The A350-900 Long Haul aircraft that we took features a three-class cabin: Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class. Singapore Airlines does not sell Premium Economy service on this leg; passengers can opt to pay extra for these Premium Economy seats. However, the food catering will be that of Economy Class. Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Variant has a total of 253 seats with 42 seats in Business Class, 24 seats in Premium Economy Class and 187 seats in Economy Class. The Business Class cabin is further segregated into the larger forward cabin that houses 26 seats and a smaller aft cabin with 16 seats. Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Business Class emits a quiet luxury vibe with warmth, balanced and restrained designs. The soft, earthy colour schemes created a smooth environment which lowers visual stress. The airlines predominantly use brown, from the sand colour seen in the footwell and cabinetry to the harsher chocolate brown in the seats and carpet, coupled with the softer warm lighting that created a relaxing vibe in the cabin and gave the cabin a more residential hotel-like feel. The lack of overhead bins above the centre row and separating the cabin into forward and aft created an airy and spacious feel in the Business Class cabin.

There are three Business Class lavatories on Singapore Airlines’ A350-900 Long Haul variant serving all 42 Business Class passengers. One located at the front of the aircraft behind the cockpit, and another two between the two Business Class cabins. The Business Class lavatories exuded a premium feel with the dark brown wooden laminate fixed onto the sink cabinetry, and the sand brown backsplash at the sink enhances its premium look. The size of these lavatories is pretty much standard, but the mirror made it feel larger than it actually is. Singapore Airlines stocked its Business Class lavatories with additional Payot-branded amenities like lotion, eau de toilette and facial mist. Apart from these premium amenities, Singapore Airlines is one of the few airlines in the world that provides standard amenities such as dental kits and shavers in its lavatories even on a short flight.

Seat Features

The seats on Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Business Class are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, ensuring all 42 passengers get direct aisle access. Each seat is 28” wide with a pitch of 60” that expands to 73” when converted into a flat bed, making it one of the widest Business Class seats. Like all Business Class seats, Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Business Class seats have four standard modes – upright, flat bed and two in-between lounge modes. The upright mode is the default mode that we were greeted by the seat at the time of boarding. The wide seat and the thick padding, together with the soft plush leather, made the seat feel very comfortable. The flat bed mode on these seats can only be deployed by flipping the seat over on its back instead of pressing a button on the seat controls that is situated on the inside of the aisle-side armrest. There is a mixed review of the comfort levels in the bed mode, with some passengers complaining about how hard it is despite the duvet set that the airlines provided. On top of this, the slanted position with a small footwell does not appeal to every passenger. We were fortunate to be able to snag the bulkhead seats, which feature a larger footrest that spans across the width of the seats, compared to the small angled footwell on the standard seats, which technically allowed us to sleep in various positions. However, I did not manage to flip the seat over to convert to bed mode due to the short flight time. Moreover, the cabin crew already had a hectic schedule feeding all the passengers, and I couldn’t bear to disturb their schedule (based on past experience, the cabin crew would lay down their work to help passengers convert the seat into bed mode). The seat in lounge mode, with the calf rest deployed and its back angled, provided additional comfort that allowed me to laze on the seat in a more relaxed posture. Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Variant comes in two preset lounge modes (based on the two lounge position buttons on the seat control). The first lounge mode has a seat back slightly angled, and the calf rest slightly raised. This is a good mode for meals or work, as it beats sitting long hours in a stiff upright mode. The second lounge mode is closer to a bed mode, but instead of having the seat all the way flat, the seat back is tilted more, and the calf rest closes the gap between the seats and the footrest. I find this mode best for enjoying the in-flight entertainment or for passengers who want to snooze a little after a meal. The seat comfort in lounge mode is made more comfortable by its ability to customise the angle of recline apart from the preset angle. Despite not having a door, I find a good amount of privacy in these Long Haul Business Class seats due to their high back curved wrap-around shells that act as cocoons. Other than controlling the angle of recline of the seat, the seat control buttons also control the seat lighting and the on/off for the personal TV, as well as call the attendant.

Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Business Class seats also feature a good amount of storage space. The main storage in the seat is found on the inner armrest area, where there is a fairly deep compartment for us to stow our smaller items. The second storage area is an open shelving beside the seat where we could use to place slimmer items such as laptops and tablets, but items stowed here would have to be removed during taxiing, take-off or landing. As we were sitting in the bulkhead seats, there was significantly more space under the footrest for us to stow our carry-ons and shoes. In the standard Business Class seats, there would be another small compartment beside the TV that can hold small items, but this additional compartment is not present in the bulkhead seats. In the charging department, Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Business Class seats are fitted with an international power socket and a couple of USB-A charging ports beside the seat. Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Business Class seats are installed with a large sturdy seat table, stored in the side console. Due to its solid design, fishing out the table from the side console can be a challenge due to its bulk. When deployed, the large table is perfect for multi-course dining for longer flights or working on a laptop with spare space for a drink while working. The Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Business seat is fitted with a set of three reading lights, apart from the ceiling reading light, on the shell of the seat, corresponding to each seat position.

Inflight Entertainment

Singapore Airlines A350-900 Long Haul Business Class seats are fitted with a large 18″ HD personal display. The large display made watching movies on KrisWorld a joy, and it felt like a movie theatre in the sky. The sharp, crisp picture from the display is not affected even when lying on the seat in bed mode, thanks to the tilt feature built into the screen. However, as this is an older product, the personal TVs are not fitted with touchscreen functions. We select the movies that we want to watch via the IFE controller, which is designed to resemble a PSP console with touchscreen function in the middle part of the controller. As the KrisWorld is also packed with games, the IFE controller is also designed with game controls on it. The entertainment library is packed with loads of entertainment options, from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to regional movies to documentaries and even TV shows. KrisWorld is very well catalogued into intuitive menus, making searching for entertainment a breeze. Singapore Airlines provides noise-cancelling headphones to its Business Class passengers, which are very effective in blocking out ambient noises. In fact, I had to remove my headphones when conversing with the cabin crew. Singapore Airlines provides unlimited complimentary wifi to its Business Class passengers, which is only effective for chatting and social media browsing. The slow speed of the internet does not support video streaming. Economy Class passengers who are members of the airline’s loyalty program, KrisFlyer, are also provided with complimentary unlimited internet access throughout the flight.

Meal Service

As this was a short flight with a total flight time of 2 hrs, meal service began about 30 minutes after taking off when the aircraft reached cruising altitude. Singapore Airlines offers its “Book the Cook” service to its Business Class passengers, where we can select our choice of meals from an extended menu on top of the three options offered in-flight. However, the “Book the Cook” service is only available at selected airports, such as Singapore, Paris, and Beijing, to name a few, and unfortunately, this service is not available for this flight out of Ho Chi Minh City. The options for mains on this flight were Beef Short Ribs, Roasted Chicken Thigh and Rice, and Herb Crusted Barramundi. I opted for the Beef Short Ribs, which were prepared in Sichuan Style and served with egg noodles. Due to the short flight time, the meal was served in one tray. The prawn cake salad appetiser tasted fresh, and the cakes were delicious. Even without the salad dressing, the vegetables in the salad were fresh and tasty. The beef ribs were tender and could be pulled apart without much force, and went very well with the accompanying sauce. The noodles were not soggy and had a certain crunchiness to them. The coffee cake dessert was equally delicious. It was soft and moist, and the coffee taste was not overpowering.

