10 Awesome Things to do in Vietnam

After being in Vietnam for a year, here’s my verdict on places that you should visit, food that you should taste and bars that you have to chill at! 🙂 Of course the list is not exhaustive, just that these are my favourite places in Vietnam! 🙂 So here it goes…8 awesome things to do in Vietnam!

FOOD

1. Nha Hang Ngon

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They serve really delicious authentic Vietnamese food at a very reasonable price! My favourite dish there was their Bun Moc (Vietnamese Pork and Mushroom Noodle Soup) The decor and ambience is really awesome too!

Address: 160 Pasteur, Q1

2. Quan Nuong Giay Bac 

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You must try their Salted Egg Soft Shell Crab! It’s the bomb! Super yummy! This place is a little more costly though, range between 50,000-100,000 (VND).

Address: 96/1 Le Thi Rieng, P. Ben Thanh, Q1

3. Beefsteak Nam Son

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Heh i bet this got you drooling right? It’s making me salivate too! You have to try their beef steak! It’s really tender and the sauce that they use is very special. Not sure what the sauce is made of but it sure tasted like foie gras!

Address: 200 Bis Nguyen Thi Dinh, Khai, p.6, Q3

ACTIVITIES

Basically HCM is a city, nothing really much to do in a city IMO. But here are some suggestions on what you can still do in HCM.

1.  Shop

Avoid tourist traps like Ben Thanh Market. Or if you really need to get souvenirs and would like to get it from Ben Thanh, then make sure you bargain like crazy! While you’re there, do try the local food and Vietnamese coffee too! Very yummy! Having that said, you can consider shopping at Saigon Square 1 or 2. Plenty of shops inside, quite cheap too. Somewhat similar to Far East Plaza in Singapore.

2. Watch a Movie

The movies here are really cheap, around SGD$5 for 1 ticket! You can watch at Galaxy Cinema (116 Nguyen Du, Q1)

3. Visit Dam Sen Water Park

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The rides here are quite fun, not too bad. Albeit being a little old and far from city. Go only if you have the time to spare and if you’re going in a bigger group (more economical when sharing cab). It took almost 1 hour cab ride from Ben Thanh to Dam Sen Water Theme Park!

Address: 03 Hoa Binh Str, Ward 3, Q11

4. Visit the Cuchi Tunnel and Mekong Delta

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I found the Cuchi Tunnels quite interesting as after all, this was the secret to Vietnam’s victory in their war with America! It was really quite a challenge crawling in the tunnels and it was a one way journey. Once you’re in there, there’s no turning back. Not advisable for those that are claustrophobic or anemic.

Address: Just go to District 1 Pham Ngu Lao and ask any tour agency for a day trip to the Cuchi Tunnels or Mekong Delta

DRINKS

1. Yoko Bar

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Heh that was our favourite singer, Hung, who performed weekly at Yoko Bar. Unfortunately i don’t think he sings there anymore. But still, it’s a pretty awesome place to chill and listen to the live band while you enjoy your drinks.

Address: 22A Nguyen Thi Dieu Street, Q3

2. Casbah

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This is more of an outdoor chill out place, with shisha and belly dancers on Thurs to sat 830-1030pm. Quite similar to the bars at Arab Street in Singapore. Not bad, i like the second floor alfresco chill out area. Very pretty and nice ambience too!

Address: Alley no. 59 nguyen Du Str, Ben Nghe Ward, Q1

3. Acoustic Bar (MUST GO)

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This place is a little tricky to find though. It’s located at a small back alley. Hopefully the taxi driver is hip enough to know where this place is! But yes, this is as authentic as you can get! The crowd is mostly young locals bobbing their head to the latest rock hits. The band sings both English and Vietnamese songs. Definitely one of my favourite bars in Vietnam. A must go!

Address: Wu 6E1 Nhiem, Ward 7, Q3

Disclaimer: All of the above photos were not taken by Daniel. Hence, pardon its quality! Most were found off the net to give you a better representation of the place that i was recommending!

Do also check out my other post (useful tips on travelling in Vietnam). Read about how i almost got robbed and got caught in a burning apartment. Most dramatic moment of my life ever!

So there you go, how i spent my 1 year in Vietnam! If you have any other places in Vietnam to recommend as well, do leave a comment below! 🙂