Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon)

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city and the economic center of Vietnam. Under its old name Saigon, which is still used today, it was the capital of Vietnam until 1975. The city has a population of about 7.1 million people.

Saigon is the ultimate Asian metropolis - it's hot, it's loud, and the traffic is chaotic. However, the city has a modern charm for me, and you can feel the influence of Western lifestyle here, unlike the rest of Vietnam - stylish cafes, McDonald's and Starbucks (which I haven't seen anywhere else in Vietnam!), modern streets and skyscrapers.

Nevertheless, the city's attractions can be quickly explored. That's what Eli and I did as well.

- Local Market

- Stroll through the city park

- War Museum

- Saigon Skydeck - view from the 52nd floor

We also went to the cinema - 'Beauty and the Beast' (a MUST for all Disney fans! Really well done)

On the 29th, Eli continued his journey to Bangkok, and I was alone again after a long time. But I didn't mind because I can be quite good with myself.

However, 5 more days in this city are absolutely too many days here, so I booked a two-day tour to the Mekong Delta (see next post).

Although I somehow like the city, it doesn't have a chance to make it onto my highlight list. Because honestly, I've had enough of Vietnam haha

I can't really say why. Vietnam has been a constant rollercoaster ride for me. Sometimes I felt really uncomfortable, but I've also had super beautiful experiences here (see Ha Giang or Hoi An). Most of the time, it was the combination of stunning surroundings and even more amazing people that made these places highlights. Somehow, I didn't really connect with Vietnam and the people here... But that's okay too. When you're traveling for 3 1/2 months, not every day is super duper happy with sunshine and heart-shaped eyes.

And honestly, Nepal was pretty hard to beat :D