Lê Văn Tám Park, a former French cemetery that was turned into a park in the 1980s
In July 2011, my younger and more judgmental self was walking the streets of Saigon, Vietnam’s largest city as well as its economic hub. Maybe it was the heat, or the incessant motorcycle traffic, or the fact that a few days earlier I was still in Cambodia with its more laid-back atmosphere and soft-spoken people, that made what is officially called Ho Chi Minh City feel intense. Back then, I stayed in the backpacker area, went to the most touristy spots in the city, took the same day trips like most foreign visitors did, and ate that iconic Vietnamese dish called pho as well as trying gỏi cuốn – translucent fresh spring rolls – which I didn’t enjoy. After staying for two nights before going back to Jakarta, I even had the audacity to call Saigon bizarre.
Sometimes it amazes me to realize how time can change us.
Earlier last year, I had the thought of going to New Zealand in April. However, due to the absence of direct flights from Jakarta to any city in the country, and the fact that it would coincide with Easter holiday which, according to what I read on the internet, would mean the temporary closure of some businesses in the southern Pacific nation, I decided to look elsewhere. Some of you might still remember that in the end I went to the southern-central regions of Vietnam, where James and I based ourselves in Quy Nhon to explore the ancient Hindu temples in this part of the country. As opposed to 2011, there are now direct flights between Jakarta and Saigon, making it a lot easier for Indonesians to visit Vietnam, and vice versa. However, we would have to transfer in the southern Vietnamese city first before taking the flight to Quy Nhon. So, we thought why not stay a few nights in the former? This would allow us to rekindle our memories of the place and see how much it has changed since our last separate visits.
On a fine Friday afternoon, our Vietnam Airlines plane that departed Jakarta three hours earlier was making its final approach from the east to land at Tan Son Nhat Airport – Saigon’s main gateway to the world located directly to the northwest of the downtown area. The sun was already low on the horizon, casting its soft and warm rays upon the city’s skyline. I felt lucky to be seated on the port (left) side of the airplane, for it afforded me a magnificent view of Saigon’s glistening skyscrapers. The city has definitely grown a lot since my last visit!
On this trip, we actually went to Saigon twice: first at the beginning when we stayed two nights in the city, and again right at the end when we spent another two nights before flying back to Jakarta. Despite the short stay, what I found was completely different from what I remembered from that first trip twelve years prior. The Saigon of 2023 was an interesting and relatively walkable place, none of which resembled what I experienced in 2011. Probably staying in the city center allowed us to enjoy Saigon better, with tree-lined streets and decent sidewalks making a morning or an afternoon stroll reasonably pleasant despite the busy traffic. I even dare to claim that the downtown part of the city is more pedestrian-friendly than most parts of Jakarta, a megalopolis that has sadly been transformed into a place that prioritizes cars over humans – though fortunately things are gradually changing for the better.
A group of men playing what seems to be similar with sepak takraw or chinlone
Others prefer badminton
Basketball appears to be particularly popular among the younger generation
Bright colors of Adenium flowers
The 19th-century Tân Định church near the park
A closer look at the pink church
Bún đầu cá Châu Đốc for breakfast (that is fried snakehead murrel in the bowl on the right)
The city hall of Saigon, built in the early 20th century in French colonial style
The lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is Vietnam’s national flower
These flowers have such elegant shades of pink and white with a pop of yellow in the middle
The city hall viewed from the lotus pond
The Temple of Hùng King, a 20th-century structure dedicated to ancient Vietnamese rulers from more than 2,000 years ago
A concrete jungle set against an urban forest
Sketchers in front of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History (formerly the Musée Blanchard de la Brosse)
Ancient Vietnamese artifacts at the history museum
A seventh-century statue of Durga Mahisasuramardini
These Buddhist statues are said to be the oldest surviving ancient wooden sculptures ever found in Southeast Asia
However, Saigon is far from perfect, and the city still has a lot of homework to do to make it a much more livable place. The traffic is one of the most obvious things the city government should work on. It was bad in 2011, and it still was in 2023. But it was very encouraging to get a glimpse of the city’s first ever metro stations, part of a megaproject funded by Japan (similar to the MRT in Jakarta) which should begin operations sometime this year. Further to the east outside the city, a new and much bigger airport is being constructed. Upon completion, it will replace Tan Son Nhat which, based on my observations, was clearly handling more passengers than what it was designed for.
