Race over sand dunes, stuff your self with the very best native avenue meals and tackle Asia’s longest coaster — that is our full information to Vietnam’s finest experiences within the South!
Throughout our final journey to Vietnam, we obtained to discover the central space (Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang) and we beloved it. This time, we headed to Southern Vietnam to delve deeper and get to know Vietnam even higher.
After exploring Southern Vietnam, I perceive why it’s such a preferred vacation spot. Every metropolis had one thing distinctive to supply — it’s nearly like packing a number of mini journeys into one.
Right here’s our final Southern Vietnam Information — the very best experiences in Ho Chi Minh, Da Lat, Phu Quoc and Mui Ne!
Ho Chi Minh
First up on our Southern Vietnam information is Ho Chi Minh (previously Saigon until 1975), Vietnam’s bustling capital and largest metropolis. Ho Chi Minh was beforehand colonised by the French and nonetheless retains a lot of its European structure.
The town is bursting with scrumptious meals and wealthy historical past, and it’s additionally base to discover the remainder of Southern Vietnam!
1) Day Journey to Cu Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels is a well-liked day journey from Ho Chi Minh metropolis. I’d admit I didn’t know a lot about Vietnam’s historical past earlier than the journey.
However our information was very educated, and helped paint a transparent image of Vietnam’s milestones from her time as a French colony to the nation’s independence!
The Cu Chi Tunnels is a 250km-long community of tunnels, utilized by Viet Cong troops (pro-communists in Southern Vietnam) through the Vietnam Conflict to fight American troopers! The Individuals had extra superior know-how, so the Vietnamese needed to transfer underground to evade aerial bombing.
We walked by a small part of the tunnels and caught a glimpse of what it was prefer to be residing in that period. Total, the tour was actually insightful — it’ll be helpful to begin your Vietnam journey with this.
In the event you’d like to increase the day journey, contemplate the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta full day tour! This features a native lunch and a soothing boat journey down a canal off the Mekong Delta.
Value: ~S$31/pax for a half-day tour
Tour timings: 7:30AM – 12:30PM, 1PM – 6:30PM (Tour operator will affirm decide up timing the night time earlier than)
Assembly level: Choose up from resort
2) Discover Native Markets
Markets are a lifestyle in Vietnam and those in Ho Chi Minh don’t disappoint. Ben Thanh Market is town’s most well-known market, positioned centrally within the coronary heart of district one. It’s a touristy spot, however nonetheless value a go to if it’s your first time in Ho Chi Minh.
You’ll discover all kinds of issues right here — garments, spices, souvenirs, and my private favorite, a piece devoted to native meals.
There are a number of shops promoting quite a lot of Vietnamese delicacies. We had barbecue pork noodles (60,000₫), beef vermicelli noodles (50,000₫) and fruit smoothies (30,000₫) — a satisfying meal for beneath S$10 complete!
Ben Thanh Market
Opening hours: 6AM – 8PM
Tackle: Đ. Lê Lợi, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
200 Market in district 4 got here extremely really useful by our Vietnamese information. We arrived at a chaotic intersection of avenue meals stalls — bikes continuously weaving by the crowds, hawkers barking out orders.
Be warned — it’s not catered to vacationers, so menus are solely in Vietnamese. Regardless of this, 200 Market turned out to be certainly one of our favorite avenue meals experiences in Ho Chi Minh!
The language barrier changed into a recreation of “level at meals and get stunned”, and we ended up loving each dish that got here. Plus, consuming on little pink stools inches from the street is actually as native because it will get!
Dishes we tried embrace banh xeo (crispy Vietnamese shrimp omelette, 40,000₫), bahn mi (30,000₫), noodles (45,000₫), barbecue clams and snails (50,000₫/plate) — all fairly inexpensive.
*Professional-tip: Carry small change! The locals don’t take pleasure in having to interrupt up giant notes. Don’t use moist wipes should you don’t want them too — eating places in Vietnam cost additional for it!
200 Market
Opening hours: 5AM – 11PM
Tackle: Nhà thờ, Xóm Chiếu, Phường 15, Quận 4, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 70000, Vietnam
3) Go to Saigon Skydeck
Enjoyable reality: The design of Bitexcon Monetary Tower was impressed by a lotus, Vietnam’s nationwide flower!
