Ho Chi Minh City!
The plan is to go to Halong Bay for a cruise around its picturesque limestone pillars and tree-topped islets, and on to historic Hoi An. But the weather has other ideas so I turn around and head to Ho Chi Minh City — Saigon, as residents still call it.
We get up at 7am to go to Halong Bay. And so the nightmare begins. We have a three-hour car journey, where I learn about everything, from shrimp’s reproductive process to how pearls are grown. The guides all mean well but this particular morning I would have loved some peace and quiet.
Halong itself is incredible to look at with all the mountains and those renowned islets that we’ve seen in movie after movie. Halong Bay is like an unfinished industrial estate though, they were building all these hotels when Covid struck, and everything halted. To top things off, it’s nine degrees out. Colder than London! And we packed for a summer holiday! We’re meant to be flying to Hoi An but it’s had torrential rain for four days. So Abercrombie & Kent, our incredible travel agent, changes everything just like that. Next on the list? We’re heading to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon as the locals still affectionately refer to it). It’s far warmer and… I’m already fucking sold.
Saigon is on another level. I thought Hanoi was busy, but here it takes 20 minutes just to cross the street. The sheer number of motorbikes is overwhelming — millions of them.
We started with a city tour, and honestly, I went in prepared to be underwhelmed. But it was brilliant. Chinatown is absolutely massive — I’ve never seen anything like it. Streets dedicated entirely to niche products: Fish Tank Street with everything for your aquarium, Plastic Street selling every plastic item imaginable. As you venture further out, the streets feel older and more authentic, packed with tiny shops offering a bit of everything.
The day ended with a Vespa tour, weaving through the city’s chaos on two wheels. The highlight? Our guide mistaking me and Stavvy (my partner) for father and son. When we explained we were a couple, they enthusiastically took pictures of us. No idea why, but it was a laugh.
An early start took us over the Mekong and deep into the jungle. The car journey was long, crawling through traffic, but once we arrived, it was worth every second.
Cycling through jungle paths, then gliding in a tiny paddle boat through coconut groves — it was pure magic. Lunch at a rustic café, fresh fruit picked straight from the trees, and meeting a local couple at their coconut plantation (plus their adorable dogs) made it unforgettable. It was a reminder of Vietnam’s natural beauty beyond the bustling cities.
The Cu Chi Tunnels were the only letdown. They’ve essentially turned the site into a theme park. The original tunnels are mostly inaccessible, replaced by reconstructed ones, complete with robotic figures and eerie fibreglass warriors.
Every time I asked if something was authentic, the answer was, ‘No, it’s a recreation.’ It felt overly staged, missing the depth and authenticity I was hoping for. That said, the tunnels still offer incredible insight into the war and the resilience of the Vietnamese people.
But Vietnam is about so much more than its wartime history. For a Buddhist and communist country, it feels overly fixated on the past rather than looking forward. Still, it’s fascinating to think of how entire communities survived underground.
Saigon is electric — there’s so much life and energy. It’s the kind of place I’d absolutely return to. Between the chaos of the motorbikes, the vibrant neighborhoods, and the surreal beauty of the jungle, this trip has been nothing short of breathtaking. Even with a few hiccups, Vietnam is unforgettable.