Service

The service we received on board was nothing short of impeccable. After the usual greetings at the door during boarding, and as I was making my way to my seat, I was escorted to my seat by a cabin crew member, Fernanda, who was welcoming Business Class passengers in the cabin. When learning about my seat number, Fernanda was delighted that I managed to snag this highly sought-after seat. Fernanda came across as friendly and sincere and was able to hold a conversation very well. She was cheerful and took care of us very well. She would return to confirm my meal selection and took the extra care to ensure the dish did not contain any of my allergens by going through the ingredients list. When I requested their signature mocktail to be served after the meal, Fernanda remembered without even being prompted. She was meticulous and used her heart to work. The other crew member, Rachel, serving the aisle where my friends were sitting, came across as cheerful. I saw how she took care of my friends and would always pop by to check in on them to see if they needed more drinks. When it came to my allergen, a male leading steward visited my friend and me to check the severity of our allergy if we accidentally consumed the food. This goes to show the crew went above and beyond to ensure guests were not affected by the food that was served onboard. As I was sitting near the galley, I witnessed a lot of teamwork by the crew, with crew members helping each other out to ensure all passengers were being fed shortly after take-off, maximising the time we had to consume the meal. Despite being a turnaround flight and having worked a 2-hour inbound flight, the crew remained enthusiastic and full of energy.

Champagne for pre-departure drink

Afterthought

I had a great flight with Singapore Airlines on board their A350-900 (Long Haul Variant). We managed to snag the best seat in the class – the extremely spacious bulkhead seats without needing to sleep on our side. This seat, due to its design, also offered us plenty of stowage space under the seat. The missing centre overhead bin gave the cabin an airy look. Other than the comfortable and spacious seats, what made this flight pleasant was its crew. The cabin crew were very welcoming and friendly. They were seen helping each other with the interest of the passengers in mind. Despite working one 2-hour, hectic flight to Ho Chi Minh City, the crew were still energised.

[Accommodation Review] – Pullman Saigon Centre (Executive Suite), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (29 May – 1 Jun 26)

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Location

Pullman Saigon Centre is located on the southwestern edge of District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, the city’s heart centre. Despite being technically in District 1, the hotel is about 1 to 1½ km from the tourist cluster where most of the iconic attractions are located. This distance is great for those who want the tranquillity of being away from the bustling tourist attractions, and yet still remain relatively close to the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Most of the attractions can be reached on foot within a 30 min walk from the hotel, and the nearest Bui Vien Walking Street is a mere 5 mins walk. There is no lack of amenities in the vicinity of Pullman Saigon Centre. There are several convenient shops within a 5 min walk from the hotel along Bui Vien Walking Street. We also found numerous eateries right next to the hotel and the nearby Bui Vien Walking Street.

The Executive Suite

The 70m² Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre adopts a blend of modern minimalism and contemporary glamour. The clean lines and functional layout complemented the bold colours and textures well to create a sophisticated high-end vibe. The use of a natural wood palette in the flooring brought warmth to the suite. The Executive Suite is spread across four main areas: The living room, the bedroom, the bathroom, and the walk-in wardrobe.

Layout of the Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre

Entryway

The entryway of the Executive Suite simply serves as an area of the suite that connects the main entrance to the rest of the suite. This is also where we had our first look into the contemporary interior theme of the suite. The entryway also serves as a connection to the power room and the walk-in wardrobe of the suite, which in turn links to the bathroom.

Powder Room

Like most power rooms, the one in the Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre also houses a toilet and a larger countertop with a sink sitting on it. The powder room employs the same contemporary minimalist decor as the rest of the suite and is an excellent addition to the suite, as our friends would still be able to use the toilet without trespassing into the bedroom.

The powder room in the Executive Suite is fitted with a toilet and a sink

Living Room

The living room in the Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre

Pullman Saigon Centre uses purple to break the otherwise monotony of the heavily wood-themed suite. This purple sofa is capable of housing four to five adults comfortably, enjoying the well-curated local and international channels on the 40″ LED TV mounted on the wall. The large coffee table between the TV and the sofa gave us a great spot to rest our drinks while enjoying the welcome snacks the hotel prepared for us. A small round table, though capable of doubling up both as a dining table and a work desk, serves the work desk function more. There is only one chair furnished at this table, which seemed to suggest that the hotel intended for it to function more as a work desk. The close proximity to the HDMI port and the power outlets at the wall supported the hypothesis that the hotel intended this table to function more as a work desk.

