Date: Sep 17, 2022
Those who know me, I am a very lazy person. If I want to go for a golf and makan or family trip, I will ask the travel agents to plan the trip, and I pay and go. Most importantly, I have the mini van to sit in. After shopping can place all shopping bags in the van. So, In Thailand, I have Thomas. In Taiwan, I have 小平哥. In Hokkaido, I have Misa Kawata-san from Hokkaido Treasure Island Travel. Looks like in Vietnam, we found some one to help us to do the same thing, van renting, golf game arrangement, bring us around to eat, etc.
Let’s run thru the golf games and makan.
Vietnam Travel And Golf Tours Co. Ltd Contact
This is Belle from Vietnam Travel and Golf Tours Co. Ltd.
She can arrange golf game provide accomodation and transportation in Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Min or Dalat, etc etc. That’s her contact.
So, we have a wonderful 3 days of golf and makan. We asked her to joined us for seafood dinner. And she brought us a surprise dessert with our photo on it.
Our whatsapp group chat is called “The Almost Alcoholic” which has about 20-25 golfers playing 2-5 times a week togerther. So, 7 of us decided to play in Vietnam this week. And she bought this tasty castard puff for us.
So, next time, if you want to play golf in Vietnam, you can ask Bella for help. 跟美女拍张照吧！
The transport for 8 person with golf bags and luggages is a bit tight. But manageable. Seats are ok comfortable.
Day 1 Travelling Day
Let’s go back to Day 1. This is my first trip to Ho Chi Min City. The flight is cheap. I paid about S$260 for Singapore Airlines. May be because it is a late flight. Thus not so popular flight, that is why cheap. If you compare to taking Singapore Airlines to Bangkok or Jakarta, those plane tickets can be 3-4 times more expensive.
It only take us 20min to clear the custom. And we were greeted by Ms. Moon.
Kee Seng is the one who contacted Vietnam Travel & Golf Tours. So when we arrive, we know where to go.
We stayed at this hotel called Cochin Hotel. It is about S$60 a night. Not too bad.
Can’t wait for tomorrow golf. Hope there is no rain tomorrow.
Day 2 – 1st Golf at Long Thanh Golf Club – Lake 1st tee + Hill 1st tee
The golf course is not too bad. Condition is all right. The green speed is 9.2.
The buggy is on track. I think due to rain. The fairway is a bit soggy.
Course is a bit flat. But can be challenging too.
Blue sky. This is what you don’t or seldom get in Singapore.
We are playing the lake front-9 course. So, started to have water.
A lot of tee shot need to cross water.
First time I see this kind of pretty bird.
Wow, this is one of the signature hole. Play 80-90 meter down to the valley.
Aiya, suppose to take the green as background. The caddie didnt get it. hahaha
This signature hole is so beautiful. Nice to play.
Day 2 – Dinner – Tan Nha Restaurant – Best crispy suckling pig
I don’t know how they find this restaurant. It is Chinese restaurant on 2nd floor.
It is very old building. And from outside, it is just a old building.
This is the restaurant name card. Address and Contact.Wow
Inside it is very retro. Look at the decor. So retro.
But the food is really tok kong.
Let me run thru the dishes. The first dish is suckling pig. It is about $80-$90 only.
Wow, this is one of the best suckling pig I have ever tasted it. Very crispy very nice taste.
Let’s try the leg.
Wow! Equally tasty. Equally crispy.
2nd Dish is some home made Tofu with shrimp paste in inside. Does not looks so nice from outside.
So interesting. taste it with “Sugar”.
It is quite tasty. Very tasty indeed.
3rd Dish – Pork Intestines and pork kidney.
Wow! What an amazing dish.
The kidney is so clean and nice to eat. No strange smell or taste. And my friend Kee Seng bring all kind of sauces and chilli and pepper with him whenever he go to any restaurant. We taste it whatever sauce he recommended. It is nice!
The 4th dish is the fried Prawns. Nice too.
Then, it was over powered by the salt chicken 椒盐鸡. The 5th dish.
It comes with very nice ginger sauce.
