Ho Chi Minh City is quite safe for cities of comparable size. Very few violent acts have been reported against foreigners, but it can still be dangerous to walk around flaunting your wealth. Here are a few commonsense steps you can take to ensure your safety while in Saigon. First, be cautious of wearing jewellery. … read the full post

When a visiting friend whipped out her guidebook, together we stumbled upon what sounded like a magical way to spend an afternoon in Saigon: getting a blind massage. This was something a bit different from other things to do in the city; billed as a budget friendly ‘no nonsense’ spa, it sounded great and I … read the full post

When the humidity goes up and the mercury rises, doing anything outdoors in Ho Chi Minh City can be unbearable. When I can no longer stand the punishment I often find myself ducking into one of the city’s numerous cafés. Bobby Brewers, one of my favourites, has a few locations scattered about the city but … read the full post

Confused as to what to eat next in Saigon? Take a deep breath; if you smell what you think to be barbecue and see smoke rising from a grill you have hit the jackpot! You’ve found bun thit nuong, a dish that is not too hot and not too cold but, as Goldilocks and I … read the full post

Every day in Saigon around four million motorbikes hit the street, and for every bike you also get an extremely hot exhaust pipe.  Whether walking by a parked bike on the footpath or riding on the back, even the most careful traveller may bump into one of these accidents waiting to happen. The first motorbike … read the full post

Cold drinks seem to always taste better in hot places, and HCMC is no exception. From iced beer to coffee, the streets here offer a huge variety of cold drinks to choose from. My favourite cold, roadside drink in Saigon is the smoothie. Smoothie stands usually offer a wide variety of fruits, from standard strawberry … read the full post

Have you ever wondered how fast a 100m-long street can become an outdoor night market? If so, head down to Phan Boi Chau or Phan Chu Trinh at around 18:00 to watch the literal mad dash of vendors setting up their stalls for the Ben Thanh night market. Starting at 19:00, the night market is … read the full post

The Cu Chi tunnels are a site worth seeing if you are visiting Saigon. However, since they are roughly 70km round trip from the city centre, visiting them on a tour can take the majority of a day. When time in the city is limited they may seem unreachable, but fear not: you can get … read the full post

Taxis in Saigon are easy to find and cheap to ride, but they can be a trap for the unknowing tourist. Here are a few tricks of the trade for you to know about the Saigon taxi business. Choosing the right taxi company is very important and will save you money. I stick to Vinasun … read the full post

Strolling past Saigon’s numerous street food vendors will make most travellers hungry, but the problem is most of us wonder: what the heck are they making? Today I’ll tell you about one of my personal favourites, a food eaten in Vietnam for breakfast, lunch and dinner: banh cuon (pronounced: bon-koo-on). Looking at a prepared plate … read the full post