I spent a few days in Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by a lot of the locals) when I first got to Vietnam. It’s a city I really liked for its energy, its little alleyways, its diversity… and its food! But the traffic is the worst I’ve seen in Asia so far – even worse than Bangkok. In Vietnam, there are no road rules. A red light means just about as much as a green, and a motorbike coming towards you against the way of traffic wouldn’t surprise anyone. Crossing the road for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City will get your heart rate going, then you’ll get used to it and wonder why you ever complained about London traffic…

Same here, mate

Urban garden hidden under the highway

Walking by the river oddly reminded me of the Seine’s banks in Paris’ 13th arrondissement 

Ho Chi Minh City’s main market, Bến Thành

The central post office

Notre-Dame Cathedral – beautiful from outside, disappointing inside

I had lunch with my friend Lân – more in the next post – at his friends Hùng and Hạnh’s. Their welcome was as warm as it was delicious so they deserve their 15′ of blog fame… 

The Reunification Palace, where the President of South Vietnam lived and worked during the Vietnam War

The palace has incredible architecture – I loved the 1960s vibe in the interior design and the very geometric lines

The staircase – not the clearest pic but super cool

Down in the presidential bunker…

Hope you enjoyed this introduction to Vietnam. Next up, we’re off to the Mekong Delta!