Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Dr Mary Travelbest Guide

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Welcome to Dr. Mary Travelbest’s 5 Steps to Solo Travel Guide for women like you who need extra support traveling (slowly) one woman at a time. Please share this podcast with your mom, aunts, and friends. I appreciate your feedback.

I’ve returned from a 90-day trip around the globe to every time zone on the planet. My mission is world peace through cultural exchange. I was sustainable when I could by using local transportation, buses, and trains. I was solo, carrying a small backpack, called a “personal item,” that fit under the seat in front of me on a plane.

In this episode, FAQ is: What did you wear in Vietnam?

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Today’s Destination is Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, formerly known as Saigon (south)

Today’s Mistake- Currency exchange rate was high, and I got taken

Travel Advice: - Shoulder season travel will be less costly and more flexible.

FAQ: What did you wear in Vietnam?

Like other Southeast Asian countries, it is tropical and humid. I was always hot. I wore the lightest possible clothes and took three showers daily when possible. I also found swimming pools to cool down. I wore a short dress instead of shorts and a blouse. I wore a skirt instead of jeans. I wore sandals. I carried an umbrella for sun protection and wore sunscreen daily. I went out early in the morning and late in the afternoon or evening and slept during the day when I could.

Today’s destination: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Formerly Saigon, it’s on the coast in the South of Vietnam. The city has 18 districts, and most tourists go to 1, 3, and 5. I took the Hop on Hop Off bus at night, which was pretty amazing because the city is lit up at night like a Christmas tree. This experience covered the main tourist attractions in about 90 minutes. I never could have seen all this during the daytime, with the traffic patterns. Most cars I saw were in traffic jams during the day.

How did I plan this part of my trip? I used Booking.com to find hotels. I read guidebooks and talked to friends who have been to Vietnam, especially recently.

The taxis are safer, especially the green ones. I shared a ride from the airport to my hotel at midnight with two people I met on the plane. The traffic is light at midnight.

During the day, that’s different.

Quickly, I learned that driving here is a challenge, especially in the Mekong Delta. Listen to that episode. The current exchange rate here is 22,600 dong to the dollar. Your dollar goes far.

What did I eat? Fhish sauce and pho, bahn mi.

When I got back to HCMC, I was so hungry. Bong Sen Buffet for a $12 buffet.

That was one of the best meals. Try a buffet if you don’t know what to order.

Here’s what I ate: pho pork, duck egg, ice cream, fried rice, red bean soup, snails with ginger, vegetable soup, eggplant, steamed veggies, prunes, watermelon, dragon fruit, banana cake, papaya, and spring rolls.

I stayed at a different hotel: Huong Sen. https://huongsenhotel.com.vn/aboutus.php?cmblang=en

Construction noise from a different floor was so loud at 9 a.m. after a vast buffet breakfast one morning when all I wanted was sleep. I switched to an annex hotel down the block, owned by the same company. Later that day, I Swam in the pools at the hotel, with excellent views of the city.

About two blocks away, I walked to the Sheraton Hotel for the 23rd-floor view. That was outstanding, especially near sunset.

I also got another Massage, Thai, this time.

If you are planning Sights in HCMC, Try these: Rex Hotel, Opera House, downtown shopping malls, and Ben Than Market.

What I Bought in Ho Chi Minh City:

A folding umbrella for $3.00

Since mine were broken, leather sandals were a good find at the market. I also bought a lock with a key.

Later, I bought Pharmacy for meds for a sinus infection. I did not need a prescription to get antibiotics here. I had them, but I have yet to use them.

In summary, Ho Chi Minh City had Great hotel buffet breakfasts and plenty of tourists, and it took a lot of work to cross the street safely. I had to follow someone else to travel with them, as it took experience I did not have.

Today’s Mistake-.The currency exchange rate was too high.

I should have talked to more locals before changing money in Vietnam. I got taken.

I changed US dollars to Cambodian dong, which I did not need. They took US dollars there everywhere. I switched to Indian Rupees, but they gave me a currency that was being removed from the country, so it was not usable. And they gave me change in Vietnamese currency, which I did not want. So I paid a fee for that exchange, too. I had a lot to learn. And still do.

Today’s Travel Advice- Shoulder season travel will be less costly and more flexible.

You don’t always need the “perfect” season for your travel. Go before or after the peak, and you may find a better overall experience. With climate changes, those traditional windows of weather are not exact. Plan some things and leave other non-essentials to spur of the moment.

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