Our final stop in Vietnam after 4 weeks is in the largest city – Ho Chi Minh City. Previously called Saïgon up until 1975 it is a vibrant and busy place which is slightly more modern than Hanoi. We only had three days to spend here so we flew in from Da Nang and checked into another fantastic Homestay right in the center of the city.

We have been really impressed with the hospitality in Vietnam. The home stays and guest houses (comparable to bed and breakfasts back home) are (except for the one in Hoi An) very clean, comfortable and always run by very kind families who are so happy to host us. A lot of the time they serve a cooked breakfast of eggs and fruit and we have always booked private rooms with en-suite for on average under $20NZD a night.

Our host in HCMC prepared us fruit and cold drinks when we arrived and gifted us some Vietnamese coffee when we left!

We visited the Cu Chi Tunnels which were dug and used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. The tunnels cover 120kms and the conditions underneath them were pretty grim. They had built an underground civilisation including kitchens, sleeping areas, medical areas and meeting rooms. We had the chance to travel 100 metres in one of the tunnels which had been made bigger for tourists. The heat, darkness and lack of air meant we promptly exited after travelling 20 metres.

There was also the opportunity to shoot machine guns and other guns in the firing range. We declined this.

The city has some beautiful original French buildings including their own Notre Dame Church and the post office.

Visiting the war rémanents museum was very confronting. There were many graphic photographs taken during the Vietnam war on display, with note that many of the photographers who took them either went missing or died before the photos were developed. We didn’t take photos in here out of respect.

ABC bakery was next door to our Homestay and was where we ate breakfast everyday and most lunches. The cream cheese mushroom breads, beef pies and pizzas were the best.

A highlight of visiting Ho Chi Minh City was catching up with a couple we met during the Gibbon Experience in Laos. Sarah and Stewart who are originally from Wyoming have been travelling and working as teachers for over 30 years. We really enjoyed hearing their stories of their travels around the world. They are currently living in HCMC and passed on their contact information when we left Laos. We emailed them and met them for dinner at a delicious restaurant in the middle of the city.

Stewart brought with him to dinner in a little chilly bag a tub of New Zealand Hokey Pokey ice-cream for us to enjoy for dessert and even paid for the whole dinner, telling us that one day we might be in the position to do the same with other travellers. They are both so kind and thoughtful and we had a great evening out with them!

I am currently writing this on March 10th on a bus from HCMC to Phnom Penh in Cambodia – the weather forecast said it’s going to be 38 degrees tomorrow 🥵.

Vietnam has been incredible. The people are incredibly welcoming and kind, the landscapes are beautiful and the food is like nothing else. Learning about the war that was so devasting gives me even more respect for the people who live here. The country appears to have recovered incredibly well and we would love to go back one day!

Ho Chi Minh City (we didn’t take many photos in the street, too busy trying to not get run over).

Cu Chi tunnels

ABC life