An Afternoon Outing

Between paying rent plus two months deposit our rental house in Viet Nam and sending money home each month for the mortgage on the house in Atlanta, Steven and I have been living quite frugally since we arrived in Viet Nam in August. Part of this frugal lifestyle involves many weekends at home while our friends are out seeing the country. Granted that many of the places they are visiting, we have visited already, but it is less the need to see, than the need to get out of the city that starts that telltale itch.

Last weekend, we decided to take an afternoon to explore a part of HCMC that we hadn't explored yet. Asia Life, our local expat magazine, had an article on Than Da island, in a district just 20 minutes from our house. Though Than Da island is not quite what one thinks of when one thinks of an island, it is still - technically - an island, being a landmass surrounded by water - that water being the Saigon River which snakes its way around this particular parcel of land separating it from the surrounding city by short bridges. While neither palm trees, ocean, nor while sandy beaches appear anywhere in Aisa Life's description of Than Da island, it does say that upon entering it is possible to feel "miles away from the city" while, in reality, only being minutes away. For me, this was the most attractive part.

On Saturday morning, we set off in search of something new. According to the article Than Da island is home to many local restaurants and resorts, so we set about to find the one that sounded most appealing - Binh An Village. After a short 15 minute ride, we found ourselves on Than Da island and not long after pulling into Binh An Village. We were immediately impressed with the immaculate landscaping, the tasteful decor and most importantly, the quiet serenity of the river front. We happily whiled away a few hours having lunch and exploring the grounds, enjoying our new found escape from the city.