Argitaratu: 23.02.2023
From the highlands in Da Lat, we head to the largest city in Vietnam. A metropolis with over 8 million inhabitants. We don't know exactly what to expect, but we are excited to explore the last destination in Vietnam.
At 22:00, we embark on a night bus and arrive in Saigon shortly after 3:00. Fortunately, we can walk to the hotel and don't have to drive through the whole city. We have to wake up our hostess at the hotel, which we feel a little sorry about, but we can check into our room right away. We catch up on some sleep, but we are back on our feet at 10:00 and explore the area around our accommodation.
In the following days, we explore a large part of the city by scooter and quickly feel at home. Since we are so mobile, we also explore neighborhoods outside the city center. We quickly notice that compared to other places in Vietnam, hardly any tourists venture out on scooters here. With the motto 'go with the flow,' you are also well on the streets here. The size of the buildings, the mass of apartments, and the sometimes extreme luxury leave us amazed.
Overall, we spend about a day in the many malls throughout Saigon. These have everything you can imagine. Most of them are quite luxurious, and the prices are comparable to those in Switzerland. Nevertheless, the centers are well-visited.
Other neighborhoods are more down-to-earth, with more street food and cheaper shops. Just nearby is the 'party mile,' which is particularly visited by tourists.
A highlight for us is a building with many different pop-up stores and restaurants. Here you will find creative shops and great food on eight or nine floors.
Saigon is a vibrant mega city that we really like. We could easily stay here for a few more days, and it is impossible to mention everything we have experienced. Now we are heading towards Cambodia, but we will definitely miss Vietnam and are a little sad to leave the country.
Thank you Vietnam!!