5 nights in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is the largest metropolis in Vietnam. Until 1975, when North Vietnamese troops captured the city and won the Vietnam War, Saigon was the capital of the Republic of Vietnam. It was replaced as the capital after the country's reunification by Hanoi and renamed Ho Chi Minh, after the communist revolutionary and first North Vietnamese head of state.

After the regulated public life in South Korea, where no one ever crossed a red light or raised their voice in the presence of others, we experienced quite a culture shock when we arrived here. Crossing any major street offers roughly the adrenaline rush of a bungee jump, and the first word that Theo associated with Ho Chi Minh is 'noise'. There are incredibly many taxis, buses, bicycles, and especially motorbikes. Everyone honks and drives in chaos (often against traffic), merchants call out all sorts of offers, and once a day the monsoon pours from the sky for 1 to 3 hours and floods the streets. Fortunately, we also found some quiet corners where we could relax well despite the fascinating hustle and bustle of the city. Ho Chi Minh is surprisingly green, and in the residential areas, one feels like being in a mini jungle. There are also parks, Buddhist temples, and museum complexes that offer tranquility and truly interesting insights into the country's history. Over time, you also get used to the traffic, and after the initial shock, we really liked the city :-)