Mini Travel Guide: Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)

A listicle of which district to stay, activities to do, sights to see and what to eat in this high-octane city mixed with old and new.

Where to Stay:

- District 1, Bui Vien: The area contains most of the tourist attractions and constantly bustling with nightlife. However, it gets really congested and crowded during peak hours on top of restaurants/shops charging a little higher than other districts. Where most tourists are.

- District 5, Chinatown: Where Binh Tay Market, largest market in Saigon is located in. A good percentage of locals here are able to speak Chinese and the area here contains prominent Buddhist landmarks and oriental architectural. More budget friendly.

- District 2, Thao Dien: For those who prefer a place away from the typical hustle and bustle of the city center, the area is also home to Saigon Outcast - an artistic space for concerts, flea markets & festivals. For the creative souls.

Activities to Do:

- Day Trip to Mekong Delta: Enjoy a boat trip along the river, visit fruit orchards, listen to the traditional folk music, learn how traditional coconut candies are produced and visit a bee farm.

- Day Trip to Cu Chi Tunnels: Get a sneak-peek at the underground life of Vietnamese soldiers in this war museum.

- Try an Airbnb Experience: Find your inner peace during tea-tasting and learning about the different variety of Vietnamese tea or making your own cup of cà phê đá. Food tours and student tours are a great option too!

- Visit a traditional market: Make a stop in one of the many markets Saigon has to offer, be it

Chợ Tân Định, Vuon Chuoi Market, Thai Binh Market. Squeeze through tiny alleys to buy packets of snacks, haggle for souvenirs or inspired goods. The most popular market is definitely Ben Thanh where you can get local coffee, snacks and souvenirs as well as Vietnamese street food! The market is sectioned nicely so you know where to go for the food, coffee/tea, souvenirs. Just a rough price guide so you know the average price to pay: coffee/tea (60k - 150k/100g), mixed dried fruits (50k/250g), avocado smoothie (25-30k max), small dishes/noodles (40-80k max), fresh coconut (20k max).

- Enjoy the nightlife of District 1: Get a steal from night markets such as Phan Boi Chau Night Market or sit on tiny stools with a drink in hand along Bui Vien Street. There will be street vendors with carts of dried squids, green papaya salads and fruits beckoning you to purchase some. Side note, beware of laughing gas balloons though.

- Visit a museum: Learn more about Vietnam by paying a visit to Ho Chi Minh City Museum, War Remnants Museum, Vietnam History Museum or appreciate some art pieces at HCM Museum of Fine Arts.

- Shop at hipster malls: Take more Instagram shots at The New Playground and Zone 87 (permanently closed) shopping areas with local designers and one-of-a-kind trinkets. The building that houses The New Playground is also home to other local shops such as LIBÉ. To get to the stores is pretty easy, simply enter the "shop front" at the traffic light and take the stairs up. Alternatively, if you are brave, you can take the elevator up.

- Score a find at vintage stores or thrift shops: My personal favourite is Mayhem Saigon, a lovely two-floor shop tucked in the back alley. They even have a complimentary tailor service that helps you alter your chosen clothes in 3-4 days! Con Qua Den is a multi-storey thrift store and on weekends, they host fleas on the 3rd and 4th floor. A stone throw away is another thrift store, Thanh Ly Quan Ao.

- Stop by Weekend Markets: Hello Weekend Market is a random street market that pops up every now and then. We were there on a Sunday but they were not open. Do check for their dates. The Box Market is a weekend flea market to check out as well.

- Take a panorama: Head to the 49th-floor observatory of the iconic Bitexco Financial Tower to the Saigon Skydeck and take in Ho Chi Minh City.

- Cafe Hop: Grab Vietnamese traditional coffee or just chill your day away in Instagram-worthy cafes with equally photogenic food and drinks. Aesthetically pleasing cafes that are not overpriced include Godmother bake & brunch, The Running Bean, L'Usine, Hue. If you are looking for those balcony cafes, 42 Nguyen Hue has 9 floors of cafes for you to pick from. You can climb the stairs or pay a small fee of 3,000 VND to take the elevator up. (Cheat Code: Climb to the 2nd floor and then take the lift up for free.) If you are looking for a budget option, Highlands Coffee, Phu Long and Trung Nguyen Coffee are the way to go. These chains are scattered in every corner of the city, it won't be difficult finding one.

- Massage: When in South East Asia, getting a massage is always a good idea. Especially when walking over 10km a day. After trying Temple Leaf Spa, Miu Miu Spa and Cat Moc Spa, my favourite was the latter. The 2 hours body massage at Temple Leaf Spa (680k) was value for money as you will be pampered with cucumber mask and hot stones, however the staff were really rough and I was bruised from the kneading. Miu Miu spa had the best facilities and the service was impeccable (you even get a refreshing sorbet, candied ginger and tea after) but the massage was so-so for the price you are paying (520k for 90mins Shiastu massage). Cat Moc Spa was a tad further out but they checked the rest of the boxes (massage, service, facilities and price, 270k for 60 minutes foot massage).

Sights to See:

- Saigon Central Post Office: An iconic tourist stop, the period classic is one of the grandest in SEA and is still a working post office.

