Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide

 
by easterntrekker
 
  •   Ho Chi Minh City
    by easterntrekker
  • JumpingNorman with motorbikers in Ho Chi Minh
      JumpingNorman with motorbikers in Ho Chi...
    by jumpingnorman
  • City Hall at night
      City Hall at night
    by DSwede
  • Inside the Post Office
      Inside the Post Office
    by stamporama
  •   Ben Thanh Market
    by Willettsworld
 

Pro

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  Vibrant Culture, Friendly Locals, Delicious Food 


Con

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  The traffic & it can be expensive if you don't know 


In a nutshell

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  Unpolished diamond yet to be tainted by mass tourism 

 

Explore Ho Chi Minh City

Things to Do  

Out of Saigon - Cu Chi Tunnels

Out of Saigon - Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City

 100 Reviews  My wife and her mother went shopping, so my 7-year old daughter and I took a half-day bus tour out to the Cu Chi tunnels, where they have wartime tunnels left over you can crawl through, a display of various booby-traps, exhibits, movies, and lunch. I fired 15 rounds from an AK-47 5.45mm fully... 

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City

 72 Reviews  Saigon Night Market is not just for lovers, for those who like to bring his family here to eat, shop and walk around at night ... this place is also a place to meet friends for a long meet, just food, chatted recently confided. While they may not be as bright and shiny as malls or supermarkets,... 

Hotels  

Park Hyatt Saigon

 5 Reviews and 436 Opinions  All rooms offer pool of City views with full luxury amenities. As true sense 5- Star hotel, it is... 

Bich Duyen Hotel

 8 Reviews and 465 Opinions  Was there, seeing in the New Year, as part of a family of 8, from 4yrs to 70years of age. Having... 

Restaurants  

Eat & Drink like the locals

Eat & Drink like the locals, Ho Chi Minh City

 80 Reviews  Number 1 yellow - like a red bull but not carbonated and without the foul aftertaste Number 1 red - Strawberry Number 1 "black" - cola ( they will tell you it doens't exist but I have had it) Number 1 White - I forget maybe soy milk Number 1 Brown - I forget Number 1 Bap - "Corn" Sting -... 

Quan An Ngon

Quan An Ngon, Ho Chi Minh City

 37 Reviews  I have just dined at this restaurant (29/12/2011) and want you to know how awful it was both in terms of food and service. I ordered a beer and beef skewers with rice. The beer was served in a boiling hot glass - just out of the dishwasher and when I informed the waiter he laughed. Then the beef... 

Nightlife  

Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now, Ho Chi Minh City

 16 Reviews  Absolute MAJOR rubbisdh! Got charged entrance fee for what is effectively a freelance-hooker pick-up joint. Oh, but u get a free 'can' of warm beer for that entrance price!!!! Doormen were idiots and actually tried to impose some kind of dresscode on one of us who was wearing a 'vest'. Once inside,... 

Rex Hotel Rooftop Beer Garden

Rex Hotel Rooftop Beer Garden, Ho Chi Minh City

 13 Reviews  TIP: Though this place is listed under Patricia Shultz's "1000 places to see before you die", I feel that it is over-hyped. Not a must see, in my opinion. This place is simply known as the REX ROOFTOP BAR but I call it the 'elephant bar' as the whole place is eccentrically decorated with bird cages... 

Transportation  

Taxis

Taxis, Ho Chi Minh City

 56 Reviews  if you get a good taxi driver - one that gets you to your destination efficiently and seems to try hard, maybe will stop the meter for you to pick up something etc. You can ask him for his cell number. Then when you want a taxi call him or text. For example he will wait for you to eat dinner then... 

Buses

Buses, Ho Chi Minh City

 23 Reviews   Saigon Many times while travelling in and through Vietnam and Cambodia I have chosen to use The Mailinh Express Bus Company. I found them very handy to where I was in Saigon in Pham Ngu Lao area and are located beside the ABC bakery ..another great find.. I used this Company on many accassions... 

Shopping  

Stores & Markets

Stores & Markets, Ho Chi Minh City

 113 Reviews  This is market for rich people or foriegner. yes of course they always start at a high price everythign here is overpriced for tourist. Just try to have fun talking them down. You don't have to be rude, its their job to rip you off. Besides, they only ripping you off for maybe $5 or $10.... 

Clothes

Clothes, Ho Chi Minh City

 29 Reviews  This is a nice store near our hotel. Apparently, visiting foreign dignitaries buy their Aodais here. Aodai, the traditional Vietnamese dress. Silk is best. For the quality, the prices here are quite reasonable but higher than other shops in the area. 

