David Pizzeria (Vung Tau)

The most advertised, the best located, the most popular, and maybe the best pizza place in Vung Tau is David. I say maybe because we haven't tried them all. But if you crave amazing thin-crust pizza, this is the place.

David Pizzeria belongs to an Italian from Florence, Marco, and his Vietnamese wife. Marco does his job really well - the place looks like an Italian trattoria and the food tastes like home... his home.

If you want a table with a view to the sea on the first floor, it's better to make a reservation. The place is always busy, the waiters are crazed, and the owner is probably in Ibiza, spending the profit. Well, no, he is not. Rumor has it that both his wife and him work hard in the pizzeria.

They serve both local and Italian dishes: pizza, pasta, antipasti, Mediterranean salads, home bread, deserts, as well as a nice wine selection, out of which il vino de la casa (red, brought from Sicily) is amazing (210,000 VND / 0.5 l). Their fish is also a treat and comes in many glorious versions: wahoo tuna steak, baked sea bass, deep fried perch, etc. But the real treat for most patrons was the slow roasted lamb/pork shank, served with new potatoes.

Pizza Napoli

 The helpings are huge and the food is really, but really good! Pizza comes in three versions: small (around 140,000 VND), medium (160,000 VND) and large (180,000 VND).

Insalata di frutti di mare

Mediterranean salad

David Pizza was located at 130 Ha Long St., West of the ferry terminal, but in December 2012 they moved to 92 Ha Long St (East of the terminal). I really wished we could have paid by credit card once they moved to this new location...

David Pizzeria - (address above), Ph: 064 385 6612.

Ha Long Hotel (Vung Tau)

Double room, garden view

Located on the street bearing the same name, next to Dua Beach, Ha Long is a spotless 2-star hotel that sells for $21 per double room (garden view) - 102 Ha Long St.

All 36 rooms are equipped with flat TV screens, complimentary wi-fi connection, air-conditioning, and mini-fridge. Prices for all the drinks in the minibar or available for room service vary between 10,000 VN and 15,000 ($0.5-$0.7).

The bathrooms are also large and spotlessly clean, fitted with brand new amenities.

It's a very quiet and clean 7-story place, on the shore of the ocean, with stunning sea view or views to the lush green hills behind. It offers room service and  a restaurant located at the first floor, but there are lots of dining options within feet of hotel.

View from the hotel

View from the courtyard

We booked the room in advance and paid by credit card on Agoda. It seems it's not listed on booking.com, so any reservation must be paid at the moment of booking.

Ha Long Gotel - 102 Ha Long Street, Ward 2, Dua Beach, Vung Tau, Vietnam.

Metro An Phu (District 1)

Major shopping today. Where to go? Our friends told us about the Metro Cash&Carry in District 2 (An Phu). We took a cab in the Zoo area (Nguyen Binh Khiem St.) - 85,000 VND (roughly $4).

Metro An Phu is like any other Metro store in the world - the layout and the concept are the same, only the products are different. In order to be able to do the shopping here, you need a one-day pass. They will issue you one on the spot, after you present your passport and a photocopy of it.

What I liked about that place was that you can find everything you need under one roof and, it's fairly inexpensive, and the price tags display the name of the products in English. Otherwise I would have found myself in big trouble :). The downsides: they do not take any kind of Visa, Mastercard, or American Express and you are not allowed to have any kind of bag or any bottle of water or juice on you.  That's insane.

Metro sample prices:

Fresh clams - 40,000 VND/kilo

Vinamilk cream cheese - 25,800 VND / pack

Tuna - 54,780 VND / 4 cans

Bread - 17,700 VND

Green dragon - 5,700 VND/kilo

Water melons - 7,190 VND/kilo

Radishes - 8,000 VND/kilo

Carrots - 20,000 VND/kilo

Sweet corn - 36,740 VND / 2 cans

Rice - 78,750 VND / 5-kilo sack

Fresh noodles - 43,670 VND / 3 packs

Nuoc Mam (dipping fish sauce)  - 31,680 VND / 2 bottles

Chili sauce - 29,150 VND / 2 bottles

Zorok beer - 208,000 VND / 20 cans

Dalat red wine - 47,300 VND

Chile red wine - 105,710 VND

Shower gel (Lifebuoy) - 85,000 VND / 3 bottles

Raid insect killer spray - 92,547 VND / 2 pieces

Cif cleaning paste - 51,557 VND / 2 pieces

Cotton bath towels - 124,000 VN(60 cm * 120 cm)

Cleaning cloths - 24,750 VND / 3 pieces

Door mats - 49,000 VND / 2 pieces

Ironing board - 153,500 VND

Vacuum cleaner (Goldsun) - 902,000 VND

There are many other things on my invoice, but it's impossible for me to list them all here because of the Vietnamese I haven't learned yet. All in all, it's a very good place to go shopping for your house. They also have a delivery service for a nominal fee, depending on how many items you purchased. But you can just take one of the Vinasun taxis parked in the front of the store and... delivery problem solved!

