How to Live Like a Local in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Renamed after Vietnam’s founding father, Ho Chi Minh has all the hallmarks of a city with its feet firmly in the modern world. However, still referred to by most Vietnamese locals using its former name – Saigon – this buzzing metropolis both cherishes and celebrates its past. Whatever you call it, Ho Chi Minh City is a truly bewitching place; a simmering, bustling mass of both literal and metaphorical electricity. At first glance, the city can appear an overwhelming place to visit, but, with our guide to living as its locals do, you’re sure to discover its true identity.
Eat like a local
Ho Chi Minh City restaurants are stylish, swanky and numerous, serving food from all cultural backgrounds. However, the locals know where to find eats of the same quality, but for a fraction of the cost in the city’s tangle of backstreets and markets. Ben Thanh Market in the centre of District 1 is a warren of makeshift cafés serving deliciously steaming bowls of Vietnamese street-food. Simply pick one, pull up a plastic seat, and enjoy.
If the bustle of the market seems a tad too much, stalls of the same type line the city’s streets, all serving up expertly cooked and perfectly authentic grub. If you are unsure what to try, grab a bowl of the local speciality – Phở, a superbly tasty noodle soup.
Fruit and veg street market
Get around like a local
As with many large cities in Vietnam, HCMC is not especially pedestrian-friendly. This is owing to the endless and overpowering swarm of mopeds and taxis that sweep through the city streets at all hours of the day. For this reason, the quickest and best way to move around is by moped or motorcycle. Experienced riders can take advantage of bike rentals in Ho Chi Minh City, from an unceasing swarm of opportunistic locals who line the roads with their vehicles, but be careful not to get overcharged. Haggling is essential, and do not expect to pay more than 150,000 Dong (about £4.50) for a day’s rental.
Be warned, however, there is no discernible traffic-system that is observed. On the roads it’s every man for himself, and so, if the idea of leaping onto a bike and navigating your way through the chaotic mass is a terrifying one, it is equally easy to rent a bike complete with experienced driver for a similar price.
Motorbike traffic
Shop like a local
In order to whip up an incredible variety of sumptuous dishes, the HCMC locals need to purchase fresh ingredients. In contrast to a weekly shop at Tesco, food here is bought daily for guaranteed freshness. Ben Thanh Market is also the perfect place to find produce, with countless stalls to choose from, or you will find a huge selection of fruit and veg sold by iconic street carriers, who parade their wares through the streets.
For an entirely different shopping experience, journey an hour or so outside of the city into the Mekong Delta. Here, early each morning, locals come together in their boats to form the river’s ‘floating market’. The system here is exactly the same as on dry land; each boat sells a particular product, indicated by a vertical bamboo stick with the produce tied to it. Hire a boat and driver for a small amount of Dong, and get involved with the on-board bartering!
Mekong Delta floating market
Relax like a local
The locals in HCMC tend to rise early and go to bed late, maximising the potential of working hours. Because of this, the Vietnamese tend to take regular naps throughout the day, wherever they happen to be. Do the same, and catch 40 winks whenever possible. For a calming moment of relaxation, the locals head to one of the city’s many parks, for relief from the scorching sun under shady leaves.
Cyclo drivers napping
Use these tips to avoid getting drowned in the Ho Chi Minh City tourist crowds, and live like a local in one of the world’s most fascinating cities!