I like how the hotel hides the minibar in the wooden cabinet behind the TV. Doing so creates a clean and minimalistic look in the living room. The mini bar occupies the left cabinet space, with the upper half of the cabinet dedicated to the coffee-making dry pantry. Here is where we find a pseudo Nespresso pod coffee machine with six capsules. Sitting at the lower half of the cabinet space is the mini fridge stocked with a wide range of chargeable beverages. Despite having a large cabinet in the living room, there is limited space for us to put away our shopping. The hotel also uses the cabinet space underneath the TV as another mini bar area with mugs and glasses occupying the shelving on the right side, and tea and an electric kettle taking up the space on the left. The only place in the cabinet that we can use to store any items is the cabinetry space to the right of the TV.

Bedroom

The bedroom in the Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre

The minimalist contemporary design theme flowed into the bedroom, but with a tinge of Scandinavian elements. Most of the bedroom is decked in a natural wooden theme with bold colours. Compared to the living room, the furnishing in the bedroom is simpler. In the centre of the bedroom sits the king bed, placed against the wall with a blue, floral-designed feature wall. The sleep quality on the king bed is good, but the pillows supplied are too soft for my liking. Despite Pullman Saigon Centre supplying a pillow menu, there is only one other choice on the menu. However, when called to request a firmer pillow, the hotel managed to provide the two that I requested. The firmer pillow supplied is only slightly firmer than those that were placed onto the bed. Well, at least this improved my sleep quality. The firmness of the mattress on the king bed left us feeling refreshed the next day. Sticking to the Scandinavian theme, the hotel uses a couple of logs as bedside tables, strategically placed underneath the international power outlet, so we could leave our lifestyle devices charged overnight.

Next to the king bed lies a single armchair with an ottoman placed next to the floor-to-ceiling window that allowed us to look out into the city. This is also a good place to relax, reading a book or watching the other 40″ LED TV in the bedroom. The TV has identical entertainment options to those in the living room. Like that, in the living room, the TV is mounted on the wooden cabinet. However, to our dismay, this cabinet serves no purpose other than as an ornament. The doors on this cabinet are glued shut, which did not allow us to open it to stow any items within it.

Bathroom & Walk-in Wardrobe

Bathroom seen from the entryway in the Executive Suite

The bathroom has two entrances, from the bedroom and the entryway. I find it weird that the entrance from the bedroom was not fitted with a door. The bathroom uses an elongated design, with the bathtub being placed next to the floor-to-ceiling glass panel that separates the bedrooms from the bathroom. The standalone bathtub is so large that I find it difficult to get a good soak. Lining up in a row in the space opposite the bathtub are the walk-in shower and the toilet. The space afforded to the walk-in shower, which comes fitted with both a rain and regular shower head, is large enough that I did not have to engage in an elbow fight with the walls. Like the other Pullman Hotels around the world, Pullman Saigon Centre treats its guests with the fragrant and luxurious American-branded C.O. Bigelow shower and toilet amenities. The water pressure from both shower heads is excellent, and the water heats up very fast. The toilet next door is fitted with a Japanese bidet.

Further along the length of the bathroom, towards the entryway, is the sink and the wardrobe area. The large dual sinks sit on a black marble countertop, which provides us with plentiful space to lay out our toiletries. Due to the shallow design, I find water splashing out from the sink whenever I accidentally turn the tap to its maximum. The wardrobe in the Executive Suite is located within the bathroom and opposite the sink, in the same row as the shower and toilet. The large wardrobe provided us with tons of space to hang up our clothes. I reckon the wardrobe is capable of hanging up to three weeks of clothing for two guests. I like that the hotel fitted two dual-tiered drawers inside the wardrobe, which not only increases the storage space, but also gives us a space to put away our smaller clothing. The in-room safe is located on top of one of these drawers. Wedged between the sink and the entryway entrance is another set of two dual-tiered drawers with a marble slab as the top. I find this luggage rack is very well situated, which provides guests with the convenience of packing and unpacking their luggage.

