Ho Chi Minh City

Food & Drink

• The Cafe Apartments – a can't-miss spectacle stacked with good spots
• I ate at Madam Quyen's (Floor 6) and DOSH Doughnuts (Floor 3)

Sights

• Bar Street (look up “Chicago Bar” to find it) — wild
• Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica — beautiful
• Saigon Central Post Office — right next to the Basilica
• People's Committee of HCMC — a gorgeous baroque building with a Ho Chi Minh statue, a must-see

Experiences

• War Remnants Museum — the most comprehensive exhibit dedicated to the Vietnam War
• Sending postcards from the Saigon Central Post Office — glad I did this
• Nguyen Hue Walking Street
• Ben Thanh Market — underwhelming, mostly clothing and goods

Getting Around

• Wide roads, sidewalks, and a metro system make this feel far more like a major world city than Hanoi did

Travel Tips

• Watch your visa dates — I had to leave the country the day after arriving to avoid overstaying, and only got one day here because of it
• Budget at least 3 days if you can, there's far more to see than my rushed visit allowed

Overall Review

While not the capital of Vietnam, it certainly feels like it — towering skyscrapers, wide roads, parks, sidewalks, and a metro system all draw easy comparisons to cities back home, and I deeply regret not getting more time here. I had one day in Ho Chi Minh City before I had to leave Vietnam to avoid overstaying my visa, but I'd recommend a minimum of 3 days — there's so much to see and do. Whatever you're looking for here, I have no doubt you'll find it.