7/31/2019 Discover Ho Chi Minh City

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Vietnam: Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)It seemed to me all drivers inHo Chi Minh Cityhad their hands on the horns most of the time. As I stood in front ofBen Thanh Market in the heart of thisVietnamese city, I could no longer determine who was honking at whom. It was a typical day in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Once called Saigon, I found myself lost inits cosmopolitan hustle and bustle, drowned by the incessant beeping and the noisy motors of the thousands of motorbikes, cars and buses that crowd its streets.Ben Thanh Market is actually walking distance from Pham Ngu Lao. And to any visitor to HCMC, the street and surrounding areas is synonymous with backpackers,budget accommodation, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, affordable tours and land transportation to other parts of Vietnam and Cambodia. So if you're on a limited budget,Pham Ngu Lao is the place to be and it's the best place to find options for your stay in Saigon. What's to do in Ho Chi Minh City anyway? Here's a list of things I didover several visits to Ho Chi Minh City. The list of course includes interesting tr ips close to HCMC:

1. Enjoy a Vietnamese food tripWhat I like about Saigon is that food is everywhere from hawker stalls, local fast food to fancy restaurants. Food is good almost anywhere and I'd usually

buy bnh mifrom the street or find the nearest hole-in-the-wall for a cheap but authentic Vietnamese meal. In the evening, the streets around Ben Thanhare transformed into makeshift restaurants.

2. During my trip to Ho Chi Minh City this year, Viqui del Rosario sent me an interesting list of places to eat in Saigon. Here are some of her suggestions plusothers I also got to try out:Lemongrass Restaurant, 4 Nguyen Thiep Street - a good place to try authentic Vietnamese foodBrodard Bakery, 11 Nguyen Thiep Street - a small bakeshop just across Lemongrass that sell French pastries but only take outNgoc Suong (Le Marina), 19c Le Quy Don - a seafood restaurant, try their deep-fried crabsQuan Nem, 15e Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street - a good place for spring roolsWrap and Roll, 62 Hai Ba Trung Street - another good option for spring rollsPho 2000, 1-3 D Phan Chu Trinh Street (beside Ben Thanh Market) - while you can get ph almost anywhere, their claim to fame is that Bill Clinton atehere when he was in HCMC for an official visitNhu Lan, 50-64-68 Ham Nghi Street - try out their bnh mi or bnh cunNh Hng Ngon, 160 Pasteur Street - bnh hi tht is recommendedQuan An Ngon, 138 Ky Khoi Nghia Street

3. 2. Hire axe om and explore HCMC like a localIf you're comfortable in the passenger seat for a motorcycle ride through the wild hustle and bustle of HCMC, then this is the best way to absorb the sitesof the city. Best to ask your hostel to look for a xe om to take you around. The good thing about axe om tour is that you decide where to go, what to seeand how much time you spend at each attraction.

Make sure you drop by Saigon City Hall, Saigon Opera House,Saigon Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and theReunification Palace amongmany other attractions.

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