My 2 top recs for Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon)
Planning your trip to Vietnam? Head to this post first to read about some things to keep in mind as you prepare + see our overall itinerary!
Our last stop in Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, which can be used interchangeably. We were only here for 2 days, and I had to work, so I didn’t do much BUT the things I did do I really liked and would recommend.
Overall, I wasn’t obsessed with this city—but I might’ve just needed to give it more time. It was crowded like Hanoi, but much bigger, so that felt overwhelming. The motorbike culture pissed me off—like we’d be walking on a sidewalk during rush hour and then a bunch of motorbikes would drive up ONTO THE SIDEWALK full steam ahead, just so that they can zoom ahead of the traffic, and they’d look at us pedestrians as if we were doing something wrong by walking on the sidewalk. But anyways, I digress.
We stayed at Fusion Suites Sai Gon which was really nice and cute and comfy. It was in District 1, which is where you’ll want to stay. The hotels in Saigon are a little more expensive because it’s a bigger and more developed city, but you can definitely find something for every budget!
Activity #1: The War Remnants Museum
The War Remnants Museum was incredibly moving. I didn’t know much about the Vietnam War (or the American War, as they call it), other than the widely agreed upon fact that we as a nation terrorized a country and that it was completely unecessary. This museum taught me a lot more, and it was soul crushing but important to see. When you go to Saigon, definitely give it a visit and give yourself lots of time to spend there. We got the audio guides, which were helpful at times but not necessary.
Activity #2: The Cu Chi Tunnels
The other thing we did was a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels (we did this tour). The Cu Chi Tunnels are a network of underground tunnels that the Viet Cong lived in during the war. (The Viet Cong was the communist group that fought against the Americans and South Vietnam during the war). It was really interesting to see and they give you the opportunity to crawl through the tunnels (which were actually made bigger for tourism, and when you see how small these things are, you’d find that hard to believe). I made it through about 20 meters of tunnels and then promptly exited, because my claustrophobia is real.
And that’s it! Sorry for the lame Saigon post—if/when you’re planning your trip, let me know because Ryan did a few things around the city while I was working that I know he enjoyed!
