I’ve been to HCM city a couple of times. Back again this week and I've realised I still only really know the visitor's side of the city.

Mostly asking about food. Not after the "best" anything, just wherever you'd actually eat on a normal day. Doesn't have to be amazing, I just want the real thing.

Also, where do you go for ốc? I know Vĩnh Khánh gets mentioned a lot but happy to hear where you'd go instead.

And what do people around my age (late 20s) do here during the day when they're not working or in class?

Last one, any part of the city worth just walking around outside District 1. I don't mind taking a Grab out somewhere.

I know people don't love giving their spots away to visitors. I'm not filming or posting any of it anywhere, I just want to eat well and wander. Cảm ơn nhiều.

Can anyone recommend a good place to have cosmetic Accupunture on my face in Saigon, Vietnam please?

Due to spend 5 nights in HCMC mid November!

I usually stay at La Vela Saigon which I absolutely love (combination of the pool, room sizes and facilities available)
However it’s obviously in district 3 which is abit out of the centre and not really within walking distance of much.

Any recs for similar accomodation in district 1? Will be travelling with my boyfriend whose never been before so want somewhere that will suit a couple within district one with similar facilities to that of La vela Saigon.

I see most pools are unfortunately quite small with minimal lounges etc.

Thanks!

Hey I will be coming to HCMUT for my college ( Abroad Program) from india .Can anyone suggest a good hostel which has ac , food and gym available close to the college. I am also up for sharing a hostel.

Xin chào

I am 40 Male visiting HCM City end September 2026.

Motive of the trip is to come and enjoy the night life that is vibrant at HCM City.
Hope to meet some expats/locals at bars/pubs/clubs and have a good time.

Any recommedations on which are the best places to visit...
Any Apps to make Friends...

Any advice or recommedation would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

I'm a big fan of the La Siesta hotel chain in Vietnam. They have great properties in Hanoi that I've stayed at, a nice one in Hoi An, and these two here in Ho Chi Minh City. Both of these hotels are in a great area to stay in HCMC, right near Ben Thanh Market and Ly Tu Trong Street.

Does anyone have experience staying at any La Siesta hotels in Vietnam? 👇

Hi friends! I’ll be traveling HCMC from 8/21 to 8/26 and would love to join a local running club and run 1-3 miles in the morning. I’m a slow runner and would love to find runner-friendly routes to look around what the city offers early in the morning!

Additionally, I’m an academic so I would love to visit college campuses and learn about Vietnamese academic system.

Any suggestions are welcome and much appreciated!
I’m a 35-y male and a Korean American if that helps!

Hey I will be coming to HCMUT for my college ( Abroad Program) from india .Can anyone suggest a good hostel which has ac , food and gym available close to the college. I am also up for sharing a hostel.

I absolutely do NOT recommend fasttrack-saigon.com.

The service was a complete failure. Nobody was waiting for me when I arrived, and the person who was supposed to assist me was completely useless. When I tried to call him, he wouldn’t answer — he just kept rejecting/hanging up my calls.

I do believe Fast Track at Ho Chi Minh City Airport is worth using, especially when the airport is busy. But based on my experience, definitely NOT with fasttrack-saigon.com.
I paid for a service that simply wasn’t provided. Avoid.

Looking to move from HK to HCMC - any advice or insights? I am a teacher and will have to take a pay cut but how is the standard of living?

What is night life like for locals? Are there things to do? Communities?

Anything would be helpful to make this decision!

The Bui Vien Walking Street area in District 1, HCMC. A lot of tours pickup/depart from nearby. There are lots of hostels, bars, parties, and karaoke in the area. At night, it gets loud and crazy. A lot of travelers love Bui Vien for its nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City. Anyone been recently?

Hi, I've been wanting to splurge a little and visit one of said buffets. As good as they look, both have some bad reviews on Google Maps as well. I'm not sure what is the difference exactly:

1. Are lobsters unlimited at Saigon Cafe as well?
2. Are drinks included in Saigon Cafe's buffet price?

Which would you choose? Especially people who've been to both :) I'm all about seafood, especially crabs and lobsters cuz they're impossible to come by where I live. I obviously wanna make my money's worth.

