If there’s anything I’d like to do RIGHT NOW, it would be to sit on a tiny stool while hunched over a big bowl of hot beef pho at a side street somewhere in Ho Chi Minh City.
Considering that I’ve been to Vietnam quite a number of times already, I can’t seem to get enough of HCMC. I know that there are still a lot more things to do, more places to explore. And I think one of the best ways to do that is with locals because they not only have the expertise but the passion to show off their city as well. Should a Vietnam trip come up, I’ll be sure to do the following:
Visit Tao Dan Park
Tao Dan Park is said to be one of the more peaceful areas of HCMC. When the city gets too noisy and chaotic, locals let the songs of the birds in Tao Dan Park calm their nerves. Locals say the birds, housed in the hanging birdcages around the park, never fail to soothe the senses.
Learn how to motorbike
I am proud to say that I have ridden a 50cc motorbike in Vietnam. But that was in Hanoi (which is less chaotic than HCMC) and only for a short distance. It would be quite a challenge to explore HCMC on a motorbike but I would gladly do it all for the sake of adventure! Like this guy here:
Drink Vietnamese coffee
If there’s one thing I really, really miss about Vietnam, it’s the coffee… freshly brewed using a phin, flavored with condensed milk, and served in a glass. Just thinking about it now makes my mouth water.
Eat Vietnamese streetfood
I have to tell you, it’s a MUST to eat streetfood in HCMC, something I will never tire of doing. The food is cheap AND delicious, a combination that one can only find in very few cities around the world. If you’re not convinced, just take a look at this video:
How about you? Do you have anything to add to my list of things to do in Ho Chi Minh City? Do share!
