Now I’m glad this blog is called A Girl in Asia rather than A Girl in Cambodia – as a move to Saigon is imminent!
After nearly 2.5 years in Phnom Penh it’ll be sad to leave in some ways, yet it’s onwards and upwards to slightly more dynamic and cosmopolitan Saigon – a city that’s almost unrecognisable from ten years ago. Sure, there are still a few cone-hatted oldies roaming the streets but those streets are also home to glittering restaurants, chic bars, 5 star hotels, shops including Louis Vuitton and Gucci (real ones, not knock-offs!) – even Chloe and Marc Jacobs have opened their doors. But the great thing about Saigon is the contrast – a few metres down the road from the high-end stores might be a local restaurant where a steaming bowl of pho will set you back a few thousand dong. There are fantastic, bustling local markets and cheap finds galore, plus all the western comforts you could ask for too. It’s the perfect blend of old and new, Asian and western, local and expat…ok, you get the point!
Although I have visited Saigon plenty of times, I’m really looking forward to exploring the city further and getting to know it in more depth and attempting to learn some Vietnamese. But before heading off, I really need to do a few more all-important Phnom Penh posts. Coming soon – my ultimate Phnom Penh day, and things I wish I knew when I first moved to Phnom Penh…