Travelling Soul Sister

The list of activities to do whilst in Vietnam is endless. We were only in Saigon for a short time but we packed a lot into the time that we had.

Here is my mini guide for things to do whilst in Ho Chi Minh. You will find that it largely features restaurants and eating, because that is definitely one of my favourite activities to do on holiday!

Tan Dinh church – Pink Church

The Tan Dinh Church, also known as Tan Dinh Pink church, is located in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Striking salmon pink in colour, the church was built in the French colonial period during the 1870s.  Designed in Romanesque style with Gothic and Renaissance elements. It wasn’t open the day we went so it’s worth checking opening times before you head there. Definitely worth a visit and great for photo ops.

289 Hai Ba Trung, Ward 8, District 3

Fish pedicure 

I’ve always wanted to try a fish pedicure, tiny little sucker fish working their magic to give me silky smooth tootsies. I wasn’t quite prepared for the almost unbearable tickle that they provided.  As soon as my feet hit the water, they swam over at lighting speed, like the buffet doors had just opened.

It took me a long time to look down at the foot feast. I had to first wrap my head around the fact that a bunch of tiny mouths were sucking dead skin off my feet, some seemed to get a little too eager and it took a lot of self control not to kick them off.  When I did eventually pluck up the courage to take a peek, I couldn’t stop giggling, I was literally wearing fish boots!  It was fascinating to watch them, I tried to ignore the occasional sight of a fish eating another dead fish off in the corner of the tank. After about 20 minutes they seemed to lose interest and swam away. Chilling in the tank until the next customer arrives.

I can honestly say that afterwards my feet felt like they had been dipped in silk. Thankyou little fishy friends. I recommend giving it a go if you think you can handle the tickle factor.

Blue Moon Spa – Dong Khoi, District 1

Shopping

Some areas of Ho Chi Minh look like the streets of Paris. Magnificent high end shops such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Dior, dotted along manicured tree lined streets. Sky high shopping plazas and street vendors selling their wares on every corner. Ben Thanh market is a great place to see the food markets and pick up the usual touristy purchases.  Hats, sunnies, shoes and bags. They also have an amazing fabric section if that is your thing. We found Saigon Square market to be the best place for market shopping. Overall it was cheaper than Ben Thanh which makes the store holders less flexible on the battering but there seemed to be more variety of products and the quality was better.

Be wary of the smiling cyclo drivers out the front of Ben Thanh market. We thought we were getting a bargain of a deal with the cyclos costing $1 to get us back to our hotel, (a cab would only be about $4). Turns out the driver conveniently left off two zeros, and it was in fact $100. They started to get quite nasty when we contested and gave my Sister the creeps so unfortunately for us, that was an expensive lesson learnt!

Khanhcasa Tea House 

I fell in love with the Khanhcasa tea house. Velvet chairs in pale blue and moss green, fine china, a hummingbird floral mural painted on the ceiling in pretty pastels and a grand piano. I was in tea house heaven.

The tea house has an impressive menu featuring teas from all over the world. We had just finished breakfast when we came across the tea house but that didn’t stop me from ordering up a serve of Hanoi spring rolls and a tropical smoothie. On holidays, I believe it’s perfectly acceptable to eat like a hungry hippo, any time of day!

48-50 Dong Khoi Street, District 1

 L’uisine

We found some amazing restaurants along the way and L’uisine became a regular. French inspired but with a strong Vietnamese selection as well. The Banh Mi was  delicious, served with a side of potato salad which I paired with a cheeky lunchtime cocktail, my fave, a Pina colada, served in a coconut complete with a mini umbrella. L’usine have happy hour from 4-8pm daily.

Tous les Jours

This is where I had the most amazing Vietnamese coffee, I’ll even go so far as to say it is the best one I’ve ever tasted! Tous les Jours has delicious pastries and French inspired sweet treats. It’s super cheap and has a really nice upstairs balcony area to sit and watch the flurry of mopeds down below. Located in District 1.

The Cafe Apartment

The Cafe apartment is a block of old apartments that has been transformed into quaint tea rooms and coffee shops. The best way to explore is to take the stairs, with each level having its own little treasures to discover. Boutique Stores selling clothing, jewellery, homewares and artwork lay tucked behind corners waiting to be discovered.

We stopped by ParTea for some tea and scones. We picked our own teacup and flavour of tea then headed to the balcony for the gorgeous view of Times Square.

42 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1

Ho Chi Minh is an amazing destination rich in history with so much to offer. We barely scratched the surface of discovering the City. I definitely plan on returning to Vietnam and exploring the other regions and Provences, and especially, the food!