Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam🏙️
Ho Chi Minh City is another one of those places that you either love or hate. We somehow ended up spending a whole week here while waiting for our friends to join us, and we absolutely loved it! In our opinion, it offers the perfect combination of sightseeing, exploring the city and partying.
Bùi Viên Street
Bùi Viện Street is the main backpacker street in Ho Chi Minh City, famous for its high-energy nightlife. During the day, it's relatively quiet, with plenty of cafés and street food stalls to explore. However, by night, it transforms into a lively, open-air party zone filled with neon signs, loud bars, clubs and tables spilling out onto the pavement. We ended up visiting four times during our week here, as it was such a fun spot to grab a few chilled drinks, soak up the atmosphere and chat with other backpackers.
Bitexco Financial Tower
If you want to enjoy gorgeous panoramic views across Ho Chi Minh City, a visit to the top of the Bitexco Financial Tower is definitely worth considering. We headed there one morning after grabbing a coffee and made our way up to the observation deck. The tickets are quite expensive for what it is, but we personally thought the views made it worthwhile!
Dinh Doc Lap - Independence Palace
Dinh Độc Lập (Independence Palace) is a famous historical landmark, museum and former government building in Ho Chi Minh City. You can buy tickets to explore inside, which is exactly what we did. We spent around an hour wandering through the different rooms, exploring the building and learning more about its fascinating history.
Ben Thanh & Hello Weekend Market
If you fancy browsing some markets and picking up a few bargains, there are two worth checking out. Ben Thanh Market is the oldest surviving market in Saigon, selling all sorts of things, from bags and clothes to souvenirs and street food. Hello Weekend Market, as the name suggests, is only open at weekends and is a great spot to browse vintage clothing, accessories and souvenirs.
Mekong Delta Cruise
One activity we would definitely recommend is a Mekong Delta Cruise. It is a full-day tour, usually running from around 8am to 5pm, and costs approximately $25 USD per person, including return transport from Ho Chi Minh City. It is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and experience a different side of Vietnam. The day goes as follows.
- Vinh Trang Pagoda (biggest in Mekong Delta).
- Boat trip along the Mekong River.
- Walk around a village at a Coconut Island in Ben Tre.
- Stop at a local family home and enjoy tropical fruit, taste the honey tea and honey wine.
- Check out the coconut candy shop and learn how to make candy and see handicrafts are made from these coconuts.
- Have a local Vietnamese feast with your tour group.
- Take a small boat trip through the marshes and bamboo.
Cu Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels are these massive, connected tunnels in the city, which were hand dug in the 1940s during the war for independence. We booked a guided tour where a local veteran talked us through the history of the war, the different tunnels and traps used and how the soldiers lived and survived. One of the most interesting parts was getting to climb down into the tunnels ourselves and crawl through them! Be warned, though, they are incredibly narrow and cramped, so if you're even slightly claustrophobic, you might want to give this part a miss!
War Remnants Museum
The War Remnants Museum is dedicated to documenting the history and lasting consequences of the Vietnam War, with exhibitions featuring photographs, artefacts and historical documents. After visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels, we headed here and spent the afternoon learning more about the war and its impact on Vietnam. It is a fascinating but sobering experience, and we would recommend allowing at least two hours to properly explore the museum and take everything in.
Temples
Different temples you should visit on your tour around Ho Chi Minh City include:
- Saigon Cao Dai Temple (first picture).
- Nha Tho Tan Dinh (pick church).
- Chua Giác Lam (middle picture below).
- Chua Vinh Trang.
Food
Little Hanoi Egg Coffee
One of the most popular and highly recommended spots to visit in Ho Chi Minh City is Little Hanoi Egg Coffee. They are famous for their delicious egg coffee, a traditional Vietnamese speciality. It is a rich, sweet drink made by layering strong black coffee with a thick, frothy cream whipped from egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. We loved it so much that we ended up visiting a couple of times for a delicious and affordable breakfast, before heading out to explore for the day!
Banh Xeo 46A
Banh Xeo 46A is a highly regarded, local open-air restaurant, famous for serving enormous Banh Xeo, traditional Vietnamese savoury pancakes. It has also been recognised in the Michelin Guide as a place worth trying, and it certainly did not disappoint!
The pancakes are cooked over charcoal and come with a choice of delicious fillings. We each ordered our own, filled with beansprouts, pork belly and shrimp. The traditional way to eat them is to break off small pieces of the crispy pancake, wrap them inside large lettuce leaves with fresh herbs and dip them into a sweet and spicy fish sauce. As we were the only customers there at the time, the chef even came out to show us exactly how to eat them!
Honestly, this was one of our favourite meals in Ho Chi Minh City. The portions were huge, the food was delicious and, best of all, it was incredibly cheap for what you got. Definitely one to add to your food list!
The Vintage Emporium Da Kao
While exploring the city, we also popped into The Vintage Emporium, a popular Australian-inspired café serving some seriously delicious food! They are particularly well known for their Western-style brunches, so naturally, we decided to go all out and treat ourselves. It was such a lovely spot for a change from the traditional Vietnamese food!
Social Club Saigon Rooftop Bar
If you are looking for a gorgeous spot to watch the sunset while enjoying a few drinks, this is the place to go! We spent our last evening in Ho Chi Minh City here, enjoying some drinks and were lucky enough to be treated to the most beautiful sunset. It was the perfect way to end our time in the city!
Other food spots:
- Munch Box Panini (middle picture).
- Street Food Stalls.
Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is Vietnam's largest island, just a short flight from Ho Chi Minh City. It's famous for its beautiful white-sand beaches, lush green jungles and luxury beach resorts. We decided to spend a week here before flying onwards to Indonesia, and it was definitely worth the visit! It was the perfect place to slow down, relax and enjoy a completely different side of Vietnam.
Tranh Waterfall & Ong Lang Beach
We spent the morning visiting Tranh Waterfall, a beautiful waterfall tucked away inside a small eco-park. We cycled there before spending some time exploring the different walking trails and taking a refreshing dip in the natural stream pools.
Afterwards, we headed over to Ong Lang Beach, where we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying some well-deserved beach time!
Phu Quoc Cable Car
The Phu Quoc Cable Car is the world's longest sea-crossing cable car system and even holds a Guinness World Record! The journey takes around 20 minutes, carrying you across the sea between the different islands. Along the way, you are treated to the most incredible panoramic views of the surrounding islands, crystal-clear turquoise waters and traditional local fishing boats. It is such a beautiful experience and definitely worth adding to your Phu Quoc itinerary!
Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park
Sun World Hon Thom Park is a huge island amusement and eco-tourism resort, which you can reach by taking the Hon Thom Cable Car. Once on the island, there are several different areas to explore, including Aquatopia Water Park, Exotica Village and Santo Port.
We decided to hire mopeds and explore the island ourselves, driving around the different areas and taking in all the colourful buildings, beautiful Santorini-inspired white architecture and stunning infinity pools overlooking the beach. It was such a fun way to see the island and discover everything it had to offer!
If you are looking for something a little more adventurous, there are also plenty of water activities to try, including parasailing, banana boat rides and snorkelling around the surrounding islands.
Aquatopia Water Park
Our first stop when we arrived on the island was Aquatopia Water Park, a huge water park located on Hon Thom Island (also known as Pineapple Island). We spent the morning making the most of all the different attractions, from exciting water slides and multi-lane racer slides to the huge wave pool and a relaxing lazy river. It was such a fun way to spend the morning and definitely brought out our inner kids!
Vinpearl Safari & Giraffe Restaurant
Another must-visit attraction in Phu Quoc is Vinpearl Safari, which is also home to the famous Giraffe Restaurant, an open-air dining spot where you can enjoy lunch surrounded by giraffes! We started by buying tickets to the safari, which are quite expensive but include admission to the wider park. We spent the morning exploring, walking around and seeing all sorts of different wildlife.
Afterwards, we headed to the Giraffe Restaurant for lunch, which I believe may also be included in certain ticket packages. The restaurant gets particularly busy around lunchtime, so I'd recommend going early (around 11am, before the main rush) or waiting until later to avoid the crowds. You can also buy carrots to feed the giraffes, which we obviously couldn't resist doing! It was a really fun experience and made for a very busy but enjoyable day out!
Grand World
The Grand World is a huge open-air entertainment and shopping complex on the northern side of Phu Quoc, famous for its Venice-inspired canals, colourful European-style buildings and gondola rides.
We spent the afternoon here wandering along the canals, browsing the different shops and trying all sorts of delicious snacks along the way. There is plenty to see and explore, so it is a lovely place to spend a few hours!
If you stay into the evening, there are also various night-time shows, including impressive light displays and water performances. There is even a huge night market with a fantastic range of food stalls serving everything from local seafood and traditional Asian dishes to Western favourites. Definitely worth staying around for the evening to experience the atmosphere!
Sao Beach & Club and Restaurant
Sao Beach is a gorgeous spot to spend the day relaxing and soaking up the sunshine. With its beautiful white sand and the bluest turquoise waters, it's the perfect place to lounge on a sunbed, go for a swim and simply switch off for a few hours.
There are also several beachfront bars, cafés and seafood restaurants, so you can easily spend the entire day here without needing to go anywhere else. A definite must-visit if you're looking for some proper beach time in Phu Quoc!
Ocsen Beach Bar & Club & Sunsets
The sunsets in Phu Quoc were honestly incredible, and we were lucky enough to see a beautiful one almost every evening! One of our favourite spots to watch the sunset was Ocsen Beach Bar, a popular beachfront lounge with plenty of beanbag seating, delicious cocktails and live music. We spent our last evening here, enjoying a few drinks with our feet in the sand and watching the sun go down. It was the perfect way to end our week on the island!
Phu Quoc Night Market
Phu Quoc Night Market is the island's main night market, located along the Duong Dong River and divided into two main sections: food and souvenirs.
We ended up spending most of our evenings here for dinner because the food was ridiculously cheap for the amount you got! The market is lined with endless seafood stalls and barbecue grills, with so many different dishes to choose from that it was almost impossible to decide what to have.
Once we had finished eating, we wouldd wander through the rows of handicraft and souvenir stalls, browsing everything from locally sourced pearls and jewellery to clothes and other little keepsakes. It's a great place to experience the local atmosphere, try some delicious food and pick up a few souvenirs!
Noras Cafe
Nora's Cafe is a really popular brunch spot on Phu Quoc and a lovely place to grab breakfast. We didn't actually realise beforehand, but it is a plant-based restaurant offering entirely vegetarian and vegan options. Despite this, we still had a delicious breakfast here before heading off to catch our flight back to Ho Chi Minh City. A great little spot to visit before leaving the island!
This summarises my Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc recommendations. We spent a week in both Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc and absolutely loved our time in each place! They offered two completely different experiences, from the buzzing city streets, history, incredible food and nightlife of Ho Chi Minh to the beautiful beaches, island adventures and unforgettable sunsets of Phu Quoc. Together, they were the perfect way to start and end our Vietnam adventure. We couldn't recommend visiting both enough!