Sái Gòn
Arriving in Sái Gòn (Hồ Chí Minh City) felt like entering a whole new dimension of energy. Home to roughly 9 million people, Southern Vietnam’s sprawling metropolis is a captivating blend of deep historical roots, modern skyline architecture, and an endless array of street stalls. Saving this final stop for last carried profound emotional weight for my parents, who spent their early years here. While the intense tropical heat and mugginess were a reality check, walking through these streets alongside my family to reconnect with their past made every moment meaningful.
Stay
Saigon Prince Hotel (District 1): Centrally located in the heart of the city, this proved to be an ideal base camp for our final leg. Staying in District 1 placed us steps away from major landmarks like the Sái Gòn River, Independence Palace, and the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts. On weekends, the main boulevard transforms into a lively pedestrian plaza filled with night lights and vibrant street life.
Activities
Ho Chi Minh Book Street: A peaceful pedestrian oasis lined with charming open-air bookstores and cozy cafes under a canopy of trees. Browsing rows of Vietnamese titles sparked a nostalgic desire to pick up a book to practice reading at home.
Bến Thành Market Day: Stepping into this iconic historic market is a sensory overload in the best way possible. By day, the vast, high-ceilinged hall buzzes with non-stop energy, packed with narrow aisles showcasing everything from vibrant stacks of local textiles, tailored áo dài, and lacquerware to fragrant spices, Vietnamese coffee beans, and dried tropical fruits. Navigating the friendly chatter of merchants eager to bargain makes for a quintessential Sái Gòn cultural experience.
Eats
Floral Tea & Artisan Coffee at Padma de Fleur (now permanently closed): Tucked away in District 1, this enchanting space functions as a boutique flower shop, homestay, and aesthetic cafe. We sampled their signature fruit-infused botanical tea, blending green tea, ginger, lemongrass, and rose petals, alongside an extraordinary coffee served over river stones and greenery that looked more like high-end mixology than a morning brew.
Fresh Sugarcane Blends at Nước Mía Ngon: To combat the humid afternoon, we sought out freshly pressed sugarcane juice. This specialized shop takes the traditional refresher further by infusing sugarcane with tropical flavours like clementine and durian.
Traditional Chè Desserts: Southern Vietnam takes dessert soups (chè) to an elite level. We indulged in Chè sâm bổ lượng bắc qua (a cooling blend of lotus seeds, dried longan, jujubes, and seaweed served over shaved ice) at Chè Kỳ Đồng, followed by fragrant Chè bưởi (pomelo peel, mung bean, and rich coconut cream) at 97 Mạc Thị Bưởi.
Bánh Mì Huynh Hoa: Renowned across the city for serving one specific style of sandwich, this legendary spot keeps a continuous line out the door. The baguette arrives generously stuffed with rich paté and savoury meats, accompanied by a side bag of fresh herbs, cucumbers, and pickled daikon so you can customize every bite.
Creative Central Vietnamese Dining at Hoa Túc: Tucked into a courtyard that used to be an old opium refinery, this Michelin-guided restaurant delivers innovative local cuisine. Their standout dish—crispy soft-shell crab coated in green young-rice batter (Cua lột chiên cốm)—was finger-licking good!
Salmon Rice Paper Rolls at Vietnamese House: A refined twist on traditional fresh spring rolls, replacing the standard pork and shrimp with fresh salmon topped with delicate trout roe. Yummy!
Classic Cơm Tấm at Cơm Tấm Trần Quý Cáp: You can’t visit the South without trying broken rice. Arriving around midday, we caught the tail end of service and enjoyed tender caramelized pork with eggs (thịt kho trứng) served over fragrant broken rice. What’s the hype about broken rice? Texture is everything.
Morning Street Adventure – Xôi Chiên Hẻm 50: Hunting down breakfast at 7 AM led us deep into a residential alley network. A local family opened up their home, pulling out a living room table so we could sit and enjoy hot, crispy deep-fried sticky rice cakes stuffed with savoury minced pork.
Hột Vịt Lộn at Quán Ốc Vũ: A true late-night culinary rite of passage. These fertilized duck eggs are boiled and seasoned with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs (rau răm). Having grown up eating it as part of my heritage, enjoying this dish at a lively evening spot was a wonderful connection to home.
From quiet bookstore walks to buzzing street food alleys, Sái Gòn was the perfect grand finale to our unforgettable trip through Vietnam. Thank you for following along on this special family journey! The travel bug isn't letting up anytime soon, so stick around; our next getaway is just around the corner, and I can't wait to bring you along for the ride.