Service

We experienced great service at Pullman Saigon Centre, where the staff we met were warm and friendly. At the time we alighted from our airport transfer, the ground floor porter had already taken care of our luggage. We did not have to lay our fingers on our luggage, and they were being delivered to our suite while we were being checked into our rooms. At the reception, the staff checking us in were very friendly and welcoming. My friends were served welcome drinks while we were dealing with the check-in. The staff gave us the option of checking in at the Executive Lounge on level 30, where another staff escorted us to the lounge and handed us over to his colleague, who processed our check-in. At the same time, we were invited to wait at the lounge while they processed our check-in. However, we were not accorded early check-in due to the full booking (according to the staff), and our friends were upgraded to the executive floor. The staff at the lounge were detailed in explaining the perks and exclusions. This is when I found the hotel was very religious in sticking to the terms (not the fault of the staff). While we were accorded lounge access and complimentary breakfast, our friends staying in the other rooms were not. The staff at Food ConneXion were very friendly and welcoming. We were always welcomed with a warm smile on the mornings that we had at the restaurant. The staff here were very cheerful and attentive. They would always patrol the dining floor and clear the plates immediately when they spotted empty plates on the table, or they would be busy serving guests their orders from the warm food station or one of the many flavours of Vietnamese Coffee.

Welcome amenities in the suite

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ Food ConneXion

Breakfast is served at Food ConneXion Restaurant located on the 3rd floor of the hotel. From the entrance to Food ConneXion, we were greeted by the pastry station with a good variety of bread, croissants and spreads. This station is also where desserts and fruits are made available. The warm food options, with a good variety of Western, Korean, Chinese, and Indian, are made available along the long buffet table by the wall in front of the kitchen. Here is where we found one station serving up made-to-order beef pho, as well as waffles and pancakes. Other than the pastry station, there are two other kitchen island stations with salads and cold cuts, as well as dim sum and Vietnamese fried rice noodles. I like how the hotel incorporated local flavours, not only in the food but also in the various brews of Vietnamese coffee. I found the food served was of high quality and was very tasty, but the menu pretty much stayed the same throughout the two days I had breakfast at Food ConneXion. I highly recommend the Vietnamese coffee, which is quite tasty and strong, especially the Salted Cream Coffee.

Executive Lounge

The Executive Lounge at Pullman Saigon Centre is located on the 30th floor, the top floor of the hotel. The lounge is a tad small and does not seem to be able to accommodate a large number of guests. The front part of the lounge is furnished with four purple striped armchairs, creating a cosy living room vibe. This part of the lounge is where we found a small meeting room. Behind the feature wall with a mounted TV lies the dining area. This part of the lounge is furnished with a limited number of dining tables, mainly catering for two guests and one larger eight-seater dining table in the centre of this area. The Executive Lounge has a small buffet area tucked in one corner of the lounge next to the dining area, serving up a small number of finger foods during afternoon tea time. The lounge is a great place to relax, sipping a cool drink, after a day of exploring in Ho Chi Minh City.

Swimming Pool

Pullman Saigon Centre has a lap pool nestled on level 6 of the hotel. The swimming pool is a little on the small side, but it allows guests to get some decent swimming in it. It is a pity that there are a limited number of sundeck chairs around the pool, which would otherwise make it a great spot to get some vitamin D due to the lack of vegetation and nearby buildings that would otherwise cast a shadow onto the pool deck. We also spotted a small poolside bar, hidden inside the hotel building next to the swimming pool. This is one of the spots where ACCOR members can redeem their welcome drinks.