But today’s Saigon is not just about major constructions. Amid the rapid growth of Vietnam’s economy, the city has not given up its leafy parks for property development projects – at least not yet. And tucked away in the busy District 1 were local, no-frills food joints serving delicious Vietnamese dishes to hungry Saigonese and visitors alike, from bún đầu cá Châu Đốc (rice vermicelli served with snakehead fish that comes from a region near the border with Cambodia) to gỏi trái vả mười khó (a local fig salad) and a delicacy made from cá bống (goby fish).
While it is apparent that in many aspects Saigon seemed to be moving in the right direction, our positive experience of the city was also attributed to the fact that we were accompanied by a local on our final day there. Some of you know him as Len Kagami, a Saigon-based blogger whose photos never fail to make me dream of visiting the places he has been. With him, we explored the Cholon area which is considered Saigon’s own Chinatown, sampled some local dishes at a restaurant we would have otherwise not have known about, went to the city’s fine arts museum which occupies a grand mansion formerly owned by a wealthy local family, strolled around the downtown area, and had interesting conversations over iced tea to wrap up the day. Having a local to show you around really is one of the best ways to enjoy a city.
I came to Saigon for the second time with a much more open and a lot less judgmental mind, and I was pleasantly surprised with how well the city treated me. From the scenes at Lê Văn Tám Park where men and women, old and young, came to this public space to get some exercise with their friends and family, to little things like this delicious cheese ice cream that we bought from a convenience store across the street from where we stayed, Saigon was a perfect stopover we wished for. I won’t be surprised if one day I find myself booking another flight to this Vietnamese city, whether to stay longer, or to explore other parts of this endlessly captivating country. Until then, à bientôt, Saïgon!
These shophouses have great potential to be converted into an exciting cultural venue
Bringing new colors to Vietnam’s largest city
I can never get tired of Vietnamese food, thanks to the ever-present fresh vegetables and herbs
The Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, built in the early 20th century for a wealthy family
A spiraling staircase inside one of the buildings in the museum compound
A traditional way of selling goods in a not-so-traditional neighborhood of Saigon
Bitexco Financial Tower, which is likened to the Stark Tower (that iconic building owned by Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Walking around Saigon’s financial district
Unsurprisingly, the French also built an opera house in this city
Hotel Continental which served as the bureaux of some US media outlets during the Vietnam War
The Ho Chi Minh City Museum which at one point was used as the residence of French and Japanese governors
Gỏi trái vả mười khó, a local fig salad
This dish is particularly unique as it was made with goby fish
What an Amazing World! 
It really is surreal how time can change our perspective on a place– for you, it was Saigon. I’m glad you had a much-better, even fantastic, second trip back as an older and less-judgmental individual, to enjoy and really appreciate the sights, sounds, and excellent Vietnamese food. Thanks for sharing, Bama!
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You know, now when I see people much younger than me say or do something that hits a nerve, I often remind myself to be gentle. When I was at their age, I might have also said or done similar things. Life really is our best teacher. Thanks for reading, Rebecca.
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As always a great write up Bama! I do love your food photography too!
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Much appreciated, Anna. I think Vietnamese dishes are in general very photogenic because of the different colors and textures of the ingredients and components. And eating them, of course, is always the best thing.
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Cities can be really hard work, can’t they? Great to see one with a local though, Bama. It must make a huge difference. I’ve never seen a lotus in real life. They are fabulous.
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Very true, Jo, especially those with rough edges. But as is the case with Saigon, or with my adopted city Jakarta, places like these need to be approached with a more open mind and heart. The lotuses we saw near the city hall were so beautiful. I think it was my first time seeing them up close and paying attention to the colors.
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Time and age are wonderful tools to which we can view the world with a different perspective. 13 years is practically a generation so it’s not surprising that you have a different experience.
