What to Do in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam which used to be the capital city of South Vietnam. After the reunification of both North and South in 1975, the capital city of Vietnam became Hanoi. However, the terms of Saigon is still widely used, especially by the locals. Saigon looks much more developed than Hanoi, with the skyscrapers, office buildings, ongoing constructions, and huge shopping malls. While most tourists come to Hanoi to learn the culture and explore the nature, some of them pay a visit to Saigon for foods and shopping. The most touristy parts of Saigon are called Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien Street, both are located in District 1. 

To go to this part of the city from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you can take the yellow bus number 109 for VND 20,000 as the cheapest option. If you come with lots of luggage, taxi (VND 150,000 – 180,000) might be a better choice. Remember to take either Mailinh or Vinasun instead, as both are the most reliable taxi providers in Vietnam. Once you get out of the airport building, you will find taxi stands on the second line. Grab and Uber are also available, but most of the drivers do not speak English that it might be hard to communicate with them. There are some counters offering taxi services on the airport arrival hall, but they are slightly more expensive, around VND 250,000. District 1 is not that far from the airport, about 25 minutes, so VND 200,000 would be the maximum reasonable price. There are many things you can do around Ho Chi Minh City, and some of them are as follows.

Spend a Whole Day to Visit Mui Ne

Have you ever heard there are sand dunes in Vietnam? If you haven’t, you should go to Mui Ne. Famous for its enormous sand dunes, Mui Ne is about 5 hour bus ride from Saigon. It might not be as famous as the other parts of Vietnam like Da Nang or Nha Trang, but you should pay this place a visit at least once if you’re coming to Saigon. You could join a tour from Saigon which operates daily and there are two options available, either sunrise tour or sunset tour.

If you have limited time in Saigon, sunrise tour would be a great choice. The tour starts at midnight as the sleeper bus leaves from Pham Ngu Lao at 00.00 and return at 14.00. For sunset tour, the bus leaves at 08.00 and return at 24.00. Well, you may ask which one is better. It depends on your preference. Some tourists prefer sunrise tour as there are less people going there in the morning and it is pretty hot on the sand dunes in the afternoon. However, both tours will go to the exactly same places, only in different order. Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien Street would be the best area to book a tour as there are hundreds of travel agencies there.

I booked the tour from an agent called Tuan Travel, which was also a money changer. It costs USD 25 per person, includes round ticket for the sleeper bus and private jeep with a driver to four destinations, which are Fairy Stream, Fishing Village, White Sand Dunes, and Red Sand Dunes. The travel office is located at Bui Vien Street, specifically about two blocks from Duc Vuong Hotel. They also sell the bus ticket for less than USD 10, it takes 5 hours to Mui Ne with one stop at the rest area. The bus will drop you somewhere in Mui Ne, not at the bus station. Therefore, you have to call the jeep driver to pick you up. Once you finish the trip, the jeep driver will drop you at the bus operator offices.

Fairy Stream. It is a stream of water which has reddish color comes from the combination of red and white sands on the bottom of the stream. The stream is about ankle-deep for the most part and less than knee-deep at the deepest. All visitors are encouraged to take off their shoes and walk barefoot to really enjoy the cool water and soft red dirt under the heat of the sun. If you are brave enough, you can climb to the top of the sand dunes, but pay attention to the rock formations as they might be sharp. It takes about an hour to reach the end of the stream but your guide may not give you that much time. Fairy Stream is always packed with tourists, especially near the entrance. The farther you go, the less people you will see, and that’s how you can enjoy the calmness and the beautiful view. The entrance is free of charge. After the long walk following the creek, have a coconut at the small stalls along the way. It is really good and only costs VND 20,000 each.

Fishing Village. This would be a great place to see the local life and enjoy fresh seafood. It is recommended to come here early in the morning as it is the time when the fishermen return with massive amount of live seafood. Mui Ne is also famous for fish sauce making. Tourists spend only a little time here as there is nothing much to do other than taking pictures and see the locals do their activities. Besides, it smells quite fishy around the village.

