SECOND TIME'S THE CHARM IN SAIGON: (Part 1) What To Do

Just got back last week from Ho Chi Minh city (more charmingly known by its old name Saigon). Had a blast! Lovely city, with a great variety of food options.

 First-time visitors usually stay for a few days and do the rounds of the usual tourist spots such as Ben Thanh market (say: 'rip-off'), War Remnants Museum (too macabre), Post Office, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral (definitely not copied from the one in Paris :D), Cu Chi tunnels, Water Puppet show (haven't tried it though - did hear it's nothing special),  etc.

So, for second-timers like me, what exactly is there to do? Well, aside from hanging around cafes and eating street food all day long, here's some suggestions:

1. Join a local walking tour 

If you're the type who likes walking around and having an in-depth knowledge of the city, this is the perfect thing to do. 

 
      Lovely post office building

I tried the Tales of the City tour by Old Compass Travel, and highly recommend it.  The guide, Ms. Duong, proved to be interesting and passionate with sharing history, but without making one's head spin with too much info. She specialized in showing photos on her tablet of how buildings looked in the past, and what they were used for, compared to present day. 

This walk does NOT enter any museums (perfect for those allergic to museums, hehe! :D). 

I also tried the Graffiti and Street Art walking tour of Detoured Asia. It turned out to be less about graffiti and street art (i think we only had 2 stops of it), but more of checking out interesting spots such as the Cafe Apartment at Saigon's walking street Nguyen Hue [more on this on a separate post later on], a local market (yes, Ben Thanh is for tourists who want to get ripped off :D), etc. 

 
    Street art off Le Than Thonh St. 

And the guide Dao was such nice, charming company. She studies Tourism in university, and does tours on the side. I was actually sad our tour had to end. 

Another option for art lovers is the acclaimed Sophie's Art Tour,  which melds art and history.
 


2. Join a motorcycle tour 

I'm sure friends of mine are laughing, since they know i don't know how to ride any type of bike; and that i have never ever ridden a motorcycle. 

Well, when in Saigon, do as the Saigonese do, diba? :D Despite my fears of falling off the bike (or getting hit by a car or another motorbike), i sucked it up and join the Foodie Tour of XO Tours. Why them? Well, the foodie tour takes you to different districts of Saigon you would not normally go to (most tourist sights / malls / restaurants / hotels are in District 1). 

 



      Random customer hanging on for dear life 

The unique selling point of XO is that all their drivers are female (hold those jokes, okay?!), wearing the traditional elegant ao dai. I'll write about the experience in a separate post, so stay tuned. 

Another reputable motorbike tour operator is Vespa Adventures, for those folks who want to experience scooting around on a, yes, Vespa. 

3. Go to L'Apothiquaire Spa

Lots of spas (some legit, some dubious-looking) in District 1 area, near the hotels. But for the full spa experience, nothing beats the main branch of L'Apothiquaire at District 3. 



Enter the tree-lined path and you'll reach a colonial mansion set on sprawling grounds. A oval-shaped pool is available for those wanting a dip. Inside, as one walks to the treatment rooms, one can't help notice the graceful stairs and elegant floor tiles. 

 

Address: 64A Truong Dinh, District 3. 
Tel: +848 3932 5181

4. Go further afield 

Vietnam is obviously much more than Saigon. So time (and finances) permitting, exploring other parts of the country such as Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Phu Quoc, etc. are great options. Check out the comprehensive site Rusty Compass for independent reviews and recommendations -- for Cambodia and Laos as well. 

In our next post of this series (yikes, i just realized i'm committing to write a number of posts hehe :D), we'll talk about some essential info, such as where to stay, how to get around, etc.