Ho Chi Minh City | Rediscovering the meaning of travel amidst boredom and excitement

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, was once the capital of the Republic of Vietnam. It is now the largest city in Vietnam and the center of Vietnam's economy, trade and culture. My perception of this city is based on the book "The Lover" that I read in high school and the movie adapted from the original book. Wawa's interest comes from his curiosity about a rapidly developing socialist country. Before departure, we happened to catch up with the time node for passport renewal and completed a series of procedures on each deadline. I was really reluctant to see the passport that I had used for 10 years being cut off. Looking back at the journey afterwards, Ho Chi Minh City became the first destination on the new passport.

01 Stay in...

Hotel Majestic Saigon is a landmark building that has been in business since 1925, standing elegantly on the banks of the Saigon River. Stepping into the hotel lobby, the retro space decoration and objects with the mark of time immediately make people travel back to old movies. I had breakfast on the outdoor terrace in the morning, and it happened to be a tropical rainstorm. It was hazy outside, all with falling rain and rising fog, as if I was sitting in a water curtain cave.






The facilities of the old hotels are also a bit old. When staying in the rooms along the river, there was a lot of noise from the constant flow of cars outside the window at night, but I am used to wearing earplugs when sleeping, so it was not affected. On the first day in Ho Chi Minh City, the weather was unusually refreshing. I walked along the river in the evening, enjoying the breeze, and walked all the way back to the hotel.




We stayed in two hotels this time. The interior decoration of the other hotel, Mai House, was more refined and romantic. When we arrived, all our senses were immediately moved by the lines of the spiral staircase, the light and shadow of the chandelier, and the live piano. The welcome tea upon check-in, the coffee served as soon as we sat down for breakfast (the breakfast was also very delicious), and the careful storage of luggage when we left... Every detail was thoughtfully noticed and cared for. The lobby, corridors, rooms, and restaurants, every space here is full of charm, relaxed and comfortable, and worth careful appreciation and feeling.





① Hotel Majestic Saigon📌1 Đ. Dong Khoi, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
② Mai House Saigon Hotel📌 57 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

02 Wandering around...

This time, we stayed in District 1 and District 3 of Ho Chi Minh City. There are many interesting shops, cafes, restaurants and pedestrian streets in these two areas, which are very suitable for strolling. You can find many surprises just by walking around. At first, Wawa and I were a little uncomfortable with the chaotic traffic (lots of motorcycles), but later we were able to shuttle back and forth calmly. After that, we also went to explore other districts. In contrast, the traffic in District 1 and District 3 was really "well-organized", so we got used to it even more. Regarding transportation, in addition to walking, you can also take a taxi. I highly recommend using "Grab", which has accurate positioning, fast driver response and good service.

① Mekong Quilts-Non-Profit Organization A shop that sells textiles and is also an NGO that supports local craftsmen📌 85 Pasteur, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ 10:00-18:00

②Ho Chi Minh City Book Street Mostly Vietnamese books, you can also find some foreign books📌 Đường Nguyễn Văn Bình, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ 8:00-22:00

When wandering around District 1, I will always pass by "Nguyen Hue Apartment 42" after walking around. This old building has been renovated into a coffee apartment, and the sign outside the building has become a conspicuous scenery. The pedestrian street in front of the building is also very lively at night. Young people gather together to sing and dance, children are playing bubble machines, and many people are sitting on benches chatting and jumping with the locals. The surrounding area is full of people. Just two words - vitality.

Some coffee shops hidden in old buildings always give people a surprise - the entrance is usually inconspicuous, and after entering, you have to climb several steep wooden spiral staircases. Finally, when you push open the door, a cute and leisurely little world suddenly "pops up", followed by the aroma of coffee and desserts.

①ZCafé📌 38 D. Nguyen Hue, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City⏰ 7:00-23:00

②OKKIO📌120 - 122 D. Le Loi, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City⏰ 7:30-22:00

03 Dine at...

I once bought an eyeshadow palette called Oriental Spices, which has a bit of a colonialist tone, but every time I eat amazing food in Southeast Asia, this name immediately pops up in my mind. For me, the soul of Southeast Asian cuisine is the various spices that compete with each other - they are often strong and have a sense of competition when they collide, but they can inexplicably blend on the tip of the tongue. This time in Ho Chi Minh City, I have a new understanding of several spices and how they are used in cooking - turmeric, red pepper and cardamom.

① Propaganda Vietnamese Bistro🥖 Let's try the bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette sandwich) in this shop. Although it is a bistro, it has been full since noon and has a great atmosphere📌 21 Hàn Thuyên, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ 7:30-22:30

② Quán Ngon 138🍜 A high school classmate who lives in the area brought me and Wawa to this big stall. He helped us order two kinds of Pho (Vietnamese rice noodles), and the taste was amazing📌 138 Đ. Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ 8:00-22:30

③ BOAT NOODLE BANGKOK-SAIGON CENTRE🛍️ A small fast food restaurant located in a shopping mall. You can come here to eat a bowl of noodles when you are tired of shopping. The soup is thick and delicious! We also chatted with a Chinese grandfather and his grandson at the next table. Haha📌 TTTM Saigon Centre, 65 Đ. Lê Lợi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ 9:30-21:00

We came to this vegetarian restaurant because of a chance encounter while hiding from the rain. In the hot weather, our taste buds are also quite tired. It turns out that what really refreshes us is not the short-term taste impact, but the natural taste of fresh ingredients after they enter our mouths - the juicy green papaya, the sun-dried cherry tomatoes, the fresh and fragrant mushrooms, and the sweet and chewy lotus seeds... Thinking back to them now makes us secrete dopamine like crazy. After we were full, Wawa and I still tried to order two desserts.

