Weather Gear, Ho Chi Minh City

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: The popular Vietnamese Straw hat not only protects you from the sun but also from rain sinece it's waterproof! Straw hats are a generic in asia an most asian countries like china, korea, cambodia, philippines, malaysia, etc have their straw hats and are basically made from dried straws and are made into different designs but the vietnamese straw hats stands out as an iconic symbols due to the vietnam war and that the vietcong use it too hence it is really popular to buy these hats and you can buy them everywhere in Saigon and prices vary but the average costs is 15,000 VND per hat.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: You may want to bring along your umbrella to protect yourself against the harsh sun or sudden rain. Jac & I were having dinner at the Ben Thanh Night Market when suddenly, the locals started to set up their big brollies and rain covers. There was no difference in terms of the colour of the sky. But lo and behold, rain started to pelt the ground. We were so amazed by these natural weather forcaster. This is truly an example of local knowledge.

Luggage and bags: Dont bring a mallet! Bring a 16L or 8L mounteneering backpack for your clothes and other things when u go to Vietnam.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: don't forget to bring raincoat so that you can roam around rain or shine. Also bring hiking shoes and rubber sandals.

Luggage and bags: Bring lots of empty bags to shop. As for money, don't bother changing at the airport. Exchange rates suck big time there. USDs are acceptable everywhere and the exchange rates are more favourable at the hotel. E.g. Caravelle Hotel uses bank rates from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank and they'll accept Sing/Aussie/Malaysian dollars.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Breathable Tops! Anything made of cool linen or cotten. "Teva" slippers are great for exploring HCMC or jumping around boats in Mekong Delta.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Maybe diarahhoea medication + hepatitis A+B shots before going. Hygeine sucks here but Malaria is not such a big problem here.

Photo Equipment: Good to bring lots of memory sticks, charger,etc,

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: Rain coats are a must in their rainy season. Umbrellas are useless when the winds are strong.

Miscellaneous: Ok, I really shouldn't say this but many Singaporeans say that the Vietnamese dong, look and feel a lot like "Hell Paper Money" Why? Coz it feels and looks like the paper currency we burn to the dead...No offence to Uncle Ho intended.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: I would recommend anyone heading to Saigon (HCMC) to bring a pair of sunglasses. The city is very dusty and it's a good idea to have some sort of eye protection. You can even bring your chemistry lab googles for all I care...hahaha....Just bring something to protect your eyes from the dust. If you are planning to ride scooters around, then it's a must. Besides, it'll make you look cool....hahaha ;)