Ho Chi Minh City, (or it’s former name Saigon which it’s most known for) in Vietnam is an absolute necessity for your travel list for many reasons; rich culture, resplendent views, succulent food and the carefree aspect in not requiring calculations on every purchase in order to not sink your budget.
But life is a demanding bitch and sometimes you’ll find yourself with only a short time in Saigon and only days or mere hours to explore.
So I’ve broken down on the necessary must-sees to make sure your experience captures the true essence of this bewitching metropolis.
Go for a massage
After a long flight, there’s nothing that helps you unwind like a marvellous massage performed by an artist of the flesh, and for an amount that’s similar to change you would find between the seat cushions on your couch. Vietnam has an abundance of great massage places, but the top two I always get recommended by from other flight attendants who regularly fly to Saigon is Temple Tree Spa, Saigon Heritage Spa and Massage club and Uri Foot Therapy Spa.
Here you find professionals who will make sure you leave with a smile on your face, a wallet having lost no weight and a back so slack you’d be banned from an Olympic level Limbo competition for cheating through illegal masseuse -bstances.
Try the local food
As a fellow curious explorer, you’ll want to try everything on the extravagant menu offered at every corner of this culinarist city. And if you’re very similar to me you’ll also laugh into your hands at more than a few of the names.
If you visit some of the more popular restaurants like The Chopsticks Saigon and The Secret Garden you’ll be treated to 5-star quality-freshness-and-taste on a 3-star budget.
I tried the garlic crab dish along with a little bit of all the starters because my eyes were urging me to write cheques my stomach couldn’t cash. I may have waddled out of the restaurant but it was a happy waddle and who really wants six-packs over Vietnamese flapjacks?
Go party at Backpacker street – especially Apocalypse Now!
Now that our backs are limber and our stomachs satiated, its time to party.
Saigon is home to a throbbing nightlife scene, but there are few places better to look around than Bui Vien Street or “Backpacker” street for those wanting a crazy night out on the town. You’ll find clubs and pubs of all flavours here but a firm favourite and an absolute must see if you’re looking to party up a real storm would be Apocalypse Now in 2B Thi Sách, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam.
With drink specials through the roof and a fully-charged dance floor, Apocalypse Now is the most sizzling waterhole this side of Asia. It’s a known hotspot for prostitutes though, so maybe just keep that in mind when you find yourself getting offers from woman way out of your league.
They are respectful and as long as you make your intentions clear you’ll get no trouble from them.
So pack your paintbrush, because its time to splash some red on this town!
—Backpackers is a street offering variety and many tastes so I recommend starting there and exploring all over for pre-drinks and then heading to Apocalypse Now when you’re itching to turn the dial up on the night’s festivities—
Go explore the Củ Chi tunnels
You’ve cleared the Bia hơi from your head and made enough bad choices to last you through the rest of your trip, now let’s get some culture in your trip.
The Củ Chi tunnels is an absolute must see if you really want to get deep into the flavour of Vietnam’s colourful cultural history. There is a multitude of companies offering tour packages but to ensure maximum trustworthiness I’m recommending the one I went through since they did a lovely job in regards to transportation from my hotel and the Củ Chi tunnels without any hassle. Book through them here.
On the way there you’ll be treated to artworks of the Vietnamese people affected by the Agent orange disaster from the Vietnam war. This can be quite a sobering moment as you’re faced with a people born into a huge disadvantage they had to overcome, and yet they didn’t let adversity stop them from crafting something beautiful. The workshop is filled with smiling faces and truly incredible artwork done by artists without the use of fully functioning appendages or mental faculties. It really puts it into perspective how much we take for granted and also just how little we actually utilize the full use of our healthy bodies.
From there you’ll be taken to the Củ Chi tunnels, the historic museum/land site where the Vietnamese soldiers would reside in their warren-like homes in 1948 during the Vietnam War.
You’ll be treated to a historic viewing and actual video footage on how the tunnels operated and the tactics used by the soldiers to fight their American counterparts in the most versatile warzone this world has seen.
From there you’ll move on to interact with the tunnels themselves and partake in a number of fun activities like going for a tunnel run where they have been widened quite a bit since their original size would be far too small for anyone to explore without breaking down into a full blown panic attack, and visiting the replicas of the hospitals, barracks and kitchens all designed to be hidden within in a moments notice.
There is a shooting range for those seeking the fullest and LOUDEST immersion experience possible. For those more interested in dishes than artillery, there’s a mess hall next to the shooting range where you can jump back into history and sample various dishes made during the Vietnam war that the locals thrived on.
Somethings to keep in mind for Saigon
- It’s a rainy country and the downpours can be sudden. Even if the day starts out sunny I would be wary of wearing anything that cannot get wet or attempt to head out with expensive cameras and phones with no respectable cover/protection.
- There is no Uber service in this country. Download the app Grab, as this will save you time and money instead of relying on hailing a taxi who will have limited English ability and who will attempt to charge a tourist tax.
- Restaurants and bars flood at the drop of a hat. At our first restaurant, we were sitting on the second floor admiring the view of the outside rain showers and steaming meals on our plates when a few waiters suddenly rushed up and urged us to move to another table with haste. We saw that a puddle of water had been gliding over with quiet grace towards our table. And this was simply due to rain coming from the roof alone. We were lucky that we had no bags on the floor and that we were moved in time to a drier and safer spot. Pay extra attention to your surroundings when it’s raining.
- Most restaurants, bars and clubs have card machine facilities, but if you do hail a taxi or visit some of the more rural areas for exploration then its cash only, so try to make sure you have a decent amount on you at all times. I recommend around $50 worth of the local currency – around one million Vietnamese Dong a day. Rather have too much access to Dong than too little.
- If you don’t take a picture of you hunched over in a tiny crawlspace at the Củ Chi tunnels, red-faced and looking panicky as f*ck then no one will believe you even went to Vietnam.
So with these tips in mind I say – Enjoy your VietYum vacation and I know you’re Siagonna put this trip on your list!
