Its been a year!

I just realised that I've been staying in HCMC, Vietnam for a year already. The city never fails to intrigue me and I could recall the feelings when I first arrived and witnessing the massive changes over the past one year.

HCMC's international airport was the first thing I saw when I first stepped into Vietnam a year ago. During landing, as the plane approached the airport, metal canopies which were storage space for artillery during the Vietnam war could still be seen. Its is one of the oldest and most run down airport I've ever seen. Non travelers are not allowed into the airport and I was overwhelmed by the massive crowd waiting outside the airport when I stepped out. On top of that, there were taxi drivers touting tourists and the whole scene was chaotic.

HCMC's old international airport

HCMC's old international airport has been turned into a domestic
airport ever since the new international airport opened its doors last year

HCMC's new international airport - much bigger, cleaner and newer

Although the situation of massive crowd & taxi drivers touting still remain the same,
the experience inside is now a much better one

Took the Vietnam Airlines Airbus to Hanoi a few times. I must say the
plane is clean and the cabin crew provides rather good customer service.
Surprisingly, the Vietnam Airlines plane has one of the smoothest landing I've ever
experienced (every flight!). One of the major downside about taking Vietnam
Airlines is experiencing flight delays (about 1 to 2 hours) at least 80% of the time.

Sofitel Hotel was the first and only hotel I stayed in

Unique layout where the bed is right in the middle of the room

Writing table behind the bed, separated by a partition

View from the hotel room

The expensive Park Hyatt Hotel
(where Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie stayed when they were here to adopt a kid)

Caravelle Hotel

Many other hotels in the prime areas of district 1

Bong Sen Hotel

Kimdo Royal City Hotel next to the Saigon Tax Center

HCMC Opera House, with french influenced architecture

The magnificent looking People's Committee Building, also with french influenced architecture

The Reunification Palace (like Singapore's Istana)

This long straight road is known to be the one which the Viet Cong tank
took to crash the gate of the palace in 1975, marking the reunification between
Communist North Vietnam and then Capitalist, South Vietnam

Various 70s looking meeting rooms with retro furnitures in the palace

Mini film theater in the palace

The famous helicopter chopper used during the war. Remember the play, 'Miss Saigon' ?

The famous Notre Dame Cathedral, again with French influenced architecture

Lots of tour buses and even wedding car outside the cathedral

The famous Post Office with its French influenced architecture

Inside the Post Office

The well known Ben Thanh Market

Inside the market

Food stalls inside the market

The iconic statue on the round-about outside the market

Shops & roads opposite the market

Nguyen Trai is a busy street with lots of fashion shops

Mango and Triump are definitely popular with the local rich ladies here

Old apartments

Run down single-storey shop-houses

Multiple-storey rundown shop-houses

Huge supermarket in An Phu, district 2
(area where residences are mostly expats staying in houses)

Clarins is another popular brand with the local rich ladies too.
A huge outlet in the Jardine House situated at the prime district

Saigon Square in its old location - where you can find lots of imitation goods

Norfolk Mansion found in district 1

New apartment coming up next to Sky Garden in district 1

X'mas and New Year lights up along the streets of district 1