"I wanted to go to a place with great weather, interesting culture, delicious food and friendly people, plus there were many other unique things I could experience in a week, so I chose Vietnam. I started my trip from Ho Chi Minh City through the Mekong Delta and to the island of Phu Quoc," said CNBC travel reporter Lucy Handley.
CNBC travel reporter Lucy Handley said the unique tropical climate, diverse culture, delicious cuisine and friendly people were the factors that made her choose Vietnam as the destination for her adventure journey.
Before arriving in Vietnam, Lucy had been warned about the traffic jams in Ho Chi Minh City, which has a population of about 9 million people. As the plane flew lower and the tall buildings of the city became clearer at night, Lucy saw the lights of hundreds of motorbikes speeding on the streets. She was attracted by the bright colors and vibrant life of this city.
Lucy then embarked on a walking tour. The group of 12, including the tour guide, met at Nguyen Hue Street, Ben Nghe Ward. On the way, the tour guide pointed to a sign on the roof of the nearby Rex Hotel that read: “Five o’clock follies,” a reference to the 5 p.m. press conferences held by the US military during the Vietnam War.
Ho Chi Minh City Opera House at night
Continuing the journey, Lucy and the group visited and stopped opposite the Saigon Opera House. This place was built in the late 19th century and designed by French architect Eugene Ferret. This is also a famous place where many people often come to take pictures. Interestingly, Lucy saw two couples posing on the stairs while avoiding the moving traffic.
She also came and admired ancient buildings such as the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral with the statue of Our Lady of Peace. Finally, the Independence Palace, near the War Remnants Museum, which stores thousands of precious documents, images and artifacts.
A simple Saigon through plastic chairs on the sidewalk
What impressed Lucy Handley was the sight of people gathering at roadside stalls for lunch. She was taken to a small restaurant to enjoy the famous hamburgers and coffee on small plastic chairs. Although she was in Ho Chi Minh City for a short time, Lucy loved the city from its architecture, history to the bustling atmosphere and extremely friendly people. Lucy was helped across the street by a restaurant employee who was still on duty.
Leaving Ho Chi Minh City, the British tourist continued her journey to the Mekong Delta with its rice fields, intricate river systems and bustling floating markets. Lucy Handley spent two days enjoying the river life of the people in the West.
She traveled by bus and boat. The group's first stop was Tien Giang, visiting the town of My Tho and Vinh Trang Pagoda, built in 1849. Then, the group took a wooden boat along a narrow canal lined with lush green palm trees and stopped at Con Quy, Ben Tre to see how coconut candy is made.
The West offers many interesting and unique experiences for foreign tourists.
Lucy shared that floating markets are the top tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta, especially the image of people wearing conical hats and selling all kinds of things on their boats. She and the group visited Cai Be market just outside Can Tho city. She also tasted pineapple with chili salt and drank strong Vietnamese coffee from a vendor on a nearby boat.
After a few busy days of travel, Lucy arrives at a beach resort on Phu Quoc Island. There, she lounges on palm-fringed beaches, wanders around taking in the views, or relaxes by the pool with a cucumber martini. She enjoys the tropical island and Italian and Vietnamese cuisine at the nearby restaurant.
Phu Quoc Island is the final destination in the female reporter's journey to explore Vietnam.
