With just a day in mind, I wasted no time and challenged myself to 'digest' the city as best as I could. And boy did I really digest all that Vietnamese delicacies. Good things are worth sharing. Hence, for those of of you who are planning a day trip in Ho Chi Minh, this is for you.
First off the travel essentials:
1. Getting around - Best is to take a cab as it is cheap and convenient. The biggest 2 cab operators in Vietnam are Vinasun and Mai Linh. Always ensure that you have smaller notes as I was once denied of my change because my I did note have smaller change.
2. Language and directions - Vietnamese speak very limited English, even in Ho Chi Minh. Once, I got on a cab and asked to be driven to Chinatown, but I was driven to Sheraton instead. Quite a waste of cab fare and my precious time. It is best that you get your destinations written down in Vietnamese and show it to your driver. Safer that way.
3. Phone and data - You can get a sim card that gives you unlimited 3G/4G at the airport. Get it from the vendors after the baggage pick up point, it is cheaper than the counter you see at the immigration. Prices are also very affordable. Around 10 SGD for unlimited data for a week.
Food oh glorious food
I literally ate my way through the city. For what I ate, click here.
Sightseeing
Due to the strategic placement, I was able to cover most of HCM's landmarks within a couple of hours. Some of the famous places of interest are the church, post office, Independence Palace, War Museum and if you have time you can visit the Chu Chi tunnel which I did not get to. Sorry food temptations got in the way.
Shopping
When you talk about shopping in Ho Chi Minh, you think about Ben Tanh Market. Personally, I am not a huge fan of the place.
One place that I discovered that not many people know is 3A Station in district 1. This bustling art complex is very instagrammable and is the local designer goods is worth a check out.
