Backpacking in Asia has always been on my travel bucket list. Apart from the fact that I get to visit multiple countries in one trip, it thrills me to go on adventures to places I've never been. And I finally got to tick that off my bucket list earlier this month.

I have been planning this trip for a year now. I wanted to be as spontaneous as possible but I'm a natural planner and I tend to plan every itinerary of my trip. Else, I feel like I won't be able to make the most of it. So here goes.

Day one of my trip started in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. From Manila, I took a midnight flight going to HCMC and arrived there in the wee hours of the morning. Because there were not a lot of airport taxis available, I ended up getting a so-called airport service and got scammed. They were able to get 500,000VND from me, which converts to roughly 1,000PHP. It was bad start to my trip but of course I didn't let that ruin the entire trip. It was a tough lesson learned but I was thankful that I got to my hotel safe and sound. And that I still have a lot of cash with me. After that, I vowed never to take a cab again for the entire duration of my trip.

I arrived at my hotel early and since I couldn't check in yet, I left my luggage there, took a quick shower, and went out to start my city tour. Because some of the attractions are a bit far from each other, I chartered a motorbike with a driver to take me to the iconic spots in the city.
 Notre Dame of Saigon
 Saigon Central Post Office
War Remnants Museum
 Ngoc Hoang Pagoda
 Museum of Vietnamese History
 Saigon Opera House
 Saigon City Hall
 Independence Palace

After the city tour, I went back to the hotel to finally check in, take another shower because it was so hot, and get some rest. I was tired and sleepy from the flight and all the touring around.

When I woke up fresh from my nap, I left the hotel again, this time to go to Ben Thanh food market for dinner. After dinner, I went to Bui Vien, also known as Backpackers Street, to meet up with my friend Jen and to have a taste of the Ho Chi Minh night life.
Bui Vien

And that pretty much concluded my first day in Ho Chi Minh and first day in this trip. Keep posted for more.