Halloween is an interesting holiday in HCMC. For the most part, locals don’t celebrate and if they do they usually keep it on a lower key. The celebration, however, isn’t discouraged and being a city with an active nightlife, dozens of events and parties will give you an outlet to release your inner ghoul. Instead … read the full post

Saigon street food isn’t all about main meals — yummy drinks and sweets are also on offer. Among the sugary offerings is che dau hu, a confection that can be tricky to find, but is worth the effort. Keep your eyes peeled: the roaming vendors are often surrounded by groups of students or children seeking … read the full post

If you are anything like me when you travel you always tend to be in a hurry, trying to check all of the sights off your to-do list. It can get especially bad here because Ho Chi Minh City is such a fast-paced place. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of neon … read the full post

Shopping and bargaining in markets is one of my favourite pastimes in Saigon. Here are my pointers for hunting down good deals and to make sure you don’t offend anyone. First, if you are looking for good deals at markets, early morning may not be the best time to shop. Many proprietors believe that if … read the full post

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

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