Ho Chi Minh City, September 2017

So a quick 45 minute flight from Phu Quoc and I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City. I got a taxi from the airport to the Bay Hotel. It's about a 45 minute journey. By the time I got to my hotel it seems the rain from Phu Quoc had followed me. 


After I checked in I headed out at around 5pm. By which time rain was spitting and after a few minutes it had completely stopped. I walked to the Saigon Notre Dame Basilica which was about a 15 minute walk. Along the way I noticed several Western shops and eateries such as Zara, H&M, Chanel, McDonalds and Starbucks. Chains that I had not seen before in Vietnam. The city is a lot more built up and developed than others in Vietnam. There are a lot more skyscrapers and tall buildings in addition to larger roads and of a better standard. Unfortunately one negative thing I did notice is that spitting in the street is deemed an acceptable practice. It's very loud, disgusting and unnecessary. 


Crossing the road is just as scary if not worse than Hanoi. You just have to walk out in the middle of the road and hope you don't get killed. More roads actually have zebra crossings compared to none in Hanoi so that's something. 

I then headed to the Saigon Sky Deck aka Bitexco Financial Tower, the tallest building in Ho Chi Minh. You can get a ticket to the observation deck which is 200,000 Dong/£6.50 but there is a bar on the roof so I headed there instead. Drinks are around the same price as entry to the tower. Or you could not buy a drink at all if you want to be really cheap. The bar is on the 52nd floor so get ready for your ears to pop. There are some really amazing views of the skyline of Vietnam. 


There are several restaurants, hotels, bars, shopping centres, massage parlours, nail salons, offices and landmarks around Ho
Chi Minh City. It feels much more like a city and a capital than Hanoi. You can tell that Ho Chi Minh has the majority of the wealth in the country. I also found Ho Chi Minh so much easier to navigate round than the labyrinth of Hanoi and didn't get lost once. So that was an improvement. 


I then went to the Ben Thanh Market which closed at 7pm and I got there at 7:10pm. I didn't know that it closed so early, it was a shame as I haven't been to a good market yet and this one was inside so I was hoping it would be impressive. But never mind, it's something I'll make sure I do when I come back. On the walk back to my hotel around the corner from the Ben Thanh there were a few market stalls outside setting up for the night market. I had a quick browse but didn't purchase anything. 


Overall I liked Ho Chi Minh City a lot more than I thought I would. I had received very negative reviews of this city from friends but I actually liked it. I feel like I've scratched the surface on Ho Chi Minh and there is a lot more to see. 

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