This would be especially helpful if:
- You visited Saigon many times already and haven’t got new ideas for this next trip
- You like visiting signature beautiful places (tourism side) but more importantly, you wish to explore much more local experiences to see the most realistic culture in Vietnam
- You are so adventurous that you’re never afraid of difficulties like long-distance or tiredness.
1, Thanh Da riverside (bờ kè Thanh Đa – search for 16 Thanh Da, W.27, Binh Thanh St.)
Note: Don’t be mistaken with Thanh Da park by the riverside as there not’s so many food/drink vendors here. Most of the time people will gather in a circle & sit on the ground. You will also find it’s difficult to look for a parking lot at this spot.
On the other hand, Thanh Da riverside – which I’m mentioning to – has much more to enjoy. A clear view overlooking the city is what makes this become a chilling place that you can rarely find in this hustle & bustle city. Forget about the Asian squat cause this time you’ll have a chair set up by street food sellers, just take a seat, pick one in a ton of various dishes, and relax in the breeze.
2, Thu Thiem riverside (Nóc hầm Thủ Thiêm)
If Thanh Da riverside (no.1 above) can be hard to reach from the tourist district – District 1 – then Thu Thiem is closer to the center of Saigon: just 15 mins driving. At Thanh Da, you can easily see Landmark 81 – the highest tower in Vietnam but Thu Thiem riverside will help you see the Bitexco tower and much more: a whole spark Saigon city at night but in a more quiet & peaceful atmosphere.
(*) note: be back by 11:00 pm as the local security will stop the vehicles from circulating by this time.
(*) recommend: kumquat tea (trà tắc), kumquat coconut (nước dừa tắc), grilled mixed chicken egg (trứng gà nướng), Vietnamese pizza (bánh tráng nướng),… ask for less sugar drink because Saigon people like much sweet drinks.
3, The slum right at the middle of district 1
Such a surprise, huh? For many years, district 1 is seen as the face of Saigon since it’s the tourism center & stands out for the rich & fancy lifestyle here. But who says you can’t discover local life in a tourism district? Don’t worry the slum doesn’t have any crime nor hygenic problems. On the contrary, you’ll see how people live in a 6 m^2 room with 5-6 people under the same roof; detect the amazing contrasts between the slum & one of the most lavish district in the city, and enjoy street food & drink the surrounding area.
4, Saigon waterbus (speed boat)
If you have a kid(s) traveling with you, this would be a good option. Unlike adults, kids when traveling in most the cases don’t like visiting tourist famous sites where they have to process a lot of data or information. Instead, they may like somewhere to play rather than to study.
With waterbus, your family will have a chance to have a trip around Saigon with the cost of a boba tea for each person. There’re 5 wharves in different districts in Saigon, which makes it’s easy to buy tickets & take a “bus” even when you want to reach far districts such as Binh Chanh, Thu Duc, Dist.2. The time duration on the boat is from 15-40 mins depending on the destination wharf.
5, The water puppet show (múa rối nước)
Water puppet is a traditional cultural performing art in Vietnam. It’s been preserved for over 10 centuries and closely linked to the Wet Rice Civilization in Vietnam. The shows are performed on the water surface with the puppets controled by the artists behind the stage. Also, they’ll play instruments & sometimes sing to make the story more realistic.
The show content will show you the Viet local life in the past, cultural fairy tales or history story, so it’s suitable for not only kids but also adults to explore Vietnam culture in such a lively way.
(*) recommend “Rong Vang” Theater Art house, nearby district 1 areas, the show lasts 30 mins. (Nhà hát Rồng Vàng 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St., D.1)
6, Traditional handicrafts villages
If you have a tight schedule & don’t have enough time to take a trip to The Mekong Delta – the South West of Vietnam, you can consider to check out these traditional handicrafts villages in Saigon.
While Saigon is famous to be a modern city, these villages will be the impressive marks that the time left as proof of our various national identities.
Ricepaper village “Phu Hoa Dong” (Cu Chi district) – search for “làng bánh tráng Củ Chi” or “làng bánh tráng Phú Hoà Đông”
Bamboo basket village Cu Chi (làng đan lát tre Củ Chi) – search for Thái Mỹ village, Củ Chi district. The whole 7 hamlets in this village make bamboo basket products.
Nem village (Thu Duc District) – sour minced pork; search for “làng nem Thủ Đức”
Incense village (Binh Chanh District – “làng làm nhang Bình Chánh”) – making incense sticks – search for Lê Minh Xuân village, Bình Chánh District.
Fabric weaving village “Bay Hien” (Tan Binh district) – there’re only 10 families left which still maintain this traditional weaving method with 100 year-old-weaving-machine; search for “ngã tư Bảy Hiền”, nearby Võ Thành Trang St., W.11, Tan Binh District…
7, Markets in China town
You can easily find China Rown on the Internet when visiting Saigon. You can also find no difficulties reaching Chinatown as it’s already on the map. But you know what? China town is also called the Great Market as it’s specialized to have many big markets, each sells only one type of product. By this way, a million of Chinese Vietnamese in Saigon organized their business kingdom. If you haven’t seen all these markets, it means you haven’t visited Saigon China town yet:
Birds & chicken cocks market (Thuận Kiều + Tân Hưng St.)
Bike (sections) market (Đỗ Ngọc Thạnh + Phạm Hữu Chí + Tân Thành St.)
Fabric market (Chợ vải Soái Kình Lâm)
Cigarrette & lighters market (Học Lạc St.)
Sacks & rope market (Trang Tử St.)
Fruit market (next to Bến xe Chợ Lớn)
“Binh Tay” wholesale market (dried fruits, local brands for shoes, clothes, dried nuts, knife & scissors,…)
Lantern market (Lê Quang Sung St.)
Chemical market (chợ đầu mối Kim Biên – Lê Quang Sung St.)
Herbal medicine plants market (Triệu Quang Phục St.)
Fish pet market (Lưu Xuân Tín St.)
Note: arrange your schedule to visit Chinatown by 6:00 as the markets will close ALL by this time.
9 amazing sites in Saigon you may missed without local guides
Author: Ramsey Le.