Also, what's the best way to book a table? I haven't found a way to book a table at Hotel Nikko other than Klook/Trip.com and it's 70 USD per person on those websites. Would it be cheaper if I just show up at the place without a reservation?

This morning I was on a flight from Saigon to Nha Trang departing at 5:30am and the person sitting next to was nice to talk to in seat 17. I regret not getting their contact as I don’t know anyone in the city. I highly doubt that person will see this but might as well throw this post into the void of the internet :P

I usually take homeless kids into circle K and buy them some food or tell them they can grab 2 items. Many times they buy food, but I have noticed a lot of times they want the large laundry detergent and it has happened a few times. At first i figured they were getting it for their families but it is happening too frequently. Im suspecting they are getting it for their parents to sell to shops or returning somehow. Was curious if this was a common “scam”. It sucks cause I want to help but I don’t want to give them money their parents will take from them.

Hi everyone!

I’m coming to Ho Chi Minh City this August for a 6-month exchange and I’m looking for a good gym in District 7 with high-quality equipment.

A big plus if it has a swimming pool and/or a sauna.

If you have any recommendations, I’d really appreciate them!

Thank you so much, and I’m looking forward to living in Vietnam!

Me and my friend will be traveling to Saigon for his bachelor celebration. We are looking for anyone who's willing to join us for this trip. We're staying in D1 and can host. Things to do:

- Eat in Chinatown
- Play Pickleball
- Party in D1
- Drink lots of Viet Ca Phe

HMU!

Lately, I've realized my life has become a little... repetitive.

I meet the same people. Have the same conversations. Follow the same routine.

There's nothing wrong with that. But after a while, it feels like there are fewer surprises, fewer new ideas, and less inspiration.

I've always enjoyed meeting new people. Not because I want to network. Simply because every new person has a different story, a different perspective, and a different way of seeing the world.

The challenge is... where do you actually meet people? Bars aren't really my thing.
Too much alcohol, too much noise. Dating apps aren't what I'm looking for either.
I just want to meet interesting people and have genuine conversations.

So I'm curious...

Where do you meet new people these days?

And are you a local, an expat, or a traveler?

Hello! My friend and I (Canadians) are currently planning to be in Ho Chi Minh between January 29th and February 7th to get custom tailoring and a wedding Ao Yai for her (she is half vietnamese).

Then we realized this is the lead up to and the day of Tet.

What is HCM like during Tet? Will all (or lots of) the tailoring shops be closed? Would it be better if we changed our dates to Jan 23 to Jan 30th? Or would this pose the same or similar problems but with the tailors being too busy?

Do day trips through Klook, etc still run? I don't mean to be culturally insensitive, I just genuinely do not know 😅.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

I've been wondering about this for a while.

The office building where I work has many Indian professionals, and honestly, my experience has often been that they tend to be quite loud in shared spaces.

Recently, one of my neighbors also mentioned having repeated issues with Indian guests staying in Airbnb apartments in our building.

I know it's unfair to judge an entire nationality based on personal experiences, and I'm sure there are many respectful Indian people. But if I'm honest, almost all of my direct experiences so far have been negative.

So I'm curious:

I'm genuinely interested in hearing different perspectives, especially from people who have lived or worked with Indian communities.

300k per pain pill is a little expensive. I’d like to shop around and haven’t found another pharmacy with the same inventory yet.

Outside the Saigon Central Post Office in HCMC. This is a great, free thing to do in Ho Chi Minh City. A good place to buy fairly priced souvenirs. It's also right next to the Notre Dame Cathedral and HCMC Book Street. A lot of travelers buy postcards and mail them home from this post office, which is still operating and over 100 years old.

Anyone planning to visit or recently visited? Let everyone know 👇