The chicken skin is so tasty.
Since Singapore cannot eat very nice chicken recently, we enjoyed this dish very much.
The 6th dish is the Steam Promfret in Hong Kong soya sauce.
See how big the fish…
Looks so nice and fresh.
We actually re-ordered another suckling pig. It comes as 7th dish.
The 8th dish is the fat fat sweet sweet kai lan.
The 9th dish is the Hor Fun.
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That concludes our big feast dinner.
Day 3 – Long Thanh Golf Club – Hill back-9 and Lake back-9.
2nd golf game we played the remaining 18 holes. There are 4x 9 holes here. Lake and Hill course.
Weather is equally good.
This is one flight.
OK, the caddie uniform is quite stick to the skin. hahaha
My friend hitting the bunker shot. Nice.
Lots of water.
The hill course can be quite challenging. How to clear the trees huh?
The green speed is still 9.2 .. very good green.
Here is the 7 of us. Kee Seng dont want to stress his arm. so he didnt play today.
Let’s take a picture with “Welcome to Long Thanh Golf Club”.
Caddie #10, works here for 15 years. Very good line reader. He even helped my buggy mate.
Oh dear, another island green.
Lake course, of coruse a lot of water.
Day 3 – Ran Bien Seafood
Today we going to eat seafood. Look at all these fresh sea food. Some I had never seen before.
The Wok Hei.. hahaha
Oh, look octopus. Cute.
My friend Kee Seng has brought from Singapore a lot of different sauces and chillies for us to try with the seafood.
The first dish is the prawns. Nice and fresh.
Then some shell with nice garlic and veggies.
The soup of this steam shells are so nice.
Some sea snails.
I think better than Batam one.
Don’t forget to drink that tasty sauce inside the sea snail.
Wow… more shells…
And the big see hum.
Very bug see hum.
I love this see hum.
Taste so nice. I notice that they put a lot of peanuts.
The steam stone fish. Very nice.
This is how stone fish looks like.
Steam crabs.
Really yummy.
And to end the day, we have our See Hum porridge. Fisrt time I had this.
Here comes’ Bella’s dessert.
Day 4 – Morning Breakfast the Fantastic Pork Kidney Kuay Tew Soup.
Today, we are going to check out this Kuay Tew Soup. It is very near our Hotel. Search Google you get the address.
Look at all these fresh ingredients.
The menu is very simple.
As simple as the Vietnamese version.
Here comes my Kuay Tew Soup.
Oh My god! It is so good.
Look at how big the pork kidney.
And the Liver.
You can see from our table how much food we ordered.
Here is another angle with me inside by the table.
The young boss also wants to take a photo with me.
This is the minced pork soup. Tasty.
Dry Mee.
I share a bowl. The mee looks like this.
Don’t forget to put pork lard.
Day 4 – Visiting Market
After breakfast we take a quick stroll to the market.
You can buy a lot of things here. Like this cashew nuts with skins. My son Jay loves this so much when I get back and bring him 4 packs of it.
You can buy Avocado too. Now is not the season for long Avocado, only can get these round avocado.
don’t forget to drink some Vietnamese coffee.
Day 4 – Golf at Tan Son Nhat Golf Club
This is military golf club something like our Safra golf club.
It is another beautiful golf club.
Today, I partner with him Peter.
And here is the group photo.
We have beautify sky today.
Don’t forget to grab yourself the Bia Saigon Special beer.
The clouds started to come in.
I only bet the last hole. As the rest of the 17 I am koyak. I par and Seng Kee par too.
The golf club provide free food. So I ordered a Pho.
This pho is special.
It comes with eggs.
And the chilli is nice.
I always eat all these veggies. I see my cat at home loves it. So I guess eating these veggies is good for stomach.
That concludes my four day trip. The rest of my friends still staying another 2 more days.
Oh ya, the golf trip also come with a T-shirt. So we printed “The Almost Alcoholics!” on our shirt.
So, this is my frist trip to Ho Chi Min. And I really enjoy the golf and food there and all the fun and laughter these old folks brings me. hahahaha
