Being of Chinese Vietnamese background, I've luckily been able to travel to Vietnam
on numerous occasions for family holidays. However, this time was the first
time I traveled to Vietnam without my family and I got to rediscover the
country through the eyes of an adult. For those who have not been to Vietnam or
its Southern Capital, Ho Chi Minh City, I strongly urge you to see for your own
eyes the wonderful food, sights and activities it has to offer. I've made a
short and general list of my favourite things in Ho Chi Minh City from my most
recent visit. For those who are of Vietnamese decent or have already been lucky
enough to travel there, this list would come as no surprise to you.
1. Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Ca phe sua da)
This one is for the many coffee lovers out
there like me! Vietnam is currently the second biggest exporter of coffee in
the world, only behind Brazil, so it's hardly surprising that coffee drinking
is a popular pastime for the locals. The Vietnamese love having coffee that is
sweetened with a layer of condensed milk over a tall glass of ice. The filtered
coffee mixed with the condensed milk gives it a lovely caramelly flavour and,
poured over ice, makes it the perfect beverage for summer. The way to drink
this is first wait for the coffee from the filter pots to finish dripping into
your small glass. After around 5 minutes, most of the coffee would've already
been filtered through. You'll then need to lift the pot off (watch out, it's
hot!) And, with a coffee spoon, mix the coffee with the layer of condensed milk
at the bottom thoroughly. When you've mixed the coffee, finally pour the coffee
over a tall glass of ice and enjoy! Of course, you can also drink this hot if
you choose.
You'll find many small coffee stands on street
corners and all around the city. It is an enjoyable experience just to sit
back on the little stools provided with an iced coffee as you observe the
locals buzz around with their daily activities. One glass of iced coffee from
street stands would cost usually 20,000VND.
2. Vietnamese Noodle Soups
I absolutely LOVE Vietnamese noodle soups. I truly think that Vietnamese noodles are the best in the world because of the amazing flavour in the soups paired with the lovely topping and servings of tender meat and fresh herbs. The soups are absolutely unbeatable. Every noodle dish has its own distinctive soup it's served with and most soups take on average 3-6 hours to make. The mix of spices and slow cooked meat broth is an unbeatable combination. My top 3 favourite noodles are:
Pho bo
Bun bo Hue
A spicy beef soup with slippery round noodles from the middle of Vietnam, Hue. The broth is flavoured with lot's of lemongrass, beef and pork bones, and topped with beef shank and very tender pork knuckle. I love this dish especially topped with some fresh onions, raw cabbage and cooked papaya strips (yellow stuff in the corner). To be honest, I actually like the vegetarian version a litttttle bit more! Spicy or not spicy, this dish is a winner!
Bun Rieu
Thin rice vermicelli with a tomato, crab and meat soup topped with steamed pork sausage, pork and tofu. Best eaten with a side of shrimp paste! (seriously!)
You'll find these noodles available in most shops and street stalls and of course, if you see lot's of locals gathering there, you can trust their tastebuds! And always remember to squeeze a dash of lime/lemon juice on top before you eat!
3. Visit Ben Thanh Market
A visit to Saigon isn't complete unless you've seen the famous Ben Thanh Market (picture above). The site has become an iconic institution to the locals and tourists. Try your best at haggling with the stalls inside! You'll find everything from shirts, bags, watches to dried goods and sweets. There's even a big 'food court' inside if you need a break between your bargain hunting. Beware that sometimes some sellers might try to grab you to get your attention or try to direct you to their stall. Just ignore them or politely refuse what they're selling you.
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| The most popular souvenir...rice hat! |
Bargaining tip: Start at half price and negotiate upwards. If the seller isn't willing to accept the price, just walk away. If they call after you, YAY! You've won the bargain war! If they don't, don't worry, there's many other stalls you can still shop at.
If bargaining isn't your thing, the stalls on the sides of the market near the entrances are government run and owned. All prices are fixed and quite reasonable. Some are cheaper than inside but some might not be. You'll find some lovely shirts and textiles on sale here. Hopefully you'll find something for yourself or souvenirs for back home at the market!
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| To the Russian Market with love |
Alternatively, if you are interested in buying winter clothing such as snow coats or windproof jackets, head to the new Russian Markets, also in district 1. You'll find some incredibly cheap and authentic clothes from North Face, Jack Wolfskin and Kathmandu. This is due to Vietnam being a manufacturing hub for many western clothing brands. We grabbed a $300 North Face down jacket for $30 and a $120 North Face Gore-Tex summit jacket for $18. WHAT A STEAL!
4. Dinner Cruise
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| A fancy dinner boat (night) |
This might sound a bit strange and tacky, but it was pretty fun having dinner while the boat sailed along the Saigon river. The prices are quite reasonable and there are usually after dinner entertainment on the main stage for you to enjoy. Most cruises sail for around 2hr and will serve you dinner right before they set sail. It's a good thing you can choose your meals a la carte rather than them forcing you to take set menus. Of course the best part of this is feeling the nice evening breeze as you lean over the railings to see Saigon by night from the water. Just don't drop your camera!
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| Next to one of the dinner boats (day) |
5. Visit Pham Ngu Lao
Also known as the "backpacker street", this place is ideal for those looking for cheap hostels and guest houses which are close to city center. I'm lucky enough to have relatives who live in the city center, but Pham Ngu Lao, and its parallel street Bui Vien, is still quite exciting just to walk through especially at night. I can recommend a restaurant called Viet Restaurant (how original!) and their Banh Xeo and their papaya salad (gio du du) if you want to find a place to eat.
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| Green Papaya salad (gio du du) |
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| Banh xeo (Vietnamese savoury crepe filled with pork belly, chives and lotus root) |
At night, we've been to GO 2 Bar a few times for the shisha. It has a great location on the corner for people watching, just across from the Crazy Buffalo bar. We went usually during happy hour so drinks were cheaper than usual. It was a pleasant place just to sit back and relax with some shisha and a buddy.
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| Cheers! |
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| Strawberry shisha |
If you are walking in Pham Ngu Lao, watch out in case there are any pickpockets. However, this is not such a big concern. You'd be more worried about being harassed by massage spruikers and their billions of flyers.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this post!
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I'm sure some people will agree or disagree with my list. I just want to say that there are so many awesome things to do in Ho Chi Minh City that I haven't mentioned it. This is because this list refers to my most RECENT trip, not including activities I've done in my past 5 trips to Vietnam. I want this to be as relevant as possible to people who wish to see Vietnam now or in the future. Feel free to add to this list in the comment section :)
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