Impressive Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam

With foreign people to Vietnam to travel or reside, Saigon is always hiding interesting things to explore and learn about. 

For long-term residents, Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam (Saigon) is a place they miss even when they are staying inside. For foreign visitors, the city is also a myth holding incredible things that they are impulsed to uncover. So, in the eyes of international friends, what does Ho Chi Minh city look like?

I - Overview of Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam 

Saigon, officially Ho Chi Minh city, is the biggest city in Southern Vietnam and the second biggest in the whole country. With an area of more than 2,000 km2 and a population of 9 million, the city is divided into 22 districts and 1 city (city inside city). With a developed economy as well as modern facilities, Saigon is more and more promising to foreign visitors. 

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II - Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam in the heart of tourists

1 - A city of Banh mi, pho and Com tam

For the first time traveling to Ho Chi Minh city, Mr. Bobby Kent, an American tourist, said staying for 1 week was an interesting experience. As a real traveler with a map on hand, he slithered into every alley in the center of District 1 to “snack” many delicious dishes, some of which the prioritized list were Banh mi, Com Tam (broken rice) and Pho.  Like Mr. Bobby, Ms. Ai Chan Mo coming from Myanmar also comes to saigon vietnam  for the first time in a travel combined with business trip. As a difficult person in eating, she finds cuisine here edible because it shares a lot of things in common with Myanmar foods. 

2 - Hilarious traffic 

Although he had carefully searched for information about this city on the Internet before the trip, Bobby was still astonished by the things he came across. He humorously shared: “I have been warned about traffic in Vietnam but when experiencing it on my own, I have had a big surprise”. Learning how to cross the road between lines of vehicles is an one-of-the-life-time experience to Bobby, and the road travelers are like real ballet dancers. 

3 - Vibrance and energesticity 

With Ms. Ai Chan Mo, life in Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam is so diverse and colorful because interspersed between skyscrapers are tiny vendors where everyone starts a new day with a cup of coffee, a small chat about topics around their lives. The sound of vehicles horns, the sound of hawkers as well as the happy laughter are mixed together, chaotic but interesting. Ms. Ai Chan Mo continued: “This is the first time I have been in Ho Chi Minh city. You know, this city is very like a city in India, Manila. 

The street has a lot of motorbikes and is very crowded. They are so similar that I think as if I am standing in my home country. Some dishes here have similarities to my homeland, therefore, I can eat to reduce homesickness.”Energetic and bustling are probably the exact adjectives that most visitors used to describe traveling to ho chi minh city . 

Those having lived here for a particular time will feel the intimacy, tranquility intertwined with the industrial lifestyle. Big and small restaurants are everywhere to be found but “specialty” often lie at tiny restaurants nestled inside roundabout alleys that take a long time to access.   

After all the hustle and bustle of a hectic working day, only with a pot of tea and some newspapers, you can sit under a shady tree for how long you wish to watch passersby or chit chat with native people without much attention to the language barrier. This is what Mr. Pierre, a French man, realized after 3 years living in this city. 

4 - The love to history and the hope for a bright future

Being in Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam in 2015, Mr. Pierre clearly felt the burning atmosphere when the city was about to welcome the 40th anniversary of Liberation and Reunion. On the streets, at theme parks or even at his workplace, everyone is eager to prepare for April 30th. 

The pride for history and the optimism for the future show on the face of his Vietnamese friends. “I came here once in 1994 and officially have been living for 3 years. I love Saigon so much, especially on holidays when people gather in a warm atmosphere. I know that Vietnam is celebrating a very special event. Streets are beautifully decorated, there are many happy activities, everybody seems happy, too”.

From short-term travels, many foreigners have decided to live and stay in Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam for a long term. That’s the special love that international friends give to this vibrant city.