Guide and Tips for Couples who want to visit Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Despite the name changing, still, a lot of locals prefer to call it Saigon. Ho Chi Minh City is one of the biggest city in Vietnam. It effortlessly blends with old and the new historical histories, attractions, cultures, museums, buildings, markets, and more.  Ho Chi Minh is an affordable place to visit and a popular destination best for all types of travelers including backpackers, Solo traveler, families, and Couples.

My partner and I recently took a long vacation in Vietnam and this is the first time around he joined me in my Southeast Asian adventure.We’re both eager and excited about this trip and most our days in Ho Chi Minh consists of exploring the historical site, eating Vietnamese food, riding a motorbike, staying in co-workers cafe, partying, working out, doing yoga and more. There’s also a lot of beautiful surprising things and scary memories that happened when were in Ho Chi Minh City.

Quick Guide to Ho Chi Minh City

Transportations:

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City  The Home of Motorbikes and Scooters, Did you know that the city alone has 7.4 million motorbikes… wow that’s a lot.Most of the people in Ho Chi Minh choose motorbikes than buses and taxis to avoid and not be stuck in a crazy traffic congestion of the city.

• Rent a motorbike or scooter the easiest and fastest transportation in the city. We rented our motorbike in Tiget one of the reliable and affordable renting company in the city. Location:  HCM – Office 36&37, Floor G, 360C Bến Vân Đồn, Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
• Taxi: If you’re afraid of motorbikes there are plenty of taxis you can hire and it’s not even expensive.

Accommodations:

Our Airbnb home in Ho Chi Minh

• Airbnb: For couples who like to stay in a home style, Airbnb is fitted for you. One of the advantages I really love about Airbnb is you can do whatever you want, you can cook your meals, wash clothes, etc. We stayed at The Red House in central Saigon,  I highly recommend this place.The owner is so friendly and hospitable, the home is so nice and spacious and the location is the bonus point.
• Hotels:  There are plenty of affordable hotels all over the city. You can check Bookings and Hotels.com for the list of the hotels.

What to see:

Many of the best attractions in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) center around the events of 20th-century war and conquest.

• Visit Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral: Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office: In just a few meters from Notre Dame, The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a glorious example of French colonial architecture, perfectly preserved with as much style as when it first opened in 1891.

•  Binh Tay Market: It is located in the center of Vietnam’s largest Chinatown district. Unlike Ben Thanh Market in District 1, this market mainly serves the local population with its extensive range of fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood from regions across Vietnam.
• Bitexco Tower and Sky Deck: This 68 story building is the highest in all of Vietnam with a sky deck offering 360-degree views of the city and surrounding area as well as a fantastic sky bar called Alto where you can see all of Ho Chi Minh while enjoying a cocktail and some international dishes.
• Cu Chi Tunnels: This marvelous tourist attraction let tourists experience what it must have been like for soldiers who used an extensive network of tunnels to move around undetected by their enemies.
• Suối Tiên Amusement Park: For couples who want to take a break from histories, This place is for you!Suối Tiên Amusement Park is an amusement park in District 9, Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam. The park includes several entertainment areas. The park includes several entertainment areas.

Where to Eat & Drink:

• Cyclo Restaurant: One of the famous restaurant in the city. I highly recommend this place! I’m really sure you will never regret it. They serve a variety of Vietnamese food and for just $6 you will enjoy the 7 meals of your life.
• Babas Kitchen: This is the one of the first time I ate Indian food in my whole life and it happened in Ho Chi Minh. Baba is famous for its delicious mouthwatering Indian Food. I swear I can even book a plane ticket to Ho Chi Minh just to dine in Babas Kitchen again.
• Noir: This is not a simply dining, but rather a uniquely mind-altering experience. One of the best things to do as couples in Ho Chi Minh City. I also recommend this place for couples who want to do unique experiences. This place is so memorable for us.

Other fun things to do:

• Play football with the locals: 

• Stay in a nice Cafes
• Try fish  foot spas

Some Tips for visiting Ho Chi Minh

• When driving motorbike always wears your helmet and be sure to wear closed shoes. (My partner got accident and cut his right side foot. it happened when the traffic light signal sign GO, the road became tight and crowded and there was a road construction that time and they used roof scaffolding  to cover the constructed road and he accidentally slipped his foot inside)
• Download GRAB: Grab is Southeast Asia’s leading ride platform that offers the fastest booking services for taxis, private cars, and motorbikes. This platform is so easy to use and so convenient for commuters. Just type your destination in GRAB search bar and in few minutes your service is ready. You can even track you fare and route in the app.
• Google GPS: Due to the language barrier it’s so hard to communicate with the locals and Google GPS will be your guide and best friend for the entire trip.
• Download XE Currency: Please don’t be surprised if you take out some cash in your bank account and for just a couple of dollars only you will receive millions of Vietnam Dong. Vietnam Dong has the lowest currency rate, always make sure to check your XE conversions and Vietnam didn’t use coins they use paper bills.