After finishing this meal, it was already past three in the afternoon and the rain had stopped. Even though there were still plates left on the table, we had already started to conspire to become repeat customers. I thought that I would definitely visit this restaurant again when I come to Ho Chi Minh City next time. Wawa was even more exaggerated and directly suggested that we come for another meal before leaving.

④ Hum, Cafe & Restaurant📌 32 Võ Văn Tần, Phường 6, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ 10:00-22:00

Ho Chi Minh City is full of flavor after nightfall. In addition to the big stalls mentioned above, there are also various street snacks, taverns and bars that can be seamlessly connected. The unfinished conversation at dinner continued, adding some tipsy happiness. In the evening of October, it is the local rainy season, and the weather is not so hot. Sit outside and have a cold beer to experience the "seasonal limited" summer benefits.

⑤ The Racha Room 📌 12-14 Mạc Thị Bưởi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ 17:00–1:00

⑥ Pasteur Street Craft Beer-Xưởng Bia Taproom & Restaurant📌 23A Ngô Thời Nhiệm, Phường 6, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ 11:00–00:00

04 Visit to...

At the beginning of this trip, I was inexplicably sad. On the first night, I sat in the bar with Wawa and I "interrogated" him, trying to find some soothing words from someone who knows me well. Specifically, I may have entered a period of travel fatigue again, just like when I was wandering alone in Europe before, I would feel visual fatigue in the second half. Every time I returned to my home in Bratislava at that time, I felt the quietness and stagnation around me, which would make me feel at ease. Also, when I went out for a walk on the first day, I felt that the street scenes in Ho Chi Minh City were somewhat similar to Phnom Penh. After that, I always thought of the few months I lived in Phnom Penh during college, a state of living that was more integrated into the local lifestyle than tourists.

After returning from Vietnam, I listened to a podcast one morning. The guest was Xiaopeng, the author of Backpacking for 10 Years. Listening to that episode was like walking on the street and suddenly meeting a primary school classmate. I hadn’t contacted him for many years and didn’t know what he was doing. I was curious and awkward. I read Backpacking for 10 Years in junior high school and was full of fantasy and longing for everything described in the book. Later, I went farther and farther, and social media became more and more developed. When I “heard” the knowledge of travel in junior high school again, I realized that travel has been iterating for a long time in me.

After absorbing Xiaopeng's story again, I feel sad because of nostalgia or confusion about the present. In the past, there were many ways for me to travel - traveling alone with a backpack, living in a certain place, playing with friends, or visiting a city by checking in... But after work, traveling tends to be more like an expectation of vacation. Vacations are given too much meaning of relaxation, but when you are in it, you will be eager to try your best to feel everything so that the trip is worthwhile. This subtle contradiction made me excited and tired, happy and lost on the first day after arriving in Ho Chi Minh City.

What is clear is that my desire and love for traveling are constant, but I will struggle with my own state of mind from time to time. I have an infinite preference for uncertainty, although I often secretly dislike the "uneasy elements" in my body. In the past, when I saw the magnificent sunset alone, I would think bitterly: Hum, why don’t I have a boyfriend yet? I encountered my own Aha moment during the trip, and I wanted to share it with my parents immediately, but they were not around. When I stay with friends for a long time, I feel that we are sent to love and hate each other. Exploring in unfamiliar places with Wawa, I will rehearse a solo adventure in my mind from time to time...

However, after experiencing the period of burnout, I became more determined and indifferent, and recalled Xiaopeng's words in the podcast - as long as it is pleasant, any way of traveling is wonderful. For me, pleasure can be the sum of the entire universe of an individual, or it can be just a momentary firework. I am willing to continue to explore.

①Sai Gon Central Post Office📌02 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ Monday to Saturday 7:30–18:00, Sunday 8:00-17:00🚌 You can take the double-decker sightseeing bus departing from the post office to visit the main attractions in the city

②Bitexco Financial Tower📌2 Đ. Hải Triều, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh⏰ 8:00–23:00🏙️ You can overlook the whole picture of Ho Chi Minh City from the tower, and it is also good to see the night view at night

③Independence Palace📌 Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City⏰ 8:00–15:30📢 There is no air conditioning in the Reunification Palace, so be careful to prevent heatstroke when visiting.

④ War Remnants Museum📌Phường 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City⏰ 7:30–17:30📢 It is adjacent to the Reunification Palace, so you can visit the two places on the same day