My motorbike in Saigon
Last month I spent 12 days in Vietnam’s biggest city – Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. It was great to see the other major city in Vietnam after living in Hanoi for three months at the beginning of the year.
Saigon definitely seems more “Americanized” than Hanoi, with plentiful fast food places and chain stores. But it also has a strong Vietnamese character, with lots of local places to eat great Vietnamese food – including my personal favorite, pho.
The preferred mode of transport in Saigon is the motorbike. I was able to rent a bike for 500,000 Vietnamese dong (about $23) for one week. The rental service even dropped off and picked up the motorbike from my Airbnb apartment – very convenient!
The video below shows what it’s like to ride through the streets of this southern Vietnamese metropolis. It follows the route from near my apartment in District 3 to a Starbucks in District 1. As you can see, it’s a very vibrant city and without a doubt one of the top spots to visit Southeast Asia.