A recent trip to Saigon gave our contributor, Michelle Lee, the chance to explore Vietnamese hospitality in four short days. After an eventful three days of touring, she shares her experiences exploring Ho Chi Minh in the final day!

The heavily French influenced Notre Dame Cathedral. Photo credit – yeowatzup.

French Connection

At last, it’s time to finally explore Ho Chi Minh City itself. Saigon’s history dons the cityscape with many of the older buildings exhibiting French influences – tall steeples towering into the skies, fancy arches with intricate carvings and lengthy windows of sheer grandeur.

Many of these architectures are found within walking distance in the city. Dominating the city’s skyline is the notable Notre Dame Cathedral built in 1883, a popular site amongst visitors and wedding couples for photo shoots. Just across the street is the Ho Chi Minh main post office known for its impressive interior. High ceiling and Baroque art decorate the walls, a sight seemingly more apt in France than Vietnam.

The Peoples Committee building. Photo credit – yiping-lim.

Take a walk further down to the heart of the commercial hub is the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Building situated at the end of Nguyen Hue Street. The People’s Committee Building, dwarfed by taller buildings around it exudes a rich Renaissance flavour and unveils an even more stunning sight at night when the building is beautifully floodlit. At any time of the day, the premise is always filled with crowds snapping photos with the iconic “Uncle Ho” (a statue of Mr Ho Chi Minh himself) sitting at the front of the building.

Wholesale market near Chinatown. Photo credit – tuis.

Chinatown in Saigon

With a few hours left, I’ve decided to make the most out of Saigon. After some recommendation from the locals, I took their most commonly used public transport – the motorbike “taxi”, which cost only VND$1 for a ride, out of the city centre to Antong Plaza located at Chinatown.

You can find an array of local dried goods from shrimps to scallops, coffee beans to mushrooms, bird nests to abalones! A haven for homemakers looking for cheap and quality ingredients to whip a sumptuous meal. The stall holders are able to pack and seal the goods for you, solving the problem in regards to airport regulations when tourists want to bring local products back home. Fabuleux!

Chinatown Temple. Photo credit – weiss.

On the streets, motorbikes swamp the roads. “Ninjas” are a common sight as riders cover themselves from head-to-toe to protect themselves from the sun and the dusty air.

Traffic lights often fail to serve its purpose and tourists find it almost impossible to cross the roads. After a few days in Saigon, I begin to comprehend the art of beating the traffic – you’ve got to simply take a deep breath, and cross as calmly and nonchalantly, believing that the vehicles will give way. And they will! It sure takes guts to do so, but practice makes perfect.

Mobile food stalls spring up anywhere and everywhere selling handy snacks such as roasted sweet potatoes, fried cuttlefish, and pancakes. You can easily get them at less than VND$5 each, and they are tastier than they look, a perfect goodbye to a packed 4 four days of touring Saigon.

And that is the end of Michelle’s four days of adventure throughout Saigon. Hope you had fun along the ride!Part I: Pho for the President | Part II: War and Peace | Part III: Floating Market and Elephant Ears