TIPS WHEN VISITING HO CHI MINH CITY

Ho Chi Minh City is the beating heart of Vietnam, the largest metropolis. It is a hive of activity, full of life. I will show you some helpful tips that will ensure you choose the right place and have a great visit.

Travel tips for Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City Center offers stunning landscapes and promises an exciting experience.

1. Traffic Jams

Ho Chi Minh City has a lot of different modes of transportation, so it always has traffic jams, especially from 7 AM to 9 AM, and from 5 PM to 6 PM. If you want to cross the street, you must move at a steady speed, concentrate on your path, and not hesitate. Besides, when hiring a motorbike, you should be careful and avoid riding across busy highways without paying close attention to it.

2. You should bargain the price with street vendors

On practically every corner, you can see street sellers. Food vendors on the street typically have price tags, so customers should not haggle. However, especially in tourist regions, companies offering inexpensive jewelry and clothing frequently demand exorbitant prices from outsiders. You need to try to get these sellers to cut the price in half. Besides, you should also be cautious of sellers who want payment to snap their pictures. For example, fruit vendors in Ho Chi Minh frequently solicit visitors to take pictures with their conical hats and baskets, but they charge about $1 for the privilege.

Street vendor area with stable prices, prices range from $1

3. Check the weather and the best time to go to Ho Chi Minh City

Summertime (May to July) brings hot weather with overcast, average daily high temperatures of about 32°C. Thus, if you plan to visit Ho Chi Minh City during this time of year, avoid wearing jeans and instead opt for airy, thin clothing. The weather can be hot and humid, so stay hydrated and use sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun. However, the dry season, which runs from December to April, is the best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City in the summer

4. Scams and Pickpocketing

Beware of frequent scams, particularly in and near well-known tourist destinations. Extremely amiable individuals who offer uninvited assistance or offers that appear too good to be true should be avoided. Next, pickpocketing is a problem in many large cities. Be aware of your surroundings and safeguard your things, especially in crowded settings.

5. Do not just prioritize exploring big cities

Vietnam’s north-to-south is home to breathtaking natural scenery. I advise you to go outside the popular tourist locations like Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, and Vung Tau. The beaches of Vung Tau, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, and the central region’s historic capital of Hue are a few must-sees.

Nha Trang Beach – The distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang fluctuates around more than 400 km

Hue Ancient Capital – The distance from Hue to Saigon by road is about 957 km, so you should choose to travel by plane to shorten the time

6. Respect Vietnamese places of worship

Vietnamese people, like those in many other Southeast Asian nations, frequently have altars in their houses, restaurants, and places of business. When you visit neighboring shrines, guests staying in rural areas or homestays should exercise caution in their speech. Before you enter the temple or pagoda, put on your slippers. Additionally, if there is an altar present in the space, couples should refrain from making unduly personal gestures like kissing, because locals view this as unpolite behavior.

7. Choose the right tour

The process of arranging reservations for trips or tours should be approached with prudence. When you make bookings, it is generally recommended to heed the recommendations of trustworthy individuals or to make reservations through recognized businesses. Besides, If you’d like to take a motorcycle trip to experience local cuisine and see some of the city’s most well-known locations, you need to reserve the motorbike tour. Since the cost of this experience tour is affordable and the tour guide is professional. I recommend you the Saigon Taste Tours. This will provide you with a meaningful experience with the culture of the area, and explore Ho Chi Minh City like a local.

8. Flight delays

In actuality, regardless of the fare you have paid, the majority of Vietnamese airlines may cause delays in flights. You must try your hardest to carry out the remainder of your planned vacation in the event that your plans encounter a setback. If you have an urgent trip or crucial meeting scheduled, carefully consider the flight time and factor in additional waiting time for your itinerary.

9. Be careful when traveling by scam vehicles

You might be cheated by a cyclo or taxi driver who would overcharge you for the extra distance. To maximize the amount displayed on the meter, they can take a longer route or circle around. In this instance, you ought to take caution before boarding the car. Besides, you may select reputable taxi companies like Vinasun, MaiLinh, or Grab (which is similar to Uber) or reserve a cyclo via a travel agency. Grab is the reputation app in Ho Chi Minh City, so you can download it to your phone and book a vehicle for transportation.

Here are all the tips when you travel to Ho Chi Minh City. I hope these tips will be helpful for you.