Metro An Phu - An Phu - An Khanh, District 2, HCMC, Vietnam. Ph: (+848) 37 406 677; Fax: (+848) 35 190 361. Opening hours: Monday to Sunday : From 06:00 to 21:00.

Tram Chim National Park

Tram Chim National Park (c) John Lemon. Source: Flickr.

Source: VPN

Tram Chim National Park is an eco-tourist area known as a “green island” with a typical natural landscape of the submerged region of Dong Thap Muoi. The park is home to many botanical species and nearly 200 species of water birds which account for about a quarter of the birds in Vietnam. This includes many rare and precious species of water birds. Among them, the most well-known are the red-headed cranes, one of 15 endangered species of cranes in the world. Nearly 60 percent of the population of red-headed cranes resides in Tram Chim National Park.

The red-headed crane is the tallest among the flying birds in the world. Many of them are nearly 2m tall. They have smooth grey fur, long legs and a long neck. They walk slowly and stretch their wings wide when flying. The cry of the crane is loud and can be heard far away, up to 2-3km. This is because the crane has a long windpipe that creates a sound resonance phenomenon, just like the tube of a trumpet.

Scientists say that red-headed cranes appeared on the earth 60 million years ago, during the time of the gigantic reptile, and lived on all the continents. Tram Chim National Park also has other species of birds, such as the white-winged duck and pelicans.

From late December to early May, flocks of cranes return to Tram Chim to live after migrating to evade the floods. They fly over a vast carpet of green cajeput trees, creating a fantastic scene. Visiting the park during that time people will enjoy the landscape of beautiful skies, rivers and cajeput forests. Hundreds of species of birds, such as storks, teals, grebes, herons and wild ducks perch on branches of trees seeking food.

Tram Chim National Park has the natural identity of the Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) region. There are cajeput forests that are 10-18 years old, various species of lotus (white, pink and half white and half pink, water lilies, rice, and water morning glory.

In early 1999, Tram Chim was officially recognized as Tram Chim National Park by the Government. This brought a great source of joy and pride to local people in Dong Thap Muoi. Many international organizations for natural preservation have provided funds to protect this park.

Every year, thousands of tourists visit Tram Chim, of which about 30 percent are foreigners. Tourists will find a peaceful atmosphere and have a chance to watch flocks of cranes returning to live in this submerged area.

Larue Export Beer - The Friendly

Brewed by Foster's (Danang).

Alcohol content: 4.5%. Export pale lager. Clean light golden color, nice white cap, good lacing. Malty and fruity, sweet and grassy taste. Soft carbonation. Bittersweet aftertaste. Should be served only very cold. Very friendly, inoffensive. 17,000 VND in decent eateries.

San Miguel - Not Really a Pilsner

Brewed by San Miguel Corporation (Philippines).

Alcohol content: 5%. German Pilsner style, but more of an American adjunct lager. Very clear golden body, thick white head that fades out quickly, but with a good amount of sticky lace down the glass. Moderate bitter-sweetness, surprisingly malty. Medium active carbonation. Overall refreshing, yet very offensive.

Tiger Beer - The Most Popular Among Tourists

Brewed by Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) in 12 countries all over Asia.

Alcohol content: 5%. American adjunct lager style. Definitely a favorite of most tourists in Vietnam. Light colored, thin white cap that doesn't last long. Grainy metallic smell, harsh in flavor at first taste, but crisp and clean. Bland lager, inoffensive. Marries well with spicy food. 18,000 VND for a 330 ml bottle, 23,000 VND for the large one in most decent eateries.

Red and Green Saigon Beers - The Most Affordable

Brewed by Sabeco (Ho Chi Minh City).

Green Saigon (Bia Saigon Lager) - Alcohol content: 4.3%. Clear golden body pale lager with a thin white head. Nice refreshing citrus smell. Pungent malty taste. Light bodied. Light sweet aftertaste, a bit metallic. Not bad, yet very light and watery - goes well with very spicy food. 14,000 VND at most reasonably priced restaurants.

Red Saigon (Saigon Export) - the premium version of Bia Saigon Lager. Alcohol content: 4.9%. Light golden body. Distinct taste, surprisingly good, refreshing. Averagely carbonated. Hoppy bitter aftertaste.  17,000 VND at most reasonably priced restaurants.

Zorok Beer - The Most Flavored of All Locals

Bottled Zorok, not that frequent

Brewed by SABMiller Vietnam. Alcohol content: 5%

Clear pale golden lager with small white cap. Mild fruity hops and mild sweet malts aroma. Low carbonation. Bittersweet aftertaste. The most flavored of the local beers. Not available in all restaurants. 25,000 VND per bottle in street-side bars.