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  GIRLBOSS
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Hoi An, Vietnam
#Oldtown #Culture #History #BestBanhMi

Girlboss's Treasure Map

If you have a thing for street food, history and city life (oh! and budgeted travel bugs!) don't skip Ho Chi Minh City when you are in South East Asia. More than 80% of tourist attractions and famous restos/hotels are in District 1, which is approx. 40 minutes drive from the airport. (Blame the traffic haha) Within District 1, everything is in walking distance. 

To be honest with you, I would only stop in Ho Chi Minh City for a couple of days only. 2-3 nights if more than enough. I definitely only saw the skin of the city but I can say that if you are asking whether you could do Ho Chi Minh iCity n 2-3 days, the answer is YES YOU CAN. (and more than enough.)
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House Keeping...

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wish sweating fat could be a thing
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Triple the google map time estimate just to be safe.
Fun fact:
  • You will be a billionaire in Vietnam! 
    Reminder: Always double check the bills you are giving out and receiving!! Tip: Ignore the last three 0 from the back. When the local says 170 dollars. It actually means 170,000. (roughly CAD $10)
  • Nobody is ever gonna stop for at the crossing. Just GO.
    So...Be careful and be brave, step out and just cross it. Or you will wait FOREVER. Imagine there's 8 million people living in HCMC, so what if everybody owns a scooter/car? 
  • Generally speaking, Saigon food is quite sweet. Even the broth could be sweet as a characteristic of the Southern part.
  • Be prepare for 8 million people... 
  • Be mindful that Vietnam is a Communist nation. I'll just leave it here. 

​Voltage in Vietnam:
Same plug in as in Taiwan/Canada. But instead 110, it's 220 here. 

Money Exchange n Ho Chi Minh City: 
Bring USD/CAD/EURO/here. Exchange them at the airport. Make sure that they have the exchange rate printed on a piece of paper first!!!

Weather in Ho Chi Minh City: 

Language in Ho Chi Minh City? Not everyone speaks English here but you should be able to get around just fine. 

​Is it safe in Ho Chi Minh City? 
Rating 1-10(super safe.) I say 5. Let me explain...
  • My hotel explicitly told me multiple times and even printed me a paper: "DON'T bring your purse/bags/fenny pack out if you can. DON'T walk around the city showing your phone. Don't bring your passport. Only bring the cash you need." Pickpocket is one thing, but scooter robbing you is another. And then I asked: "Does this happen a lot?" She said: "Well...not a lot. But it does happen."
  • Traffic ain't just chaos anymore, it jumps to a whole other level. Totally would not recommend anybody with no experience to try scooter here. 

Wifi and cell services in Ho Chi Minh City: 
Grab a sim card at the Airport. For 120GB (4GB per day and for 30 days) is less than CAD $10. I only chose the package with Internet and no minutes for calling or texting. AND before you leave the shops, please please please go on your web browser yourself to make sure it works!!!!!! (mine didn't work and they had to change 3 different SIM card!!)

Transportation in Ho Chi Minh City Driver is on the left ride. 左駕
If you don't wanna get rip off, download Grab. It saves you tons of money and energy. 
  • Grab $Highly suggest you if you are thinking getting around Ho Chi Minh by taxi, use Grab so you don't get rip off! It works just like Uber (no Uber here). Unlike Uber, with Grab in Ho Chi Minh, you pay with cash. In addition, you have the option to choose either a Grab car or scooter! A Grab car from the airport to District 1 is approx. $85,000 which is CAD $5 (40 minutes). You can imagine how cheap it would be within the city. ​
  • Taxi
    If you had to take a taxi for some reason, choose Vinasun taxi company. As it's one of the "legal" ones. Ask them to give you an estimate price first so you have an idea but still ask them to turn on the metric. If you are taking a taxi from the airport, it should always below $170,000, USD $10. (Grab is $85,000)
    I had to take a taxi at one point since the Grab's price was quite high due to peak time. (It was $190,000) So I asked the taxi driver how much would it be, he said it's all by metric. And I asked him to give me an estimate. ($140,000) Finally, I still asked him to turn on the metric. It turned out cheaper than the price he gave me earlier, I paid $120,000 as the metric showed. 
  • Airplane
    The fastest and most efficient way to travel from city to city in Vietnam. Vietjet would most likely to be your top choice for traveling within Vietnam. The price for a one-way ticket is roughly CAD $40-80. 

*BARGAIN Softly or Harsh?*
When you are shopping on the street, make sure you bargain. But keep in mind that Vietnamese and Balinese bargain quite differently. I'd say Vietnamese is a bit harsh. So you gotta have a balance here =)

What to do in Ho Chi Minh : 

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Saigon Sport Club
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Củ Chi Tunnel
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Cafe Apartment
Street Food Tour 
  • Bến Thành Street Food Market

Historical/Cultural Experience 
  • War Remnants Museum
  • Central Post Office & Notre Dame Saigon
  • Củ Chi Tunnel
    Our guide shared some Vietnamese history with us. And here is the interesting thing ?????
  • Independent Palace 
  • Fine Art Musem 

