Honking hell
by call_me_rhia
Ho CHi Minh is a honking hell... zillions of motorbikes all over, as well as cars and ciclos... mad traffic and pollution... and noise, in particular. It's definitely not a beautiful city to visit, but on the other hand it's very little touristy. It's just pure local chaos. I hate Ho Chi Minh... it drives me mad... I really longed for some silence, which was impossible to attain... and then again I love it, just because it's so authentic and not artificial. It's definitely not geared for tourism, nor for making a living there... Ho CHi Minh is pure non-sense...
Young Entrepreneur
by muddybok
Most people in Vietnam are doing their own business, be it a small restaurant, a fruit selling cart, even a souvenirs shop.
These people were not as willing to work during the working-for-government period in the '80.
Click here for more information.
"Uncle Ho" is everywhere
by shrimp56
HoChi Minh, for whom Saigon was renamed after the end of "The American War, was reportedly a simple man who would have abhored the cult of personality that has arisen around him, especially in the north.
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Here our intrepid VT-er takes a look at "Uncle Ho" in statue form in a seminar room at the university in HCMC.
Pack light!!!
by mnhaus
After my second visit to HCMC I'd strongly suggest to pack light - clothes and most other things can be purchased in HCMC for just a few dollars. Only exception to that would be rather tall/large people, as asian sizes are a tad smaller. It's still quite inexpensive though to get clothing tailor-made to your size within a day or two.
As with any tropical climate, wear breathable material - I can't imagine surviving a walk around HCMC in polyester!
Bring some sort of rain protection depending on the season.
Eat A Star Apple!
by xuessium
A fruit quite indigenous to Indochina, it's a green "hardy" looking fruit (kinda resembling a round guava or green apple) but when fully ripe, the flesh is soft, very sweet, tasting like condensed milk, and with the texture of chiku (sapodilla) and soursop (guanabana). It's quite a delight! Folks either sliced it as you would an orange or simply cut an opening and scoop out the content (kinda like how you would eat a grapefruit).
Note: The fruit should be in season during December and you should be able to see it in most fruit stalls/shops.
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Tax Mall
Christmans in Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica
Traffic in Saigon
Saigon
