What a joy Vietnam is! Everything you could want to sample in a destination is here. People, food, history, buzzing cities, awe-inspiring landscapes, endless colour – Vietnam is also energetic, chaotic and overwhelming. A true assault on the senses for a first-time visitor. Roll with it, do your research, work out what you want to sample and when you leave, you’ll find yourself thinking about when you can return.
Markets
The entrepreneurial spirit of Vietnam is in full view in the markets. In central Ho Chi Min City the Ben Thanh market is a filled to the brim with fabric, clothes, homewares and so much more. This market is primarily for tourists, while they may think prices are ‘cheap’, locals find it expensive. Remember the first price you are quoted is much more than you should expect to pay – bargaining is good-natured sport here!
Other markets throughout Vietnam make the widest variety of fresh produce available. The tropical climate provides prefect growing conditions for an enormous range of fruit, vegetables and herbs, and fresh meat is freely available. Sample the food widely and enjoy the flavour explosion in your mouth. Cooking classes offer an insight into delicious local fare.
Farming that supplies found in the markets is another indicator of Vietnam’s transformation. When we visited in 2006, it was much more common to see small plots being farmed by hand and buffalo. On our recent visits, larger scale enterprises, tractors and more formal plots were in evidence.
Outside the cities, you will still find peaceful by-ways, simple living and another face of Vietnam.
Vietnam is one of four remaining communist countries (along with neighbouring Laos and China, and Cuba in the Caribbean). It feels somewhat at odds, but Vietnam may be one of the most entrepreneurial places you will ever travel to. Everyone is intensely busy, focused on how they can make money, provide a future for their family and spur their country on to economic prosperity. A fascinating transformation is taking place at a great rate.
We first visited Vietnam in 2006, a lifetime ago for this quickly developing nation. In 2006 bicycles and motor-scooters were the primary means of transport. Everything from three generations of one family and livestock to building materials moved via handcarts, bicycle or scooter.
Visiting in 2023, and again in 2025, transport appeared to have moved ‘up’ the grid; bicycles had become motor-scooters and motor-scooters had transformed into cars and trucks. Rough roads had become highways, and ‘international’ trucks (cobbled together with parts left over from the war) had been replaced by the latest model light trucks and buses. We were disappointed to find the wonderfully chaotic, churning, colossal round-about in central Ho Chi Minh City had been replaced by a much more efficient (and less intimidating!) managed intersection with traffic lights. A very visible symbol of the economic strides Vietnam is making.
HCMC as it’s often referred to, is a thriving, vibrant city with lots to sample. The Saigon River winds its way through this city of more than 9 million people. The city pulses with life and is endlessly in motion. Throughout central HCMC you’ll find architectural references to the French Colonial past, including the Post Office. No visit to Vietnam is possible without acknowledging the war – known locally as the American War. The War Remnants Museum offers a sometimes-graphic reminder of the devastating impact it had on people and their land. You may also remember the war-time image of a helicopter lifting off the roof of the Independence Palace. That image is a stark contrast to the oasis of green surrounding the building today. As Vietnam looks to the future and the past fades from recent memory, its energy propels it forward as an increasingly modern, contemporary city.
A short day-trip from Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu Chi Tunnels are worth a visit. A relic of the Vietnam War (often known as the American War in Vietnam) more than 250kms of tunnels existed reaching almost to HCMC and the Laos border. The ingenuity of the Vietnamese, the claustrophobic conditions they worked and hid in cannot help but inspire respect for their commitment to their cause whatever your politics. The adjacent firing range added the sound of gun fire and war time atmosphere when we first visited the tunnels.
Beyond Ho Chi Minh City much more awaits, including the northern city of Hanoi.
What have you sampled in Vietnam? We’d love to hear what inspired you. Send a photo and short paragraph to ideas@travelsampler.world to share your experience.