Vietnam is on my wishlist to visit and the sights, sounds and food you and James enjoyed look amazing. Love that you have hot breakfasts in Asia and the fig salad looks yum. It’s also very interesting how you travel with local guides. Definitely helps with local translation!
New Zealand also sounds amazing and hope you eventually make your way down there so I can live through your travels! 😊
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Very true, Ab. If only my younger self had known better.
Hot breakfasts are the best! Although I have to admit on workdays I usually have granola with cold milk because it’s easy and takes no time to prepare. But weekends are when I have “real” food for breakfast.
Whoever goes to New Zealand first must share his travel photos and stories! 😊
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Maybe we should give Ho Chi Minh another try. We weren’t young when we visited, but we also didn’t enjoy the city. It was a year or two before you went, so maybe it has changed. I don’t remember where we stayed but it wasn’t the backpackers area. Seeing it with Len would help to see the local sites which always help. Hope you make it to New Zealand though. It is a pretty country. Maggie
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Were there any specific reasons why you didn’t really enjoy the city? I hope one day you’ll get to see it again because some places require us to go more than once to truly uncover their charms.
If go to New Zealand, I also want to check out Maori cultural villages. They look so fascinating!
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I think it was mostly too busy, overcrowded and not much of interest to do. Another factor may have set our minds even before we left. There are a lot of Vietnamese living in Canada (and in our city Calgary) and many gave us a bad impression of the city even before we left Canada.
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What people say about a city can indeed influence our own perception of the place. I’m really interested in seeing Hanoi because it looks like it has a lot more cultural sights than Saigon and those who have been seem to really enjoy their experience in the Vietnamese capital.
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We also really loved Hanoi, especially the Old Town, and for you… the food 😊
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It’s funny to look back at how we used to travel when we were younger. It’s always nice to visit a city that’s walkable. We have a similar issue here in Canada where many of our cities priortize cars over people as well. And don’t even get me started on traffic. Beautiful captures from your visit. I especially like the lotus pond.
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Sometimes it’s embarrassing to remember some of the things we said or did in the past. I read that many North American cities have a chronic problem with cars. They’ve fundamentally changed how people interact with each other and spend their time. I believe more and more people should visit cities that are walkable (which unsurprisingly are also more livable) so they realize that there is a better way of living.
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Your second visit to Saigon sounded like an enjoyable one, Bama. Indeed fascinating how time can change things. Glad you got to spend time there and the city has a fair bit of greenery. And walkable too. Sometimes getting stuck in traffic is not something you want to experience too much when on holiday! It’s great that public transport like the metro stations are being constructed, which might make visiting and getting around the city more appealing. Wonderful you got Len to show you around. It is always wonderful to meet fellow bloggers in person – which can be quite surreal! Great photography and enjoyed looking through all of them 😊
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Taking the public transit in Jakarta really saves me a lot of time, and it feels satisfying to be able to get home much faster than most of my coworkers who drive their own cars. Good to know that the people in Saigon will soon be able to enjoy the metro because the city really needs it. It’s always nice to meet our blogging friends in person, especially those who click with us. Thanks Mabel.
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I found it fascinating how, on congested intersections with no traffic lights, drivers crept forward and somehow it worked, but HCM City was too busy for me, despite staying near the opera house which was a nice area. The motorbikes that constantly travelled on the footpaths unnerved me, but maybe like you, time might change my opinion as I visited a couple of years after your first trip. Still, I loved Hanoi—my advice, try there next time.
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We have a lot of motorbikes too here in Jakarta, and them going on the sidewalks is unfortunately not an uncommon sight. However, somehow crossing the streets in Vietnam felt easier because once we found the rhythm, all we had to do was walk slowly to the other side as the motorbikes would find their ways to avoid us. The key is not to make a sudden, unpredictable move. I will definitely go to Hanoi the next time.
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Has it changed so much since 2011? I would be in shock if I went now; my visit was in 2003!
Love your pic of the spiral staircase.
