Vietnam’s largest and most chaotic city, 1000 miles from the capital, Hanoi, is a sight to behold with a billion things seemingly happening at once. It has a lot to offer and is a backpacker’s firm favourite, as well as a hotspot for digital nomads because of its exciting pace of life and cheap cost of living.
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The city is adorned with wide elegant boulevards and historical buildings from the French colonial period. Most of these tourist spots, including the Reunification Palace, City Hall, the Municipal Theatre, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Central Post Office designed by Gustave Eiffel, are located in District 1, conveniently close to each other. The city is home to numerous places of entertainment, with hundreds of cinemas and theatres which residents keep active, as well as all kinds of museums.
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Popular with tourists are the Đầm Sen Tourist and Cultural Park, Suối Tiên Amusement and Culture Park, and Cần Giờ's eco beach resort, as well as the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens dating from 1865, and the Củ Chi Tunnels which were used underlie much of the country and were used as hiding spots during combat.
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The best place to feel the city’s dynamism is in the markets. Try one of the city’s oldest landmarks, the Ben Thanh Market, for some shopping; you’ll find local handicrafts, handmade bags, souvenirs, and of course some great street food where the chefs will cook their delicacies in front of you.
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Start the day with a ‘ca phe sua da’, iced coffee, which is served with sweet condensed milk over ice. Recommended eats include a ‘Banh Khot’, a rice crepe, or a ‘Banh Tom Bi’, silkworm noodles with coconut sauce made of tapioca. But you wouldn’t want to miss out on the famous classics - the city is famous for its traditional noodle soup ‘Pho’, and ‘Bánh Mi’, the French baguette sandwich filled with pâté, jalapeños, and vegetables. Some of the dishes might be more for the daring though - you can find fertilised duck eggs, fermented scorpion wine, and deep-fried snake dishes. There are plenty of cooking classes available for you to discover how to make the regional cuisines.
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Get lost in District 5’s Chinatown, a maze of activity from the sprawling Binh Tay Market to the fascinating temples. The Binh Tay Market is both inside and outside; the outside market sells a variety of fresh ingredients - anything you can imagine - to complete your Vietnamese or Chinese recipes, with a food court at the back end, whilst the inside area sells more dried and preserved ingredients, as well as clothing. In Chinatown, you can find the Catholic Cha Tam Church as well as the ornate Chinese Taoist Phuoc An Hoi Quan and incense-filled Thien Hau temples.
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If the bustle gets too much, escape to Can Gio Island around 50 miles from the city, where beaches, UNESCO-recognised mangroves and Monkey Island sanctuary can be found, where you can see the apes up close. Or just chill out in the city’s September 23 Park, where you can play some badminton or try your hand at tai chi!
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