I read a stat recently that the motorbike to person ratio was 1:1 in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly named Saigon. After traveling throughout Vietnam for three weeks prior to arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, I certainly witnessed motorbikes everywhere. It may very well be a 1:1 ratio throughout the entire country.
THE BACKPACKERS AREA IS THE BEST FOR BUDGET FRIENDLY BUT ITS PURE CHAOS
The best way I have found to book hotels is to use Booking.com. When you type in the city name into the search box, in this case it was Ho Chi Minh City, you will quickly see where the cluster of hotels is in the city. In Ho Chi Minh City, they have an area called the “backpackers” neighborhood that is filled with alleyways of hotels. If you are on a budget, this is the best place for you as all of the hostels, bars and tourist restaurants are in this area. However, if you are looking for mid-range and luxury accommodations, my suggestion would be to stay away from this area since it is very chaotic.
The picture at the top of this post gives you a glimpse of what it is like when you walk out of your accomodation in the backpacker area. Plus, take a look at the video I created in this post that shows me walking down this area at night. It is very overwhelming, but something you should at least experience if you are not staying in this area.
STAY 1-2 DAYS MAX
Honestly, Ho Chi Minh City was not my favorite place in Vietnam. And many travelers will agree, but I would suggest staying 1-2 nights. Many people fly into the city from international locations so it is convenient to begin or end your travels here. One to two nights is enough to get a feel for the city. If you want to do a day trip or two, then stay longer according to your plans.
WHAT TO DO IN HO CHI MINH CITY
BACK ALLEYWAYS
This sounds like a strange “sightseeing” adventure, but it is a must do to get an authentic local experience understanding the way of life for the residents. The alleyways in the backpackers area (and they are like this elsewhere if you want to venture out of the tourist areas) are very narrow and small. You will be amazed that it is like a city within a city back in these areas. Feel free to get lost and find your way out for a fun adventure. Hotels, small businesses like massage parlors and barbers, restaurants, residences, mechanics, you name it, it is back there. My video in this post gives you a taste of walking through the back alleyways!
Just beware of many people trying to sell you something. Many will try to get you to come in for a massage. And the women know most people will walk by which is why they will push the brochure into your body that they are trying to hand you since most people will not take the brochure. One woman actually grabbed my arm and wouldn’t let go as I kept walking. She physically tried to pull me into the massage parlor. I had to forcibly remove her grip and fingers from my arm to get her off of me. Just keep your belongings close to you and keep a sense of your surroundings when you walk through these alleyways. I wouldn’t say the alleyways are dangerous. But they are certainly seedy.
WAR REMNANTS MUSEUM
This museum is probably the best one in the city and one I would recommend to visit to learn more about the American-Vietnam War. The museum does a nice job of walking you through how the conflict arose, all the way through how the locals were impacted, and finally to the long lasting impacts of the long war. I was very moved throughout the photography exhibits showing the devastation to the local people. And outside, there is an open air exhibit showing the camps that were built to house prisoners of the war. I walked away in a very somber mood but it is worth experiencing and to learn a different perspective of the war.
CU CHI TUNNELS
I have mixed thoughts on this experience. The Cu Chi Tunnels are extremely fascinating as they were used extensively in the war for local villagers and soldiers to hide from the enemy. The local people’s construction of this extensive network of tunnels was impressive. The tunnels are located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City. I took a group tour that I purchased at one of the many tourism desks located in the backpacker area. I feel the tunnels are worth seeing (and crawling through the tunnel was very interesting – see me do this in the video in this post), but the tour itself from the guide was lackluster. You might be better off finding a tour guide which would be a little more expensive than the standard group tour but would be more versed in the history instead of just shuttling you to the site.
OVERNIGHT TRIP TO MEKONG DELTA
After traveling throughout Vietnam for 30 days, I wanted to end my stay in a relaxing way. So I decided to actually travel to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta for several days. However I must say that after staying in the region, there isn’t much to see besides the floating market. The visit was perfect for me since I wanted to relax and just hang out, but if you want to see how the local Mekong people live along the river, my recommendation is to do an overnight organized tour from Ho Chi Minh City. You will want to see the floating market and you need to be there at 6am which is why you need to overnight in the region. But an organized tour will allow you to see the market as well as other remote areas along the river. This will be a good amount of time for this area if you are looking for sightseeing. However if you want to relax for several days like I did, then take a bus from Ho Chi Minh City.
And, it is possible to take a bus from Can Tho (or Chau Doc) in the Mekong Delta region to Cambodia. Check out my post about my adventure to Cambodia from this region.
DON’T STAY TOO LONG IN HO CHI MINH CITY
While many people love cities and think they would want to stay in Ho Chi Minh City for a while, my advice is to just stay long enough for a quick taste and then get out to see the many beautiful sites across Vietnam or wherever you are heading. One to two days maximum is perfect to be able to walk around and experience this chaotic city!
Have you been to Ho Chi Minh City? What was your favorite spot and recommendation for fellow travelers?
I totally agree. I did not enjoy Ho Chi Minh and wished that we hadn’t stayed as long. My boyfriend was sick so we had to stay 5 nights because the health care is good but I did not enjoy the city!