I’ll be honest with you: I did not enjoy visiting Saigon. I don’t recommend anyone go there, unless they’re arriving or departing at the airport and traveling elsewhere in Vietnam. You can see enough to get a decent impression of Ho Chi Minh City by booking a hotel in District 1 and walking around for a whole day. After two days I was eager to open up Skyscanner and explore low fares from Vietnam.
The Saigon motorbikes were simply too much and precluded me from really enjoying anything else. If you won’t take my word for it and insist on going anyway here’s a briefing. These are ten things to know about Ho Chi Minh City before you arrive.
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Where to Stay When Visiting Saigon
Most visitors are going to want to stay in District 1, which is central and on the river. It’s also where most hotels are located. I enjoyed my room on a relatively quiet street in D1’s White Lotus Hotel and in my review noted that there are many similar properties in this part of Ho Chi Minh City. These are all going to be pretty nice places. Well heeled travelers shouldn’t feel pressure to pay more for a Western branded hotel. Backpackers on extreme budgets should know that if $35 feels like a splurge they’ll definitely get their money’s worth in District 1.
Those seeking an alternative to Center City might look around in the area of Cong Vien 23 Thang 9, as far west as District 10. There are also many hotels here and combined with District 1 this is a large area to explore. I wouldn’t recommend staying in District 4. The few hotels there are on the river and all you’re doing is giving yourself the added inconvenience of crossing the river many times in heavy traffic.
Walking Street Comes Alive at Night
Nguyen Hue Walking Street is a long pedestrian plaza that serves as the town square in Saigon. It’s entirely different from the more infamous walking streets you’ll find visiting Pattaya and some other cities. The street is surprisingly empty during the day even as the area around it remains crowded. Anyone visiting Saigon will find it convenient to use the walking street as a sort of aid to navigation. Just remembering which side of it you’re on can help you quite a bit in getting around on foot.
At night the plaza comes alive with all kinds of locals just hanging out, enjoying themselves. The area is particularly popular with high school kids who congregate in large groups over tea and other beverages. Their little plastic stools crowd the sidewalks on nearly every block.
Visiting Saigon Means Luxury Shopping
Although Vietnam remains a poor country the area around city hall at the center of District 1 is a luxury shopping mecca for the city’s elite and guests of the luxury hotels nearby. Every brand you’d see in a high fashion magazine is represented here with a boutique: Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Cartier, Rolex and Audemars Piguet are just a few of the houses setting up shop in town.
Additionally there are several shopping malls scattered throughout District 1 ranging from haute couture to middlebrow fast fashion. If nothing else a mall is a great opportunity for visitors to duck inside and enjoy the air conditioning during a respite from Saigon’s heat and humidity.
Ben Thanh Market is Full of Junk
If you can’t quite afford the brands mentioned above you’ll find plenty of dupes and knockoffs at the Ben Thanh Market. There are a few stalls in here that cater to locals with thing like groceries and flowers. Prepared food can be found here as well. But the vast market hall is at least 90% cheap apparel and souvenirs for tourists along with the fake Chinese watches, perfumes and handbags.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t see it when you’re visiting Saigon. You should. The market tradition in the area dates back hundreds of years and this one has been at this location since 1912. In a rapidly changing city it’s an important link to the past. Besides, you’re probably staying nearby anyway. Might as well check it out.
Just don’t get your hopes up. Keep your expectations low when coming to Cho Ben Thanh.
The Food Is Just Okay
There wasn’t a lot that really called out to me during my stay in the city. I hate to admit it but most Vietnamese restaurants in the US serve a menu that is fully representative of what you should expect to find in Saigon. I can get a better banh mi right here in East Nashville than I found in downtown Saigon. Sandwiches and bowls of pho is pretty much par for the course.
Of course it is a big city and they have all sorts of restaurants there. But for Vietnamese food: temper your expectations.
Laugh if you will but the best restaurant I tried in the city was an Italian fusion place inside a shopping mall. Basta Hiro in Takashimaya near Saigon Square is the sort of place you can sit down and order something from every section of the menu for just the cost of a typical entree in the US. Unfortunately I can’t find the menu online but a look at the traveler photos on TripAdvisor should be enough to convince you that Japanese chef Hiromi Yamada has some serious chops.
If Basta Hiro had a location in Nashville I’d be eating there four times a week.
The Coffee Is Good
Owing to its French colonial past coffee is very popular in Vietnam. Cafes are ubiquitous and visitors can explore them all seeking out local coffee styles or simply choose the one closest to your hotel.
You’ll find Starbucks locations throughout the city at the same rate you’d expect for any large metropolis. If you like to explore that’s great. For me, I want 20 ounces of Verona blend with a little half and half as soon as I roll out of bed.
Find One Of Saigon’s Rooftop Bars
Hell, find two or three of them. There are plenty to choose from throughout District 1. Just search your phone’s map when you arrive. I visited as many as I could and while I wouldn’t say any of them are the best they each have something to offer.
The Caravelle Hotel is one to try if you’re short on time when visiting Saigon. Its connection to the war and place in Saigon’s history is as central as its location. Best of all, you can afford to try as many rooftops as you like. Prices throughout the city are much lower than you would expect back home.
Street Level Bars and Girls
There is a large collection of hostess bars in District 1 not far from the Nguyen Hue Walking Street. I didn’t fool around with any of them but they looked generally fine. Business seemed to be pretty slow all over though.
Where business is not slow is in the Bui Vien Walking Street. Vietnam’s most famous strip of nightlife is in the same area mentioned above with hotels. Most of the bus companies in Saigon have their offices on the next street over. The buses arrive there as well.
I found a lot of people on the streets in Saigon to be pushy and rude and nowhere is that more true than in Bui Vien. Similar to Khao San Road in Bangkok it’s as crowded and loud as a street can be. The atmosphere everywhere is unpleasant and you wonder how anyone could be enjoying themselves here. If cavorting is what you’re after when visiting Saigon it’s not necessary to come to Bui Vien. You’ll have no trouble keeping busy in District 1 where there are more beer bars than there are days on your visa. Women will be constantly offering sex massages even away from the bars.
Don’t go to Bui Vien. Or at least don’t go out of your way to get there. It’s a long walk back on bad sidewalks.
Saigon Sidewalks Are Awful
If you don’t believe Saigon is a great city it’s easy to look around and see that with some changes it could become one. The number of motorbikes has to decrease dramatically. The customs surrounding bikes like parking and riding on sidewalks have to change. So many motorbikes all over the sidewalks has only hastened their deterioration. As you can see they are quite decorative but the decades of neglect in maintenance citywide is apparent.
A metro rail system would be a significant improvement to life in Saigon, both for riders and for the folks enjoying less-congested streets. A line is under construction but one wonders how many years they can say “It will be completed this year.” The system was first planned in 2000 and the first line has taken more than a decade and counting.
Visiting Saigon’s District 2 For a Change
If the Ben Thanh metro line ever does run you’ll be able to take it into District 2 and you definitely should. This is the one area that stood out to me as being substantially different than other sections of the city.
District 2 is just a short Grab ride away but it feels almost like a different city. The area is favored by a lot of diplomatic and business types with a healthy mix of startup and tech people as well. The buildings are lower and everything is a little more human scale.
It might not look like it on a map but there are shops and cafes and amenities all over in this area. A healthy amount of street trees contribute to a more natural feel.
Similar to some parts of NW Washington DC, if you’re visiting Saigon you may get the impression that everyone in D2 has so much money it isn’t necessary for anyone to show off. Every time you see a little kid you have to check if they’re being minded by a parent or a nanny. The school they’re on the way to is definitely private.