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That’s how I felt. But I don’t know whether it’s the city or myself that has changed more ever since. I can’t imagine how Saigon was like when you went there!
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You saw a completely different Saigon than we did. Somehow we weren’t drawn to the museums, grand buildings, and parks. But we did love it, the noise, the colour, the energy – except the traffic – that was pretty scary. How wonderful that you got to meet Len. I too drool over his photos.
Alison
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I could feel the energy too, and we could tell that the country’s economy was doing well. The traffic was still bad though, but there were enough reasons to be optimistic about how things will be in the near future. Having Len to take us around Saigon was like having Madhu when we went to Chennai. We’re very grateful for their kindness.
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Such a wonderful post, Bama. As always, I am drawn to your writing and explanations; the photos are a treat that accompanies your writing. I’ve been a couple of times, long ago, and the photographs of the building bring back great memories—as do the delicious cuisine (one of my favorites). I admire the openness in your writing. Reflecting on your 2011 more youthful eyes to now, Is part of the feeling the different mood when visiting then vs. now? A more relaxed outlook creates a more positive vibe versus a more stressed feeling, which is sometimes inevitable. It is great to read you again, and I wish you an excellent finish to summer.
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Much appreciated, Randall. I realized as I get older, my perception of things gradually changes, including how I see the places I travel to. You can say I’ve mellowed out. That’s one of the biggest reasons why Saigon felt somewhat different on my second trip . The city itself has changed for sure. My summer (or the dry season as we call it here) has been filled with friends and relatives visiting Jakarta from abroad. It’s fun to explore your own city with someone who’s new to it. I hope you’ll have a great rest of the summer too!
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Thanks for taking us with you on your visit! It is great that you could revisit Saigon and update your memories and thoughts on this city. It is always encouraging to see big cities taking steps in the right direction to making them more liveable for their inhabitants and visitors! The food also looks absolutely delicious!
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There are cities that I have visited in the past which I would love to go back to one day, and Saigon was one of them. I really hope the city’s MRT line will open soon after multiple delays. All the food we had was absolutely delicious! Also, we got to try some dishes that are not usually found at Vietnamese restaurants outside of the country.
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I have to agree with you that experiencing places through the eyes of a local is much more interesting and meaningful in the long run. It is alway lovely for me to see places through your eyes too. – Jolandi
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Very true, especially if the local has similar interests with us. It makes a huge difference. Likewise, Jolandi. I always enjoy reading about your life in the quinta as it is a world away from the lifestyle I’m currently living.
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Vietnam is high on our list, mainly for the food and culture! 😃 Great post and the shot of the spiral staircase is cool. Thanks for the reference to Len Kagami’s blog.
All your photos are great especially of the food! Your killing us…😃
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There’s a myriad of Vietnamese dishes I didn’t know existed until I went there for the second and third time. I think you would love them all!
Ha! Well, I also drool over your photos from places that are so far from where I live.
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Your wonderful post made me ponder about how exploring new places for the first time is one of the joys of travel … but revisiting old places can be great too! I find that when I travel I am moving through a landscape in three dimensions. When I return to a place over time, I am literally adding another dimension to my experience of that place. I get to see it grow and change and can form an attachment that is absent when I pass through it once. It’s a bit like knowing people well for many years as opposed to meeting them only once.
Also – as we progress through life’s experiences we grow and develop in our thinking. Tastes change, some of the things which captivated you when younger have less appeal, and you may have a better appreciation of things which your younger self didn’t see much value in. Just as you may no longer listen to the same music you did twenty years ago, so too you may enjoy different experiences while travelling. This means you can revisit places you went to when younger, and see them in a different light. It can almost be like exploring somewhere new.
Thanks for sharing, and have a lovely weekend 🙂 Aivaxx
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Very true, Aiva. We change, but the places we’ve been to also change. Even the most familiar places can present subtle differences to us every time we visit. And speaking of music, a few weeks ago I tried to listen to some songs I really liked during my teenage years. However, I ended up switching to other songs. 🙂
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I hear, ye, the same goes for movies and books – I tried to rewatch a television series that I used to love 20 years ago and found it horrid. However, the experience allowed me to appreciate how much I had grown as a person. It wasn’t yearning for the past; it was an appreciation of the present. The deep connection that I made to [the show] provided this self-reflexive moment that I was like, “Wow when I first watched this, I was 20. And now I’m 40. And I have kids.” You see it differently and that allows you to be like, “I’m a different person than I was then.”
