1st time in Ho Chi Minh. Can you suggest things to do, buy, visit on a budget?

Question

I'll be visiting Ho Chi Minh for the first time. What are the places I absolutely have to visit, things I have to do and buy while I'm there? I'm only staying for 3 days and I'm only a student on vacation/backpacker so pls keep in mind budget. Also, I once saw a silk thread picture ( it looks like a painting but it's really made of silk threads. Sorry, don't know what it's called) and I'd like to buy one. Where can I buy those? How do I know it's quality work I'm buying? Any other tips and suggestions? Thanks so much!

Answer 1

Look for shops selling urban clothings and shoes along the streets. Some of these shops sell real stuffs at cheap prices. I have no idea where they got those items from, but some are genuine Nike, A&F, etc.

Answer 2

Oh you are lucky, I am an aussie and I just visited hochiminh city about 2 months ago. I stayed there for  amonth however. I suggest you

- Do a city tour , most of the best things happen in DISTRICT 1 including the sights. So have your pictures taken there.

-The Silk thread you are talking about is hand-made and is called " XQ " , there is only one XQ store in the city and it is also in DISTRICT 1,I think right in the center of the city. XQ picture is very expensive generally, with a medium size could be up to 1,000 bucks. A large one that I saw in the hotel I was staying was said to be 3,000 USD. I suggest you dress a bit nice , walk into a hotel in central district , grab a city map , all important information is in there, including where to buy and where to go ( if you like history, there are several museums and memorial places scattered around the city )

- Tips : never ever go into a crowded place without being cautious , I suggest you dont bring too many things when you are outside because there's a chance you can get snapped. Choose a decent place to eat if you dont wanna get food poisoning.  There are several restaurants in the city centre and they open almost every day . There are also night market in , If i remember the name correctly, BEN THANH supermarket ( the city's huge trademark ), lots of food there and open til 2am in the morning.

- To travel around, since you are a backpacker, I take it you are going to walk, but if you are not going to walk, you can always catch a taxi , with an average fare of about 80 US cents/km.

- Or you can feel totally at home when you visit " foreigner's town " in , again if i remember correctly, Pham Nu Lao street where there are lots of foreigners of course , they live there. It is sort of like a " china town " but full of white and black peopel ( no racist here)

- Uh thats all i can remember for now, if u have questions, feel free to email me , I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Answer 3

1) war museum

2) cu chi tunnels (it's in the outskirts)

3) they have excellent food so make sure to put aside money for this

4) on one of their main shopping streets, you will find tons of art (paintings), furniture, and clothing. super cheap!

Answer 4

Skip the war museum and the tunnels they are nothing but Communist propaganda and tourist traps.  Silk embroideries are not cheap.  They priced mostly in the hundreds.  Do not buy any brand name stuffs from the streets because they are fake.  For quality but cheap clothing have them custom made.