We stayed in District 1 for the entire duration of our stay in Saigon (also called Ho Chi Mihn City). It’s hard to get a real feel of the city when you’re restricted to a 2-day travel schedule. Fortunately, District 1 isn’t a bore. You can spend the day exploring remnants of the city’s colonial past and the night — by letting the locals show you how to have a good time.
Get Dazzled by Light
District 1 lights up by night. With the evenings being relatively cooler in the month of July; it’s perfect to walk around and soak in the the night scene. Almost every building (including Saigon Opera House and City Hall) or high-rise puts on a splendid show of lights.
If you’re walking around Ho Chi Mihn Square, along Nguyen Hue Walking Street, keep your eyes peeled for the ‘Cafe Apartment‘. I had read about it before our trip and didn’t think we’d get to see it. As the name suggests, the ‘Cafe Apartment’ is an old apartment building that has been converted into a series of hip cafes, restaurants, and boutiques.
Get High on Flavour
Sampling local food should definitely top your list. Vietnamese cuisine is high on flavour and I couldn’t get enough of it. You could choose to dine at local chains or expensive hotels. Over the years, the expat population has contributed to the gastronomy of the city. So, it wouldn’t be hard to find global cuisine around. Tempting as it looked, we preferred to stick to authentic Vietnamese cuisine.
If eating fancy isn’t your thing, you could head to Nguyen Hue Walking Street. Street food stalls dot the paved street and are a big hit with the locals. Everything looked interesting and curious as we were — I wasn’t brave enough to try any of it.
Watch Street Performances
At night, Nguyen Hue Walking Street transforms into a performance venue for local entertainers. Honestly, it was hard to understand what was going on between bobbing heads. Some performances were theatrical and seemed to effectively combine humour with drama. I preferred the musical performances instead. It’s easier to appreciate music without understanding the language. Although I could be mistaken, some tunes seemed vaguely similar to the OST of Korean dramas. I wouldn’t be surprised given the influx of Korean tourists and the spread of K-Dramas across Asia.
Not to be left behind, some expats/tourists decided to give their musical abilities a shot.
Wander Around
It’s hard to capture the energy of an evening in Saigon in words. The air is filled with a celebration and one would expect foreign tourists to line the streets. Instead, the locals came dressed in their best. Given the short duration of our stay, it would be difficult to say if this was a seasonal occurrence (coinciding with tourism) or just a way of local life. I’m tempted to go with the latter. If I’d be living in Saigon, I guess, I would love to enjoy a gentle breeze and the energy of being surrounded by people. Families with kids, young adults, and couples seemed to melt together. It could be just me, being a tourist looking from the outside, but I did feel a general sense of happiness.
The Saigon River lies on the opposite end of Ho Chi Mihn Square. It wore a deserted look by the time we made it there. Flags fluttered high and lights blurred the night sky. The gates were closed and we couldn’t get a clear view of the river. The closed gates didn’t stop couples from trying to get away from the festivities — on the other side of the street.
Put your Bargaining Skills to the Test
We’d heard a lot about Ben Thanh Market and wanted to end the night with a visit to this famous local market. Sadly, it didn’t live up to our expectations. There were some interesting eating options and you can find good deals on souvenirs. I loved the intricate (eggshell) artwork of the Vietnamese women in traditional attire. Basil being the tough negotiator tried to get a good deal for a set of two. I’d have just paid the price and turns out Basil got a good deal and it was a great way to end our stay in Saigon — before we left for Hanoi.