White Sand Dunes. White Sand Dunes are much wider than the red one. You can go around the sand dunes by jeep or ATV and both cost VND 200,000 per person for about 45 minutes, which is quite pricey. The jeep has 5 people capacity and it goes to the top of the sand dunes and a small lake, while the ATV has 2 people capacity and only goes to the top of the sand dunes. Some tourists choose to walk instead, but it would be really hard to reach the top as it gets extremely hot in the afternoon. Therefore, prepare some drinks and consider to go there early in the morning or late in afternoon.

Red Sand Dunes. During sunset tour, Red Sand Dunes would be the last destination as it is a good place to see sunsets. The sunset time is around 17.00 – 17.30 and it’s packed with tourists during this time. There are many kids and old ladies wearing cone hats offering sleds for sand boarding. It is better to check the price and agree on it beforehand as some tourists had unpleasant experience with the kids renting them. Please also be careful when the kids teach you how to sand board, always keep your belongings under your supervision.

Have some History Lesson at Chu Chi Tunnels

Chu Chi Tunnels, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vietnam, is located in Chu Chi Rural District, approximately 45 miles northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. It is the evidence of Vietnam War from 1945 – 1975. The tunnels were made by the Vietnamese using hand tools and primitive technologies to hide and secure themselves during the war. They stayed inside the tunnels most of the day and only came out at night to tend their crops. There were 250 km of underground tunnels and today, two different sites of tunnels are opened for public, Ben Duoc Tunnels and Ben Dinh Tunnels. Ben Duoc Tunnels remain unlit and has part of the original tunnel system while Ben Dinh Tunnels have been reconstructed and made larger in some area to accommodate tourists.

Visitors are encouraged to join a tour or hire a tour guide as it is where you will have the most information from. Entrance fee are required to enter the tunnels, VND 90,000 per person for Ben Duoc Tunnels and VND 110,000 per person for Ben Dinh Tunnels. Both of them open daily from 08.00 – 17.00. I booked the tour from Pioneer Travel in Bui Vien Street and it costs VND 110,000 for the round-trip bus and a tour guide. The tour guide was a former member of navy and he was really informative. Most tour stops at a souvenir shop on the way to the tunnels, where the souvenirs are made by the war victims affected by Agent Orange. Yes, even after years, the effect of Agent Orange still can be seen until now. This biological weapons were used by American to destroy the forests to stop Vietnamese from hiding during the war, and it has caused serious health problems, even genetic disorders, and the worst is birth defect. The land contaminated by the chemical are also dead and cannot be used to grow any plants. Vietnamese established Peace Village to assist those affected by the chemical, supported by US veterans of war who are aware to the impact had been caused. If you don’t feel like buying any souvenirs, donation boxes are located at some points.

Shopping at Saigon Square & Ben Thanh Market

Saigon Square is a two floor building full of shops selling stuffs from sport apparel, casual outfit, footwear, bags, accessories, and others. Many tourists come here as it is quite comfy, well-organized, and equipped with air conditioner. Moreover, most of the stuffs are sold at a very reasonable price, mostly for VND 100,000 each. Bargaining and negotiating are acceptable, especially if you buy in bulk. Saigon Square opens daily from 08.00 – 22.00.

Ben Thanh Market is located in District 1, only a few minute walk away from Saigon Square. You will be able to find so many things like fashion items, fruits and veggies, dry goods, souvenirs, handicrafts, Vietnamese foods like coffee and Banh Pia, and also fabrics. Ben Thanh Market opens daily from 07.00 – 19.00. However, there is no air conditioner inside the building and the fashion items are slightly more expensive than the one in Saigon Square.

Stay at Pham Ngu Lao and Enjoy the Sleepless Night

Pham Ngu Lao area is made up of two main street which are Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien. Being compared to Khao San Road in Bangkok, Pham Ngu Lao is referred to backpacker’s area of Ho Chi Minh City, where you can find wide variety of inexpensive restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hotels/hostels, travel agencies, and souvenir shops. While you see visitors and locals wandering around in the morning, having Banh Mi or Pho as their breakfast, the main street turns into nightlife heaven at night. Moreover, it gets busier as the night goes. Tourists don’t usually sit in restaurants or bars, most of them sit on the sidewalk, looking at people passing by while enjoying some beers. However, people lose their cameras, phones, and other valuables every day in this area. So make sure to keep your belongings and do not show them excessively when walking on the street.