Gym

The hotel is fitted with a small gym located on the 6th floor, next to the swimming pool. Despite its smaller set-up, the gym is mainly equipped with cardio workout machines, facing the floor-to-ceiling window, treating guests to the view of the bustling Ho Chi Minh City below. There are comparatively fewer strength workout machines, other than two total body workout machines and some free weights.

Overall

Being located at the edge of District 1 gives Pullman Saigon Centre the advantage of being close to the action, but minus the noise. The Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre is comfortable, modern and very well appointed. The modern minimalist design with a touch of contemporary artworks dotted around the suite brought in some fun in an otherwise monotonous decor. The space allocated to the three main rooms in the suite was sufficient and did not make one feel cramped. The king bed has a great sleeping quality that refreshes us every morning. The service at the hotel is good, and the staff we met were very friendly and welcoming.

Ho Chi Minh City Day 3 (31 May 26): District 5 – Temple Hopping in Chinatown & District 1 – A Relaxing Afternoon

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As we have pretty much covered the sights in Ho Chi Minh City, which are mainly located in District 1, we tried to look for sights outside of District 1. At the time of my planning, I chanced upon the rich Chinese Culture in District 5.

Temple Hopping in District 5 – Into the Spiritual Culture

District 5 is where the Chinese immigrants from yesteryears settled down and called this part of Ho Chi Minh City home. There weren’t many sights in District 5, other than several significant Chinese temples and a market that is similar to that in District 1. After visiting the temple, as we were making our way to Binh Tay Market, we noticed District 5 seemed to be a wholesale centre. The interesting thing is that there seems to be some form of organisation of the shops in District 1. We noticed that shops selling the same or similar things tend to be grouped in the same cluster, creating a street that only sells clothes, and yet another with all the shops selling scissors.

Thien Hau Pagoda – The Anchor of Chinese Culture

We took a Grab from our hotel to our first stop of the day, Thien Hau Pagoda in Chinatown. Built around 1760, Thien Hau Pagoda is one of the oldest and most historically significant Chinese temples in the city. Almost all original building materials, including the ornate ceramic tiles, reliefs, and incense burners, were imported directly from China. Thien Hau Pagoda is dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea – Mazu. The Chinese believed the Goddess protected them when they traversed the seas. The age of the temple is inscribed on its facade in its exposed red brick dressing and the roof that is marinated with time. The temple is topped with intricate carvings of Chinese mythological characters and animals that are typical of a Chinese temple. Thien Hau Pagoda is a relatively smaller temple with one main hall and an open courtyard in the centre of the temple. A deity sits on each side of the wall after its main entrance. In the centre of the courtyard lies a furnace and a large incense burner. The furnace was believed to have originated from China when the temple was built. From here, we could see more intricate carvings of deities and Chinese mythical animals crowding on the rooftop. In the centre hall sits the deity of the temple – Mazu, dressed in red and elaborately gold-ornamented garments that devotees probably donated. Behind the main hall, the two small side halls worship Guan Gong and the God of Fortune. As Thien Hau Pagoda was not large in size, we left after offering our prayers.

Quam Am Pagoda – The Red and Yellow Temple

Our next sight in District 5, Quam Am Pagoda, is a 7-minute walk from Thien Hau Pagoda. Decked in a bright red facade, Quam Am Pagoda look newer than Thien Hau Pagoda. But don’t be fooled by the newer facade; Quam Am Pagoda is 20 years older than Thien Hau Pagoda. Built in 1740, it served as a gathering place for the Chinese immigrants to discuss public affairs, help one another, worship gods, and meet their spiritual and cultural demands. Quam Am Pagoda is a bigger temple compared to Thien Hau Pagoda. The interior of this temple looks brighter thanks to its open concept on the sides of the temple that lets a lot of natural light in. The bright red and yellow seen in its facade is also used throughout the temple, contributing to the brightness, together with the LED lights used. In the centre of the front hall is the Goddess of Mercy statue with a more solemn expression. There is a bigger back hall with lots of deities installed along its parameters, where we saw locals coming to pray. The biggest statue is the other Goddess of Mercy with a benevolent expression, and shares the same wall as the one in the front hall. Like the locals, we offered our prayers to the gods in Quam Am Pagoda.

