Vietnam Vacay

My girlfriends and I had a mommies day out last February and this time we took a trip to Vietnam! Our last outing was in Hong Kong back in 2015 so we were really itching to have a girls trip again. We were originally thinking of going to Bali but then decided on Ho Chi Minh City since we wanted to go shopping (and hindi pa ready ang bikini bodies namin lol!) Actually, the last time I was in Vietnam was back in 2008 and it was actually the first out of the country trip I took with hubby back when we were still BF/GF. So this place has a special spot in my heart. :)

Anyway, we were here for just 3 days since we had to rush back quickly to our babies (husbands included ;p).

I was in charge of looking for a hotel and I found a super good deal in Agoda. We really wanted a hotel close to Ben Thanh Market so we could just walk around easily. And I was able to book The Luxe Hotel for just P8,208 for 2 nights! So that was just P2k each for the 4 of us. And it had 2 queen-sized beds plus breakfast too. Super sulit!

The room was very basic but it was clean and a good size. We were also impressed with how friendly and helpful the staff were, especially one of the door men who even walked with us to the money changer when we asked for directions.

Breakfast was great since there were a lot of choices and it was different for the 2 days we were there.

The hotel was about 2 blocks from Ben Thanh Market, so around 5 minutes walk. There were so many other hotels along the street and I loved how we were right in the middle of the action. Of course, we made sure to be extra vigilant and aware especially since we were all girls.

The best learning experience for us was probably how to cross the street! Admittedly, medyo lahat kami hindi marunong tumawid lol! And it was extra hard here in Vietnam with all the motorcycles everywhere. Half ng street motor. Everytime we would cross the street, we were holding hands and screaming since the motorcycles would just zip by so close to us. I swear, it was so obvious we were tourists haha! But we survived!

Or course, shopping was our main agenda and we spent most of our time in Ben Thanh Market...

And Saigon Square...

And when you shop with your girlfriends, you can't help but buy the same stuff. Twinning lang ang peg! Plus, it was easier to ask for discount when buying in bulk. At first also, we were kinda shy to haggle. But then after a while, super galing na namin! With matching acting and pacute and even begging haha! And it worked naman most of the time ;p

We were originally supposed to take a day tour to Cu Chi Tunnels, but then decided we wanted to shop more! What's new?! We did manage to go around and see some of the famous spots in the city like the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saigon Central Post Office.

You can easily walk around the city but it was so hot we just took a cab when we explored. Our taxi driver from the airport warned us to take the "Vinasun" operated taxis since other cabs rip off tourists and don't use the meter.

It was also fun eating since the food was so good especially the pho noodle soup!

Of course, we didn't forget to say "Thank You" to our hubbies for allowing us to take a break and watching over the kids while we were gone. We sent them postcards literally sealed with a kiss!

I really think it's important for us moms to have some "me" time every now and then. Even though you're thinking about your kids all the time and still worry about every little thing when you're gone, you still come back so recharged and refreshed. And as I always say: happy wife = happy life!