Local Customs  

People

People, Ho Chi Minh City

 54 Reviews  If you are eating at a semi-outdoor /streetside place and you are set upon by beggar children, its best not to give them anything. If you do, it can start a frenzy and cause trouble for the proprietor. Once I saw the owner smack the kids and lock one in a closet because of them annoying the... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Thieves & Beggers

Thieves & Beggers, Ho Chi Minh City

 25 Reviews   HO CHI MIN CITY (SAIGON) When just visiting or travelling through the country of Vietnam BEWARE of bagsnatchers and pickpockets. This is a tourist "ripp off" Mecca..Seems as economies do it hard the tourist is the focus of "easy money". Always be aware of your surroundings here especially where... 

Traffic

Traffic, Ho Chi Minh City

 32 Reviews  Well, yes, in our short visit to this city we couldn't encounter any threats or danger here with the exception of the very crowded crazy traffic. But well, those are in every large city and also here the scooters drive like crazy. 

Tourist Traps  

The money-thing

The money-thing, Ho Chi Minh City

 10 Reviews  Stall 626 in Ben Thanh offers d best Dong for your buck. As at Sept 20, 2011, airport moneychangers n Parkson Dong Khoi offering dong 20,810 per US$ (no comm to pay anywhere), but Ben Thanh was offering slightly higher than 21,000 dong. Its not that easy to find in d maze of stalls though... 

Over-pricing

Over-pricing, Ho Chi Minh City

 25 Reviews  Be VERY careful of the cyclos. Negotiate the price before hand but be aware that when you get off, they may demand more money from you. Whilst in HCMC friends got bailed up against a wall and more money was demanded from them. Cyclos are a great way to experience the city but the safer way would be... 

What to Pack  

Clothing & Shoes

Clothing & Shoes, Ho Chi Minh City

 18 Reviews  The hotel room toilet was equipped with: Toothbrush with toothpaste Comb Razor Shower Caps Sanitary Bags Bath Foam Shampoo Body Lotion Sewing Kit The room comes equipped with 1 power outlet (2 round pin) which is insufficient for most electronic equipped guests nowadays. 

Off The Beaten Path  

Out of Saigon - Cu Chi Tunnels

Out of Saigon - Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City

 19 Reviews  The Cu Chi tunnels are located a little outside Saigon and they are one of the most interesting things you can visit in Vietnam i think. It´s really facinating to see how the Viet Cong digged their way under the enemy and for most of the war sat right under their butts just to come out at night and... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Water Park

Water Park, Ho Chi Minh City

 2 Reviews  Saigon Water Park is just a great place to visit. The hotter it is the more refreshing this place is. The water park was built with the aid of an Australian company so the standards are just like in the west. The entrance fee is 60.000 Dong. There are around 30 water slides, a wave pool, a... 

Favorites  

Useful tips

Useful tips, Ho Chi Minh City

 65 Reviews  Dont go during TET, many places are closed and everyone goes home to their home town to be with family. Its a great happy time if you are vietnamese and are back home with your family but for tourist, not so much. Services are more expensive during that time Oct - Nov will usually have rain... 

Street life

Street life, Ho Chi Minh City

 22 Reviews  Christmans in Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica The Christmans day all the people walk around the streets in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). But most of them are around the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica to celebrate the Christmans day all the night to the morning. If you be there you see how wonderfull is... 

The Place

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The People

164 Members Live Here
 
Advice from the Locals
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 Home - Things have changed dramatically since I first started coming here over 12 years ago, it's modernising, you can buy just about anything (well sort of, you can get marmite at least now) and the economy... 

164 members live in Ho Chi Minh City

 

Questions and Answers

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Q:  any suggestion where could i get a nice but affordable hotel near shopping area in HCMC?help... 

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A: google thienhonghotel you can get 4 beds family room for VND 168000/about 8 US Dollar per person it is 600 meters from Ben Thanh market, or An An hotel (higher price the... 

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Top Ho Chi Minh City Writers

1

Saigon Saigon !

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 Written before the trip @ Changi Airport : I'm filled with anticipation as I'm writing this. I'm finally going to HoChiMinCity! Since I only have a few days here, I intend to have a blast of a time...... 

2

Saigon: to enjoy, forget about hygiene

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 When we resist our fate, we suffer. When we accept it, we are happy. We have time in abundance, an eternity to repeat our mistakes ...but we need only once correct our mistake... ...and at last hear... 

3

Home

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 Things have changed dramatically since I first started coming here over 12 years ago, it's modernising, you can buy just about anything (well sort of, you can get marmite at least now) and the economy... 

4

IMPREXXION: HO CHI MINH CITY

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 ..."The David that made the mighty Goliath fell flat on its face into a couldron full of ash. Come and see the place that the US thought it would impulverise with imperial might by bombing it... 

5

Former Saigon

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 Saigon was kind of a magical name to me. After seeing so many movies and books about old Saigon, Saigon at the colonialist period, french Saigon... I admit I had an idealised concept of the city. I...... 

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