First full day in crazy Ho Chi Minh City. To get the bearings of this incredible city was the order of things for day two and to also learn a few valuable lessons while discovering Saigon in Vietnam.
I will start off with a valuable tip. To get around in this city, Uber or now should I say Grab, should be your main point of transportation. It’s easy to order and the payment is automatically put through via credit card, so in turn they can’t cheap you and vice versa. Best part is, a twenty-minute trip only cost about three bucks. A taxi is over double that price.
Now that I have saved you a heap of cash in [easyazon_link identifier=”1544903774″ locale=”US” tag=”fdt0c-20″]Ho Chi Minh City[/easyazon_link], let’s move on to today’s events.
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Highlights of Vietnam Diaries: Day 2 – Discovering Saigon
Best bit of the day of the day
Discovering Saigon was the pick of the day. Why not, it was the first full day in this chaotic city and there were lots to learn and discover. For instance, where is the best places to eat? Best places to shop and day tours to discover? The list goes on, and no matter how much time you spend in this city, you are never going to get the full grasp of Saigon.
Best foods of the day
Grill Riverside – Beautiful marinated beef in Korean style sauce grilling on a charcoal stove, with fried chicken and side dishes, simply delicious. Eating only metres away from roaring motorbikes with the Nhieu Loc- Thi canal just beyond the busy road was breathtaking. Saigon is truly spectacular at night.
Highlights of the day while discovering Saigon
- Ben Thanh Market – WOW!!! One of the best markets I have ever seen. Over three-thousand stalls of clothing, merchandise, food court with mainly rice noodle soup, butchers and fruit and veg section.
The markets are cramped with everyone walking in all directions. Pesky stores owners did everything to grab your attention and sell you mostly useless items but at times you will find a real steal. When purchasing any products, make sure you bargain down at least 50%. The locals will always try to drive the prices up on a clueless tourist. - Nhieu Loc- Thi canal – Walking the banks of the canal was easily the safest walk I had done in Vietnam so far. Starting the walk before sunset, it was a sight to see as the traffic flowed and the night lights began to take effect. The Cau Kieu bridge looked superb in its changing colours.
Another thing to note is that in Ho Chi Minh City, there is a lot of Buddhist temples that come appearing from all over the place and at times you least suspect it. We entered a beautiful temple not far from the Airbnb accommodation in Tan Dinh area, that overlooked the canal and it cost nothing at all. That is the joys of discovering Saigon.
Check out GPSmyCity for further details on discovering Saigon!
- Heading to Ho Chi Minh City, check out TripAdvisor for hotels.
- Check out Day one of Vietnam Diaries – New Adventure.
- Check out Day three of Vietnam Diaries – Just Add Water.
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