Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as most Vietnamese still refer to it, is the largest city in Vietnam with a population of about 9 million people.
I stayed in the backpackers district of the city, so the first thing I did was explore Bui Viên Walking Street with its endless salons, bars, restaurants, clubs, and hostels. Bui Viên’s nonstop partying until 5 AM makes Bangkok’s famous Khao San Road seem tame in comparison.
Bui Viên Walking Street 
Looking out from the alley that led to my hostel 
Enjoying a cocktail above the craziness 
This is what the traffic usually looked like.
Crossing the street in Saigon reminds me of the old frogger video game, requiring equal parts caution and daring to avoid motorbikes without waiting forever. It’s worth it to get to the many markets, like Ben Thanh Market, and food vendors littering the streets. I tried Pho, Vietnam’s signature noodle soup dish, and Banh Mi, the French baguette filled with pork and pate that is available from thousands of street stands.
Pho! 
So. Many. Motorbikes. 
A Bánh Mì stand. 
Another Bánh Mì stand. 
Bánh Mì! 
I don’t think I saw even one 1-story building in the entire city. 
A cute coffee shop where I had amazing coconut milk coffee. 
Inside Ben Thanh Market.
Aside from the chaotic city culture, Saigon is also rich with history. On my second day in the city I joined a tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels, where I saw and learned about the miles of tiny, hidden underground tunnels used by Vietnamese troops during the Vietnam War. Afterward, I visited the War Remnants Museum, where I learned more about the brutality of the Vietnam War, the effects on Vietnam for generations (especially the use of Agent Orange by the US), and the toll it took on the country.
An entrance into one of the tunnels used by Vietnamese troops during the Vietnam War. 
Ventilation holes disguised as ant hills. 
Hidden traps disguised in the jungle during the war.
😀
If you haven’t, you should watch the PBS Ken Burns series about Viet Nam. Was both super interesting and horrifying, as it seemed to be presented without obvious bias either direction.