For unobstructed views of Ho Chi Minh, head as much as Saigon Skydeck. It’s positioned on the forty ninth ground of the Bitexcon Monetary Tower and has informative contact screens the place you may be taught in regards to the metropolis’s landmarks just like the Sai Gon Central Submit Workplace.
Value: ~S$11.90/pax
Opening hours: 9:30AM – 9:30PM (Final entry 8:45PM)
Tackle: 36 Đ. Hồ Tùng Mậu, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
4) Sightsee at Nguyen Hue Strolling Avenue
Nguyen Hue Strolling Avenue is Ho Chi Minh’s principal pedestrian avenue. It’s the center of town — either side are lined with cafes and outlets; on the finish, there’s a lotus fountain centrepiece and the Ho Chi Minh authorities workplace.
We handed by each within the day and at night time and the road actually involves life after darkish. There are a number of avenue performers and avenue meals stalls too!
Alongside Nguyen Hue, one explicit constructing stands out. That’s The Cafe Flats — a refurbished residence constructing now housing a number of cafes and outlets.
We walked all 9 flooring in the hunt for essentially the most aesthetic cafe (they cost 3,000₫ to make use of the carry) and settled on Saigon Oi on the fifth ground.
This cafe has a minimalist inside and enormous home windows with views of the strolling avenue — nice for individuals watching! Drinks begin from 43,000₫.
*Professional-tip: Fork out the money and pay to make use of the carry! We solely came upon after that the majority cafes reimburse the charge for patrons.
Nguyen Hue Strolling Avenue
Entrance charge: Free
Opening hours: 24 hours
Tackle: 22 Nguyễn Huệ, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
Learn additionally: Issues to do in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis — A Much less Touristy Information of Vietnam’s Capital (Coming quickly)
Da Lat
Subsequent up on our Southern Vietnam information is Da Lat. It’s simply an hour’s flight from Ho Chi Minh, however you’ll discover fully totally different landscapes — mountains, lakes, and waterfalls!
Da Lat was as soon as a summer season getaway vacation spot for the French, so a number of the structure right here is European. One more reason to go to: Da Lat has a gentle temperate local weather, with common yearly temperatures of 20°C. Sure, we’d advocate packing a jacket.
Attending to Da Lat from Ho Chi Minh: 55min flight (from ~S$34 one-way)
5) Kayak at Tuyen Lam Lake
Da Lat’s Tuyen Lam Lake appears to be like like one thing straight out of Jumanji. It’s huge and tranquil, with loads of actions for outside fanatics. We went on a dawn kayaking tour, the place we obtained to look at Da Lat come to life within the wee hours of the morning.
Waking up at 4AM was so value it. After a fast lesson, our information allow us to paddle out on our personal for round half-hour to benefit from the dawn. We had your entire lake to ourselves, aside from one other couple on the tour — and it was an extremely surreal expertise.
Then, we kayaked down the lake to our breakfast spot. Breakfast was espresso and prompt noodles — the right consolation meals for the chilly Da Lat climate. We had our meal in a serene forest, earlier than kayaking again to the start line.
This tour was simply a spotlight of our Southern Vietnam journey and in our opinion, among the finest issues to do in Da Lat!
Value: ~S$22.80 for a 3hr tour
Tour timings: 5AM – 8AM, 8AM – 11AM, 2:30PM – 5:30PM
Assembly level: Kayak Tuyen Lam Station (Hoa Cẩm Tú Cầu, Phường 3, Thành phố Đà Lạt, Lâm Đồng 66115, Vietnam)
6) Tackle Dalat’s Alpine Coaster and Excessive Rope Course
Conquer Da Lat’s excessive rope course journey — seven areas of excessive parts obstacles! Guests get a radical security briefing on learn how to connect the carabiners correctly and navigate obstacles.
After that, it’s just about a do-it-yourself journey. There have been guides on standby, prepared to help when wanted. Our favorite a part of the course was the 200m-long zip line that goes by the forest!
After that, tackle Asia’s longest coaster path, stretching for two.4km! This journey isn’t for the faint-hearted — you’ll pace by scenic pine forests and expertise sharp turns. Don’t fear although, there’s a brake to decelerate if wanted.
