Foreign visitor to guide the best way to explore Ho Chi Minh City
Follow the step of a reporter from Lonelyplanet, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City for six years, tourists can find another way to saw a Saigon not busy and bustling.
The grand colonial-era facade of Ho Chi Minh City's central post office © James Pham / Lonely Planet.
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According to James Pham, for cheap eats… if you don't want to eat from street food stalls, you can look for the words "Com Binh Dan", which means "rice for the common people". These small restaurants offer up hot, ready-made meals for less than US$1.50. They’re all over the city, often near universities and schools. All you have to do is point to the dish you want. Otherwise, many glitzy cafes also have "Com Van Phong" or "office workers lunch" – a soup, vegetable side and main – for less than the cost of a cup of coffee during the day when there are relatively few customers.
Bun bo Hue (spicy beef noodle soup), a popular street stall dish in Ho Chi Minh City © James Pham / Lonely Planet.
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If you like to shop, you can go Kokois in Thao Dien. It’s a lounge/bistro on the ground floor, with a retail shop above showcasing up-and-coming designers who have made Vietnam their home (think French fashion for men, but designed and constructed in Vietnam using imported fabrics). The products are unique and hold up well in Vietnam’s tropical climate. L’Usine is similar, with Vietnam-inspired gifts such as local versions of Monopoly and the French card game Mille Bornes. James also go to tiny Phuoc Tailor on Ð De Tham, where a husband-and-wife team make dress shirts for less than US$20.
When you want to splash out… you can book a stay in a flash downtown hotel for a night or two. “Don’t get me wrong, I love living local in Saigon, but it’s nice to get away every now and then from the constant hum of noise – motorbikes, construction and the occasional late-night karaoke! Lately, my go-to place has been Le Méridien Saigon for its river views, 9th-storey pool and killer buffet breakfast”.
There’s also always an intriguing restaurant opening up in the city to try, whether it’s an upscale fusion place like Blanc, where you have to order in sign language; or steak cooked on hot rocks at the Deck, accompanied by gorgeous river views.
To get away from the crowds… James will follow the Saigon River north of the city centre to Thanh Da, an island just 20 minutes drive from downtown. It looks like the Mekong Delta, with rice fields, palm trees and hammock cafes by the water. Or he will drive another 20 minutes to the ritzy An Lam Retreats Saigon River and spend the day by the pool watching barges sailing by while enjoying gourmet Vietnamese cuisine or Western comfort food.
Saigon River winds its way through HCMC to island Thanh Da © Chawinya p / Shutterstock.
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In addition, one thing he hate about Ho Chi Minh City is… the cost of imported foods. Sure, street food is world class and inexpensive, but like most expats, James experience regular cravings for things like cheese, imported steak, cheese, almonds and Doritos (did I mention cheese?) There are speciality stores that sell almost everything you’d want, but I rarely leave without a major dent in my wallet.
People in Ho Chi Minh City… are always on the go. Most work six or seven days a week, so the city never really slows down. But while they work hard, they like to play hard, too, leading to a really amazing cafe, restaurant and entertainment scene. Once you break through the initial barrier (knowing a little of the language goes a long way), Saigonese are friendly and open.
When James want to get out of the city… he head to the beach. Saigon is a transport hub, so James can be on the white-sand beaches of Nha Trang to the north or Phu Quoc Island just off the Cambodian coast, or the tiny island of Con Dao (a penal colony during French and American times) in less than an hour by air. Alternatively, the former French playground of Cap St Jacques (now known as Vung Tau) is just a two-hour shuttle ride away, and the sleepy fishing village of Mui Ne is just over fours hours by train.
Writer and photographer James Pham exploring HCMC's colourful Chinatown © James Pham / Lonely Planet.
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James know Ho Chi Minh City is home… because he not afraid of getting lost in its endless maze of alleyways. Navigating can be a nightmare because streets are mostly named after Vietnamese historical figures, each name having at least three parts (first, middle and last name). To make matters worse, the same street names are often used in multiple city districts, so you really have to know where you’re going.
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