And just in case you’ve missed our previous post on Ho Chi Mihn City (Saigon):
HOPPING BACK AND FORTH IN TIME IN HO CHI MIHN CITY
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twobrownfeet 
What a lovely snapshot of Saigon Cheryl. I’ve missed your posts, the way you weave the magic of a city into your words and pics. Just lovely xo
Thanks a bunch, Miriam. Our travels have kept us away. Things have also got really busy here. The weather is kind of iffy. How could I forget our weather updates? 🙂 So good to have you back, Miriam. xo
Haha, our weather updates, how awesome. I’ve missed them. Well here goes, here right now at 9.03pm in Melbourne it’s a cool 8C and drizzling (and I have a massive head cold). 😕 xo
Awww! It’s cool with grey skies turning dark. Only an hour difference from Seoul? Wow! I’ve got a headache from pre-travel jitters. Need to write a post on it. Hope your cold clears out. Sending you warm hugs! xo
Thanks Cheryl. Except you don’t want to get too close. Think this flu is massively contagious. xo
Sorry for a late reply! Hope you’re feeling better, Miriam. We’re just back from Mongolia and I’m really slow with the replies. xo
No worries Cheryl. Hope you had a great time. xo 🙂
It was a tough trip. Tougher than I expected. But I’m so glad to have done it! 🙂
Saigon certainly seems to have changed since my last visit 22 years ago.
Wow! 22 years is a long time! Might have looked quite different back then.
Something about Asian countries just makes me fall in love with each and every one!
I know what you mean! 🙂
“Instead, the locals came dressed in their best. ” – Not a seasonal thing but common, especially on a Sunday night . I love this city though it has been a few years since I have been there. Incidentally, I will be in Hanoi for work a few days next week but will have this Sunday free to explore. Cant wait to revisit.
It’s always nice to exchange travel notes. I wish we could have stayed longer. Hanoi was equally brief. We have to go back to Vietnam. There’s so much that we missed. Look forward to reading your posts (I know I’ve been a little slow on the reading). 🙂
Vietnam is a firm favourite of mine.
And I can totally see why! 🙂
The lit-up buildings look pretty much like in Atlantic City (somehow reminded me of that). Happy to know you could feel at home there!
Really? It’s surprising how two different places or cities can look similar. 🙂 I try to find a bit of home in almost every place we travel. Thanks for stopping by, Alok. Have a great weekend!
You too ☺️
Thanks, Alok! 🙂
Ah, this makes me want to visit Saigon, more.
Actually, I am into fancy things and food, however my travel budget usually varies around that Nguyen Hue Walking Street. 😀 😀
Just let’s say the dress up is the way of life of Saigon citizen. 🙂 🙂
Really? Did you try the street food? How was it? I certainly didn’t feel dressed with my Tee and travel pants. lol… How have you been, Yuna?
I mean, Saigon is also on my list, not on top, but I want to go there. 😀 😀
For me, sometimes, especially in tropical land, being comfort is the main issue for dressing. 🙂
I have been so well.
lol…I’m still quite zonked from the trip. Yeah you should visit it at least once. 🙂 Good to hear that you’re well. xo
Hahahaha, zonk. Okay, okay, I know that. 🙂
Yes, even myself wonders that I still feel well. 😀 😀 😀
Wish you re-adapt well with the activity after travelling time. 🙂
Almost getting there! 🙂
Nice photos and description of HCMC. Somehow my visit to this city doesn’t leave that much of an impression. Maybe it’s time for a revisit.
I guess, I am amazed by every little thing I see. 🙂 And Vietnam was on my list for years.
Your posts really make me wish we’d made it to Vietnam while we were in Korea!
Oooohhhh! Thanks, Anjali. You’ll have to just add it to your list. I wish we could have spent more time in Vietnam. We’re back in Seoul and it’s so grey today. 😦 Have you started missing Seoul? 🙂
Wow, what a cool trip. Vietnam is definitely on my list – hoping to make it to Asia in 2018. Thanks for the insight!
Thanks! Vietnam should definitely be on your list. I wish we had more time to explore beyond the cities.
Hopefully you will get to return to Vietnam at some point and spend more time there. Are those noodles hanging from that one street vendor’s stall?
I hope so too! 🙂 There are so many countries on our list and it’s a tough call between choosing to revisit a place or explore a new destination. I think it’s dried squid or something similar. I’ve seen it in the local markets in Korea too.
So many countries…I’m always torn between that decision too.
I’m taking it slow and steady. Hopefully, I’d get there someday. 🙂
Saigon seems to be buzzing. Great post
Thanks, Arvind! 🙂 It was fun capturing the energy.
Happy to hear that you enjoyed this trip, Cheryl
We always try to make the most of every trip! 🙂
That’s great! 🙂