In 2016, I've made 2 weekend getaways to HCM, and here's a list of the eating places I'll recommend.

Vietnamese Cuisine

1. Nha Hang Ngon

Firstly, the architecture of this restaurant is really unqiue, open concept restaurant, with a fountain right in the middle and also plants everywhere. We were seated really fast and our food arrived quickly as well. The winner was the fried spring roll, everything else was good too and we had a lovely meal but the fried spring roll is a must try!

2. SH Garden

Wondering around the streets to look for a eating place can be daunting, but surprise surprise, I chose this place based on how it looked. They have a vintage lift installed and still took our orders though it was close to 10pm. Food was decent, but a bit pricey compared to Nha Hang Ngon.

3. Pho Binh.

It is of historical importance as according to lonely planet, " This was the secret headquarters of the Viet Cong (Vietnamese Communists; VC) in Saigon and from here they planned their attacks on the US embassy and other Saigon targets during the Tet Offensive of 1968".

We were served the pho along with a huge plate of raw veges, which you can pluck and add to the soup as you like. I really liked the pho, to me it's a great broth and nice noodles that are kinda al dente. Not the soggy overcooked type.

Western Food

1. La Villa

You come here for the view and the romantic ambience, food is decent but not worth shouting about but this is really a perfect place for a date night. Lights across the lawn, right by the sea, candle lit meal. Check, check and Check.

Area is perfect for a post dinner stroll as well.


2. Soul Burger

Craving a good burger, you've come to the right place! Was a bit hard to find as it's on the second floor so you have to go up a dodgy dark staircase before you hit it, but boy this burger packs a punch.

3. 4Ps Pizza

E says it's one of the best pizza place if you miss pizza. Way better than that of room service at the Sheraton.

Coffee & Cake

1. Pacey Cupcakes

I've eaten a lot of cupcakes - trust me on that (fats don't lie). And the cupcakes we got from here were all consistently good. The cake was moist, and cream not overly sweet.

2. Phuc Long

Ordered a Vietnamese milk tea and though it was too sweet for me, I like the vibe of the place and the coffee is a definite must try.

Being a typical girl, we use about probably 20% of all the clothes we hoard on a regular basis, so I've started, and continue to get rid of clothes that don't fit and aren't my style anymore.

Generally things from University days (4 years ago!) that are too short, too revealing (What was I thinking???) or generally just too young looking now.

Life revolves around work, church, brunches, date nights and generally clothes that are more sophisticated which to me means good quality fabrics, great cuts and most importantly, flatter my body.

So after taking about about 30 items I wanted to get rid of, I looked at various avenues of getting rid of clothes in Singapore.

There are 2 categories, the money making , hybrid , and donation option.

Tsukiji Fish market is a "Must Do" in Tokyo, and am glad to share that regardless of not being an early riser, you can still have your fish and eat it.

After a few days in the city, we signed up for a day trip to the mountains!We were deciding between booking the romance car and exploring ourselves vs a organised tour and we went with the fuss free option - Grayline tours!

After a full few days, we decided to take it easy and just cover 2 main things today. Firstly, check out the takashimaya near our hotel and the tokyu hands there.

We spent a lot longer in tokyu hands as we really enjoyed browsing all the various things, I personally loved the travel section and looking at the wide array of bags, we only walked away with some travel accessories but loved the experience.