Binh Tay Market – The Chinese Market

Binh Tay Market is our last stop in District 5, about 10 minutes on foot from Quam Am Pagoda. Along the way, we walked past many shops and realised that most of the shops selling similar items seem to congregate on the same street. Playfully, as we walked past shops selling packaging items, we named the street “Packing Street”, and the one that consists of shops selling toys as “Children Street”. These are, of course, not the official names of these streets, but just us having fun when walking along the street. Other than Quam Am Pagoda, the rest of District 5 seems quiet. Perhaps today was Vesak Day, a day that celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha, explaining why more locals are gathering inside the Buddhist temple.

While District 1 has Ben Thanh market, mainly catering to tourists, District 5 has Binh Tay market, which mainly caters to the locals. Binh Tay market is one of the oldest markets in Vietnam, having been around since 1930. Dressed in beige colour, the main building has Chinese elements like dragons and porcelain, topped with Chinese-style roofs. Other than the stalls in the front that see more human traffic flow, the inside of the market is dead, with sparse people shopping and only a handful of shops on the ground floor open for business. However, we noticed the stalls in the surrounding extension of the market seem to have more locals shopping for their daily needs. Seeing there is nothing much we can do here, we got a Grab and went back to our hotel to rest a little and offload the shopping that my friends bought.

Back to District 1 – Relaxing Shopping Time

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and shopping in District 1. One of the things that we came to know before visiting Ho Chi Minh City is its famous hair spa. The Vietnamese hair spa is famed for its deep scalp cleansing, followed by a hydrotherapy (a semi-circular gadget that the masseuse uses to apply warm water over our hair like a waterfall). Numerous wellness centres in District 1 offer this service. Before starting the session, the therapist used a microscopic device to show the status of our scalp and promised that our scalp would be clean after the treatment (we did not get the post-treatment scalp scan). The session was relaxing, but I thought hydrotherapy was rather gimmicky. Nonetheless, we had a relaxing time as these packages usually come with a head, neck and shoulder massage. After our hair spa treatment, we walked to the Saigon Centre to do some shopping. There are numerous shops, from luxury to sports brands, in this huge building. However, the supermarket here seems a tad more upmarket and caters mainly for foreigners. Subsequently, we headed to the Winmart (local Vietnamese supermarket) in Vincom Centre, just a 5-minute walk from Saigon Centre. We found Winmart to be a better place to stock up on Vietnamese snacks, as it is better stocked and the prices are lower. We returned to our hotel after some shopping and ordered our dinner via GrabFood.

Thoughts on Ho Chi Minh City

I thought there were very limited attractions in Ho Chi Minh City, mainly situated in District 1, which we managed to visit within one afternoon. Having said that, these attractions are located near each other, making it very easy to see them within a short period of time. For those who like to experience the hustle and bustle of the city, cafe hopping, or body wellness massages, Ho Chi Minh City would be a great destination. The city is famed for its many Koi Cafes, where one would literally sit in a sunken pod with koi swimming around them. These Koi Cafes are located a little further from the city centre, but with the affordable cab fare, they are easily reachable. I also thought the cost of the wellness massages was rather affordable, and the quality is good. History buffs or people who want to understand the unification history of the country or the Vietnam War would find this city interesting, with the War Relic Museum and the Independence Palace. However, for those of us who wanted to see more than the city would find it disappointing. There was nothing much nearby to visit, other than Ba Den Mountains and Cu Chi Tunnel. Unlike Hanoi, which has the scenic Halong Bay, Sapa, Ninh Binh, or Danang with Ba Na Mountains, Monkey Hill, and the historic Hue and Hoi An, which make perfect day trips that could extend the trip for additional days. I reckon a three-day trip to Ho Chi Minh City would be sufficient.