Cafe Apartment

Workout/Gym in Ho Chi Minh City 
Good place to meet some foreigners living in Ho Chi Minh City, travellers, and few local. A lot people asked "how did you find those restos?" Most of the time, I found those amazing spots in these workout communities =) 
  • Saigon Sport Club $$-$$$
    If you've searched, you prob found out that there ain't many workout studios in Ho Chi Minh City. Saigon Sport Club located 30 minutes from District 1 by taxi. The price is on the higher end in Vietnam. 500,000 per day. It's prob even more expansive than back home in Canada. However, it's a sport "club" as it says in its name. There are TONS of classes throughout the day. From boxing to crossfit to HIT and many more. There's also an outdoor swimming pool and an indoor AC gym. (You may notice that a lot of studio here don't have AC in South East Asia.) You are paying for a day pass here! I'd suggest you look up their class schedule on Instagram before heading down there and pick a morning session, enjoy the facilities and explore the city in the afternoon! I tried my very first Crossfit here and I have to say, I'd recommend you to try it out! The coach was very friendly and patient. He personalized the workout for me so I could get familiar with the movement and definitely had built my confidence in it.  
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​Massage
  • Ask your hotel/host, you can book a massage and do it in your room! Start with a 90 minutes Balinese full body massage. Time really flies. Then go with 120 minutes the second time! Balinese massage is not harsh, so don't worry if you are nervous! 

Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City?

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C Central Hotel
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​Hostel in Ho Chi Minh City 

Must Eat in Ho Chi Minh City
​Lunch in Ho Chi Minh City

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Bến Thành Street Food Market
Bến Thành Street Food Market
#Lunch #Market #StreetFood #Pho 

Address: 26-28-30 Thủ Khoa Huân, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 700000

What to order: Pho (pronounce as Pher) of course? But there's tons of choices!

OK, OK, OK. I mean you really gotta try street food for an experience in Vietnam. Terrified of getting stomachache here? Well you ain't alone. Try the street food in the market, it looks a bit (and I mean a bit) better than the street ones. The market will turn into a night outdoor market after sunset as well. Personally, I prefer the food in other places than in the market since it's a bit touristy and the broth was quite sweet but it's worth the experience. 

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Bep Me In
Bep Me In 
#Lunch #Snack #Dinner #Local #Vietnamese 

​Address: 

What to order: Pork and Shrimp Egg Pancake. 

It's actually just in the ally right across to the Bến Thành Street Food Market. The egg pancake is phenomenal. The sauce came with the dish brings the flavours altogether into one good summer appetizer. Dip into the soy sauce and chilli for a different taste. This resto has all the local food you need to try in Saigon. Go with a group of people so you can have a bit of everything!

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Pho Hung 
#Pho #Localfood 

​Address: 241-243 Nguyễn Trãi, Phường Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam

What to order: Tai Vien (Eye of round steak with beef ball), Tai 1 Hot Ga Chen (Bowl of chicken egg with fresh meet no noodle.)

I like this Pho place a lot since the broth is not sweet at all. And there are more than 30 pho selection. Don't worry about the portion! Order a small one if you plan to eat other stuff later on. Even better, they have multiple locations across the city. I went to the older location. 

Coffee/Snack Time in Ho Chi Minh City

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Phuc Long Coffee and Tea
Phuc Long Coffee and Tea
#cafe #tea #breaktime 

​Address: ​Various location throughout Ho Chi Minh

What to order: Ice Traditional Vietnamese Coffee with Heavy Milk 

It's like the Vietnamese Starbucks. Usually quite packed. But don't worry, the line goes fast. Do order the transitional Vietnamese coffee with heavy milk. I usually REALLY hate my coffee sweet but interestingly, I ordered this drink two days in a row! Stop by on your way to your next stop!

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Bánh mì 37 nguyễn trãi​
Bánh mì 37 nguyễn trãi​ 
#Vietnamesesub #BBQ #streetfood #authentic 

​Address: ​​37 Nguyễn Trãi, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

What to order: The only option, the BBQ Vietnamese Sub! 

The vendor is hidden in the ally. They only open 4pm - 9pm! It doesn't look legit but OMG, you'd miss out big time if you don't try one. The portion is not big. It's a good size for an afternoon snack. P.S if you don't eat spicy, make sure tell them first so they don't put any chilli for you. Btw, it's Super cheap $20,000 (CAD $1.2) ​

​Dinner in Ho Chi Minh City 
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Secret Garden Restaurant 
#dinner #rooftop #VietnameseFood #musteat

​Address: 158 Pasteur, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

What to order: Fried Sticky Rice with pork, Grilled Lemongrass Pork, Papaya with Shrimp, Saigon Beer

DO NOT LEAVE SAIGON WITHOUT GOING TO SECRET GARDEN. Seriously. This resto is hided in the ally, located on the rooftop of the residential apartment. If you are traveling with companies, better make a reservation first. If you can't, still go around 8pm or later and before they close at 10pm. Still out of luck? Go in the lunch time. Price is a bit higher than most of resto in Vietnam but it ain't that bad tbh. Roughly CAD $20 for everything in the picture. DO GO. 

Nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City 

First of all, try the Saigon Special beer. And yes, do not doubt. They put ice cube in the glass for you with beer. (I quiet like it tho...? maybe it's an Asian thing LOL). 

Bui Vien Walking Street
Attention backpackers, youngsters, party animals!! This is the place you would wanna visit while your time in HCMC. You will not disappoint. During the day, it's relatively quiet. However, at night, you can hear the club beats along the street, DJs playing at the bars. Definitely showcase the busy nightlife in HCMC. 

​Broma Not A Bar
Address: 41 Nguyễn Huệ, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam


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