The city of Ho Chi Minh has been through some shit. Originally known as Gia Dinh when under Vietnamese rule in the 17th century, it then adopted the name Saigon during the French conquest in the 1860s. South Vietnam gained independence from France in 1955, but was shortly taken over by Northern Vietnam, a communist state led by Ho Chi Minh. It wasn’t until 1975, when Saigon fell after years of fighting against the communist North Vietnamese with the help of the United States, that the Vietnamese War ended and the city was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City to honor the late communist leader. Despite this, locals often still refer to HCMC as Saigon, particularly in District 1.
History is fun, right guys? Guys…? The best part of traveling is that I can pretend to be a Southeast Asian history aficionado, laughing condescendingly at my mother when she expresses confusion as to why I am calling HCMC “Saigon,” even though I just learned all these things myself literally three weeks ago.
I’m not really here to give a history lesson (though I think Vietnamese history is fascinating, and worth a visit to the country for that reason alone), but rather write about my own personal experience in the most populated city in Vietnam. I will keep it real (honesty is the best policy): HCMC was my least favorite city in the entire country, by a landslide. I only budgeted three days for activities within the city limits and for day trips outside of the city, and by the time I was on the bus to the airport to fly north, I was more than ready to leave Southern Vietnam behind.
I grew up in a small town in northern Maryland called Hereford, a town so small it doesn’t have its own zip code and everyone working at the local grocery store is a fellow Hereford High School student (making grocery shopping awkward while growing up, and even more awkward seven years out of high school). Getting stuck behind enormous, sluggish tractors on main roads is not uncommon in Hereford (and good luck trying to pass when the road curves 180 degrees every quarter mile), nor is witnessing a random fleeing cow crossing the street on her way to freedom. Understandably, dirty, smelly, bustling cities like HCMC kind of freak me out. Don’t get me wrong; it is home to a lot of rich history and some amazing nightlife, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend missing it on your trip to Vietnam (necessarily). But will a few days suffice before moving on? Emphatically, yes.
If you do decide to make a short stay of it, here is how I decided to spend my brief stint in Ho Chi Minh City in the most efficient way possible.
Exploring the War Remnants Museum
I didn’t meet many Americans during my time in Vietnam, but the few that I did meet all had one thing in common: we could not remember learning about the Vietnam War in history class in the American public school system. We wracked our brains, trying to figure out exactly how the war was portrayed, and all we could come up with was that we understood that America sent troops to Vietnam to prevent the country from falling to communism. That was the real reason, right?
The Vietnamese have a slightly different story. No place on earth will make an American feel more uncomfortable than the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, but I think it is incredibly important to see the details of the war from a different perspective (that is, that the Vietnamese people were minding their own business and the Americans came in, killing, torturing, and destroying their cities, despite the thousands of protests around the world). The museum contains physical remnants of the equipment used during the war, but it also contains remnants of the terror and turmoil felt by the Vietnamese, the shadows of the lives lost forever cast upon the country’s dark history.
Eating at Ben Thanh Market
There’s more to do than just eat at the Ben Thanh market, which is probably one of the more touristy spots in the city; you can pick up some highly affordable souvenirs for yourself or your family and lovers back home, or stroll through the aisles to see how the locals make their living. If you come hungry and allow your eyes to linger for even a second at a picture of pho at one of the restaurants, be prepared to be accosted by the owner, guided unwittingly into a seat, and a menu to be thrust into your hands before you even know what happened. I forgave for the manhandling, though, because the bowl of pho I had here was the best I had my entire trip (even just thinking about it now is making me itch to hop on another plane to Vietnam, because let me tell you, the Vietnamese restaurants in America cannot compare).
…or Saigon Central Market
I randomly stumbled across this market because it is located right in the 23-9 Park of District 1, across the street from my hostel, and what a treat it was! There is some really, really funky stuff here (including seafood I have never seen before and a weird alligator carcass that actually smelled really good), so come with an open mind and extremely empty stomach and sample some traditional Vietnamese cuisine.
