I had a sleepless night. Being a light sleeper, I found myself tossing and turning throughout the night. It's quite typical for me not to sleep well during the first couple of nights on a trip. I found myself getting up a few times during the night, walking over to the bench to check the time on my phone (no side table as my bed was facing the wall), and then returning to bed to continue resting. I was so happy when I started hearing the sounds of passing vehicles on the road (since we were staying on the ground floor) because morning has arrived.
As I finished my preparation, I felt excited for the day ahead. Today would be the highlight of our trip, so we chose our nicest outfit that we bought to the trip to wear today.
It was almost 9am and we were done preparing, we were all set to embark on day 2 of our journey.
One last photo before we set off. We had missed taking pictures against the stunning backdrop yesterday, so we made sure to get a shot at this photogenic spot in our room.
Here's how our serviced apartment looked like when viewed from the opposite side of the street. As we headed in the direction of Saigon Square, we also looked around for a good spot to have breakfast.
Just 5 minutes walk from our serviced apartment is Independence Palace, a well-known attraction for tourists. Since we explored it during our previous visit, we did not revisit again.
Saigon Square was 26 minutes walk from our apartment. We ended up spending less than 10 minutes inside the mall because I was quite hungry and we couldn't find a suitable breakfast spot during our journey there.
As we stood on the opposite side of the street, we noticed a charming food spot above the striking blue awning called "Godmother." Without hesitation, we decided to dine there regardless of the menu, I was so hungry that I was unwilling to walk any further.
After nearly 40 minutes of walk, we finally settled down at Godmother Bake & Brunch for our breakfast at 10am. We were led to the second floor where there were plenty of seating options awaited us, each corner with different table arrangements. There was also alfresco seating for smokers who want to have a puff while waiting for food.
The panoramic street view from the cafe's second floor was refreshing.
Our impromptu exploration of the streets led us to surprises, and stumbling upon this lovely cafe was an unexpected finding. The ambiance and vibe were delightful, and they offered a wide variety of Western brunch options.
Since our food required 25 minutes preparation time, we took the opportunity to explore the alfresco area. With our flexible food itinerary, we have the freedom to leisurely explore and take in delicious food around the city.
Both of us ordered Matcha Latte at 85,000VND (or $4.86 before tax) which came with a beautiful latte art of rabbit and seahorse. The matcha latte had a harmonious blend with robust matcha flavour and well balance earthy tone.
I had Signature Savoury Pancake Stack at 170,000VND (or $9.71 before tax). After Linda's experience yesterday of not eating full for dinner, she decided to follow me in ordering the same menu, even though she had initially considered another option. The pancake stack arrived, consisting of three delectable pancake layers, accompanied by three savory bacon slices and a perfectly cooked egg.
While Godmother Bake & Brunch may be more expensive compared to other restaurants and cafes in Ho Chi Minh City, the ambience and quality of food was totally worth it. It's a place where you can lose yourself in the delightful drink and tasty brunch. Our bill came up to 578,340VND (or $33.05).
Godmother Bake & Brunch
2-4-6, 4 Đ. Đồng Khởi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Operating hours: 8am to 9pm daily
After the tasty brunch, we walked for about 10 minutes to Bitexco Financial Tower. As we were at the ground level, we came across a Watson store, I picked up some souvenirs from Watson for my friends and myself.
There was also an Adidas store so we decided to check out. Initially, I hadn't planned on making any purchases there, but Linda took quite awhile in the fitting room trying out the 5 apparels and deciding whether to buy a not. While waiting for her, I found two apparels that caught my eye and went for try on.
I went ahead to purchase one t-shirt which was on 50% sale. Lately, I've been on a journey to change my style with higher-quality items (style changed as I age).
We finally ascended to the Saigon Skydeck at 1.05pm, nearly 2 hours since we had left Saigon Square. We spent good amount of time shopping just at Watson and Adidas store. My friend was really good at shopping, she meticulously scanned through every items in the store while keeping an eye out for exceptional deals.
Saigon Skydeck is one of Ho Chi Minh City's tallest building located at level 49 of Bitexco Financial Tower, the high-speed elevator brought us straight up to level 49.
The floor to ceiling windows gave us a breathtaking 360-degree view of the bustling heart of the city. This unforgettable view provided us with the opportunity to capture memorable photos of the cityscape, which we could share with our family and friends when we returned home.
It was easy to just spent the day simply gazing at the enchanting old town below and losing ourselves in the countless little building structures. I was satisfied with my decision to include this magnificent experience in my itinerary.
The trishaw is one of the most nostalgic modes of transportation in the oldest day of Ho Chi Minh City. As the time passed, the trishaw has given way to motorcycles and cars with the urban development.
From this angle, we caught a glimpse of Diamond Plaza that was tucked away in one of the blue buildings behind the bushes of trees, a place that we we had visited yesterday, it seemed quite far from here.
We also spotted City Hall, a place that we planned to explore later. The skyline view from above allowed us to connect the dots between different parts of the city.
This view was breathtaking with Saigon River meandering its way through a bustling cityscape filled with vibrant buildings and landscapes, capturing the city's dynamic energy.
The scene was picturesque, prompting me to capture photos in every direction and not to miss out any corner of the cityscape.
The view of Saigon River continued, I spotted a patch of greenery on the opposite bank, with some tall office buildings. Ho Chi Minh City's skyline as impressive when view panoramically from the top.
We spotted a new building in the process of construction. Whenever Linda saw new development works, she will point it to me and hint for revisit to the city.
We have completed walking a full round of the observation deck, the skyline before me blew me away. The panoramic view from the Saigon Skydeck left an indelible impression, definitely a must-visit destination in my view.
Catching the last few glimpse of the scenery, we spent about an hour at the skydeck. Every moment spent immersed in the breathtaking views was splendid.
Bitexco Financial Tower can be easily spotted. Just keep a lookout for the tallest tower on your way and you won't need your map, guiding your journey with ease.
Saigon Skydeck
36 Đ. Hồ Tùng Mậu, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Operating hours: 9.30am to 9.30pm daily
Entrance fee: 240,000VND (or S$13.71)
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