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That is exactly how I often react these days. Every time I see things from the past, I often think, “Wow, this was from more than two decades ago!”, which is usually followed by a flood of memories rushing at me from that period of time.
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🥰🥰🥰
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It’s interesting to see how much our travel style and preferences can shift as our outlook on life changes with age. I’m happy that you genuinely enjoyed Saigon the second time around; spending a day exploring the city with Len was a real highlight. And the food! We were so lucky that of all the meals we ate there, only one was bordering mediocre (my fault!) because I suggested a place we walked past that was so new there were no reviews or ratings on Google Maps.
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I believe there will always be places that serve mediocre food wherever we travel. So no need to feel bad about that one particular restaurant, James. The funny thing about Saigon is when some of my coworkers went there a few months ago, they all agreed that it wasn’t their favorite city. I guess you can’t please everyone.
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It took me a while to read this nicely written post, Bama 🙂 For some reason, I didn’t receive any notification, even though you tagged me. I’m glad you and James enjoyed the latest trip! I hope by your next trip, we can use the MRT 😛 Nice photos of the Tan Dinh Church. The light is perfect. My secondary school is right next to it haha. But it was yellow back then.
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No worries, Len. You’re one of the main reasons why we enjoyed Saigon so much on our last visit. I do want to come back when the MRT is fully operational. It would be interesting to see how it’s going to be like since it was also built by Japan just like the one in Jakarta. Ahh, I guess you’re also familiar with Lê Văn Tám Park then. If you ever make it to Indonesia’s biggest city, please let us know!
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Definitely! Java is high on my list 😛
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Thanks for another great post, Bama. I visited Vietnam in 2013 and had a really good trip, going from Hanoi to Saigon. I liked both cities, but I preferred Hanoi because of the more historic sites. However, the hustle and bustle of Saigon are undeniable and these places you highlighted like the city’s history museum look really nice.
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Thank you, Hilton. Many people said good things about Hanoi, but the north is a part of Vietnam I have yet to explore. I guess I really should go there the next time I visit.
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I hope you can visit there soon. Ha Long Bay, which I’m sure you’ve heard of and just a few hours away by car, is also very spectacular.
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I’ve seen photos of Ha Long Bay and it does look pretty stunning.
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Thank you for sharing your reflections on Saigon! I agree that it’s fascinating how much a place can change over time, especially when revisited with a more open mind. It is interesting that the city has managed to maintain its parks and local food culture amidst all the rapid urban development. I’m inspired by your experience and would love to explore Saigon with a local guide one day—there’s so much more to discover beyond the typical tourist spots!
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Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts. I hope you’ll get to visit Saigon one day, and I hope the city will retain its unique characters for many more generations to come.
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Bama, it’s interesting how time and experience can change one’s perspective. We didn’t make it to HCMC on our trip to Vietnam, and honestly, one of the reasons was we had read how big, busy, and noisy it is. It’s good to read your post and see photos of what we missed.
At this point in our travel lives we find ourselves revisiting cities after years, and sometimes decades have passed. Almost exclusively, we find that we can now appreciate the city and everything it has to offer more than we did on previous visits. I’m sure that we have matured as travelers, and we’ve learned what we do and don’t like, and we structure our trip to suit us. We believe it’s always quality over quantity when it comes to what we see, so that suits us as well. Take care and have a fun and relaxing holiday. ~James
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Living in a city that was at first hard to love helps me to appreciate places like Saigon more. Behind the noises and the constant hustle and bustle lie the charms which might take time to find. I also agree with you about how our past travels taught us what we do and do not enjoy. They really help us to understand ourselves better. People change, and so do places around the world. What should remain constant is the learning process itself. I wish you and Terri a very pleasant holiday too!
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