I managed to catch at least three hours of sleep last night despite waking up twice to check the time, I really dragged sleepless night because the time was so hard to pass.
By 8.10am, I was fully prepared to start the day, though the lingering traces of tiredness still visible on my face.
The reason for waking up early was to enjoy the breakfast set available from 7am to 9am at Café 30/4. We arrived at the cafe around 8.30am, it was just 5 minutes walk away from our serviced apartment, besides Independence Palace. While we had visited this spot five years ago when it was under Highlands Coffee, it had now been taken off by Café 30/4.
It was a two storey cafe and we had the whole of level 2 all to ourselves. Stepping into this cafe brought a wave of nostalgia, reminding us of past memories. The wooden charm of the new interior design gave a different style to the familiar cafe.
After gotten our food, we moved in to get a seat besides the floor-to-ceiling glass window with ample of sunlight filtering in. The tranquil and relaxing ambience, coupled with greenery surrounding, make having breakfast here enjoyable, and with privacy too as we were the only customers on level 2.
Both of us got the combo set which consist of Ice Coffee and Pork Banh Mi Que. we added milk to the coffee for an additional of 10,000VND per pax, making the set cost 65,000VND (or S$3.71) per pax. While it may not be considered very cheap, the price remained reasonable for a café. The coffee was not bitter with substantial ratio of sweetness in it.
We sat here for about 1 hour 15 minutes to immerse ourself in the pleasure of coffee, bread, scenery and conversation. I really enjoyed moments like these, where we simply live in the present.
I noticed a routine of the locals where they like to gather at the opposite park. Some sat along the pathway or on the grass, enjoying breakfast or engaging in conversations to kickstart their day.
Café 30/4
1 Huyền Trân Công Chúa, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Operating hours: 6am to 9pm daily
We returned back to our room to rest, we took the time to pack our baggage and get ready to check out, preparing for the next leg of our journey at a different hotel.
We took a Grab ride back to our next hotel at The Hammock Hotel Fine Arts Museum, which cost 32,000VND (or S$1.83) for 10 minutes drive. We waited 13 minutes for the Grab car as it missed our location and had to go one big round. One thing about Grab in Vietnam is that the driver don't anyhow cancel rides. Despite going one big round, the driver messaged me and asked me to wait for him.
Upon receiving a message that the driver had arrived, we were surprised to find no sign of his car. It turned out he was at the furthest lane and he rolled down the window, waving to get our attention. We have to dash across the moving traffic of motorcycles and cars with our baggage to the car. It was really dangerous.
We reached The Hammock Hotel Fine Arts Museum (the slim black building) around 12.10pm. The 3-star hotel is situated in District 1 with walking distance to local attractions and sights, the 10 storey high hotel has 45 rooms.
The Hammock Hotel Fine Arts Museum
59-61 Đ. Nguyễn Thái Bình, Phường Nguyễn Thái Bình, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
The hotel may looked ordinary from the outside, but once we stepped in, the lobby revealed an artistic charm that captivated me instantly.
Though the official check in time was 2pm, we were lucky to have our room ready for us when we arrived early for check in.
Here's our Cozy Double Nest room (20sqm) which we paid S$79.88 for a night stay. The room gave a unique vibe, with handcrafted furnishing, artistic decorations, wooden furniture completed with a hammock. It allowed us to immerse in the firsthand experience of fine arts in Vietnam. No wonder it is named The Hammock Hotel Fine Arts Museum.
The view from our room at level 7, being on a higher floor gave us a better view of the city where we glanced out the window.
Our room has two windows, each offers different perspective. Here's the view from the second window, I spotted more office buildings from this side and caught a glimpse of Bitexco Financial Tower at the corner.
The bathroom layout featured a separator that separate the bathing area from the toilet bowl, while the basin is positioned outside the bathroom.
The design of the room was creative, revealing hint of arts at every corner. Despite its modest size, the space was just right for us, offering essential amenities and ample space for us to walk comfortably.
There were cup noodle provided in our room which I foresee we might be eating. It was so unique to have a drawing board in our room which added an extra layer of charm, inviting us to showcase our creativity and leave our mark through the artwork.
After 15 minutes of settling down in our room, we headed up to the snack bar at level 9 which offers free flow of snack and drinks for us to grab a bite at any time. This was one of the reasons why Linda picked this hotel, the other reason was the complimentary breakfast. These gestures added extra delight to our stay.
The snacks consisted of a variety of tidbits and cup noodles. Linda wasted no time in opening up one cup noodle, so I guessed this will be where we going to have our lunch at.
Guests can choose to sit comfortably in indoor where one can enjoy the aircon or lounge at outdoor to smoke. The outdoor ambience offered a serene escape to relax and enjoy the amazing view around our accommodation.
The view outside was pretty much similar to our room as it was facing the same direction, except that it was two level higher. So I only shared this photo which captured the place we will be heading next, Fine Arts Museum, conveniently nestled just a street away from our hotel.
I headed back indoor for the food, I had a packet of chocolate milk, a steaming cup of chicken flavour noodle and also grab a bag of tidbit. It was a simple and comforting lunch.
We went up to the rooftop at level 10, which was another chilling spot of the hotel with spectacular panorama of the surroundings. I preferred this hotel more than the previous one because of their attentive facilities and sweet gesture that they offer. Being in district 1, we were also nearer to many of the popular sites.
The popular mode of transportation in Vietname, motorcycle, was displayed on the roofttop. I loved the artful touches scattered throughout the hotel, each installation adding a touch of cultural vibrancy to our stay.
We headed back to our room and get ourselves prepared to head out for adventure.
