5 Things You Should Definitely Do When In Ho Chi Minh City

By Danial Martinus  •  23 Nov 2023 in Travel

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For most Malaysians, travelling to other parts of Southeast Asia is the closest thing we can get to a real overseas vacation. It’s relatively cheap, geographically accessible, and a lot less daunting — especially if you’ve never left the country before. But that’s not to say that the region has nothing to offer beyond the quirks and comforts we’re used to over here in Malaysia.

Take Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for example, which this JUICE writer recently visited for the first time in his 30 years on this big blue ball. If you’ve never been to Ho Chi Minh City, let’s just say it’s nothing like Kuala Lumpur or other major cities in Southeast Asia. It’s absolutely chaotic, but also unbelievably organised.

Here are 5 things you should see and do while you’re there:

1. Take a GrabBike or GoJek to get around

One of the first things you’ll notice once you leave Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) is the never-ending sea of motorcycles on HCMC’s roads. It’s safe to say that motorbikes are the vehicle of choice for most people here.

Considering the deeply-congested roads, this makes total sense. But it can also be extremely daunting for someone who’s used to getting around in the comfort of a regular car. This also means that using a ride-hailing service that offers bike rides — such as GrabBike and GoJek — is your best bet at getting to your destination quickly, and for cheap.

Ho Chi Minh’s streets are chaotic. Despite this, it seems that all road users are connected to each other with a hive mind. People don’t think — they just do. And it totally works. In my six days spent in the city, not once did I witness any accidents occur (and I was on the road quite a lot).

This goes to show that mind-bending chaos can still keep a city going, despite the perceived risks. Plus, it’s a completely unique experience to commute to places the way the locals do.

2. Indulge in egg and salt coffee

Vietnam is known for its mature coffee culture, with egg coffee being one of the highlights when visiting the country. It’s essentially black (or white) coffee mixed in with egg white.

You might think that this would taste absolutely vile, but you’d be proven dead-wrong. The egg white itself is merely used to thicken the coffee, giving it a decadent, frothy texture. You don’t taste any hints of poultry in there at all. Bear in mind, however, that it can be a little kaw.

Salt coffee, on the other hand, is the lesser known offering. But it can be found just about anywhere too. Unlike egg coffee, the concept of salt coffee is much more straightforward (and much more preferred by this writer).

It’s got the same consistency as your regular cup of joe, but with some elevated flavour thanks to the addition of salt. It’s giving ✨ salted caramel latté without the caramel ✨.

Our recommendations:

Egg Coffee:

Aramour Coffee Roasters

Address:
7 Đ. Lê Văn Miến, Thảo Điền, Quận 2,
Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 70000, Vietnam

Facebook | Instagram

Salt Coffee:

Cà Phê Muối Chú Long

Address:
417 Đ. Cộng Hòa, Phường 15, Tân Bình,
Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Website | Facebook

3. Test out your haggling skills at Bến Thành Market

Located in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, Bến Thành Market is one of the oldest surviving structures in the city. Everyday it welcomes more than 10,000 people, with the day market operating from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., before transitioning to the night market (running until 10 p.m.). There’s also a wet market connected to the main building.

Like most markets in Southeast Asia, you’ll be able to find all sorts of local delicacies here, along with souvenirs, counterfeit goods, and Vietnamese coffee. Speaking of which, this is also where you’ll be able to get the best prices for coffee — if your haggling skills are up to par, that is.

I do admit, the local aunties and uncles that work the 1,500 stalls here are a little more firm with their pricing, but are still very much open to negotiation.

Because of its central location, you won’t have any trouble getting to Bến Thành Market. You’re just a quick GrabBike ride away, though we do recommend booking a regular car when leaving if you plan to shop a lot.

4. Savour the peace and quiet at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street (Nguyễn Văn Bình Book Street)

Ho Chi Minh City Book Street is a place where writers, book publishers, and avid readers come together to enjoy a peaceful rest amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s one short street lined with bookstores (offering both English and Vietnamese titles) and, of course, little cafés.

Yep, they know you’re gonna buy a book there — don’t lie to yourself.

It’s also a great place to escape the blistering heat, thanks to the canopy of trees that help shade the entire street.

5. Take a stroll down Nguyen Hue Street (Đường Nguyễn Huệ)

Dubbed the cultural hub of Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Hue Street (Đường Nguyễn Huệ) is the best place to establish as the ‘ground-zero’ of your visit. It’s got everything you need, ranging from local eats all the way to luxury shopping. It’s also a very walkable street, with the two middle lanes of the boulevard designated solely for pedestrians.

On weekends it gets even better, with the entire boulevard turning into one giant pedestrian walkway (only in the evenings, though).

It’s the perfect starting point for your trip. Plus, you’ll be able to get some air, as well as take in the nearby sights — like Ho Chi Minh City Hall and the Saigon River Waterfront.

Of course, there are other things to do. But this is a quick starter pack for people who have absolutely no idea how to plan a trip to Ho Chi Minh City

But you can make this trip a little easier on your wallet. There’s currently a promotion going on with VietJet, giving you the chance to fly to Vietnam for as low as RM120 from now until 28 November, with their Black Friday promotion.

We promise, this isn’t sponsored by anyone (please sponsor us, VietJet).