On my recent weekend in Ho Chi Minh City, I didn’t do any of the things a typical first-time visitor to Vietnam would do. I didn’t visit any of the war museums, the reunification building, or the Viet Cong tunnels in Củ Chi. No day trips to the floating markets on the Mekong river delta or the beaches of Vũng Tàu. And absolutely no regrets!
What I did do was spent a lot of time on the streets of Saigon and soak in the atmosphere of this bustling city. Other than a brief market visit and some cursory glances at the Central Post Office, Opera House, Notre Dame cathedral and the City Hall (the typical tourist destinations), most of the time was spent either eating or looking for the next place to eat. And that’s time well spent, as Vietnam has some of the best tasting (and cheapest) food in the world. The variety of street food alone is worth a trip.
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Peter Lam Photography 