Sleep in and leisurely morning before our departure from Phan Thiet.

I had a gym workout before we hit the pool - working up an appetite for breakfast ( general consensus so far - the Vietnamese have mastered a mean omelette but forget the poached eggs and bacon!) Another swim and relax before we tackled the packaging - much more space without all the gifts we were carrying!

Checked out of our beautiful resort by midday. Staff have been brilliant - so attentive and caring, helped no doubt by the lack of occupants in its 123 rooms plus the fact that non-Asian guests would be extremely rare!

The hotel car drove us less then 15 minutes to Phan Thiet railway station where our train to Ho Chi Minh City was waiting for its scheduled 1.10pm departure. Seems reasonably comfortable and is air-conditioned. We were seated facing a young Vietnamese couple and their 8 month old little boy. Bottled water, juice or oolong tea and a towelette were distributed - can't complain so far considering the VND181,000 fare (about A$11!) for a four hour journey! The first stop, Binh Thuan, was only 15 minutes away - where we had originally planned to arrive by train from Ho Chi Minh. Dragon fruit plantations dominate the adjacent landscape then becoming sparsely populated, rural and quite dry. Soon passed through the area of rubber tree plantations - similar to those we saw previously. The villages enroute were very small, very basic housing, some virtually shanties hugging the railway line. Not until we were closer to Ho Chi Minh did the towns become more substantial in size. Interesting to watch the build up in the number of motorbikes as we approach the city - at some railway crossings there was nothing but a sea of motorbikes fading in the distance.

Right on schedule we arrived at 5.15pm, saying goodbye to our Vietnamese travelling companions. We had been concerned about the safety and reliability of Saigon taxis but still decided to give it a go especially after I had contacted the hotel and they wanted to charge us the equivalent of A$68 for a transfer. Our fare in a Vinnasun taxi for a journey of no more than 10 minutes was VND60,000 - $3.75!

Our superior room on the 9th floor at the Sofitel is fabulous! Spacious and tastefully decorated. We unpacked and headed up to the 18th floor, rooftop pool and bar to check the incredible illuminated city skyline over a drink. It was then off to find somewhere to eat, deciding on an American style diner, called NYDC, for a change of cuisine. End of another full and interesting day.