Value: ~S$27.10/pax
Opening hours: 7AM – 5PM (New Alpine Coaster), 8AM – 4PM (Excessive Rope Course)
Tackle: Prenn Go, Ward 3, Da Lat Metropolis, Lam Dong Province
7) Go Cafe-hopping
One other must-do in Da Lat is to tick off Instagrammable cafes with a view of mountainous landscapes. Like Cabin within the Woods, a country cafe full of wood furnishings and enjoyable picture spots!
This cafe is a hidden gem — the street there may be slender and extra suited to bikes than automobiles. However belief us, the cafe is actually fairly and definitely worth the journey.
There are each Western and Asian dishes — we obtained tom yum noodles (50,000₫), sausage and fries (70,000₫), and quite a lot of drinks!
Cabin within the Woods
Value: From 50,000₫ (~S$3) for a principal dish
Opening hours: 7AM – 8PM
Tackle: Đà Lạt, Lâm Đồng Province, Vietnam 670000
Tui Mo To is a widely known cafe in Da Lat. The inside appears to be like prefer it’s made for photoshoots — plenty of home windows for pure gentle and aesthetic furnishings.
They promote fascinating desserts, like passionfruit cheesecake (55,000₫) and purple mousse (45,000₫) — which we loved whereas taking within the views of town.
Tui Mo To
Value: From 45,000₫ (~S$2.70) for a dessert
Opening hours: 7:45AM – 9:45AM
Tackle: Hẻm 31 Sào Nam, Phường 11, Thành phố Đà Lạt, Lâm Đồng 66118, Vietnam
Learn additionally: 3D2N Da Lat Itinerary — A Magical Alpine Journey in Southern Vietnam
Phu Quoc
Step apart, Ha Lengthy Bay, there’s one other lovely island paradise in Vietnam. That is Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island — with a 150km-long shoreline providing white sandy seashores and turquoise waters.
Attending to Phu Quoc from Ho Chi Minh: 1hr flight (from ~S$34 one-way)
8) Day journey to Phu Quoc’s Pristine Islands
There’s no method we might go to Phu Quoc with out seeing the islands. Our full-day island-hopping tour included journeys to Fingernail Island, Gam Ghi Island, and Might Rut Island.
We went snorkelling on the first two, exploring reefs and a teeming marine life. Lunch was then served on board with seafood and scorching soup, earlier than setting off to the subsequent island.
After expending our vitality on the first two islands, Might Rut Island was the coolness respite we wanted — we docked and spent round an hour exploring on our personal.
There’s a beautiful seashore on the opposite facet (accessible through a brief hike!), with seashore chairs for hire should you’d like a short afternoon nap. Simply notice that the shore has some sharp rocks so thread into the waters fastidiously — somebody misplaced their toenail right here, simply saying.
Value: ~S$35.50 (incl. of lunch, snorkelling tools)
Tour timing: 8:30AM – 4:30PM
Assembly level: Lodge decide up out there
9) Take Photographs at Sundown Sanato
Sundown Sanato isn’t simply one other beachfront resort. What makes it particular is its assortment of distinctive artwork buildings, proper by the ocean! It’s kinda like an outside museum, with artwork items designed by architect Nikita Marshunok.
It’s the right spot to seize images!
Entrance charge: 70,000₫ (~S$4.20)
Opening hours: 9AM – 9PM
Tackle: Dương Tơ, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang, Vietnam
10) Tick off Thrilling Rides at Solar World Phu Quoc
Right here’s one other technique to cool off — a visit to Aquatopia Water Park inside Solar World Phu Quoc. There are six themed zones, and our favorite journey was Tropical Tornado, a water slide with plenty of twists and turns!
Attending to Solar World Phu Quoc is an journey in itself — a journey on the world’s longest continuous cable automotive. It’s 7,899m lengthy and is the one technique to get to Solar World! Alongside the way in which, soak in views of the An Thoi Archipelago.