…or really just any street food
Despite warnings of the potential for street food to be diarrhea-inducing from friends and family prior to my trip, street food is just about all I ate in this city. It is cheap, it is easy, and it helps you steer clear of Americanized restaurants where you will forego the authentic Vietnamese dining experience of eating sitting down on street corners.
Visiting the Vietnam History Museum
This museum is home to a vast collection of Vietnamese artifacts from different periods in Vietnamese history, if you are looking to learn a bit about the country outside of the war.
Marveling at the Old French architecture
Even knowing that Vietnam was under French rule for a long ass time, it was still jarring to see gorgeous European-style architecture amongst the skyscrapers and pagodas. Some of the most notable buildings include the Notre Dame cathedral, which had 100% of its materials (down to the very last brick) imported from France, Saigon City Hall, and Saigon Central Post Office, all located within walking distance of one another for efficient photo-taking opportunities.
Grabbing a drink at a rooftop bar
The nightlife is bustling in HCMC, especially in the backpacker’s district where travelers flock for the cheap accommodations and even cheaper beer. Beer runs about $1 in most places, but I managed to get a few cups of it for even cheaper, as little as 30 US cents! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to gaze over HCMC’s amazing skyline from a rooftop bar; the heli bar on top of the Bitexco Tower, the tallest building in the city, is popular and offers the best view, but if you don’t feel like dropping an exorbitant amount of money on a fancy tourist magnet, there are plenty of cheaper, albeit shorter, rooftop bars throughout the city.
Navigating the mf motorbikes
I think pretty much anyone will tell you this, but the traffic is absolutely out of control throughout the whole of Vietnam. One would think that there was not a single traffic law in place. Not a one! Even where there are traffic lights, there’s no guarantee that you’ll have the time to book it across the street without having motorbikes coming at you in all directions, and it’s kind of fun to master the science of calculating your trip to the other side. I took to tagging along with locals, who barely look before crossing and zigzag between bikes like they’ve been doing it all their lives (which, of course, they have).
Meandering Nguyen Van Binh (Book Street)
This little gem was such a pleasant surprise. If you wrinkle your nose up at the thought of books and scoff at people who have the nerve to enjoy books, then goodbye. Get over yourself. This street ain’t for you. I randomly found it right near Saigon Central Post Office, and was happy to take a bit to relax, grab a coffee, and peruse the books from the shops lining the street (most in Vietnamese, yes, and shockingly enough I don’t know one fucking iota of Vietnamese. But there are some in English, and the atmosphere is what really makes it worth a visit).
Taking advantage of day trip opportunities
What the hell is a stay in a brand new country without a couple of day trips? Here are the two I took, which left me even less time in the city, but like I said, I am seriously a-okay with that.
Cu Chi Tunnels, an extensive network of underground tunnels near HCMC that were utilized during the Vietnam War by soldiers, who used them as hiding spots during combat and as communication and supply routes. It is really what helped contribute to the resistance against American forces, so it has a lot of historical significance. There are two different tunnel sites, Ben Dinh, which is much easier to get to and consists of tunnel reconstructions in order to accommodate larger tourists, and Ben Duoc, which actually contains part of the original tunnel system.
This day was hot as hell and maybe climbing around in the tunnels isn’t for you if you have a fear of tight spaces, but it is interesting to see how the Viet Cong soliders lived and fought during the war.
Mekong Delta, which can be done as a day trip or a trip over the course of a couple days, depending on your timeframe, is a region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River empties into the sea. The town here is bustling with commerce, and the river is full of boats, houseboats, and floating markets.
The coolest thing about this little gem is that you get to see how many goods are made here, as the region is responsible for more than a third of the country’s annual crop yield. The fruits, rice, honey, fish, candy, even the rat…! tasted absolutely amazing, so come hungry!
The more I travel away from home the more I realize that not every place you go has to be your favorite. You’re not going to want to return to every single city you stay in, you’re not going to want to gush about every little thing you saw. That’s okay. Even if it’s not your favorite, every place has something worth exploring. Am I jonesing to get back to Ho Chi Minh City? No. But did I leave feeling like my eyes were opened, like I learned a lot, and like I am glad I had the opportunity? You betcha.
