Arriving in Vietnam

15/09/2025 Leticia Lượt xem: 594

Arriving in Ho Chi Minh at the end of august is hot and humid!

I purchased a sim card at the airport and order a grab taxi (on the grab app, a most have, it’s like uber). Because the second of September is a national holiday I stayed in Ho Chi Minh for a few days before heading to Phan Thiet.

To go from Ho Chi Minh to the Thien Chi Center located near Phan Thiet, you have two options.

Option 1: the bus (8€)

Go to this address in Ho Chi Minh; Trung Nga bus station: 85A, Nguyen Cu Trinh, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city - Address on GG map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/89Fk4eSUStPDDPTx7.

Go to the man sitting on the computer and deliver this message meaning that they should sell you a ticket to this destination: “Bán cho bạn này 1 vé về bến Trung Nga ở Võ Văn Kiệt nha anh”

You can follow the bus on google maps and it should leave you here: (Address on GG map for the place the bus drop you) https://maps.app.goo.gl/TTY1i3tS965kxcWK8


Once you drop in Phan Thiet, a staff member will come to pick you up.

This is the option I chose, and, in my experience, I arrived at the bus station in Ho Chi Minh around 8 am and I had to wait the bus until 11am. So maybe if you have time to ask beforehand, you can save some useless waiting time. Other than that, everything went smoothly.

Option 2: taxi (100€)

For the second option, you can just book a taxi, but it is expensive as the drive there is around 3h30.

Once here, the thien chi director picked me up and showed me to my homestay.

Leticia

 

 

Bài viết khác

Support that makes a difference

24/04/2026
Emily
49
A day with Thien Chi families shows how long-term support leads to real progress. From increased income to small businesses and new opportunities through education.

Cows, chicken, pigs and clothes

23/04/2026
Emily
63
Yesterday’s field visits included meeting several families supported by the Thien Chi Center and learning more about their different living situations. From health challenges to income generation, the visits showed both the difficulties many families face and the different ways support is provided.

From Farm Visits to New Challenges

22/04/2026
Emily
65
From morning coffee with the team to visiting local families and farms, my first full day in Tanh Linh offered a wide range of new experiences. It also gave insight into some of the current challenges the organization is facing.

Arriving in Tanh Linh

21/04/2026
Emily
74
After arriving in Tanh Linh, I quickly noticed how different daily life is compared to Phan Thiet. Between a new work routine and the cooler evenings in the mountains my first day already made me look forward to the coming weeks here.

Wearing ao dai and talking about sex education

20/04/2026
Emily
62
My last day in Phan Thiet started with an English lesson at the beach, all dressed in traditional ao dai. Later, we discussed the topic of sex education and gained insight into its current situation in Vietnam and the role of local support programs.

Education

15/04/2026
Emily
89
During my internship, I visited two schools supported by the Thien Chi Center and gained insight into everyday school life in Vietnam. From large class sizes to structural challenges in the education system, these visits showed how support programs aim to improve access to education, especially for students from low-income families.