Entrance charge: ~S$30.70 (incl. of spherical journey cable automotive ticket)
Opening hours: 8:30AM – 5:30PM
Tackle: Bãi Đất Đỏ, Phú Quốc, Kien Giang, Vietnam
Learn additionally: 3D2N Phu Quoc Itinerary — A Pristine Seashore Retreat in Southern Vietnam’s Hidden “Pearl Island” (Coming quickly)
Mui Ne
The final place on our Southern Vietnam information is Mui Ne. Google Mui Ne and also you would possibly suppose you’re taking a look at images of Dubai as a substitute. It’s residence to huge sand dunes — the right playground for journey seekers.
Attending to Mui Ne from Ho Chi Minh: 5hr bus journey (from S$11 one-way)
11) Discover Crimson and White Sand Dunes
E book a personal jeep tour to go to Mui Ne’s beautiful sand dunes. First cease, the Crimson Sand Dunes. They’re a vivid reddish-orange shade, and snake alongside the coast. Right here, you may hire a board (30,000₫) to surf the sand dunes!
After that, it’s a roughly 30-minute drive to the White Sand Dunes. They’re the primary attraction — lots larger than the Crimson Sand Dunes and extra spectacular. It prices a bit extra (~S$24.60/group) to go to the White Sand Dunes, nevertheless it’s value it — choose it as an add-on when reserving the tour!
There’s the choice to hire an ATV on the spot for 600,000₫ (~S$36) for 1 hour, which sits as much as two visitors! Sadly, there’s a workers member driving the ATV — however we obtained to steer it ourselves after giving a tip.
Value: From ~S$31.70/jeep (as much as 4 pax), incl. of spherical journey resort switch
Tour timings: 4:30AM, 9AM, 1:30PM
Assembly level: Lodge decide up out there
12) Surf at Little Buddha Seashore
This would possibly come as a shock — in a city that’s primarily identified for sand dunes, browsing can be among the finest issues to do in Mui Ne! At Mui Ne Native Surf Faculty, each newbies and intermediate surfers can join surf classes.
Classes happen at Little Buddha Seashore, the place kitesurfing can be standard. There are personal and group lessons out there, in addition to board rental (with out classes) for skilled surfers.
Value: ~S$35/hr for a gaggle lesson, ~S$28/day for board rental
Opening hours: 6AM – 6PM
Tackle: 246/2B Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, khu phố 3 Phan Thiet, Bình Thuận Province, Vietnam 800000
13) Stroll Alongside Fairy Stream
Strolling alongside the Fairy Stream is one other standard factor to do in Mui Ne. It’s primarily a shallow stream nestled between vivid orange and pink limestone rocks! Most individuals take off their footwear to stroll within the water — we did as effectively.
On the finish of the trail, there’s a small waterfall. In complete, the journey takes about an hour! There are additionally stalls alongside the way in which promoting snacks and souvenirs.
Entrance charge: Free — however there’s a parking charge of 10,000₫
Opening hours: There aren’t any official opening hours, however we’d keep away from going after 5:30PM when it begins to get darkish
Tackle: 40B Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, Phường Hàm Tiến, Thành phố Phan Thiết, Bình Thuận, Vietnam
Pre-trip Necessities and Suggestions for Your Southern Vietnam Journey
Vietnam has many faces — the historian with a library stuffed with tales to inform, the explorer looking for new adventures, the foodie on the hunt for the very best avenue eats.
They’re all very totally different, however every is unquestionably value attending to know.
Earlier than you go, listed below are some pre-trip necessities to notice:
Flights: Direct flights from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh take ~2hrs
Journey insurance coverage: Chubb’s journey insurance coverage begins from ~S$4.80/day — not necessary to enter Vietnam however at all times good to have!
Connectivity: 10-day SIM card with limitless knowledge (~S$11.20). Choose up from Tan Son Nhat Worldwide Airport in Ho Chi Minh
Getting round: Seize was our go-to mode of transport in Ho Chi Minh, Phu Quoc and Da Lat. Mui Ne doesn’t have Seize however there are native taxis — obtain the native taxi app Mai Linh or flag a cab
Take a look at our different Vietnam guides and itineraries:
– 5-Day Central Vietnam Itinerary — Off The Overwhelmed Path In Ba Na Hills, Da Nang, Hue, and Hoi An
– 2-Week Vietnam Information — Coronary heart-Pumping Experiences by Northern and Central Vietnam from Hanoi to Da Nang
Know of any hidden gems we should always add to our Southern Vietnam information? Share with us within the feedback!
