Discover How I Spent 30 Million in 5 Days Exploring Ho Chi Minh City’s Hidden Gems

Ho Chi Minh City can be a lot of fun if you play it right! Of course, 30 million is mainly spent on flights and hotels, and the remaining experiences cost 3.48 million Vietnamese dong, which is about RMB 1000 [shyR]. Here are my top picks!

1. 🏨 Hotel: If you choose only one, it has to be Park Hyatt (Pic 2). If you pick two, add the Skyline Autograph (Pic 3), after all, it’s the tallest building in Vietnam. The panoramic room or suite offers an unparalleled view. I’ve written about the specific details of these two hotels elsewhere, so I won’t go into too much detail here. One is the best, and the other is the tallest.

2. 💆🏻‍♀️ Vietnamese Hair Wash/SPA: I wrote a detailed comparison of six places in another post, including the prices. In the end, Emerald Spa with its 90-minute high-quality hair wash experience for 398,000 Vietnamese dong was the clear winner. Remember to book in advance. (Pic 4)

3. ☕ Vietnamese Coffee: The most famous is Workshop, which is among Asia’s top 50 (Pic 5). It’s hidden behind a small door at number 27. I ordered the sea salt and chocolate, both of which have a rich layering. The chocolate comes with honey that you can add yourself, and each sip gives a different feeling. The key is that a coffee of this quality costs only about RMB 20. Can you believe it? [frowningR]

4. 🍺 Pham Ngu Lao Street (Pic 6) is the liveliest after 10 PM. On the first day, I sat on a roadside stool and had two beers for 50,000. On the second day, I went to Waikiki, which has live music and transparent pricing, around a few dozen yuan.

5. 🍜 Vietnamese Pho/Rice Paper Rolls (Pic 7 top): I went to Pho Hoa Pasteur ❌, which is Michelin recommended but a disappointment [angryR]. The rice paper rolls and pho were not good, but the fried spring rolls were delicious. The best pho is at the 71st-floor lounge of the Autograph hotel, available for breakfast and dinner.

If you stay at the Autograph and have club access, go for it. The beef is said to be imported from Australia. Alternatively, you can try another Michelin-recommended place, Pho Viet Nam.

6. 🥖 Baguette (Pic 7 bottom): There are two places with the best baguettes in Vietnam. One is the very famous Banh Mi Huynh Hoa, where I waited in line for about 10 minutes. One baguette for 68,000 is enough for two people, and that was our dinner. You can eat it at the next-door shop, and I saw many people buying them by the bag [sweatingR].

The other is the baguette at Park Hyatt, included in the breakfast. If you order separately, it costs 300,000. The former wins with its crispy bread, while Park Hyatt’s stands out for its flavorful pan-fried pork. They are equally good.

7. 🍵 Katinat, a chain milk tea shop (Pic 8), I tried their signature avocado coconut smoothie, which felt a bit like Moshi Yogurt, but it’s so cheap! The shop in Pic 8 is by the river, and I was amazed to see hundreds of people in a milk tea shop [wowR].

8. 🩴 Waa. Shoe Store (Pic 9): If you’re on the hunt for incredibly comfortable slippers, this is the place to be. Not only are they a dream to wear, but they also look fantastic. I walked in wearing the hotel slippers and left with a brand new pair that I couldn’t wait to slip into.

9. ⛪ Attractions (Pic 10): I managed to visit the iconic Pink Church and the historic Central Post Office. The scorching heat made it a bit challenging, so we mostly snapped some photos and headed out. Whether or not you dive deep into these attractions, just being there can still make for a memorable experience.

Ho Chi Minh City is ideal for those who prefer to rest during the day and explore as the sun sets. Spend your afternoons relaxing in a cozy café, sipping on a refreshing drink, and watching the world go by. Feel free to ask any questions [shyR].