Opening hours: 7am-6pm, Mondays to Saturdays; 8am-6pm, Sundays

- HCM City Hall: Currently the office of HCM People's Committee, the French colonial building was originally constructed as a hotel. City Hall has became one of the most appealing attractions in the city.

Opening hours: 7.30am-5pm, closed on weekends

- Saigon Notre Dame Basilica: The 1880 cathedral is officially known to be Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception. Fun Fact: All building materials were imported from France.

Opening hours: 6am-8pm

- Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda: The first pagoda to be built in traditional Vietnamese architecture houses one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas.

Opening hours: 6am-8pm

- Turtle Lake: Built in 1967, the former center of ancient Saigon Gia Dinh has become a tourist attraction with many flocking to the roundabout of Pham Ngoc Thach street.

Opening hours: 24/7

- Tan Dinh Church: The 1870s pastel pink Catholic church is the second largest church in the city. The intricate Gothic and Renaissance elements have managed to survive Vietnam’s turbulent periods.

Opening hours: 5am -5.30pm, rest hours: 12pm - 2pm

What to Eat:

- Bahn mi: This unassuming looking baguette sandwich is glorious. Typical fillings are pate, roasted meat and a plethora of fresh vegetables and herbs. Some places include a fried egg as well! Places to try: Banh Mi Hong Hoa, Banh Mi 37 Nguyen Trai and the famous Banh Mi Huynh Hoa (pricier at 42k and honestly, I didn't find it worth the hype. Though the chilli is mad spicy and the portion is huge). Price: 15 - 25k.

- Pho: Translucent and soft rice noodles in a soup broth, normally with beef or chicken. Comes with fresh basil, mint, coriander and occasionally fried dough sticks. Price: 40 - 80k max.

- Egg Snack: I have no idea what this is actually called but there was a lady selling these and it was light, airy and savory. Good between-meals snack! Price: 5k

- Grilled Banana Wafer: Chanced upon this street snack, grilled caramelised banana wafer. The best are those that are fresh off the grill, when it is hot and crunchy! Price: 30k for three.

- Banh Beo: Water fern cakes are small discs of rice flour topped with pork and shrimp. Hue Restaurant does these fern cakes in purple, pink and blue. Pretty interesting.

- Bahn Xeo: Rice egg crepe with bean sprouts, meat and/or shrimp. Paired with fish sauce and herbs. Sometimes even with rice paper. The right way of eating is getting a bit of the crepe, adding the herb and wrapping them in the rice paper before dipping into the sauce. If it's without the rice paper, use the lettuce to wrap instead. Price: 40 - 50k.

- Nem Ran: Fried spring rolls with different fillings ranging from carrots, pork, mushrooms, chicken, tofu or shrimp. Typically comes with sweet chilli dipping sauce. Price: 30 - 50k.

- Ốc: Shellfish and snails are great here. I have been to Quan Oc Thao Quan 4 and the restaurant does their seafood well at an affordable rate - whether served with coconut cream or stir-fried with garlic chilli. Tip: Order a side of Bahn Mi/baguette bread to soak up all the good sauce! Price: 20 - 50k/snails, 5k/banh mi.

- Summer Rolls / Gio Cuon: Herbs, prawns and meat wrapped in rice paper to be dipped in a mixture of chilli and fish sauce (which may take some getting used to). Price: 30 - 50k.

- Cà phê đá: Never leave Vietnam without Vietnamese Iced Coffee flowing in your blood streams. I repeat. Never. Price: 12k (street carts/marts), 25-39k (coffee chains), 35 - 70k (cafes).

- Coconut Iced Coffee: The most popular place to get one of these is Cộng Cà Phê. Personally I felt that there were too much coconut cream and not enough coffee. Still in the lookout for a good mix of coconut cream and coffee. Price: 29 - 70k.

- Egg Coffee: I felt that these egg frothed with condensed milk coffee drinks aren't as popular as in the South (Hanoi, Hue). Nap Saigon is said to offer one of the better ones in HCMC though the price is higher than your normal Vietnamese milk coffee.

- Lotus Root Drink: Refreshing yet sweet drink that can be purchased at Ben Thanh Street Food Market.

- Chè: Translated to sweet soup, Chè are traditional Vietnamese sweet beverage, dessert soup or pudding. You can find the decedent cups of gooey desserts in markets or street carts, where you can just point out the toppings or dessert that you wish to layer in a cup. A recommended spot is Chè vỉa hè cô Điệp.

- Chuối Nếp Nướng: Grilled banana wrapped in sticky rice is reminiscent to Thailand's mango sticky rice. Chuối Nếp Nướng Võ Văn Tần serves the sweetened fruit with coconut milk for just 17k. They sell grilled banana wafer too, so you can kill two birds with one stone!

Solo Scorecard: 3 (1 - Solo-friendly, 5 - Would not recommend for solo travelling)

With the city being more commercialised thanks to tourism, there is an increasing use and understanding of the English Language. However, charades and a few Vietnamese phrases will definitely be useful. Public transport is not as intuitive and walking or taking a GrabBike would be more convenient. There has been pick pocketing and snatch theft cases in this city.

Don't be daunted though - just be vigilant! The locals are friendly and it is a safe place to walk home in the night (chances of being jumped on is extremely low). Food is amazing and so is the culture in the vibrant city.