Has to be Ho Chi Minh for sure!
Think bright lights and big city- a bit like the Vietnamese New York, for want of a comparison!
Now, your first question might be, when you first step outside- how on Earth will I cross the road?
My answer- tag yourself to other pedestrians. Much quicker and safer when you're in a small group!
Your next question- how do you find your way round such a big city if you have dyspraxia, without getting yourself into a panic attack?
My tip- city tours!
On my first day in Ho Chi Minh, I booked an all-day city tour and it was great, because I was able to see pretty much all the sights in a entire day, without the hassle of worrying about getting lost, or how I was going to get about. I basically saw the whole city- the War Museum (do something happy after this, like treat yourself to a nice coffee!) China Town, Ben Thanh Market, the Reunification Palace....the City Hall, the Post Office, the Opera House... you name it, I've seen it!
HCM City Hall
Now, for food lovers- (okay, I know this might be Western, but I can't access this food in Ha Tinh, hence why I'm raving about this place!) a must go-to restaurant is 4P's - probably the best Italian food I've had in the whole of Vietnam (so far!)
Meatball Soup @ 4P's
For a night time view of the city, I went up to the top of the Bitexco tower, as suggested to me by my fellow teacher friend and traveller Laura. There is also the Chill Bar, which I will check out next time!
Night time View from the Bitexco Tower
As I reach the end of this post, I do want to mention the Estella Place shopping mall in District 2- I hopped on the back of a scooter to find a Liverpool FC shop for my brother, only to discover that it had just been a temporary thing- I did however have a nice chilled afternoon in a huge fancy shopping place!
I think that's about all I can think of so far for Ho Chi Minh- it's a great city and a must see if you prefer modern towns!
One last tip- if you're travelling alone in as big a place as HCM- hostels are a great way of meeting new people. If you're a young woman travelling solo, I would suggest against sleeping in mixed dorms- I know we all snore, but having snoring men every night isn't the best- also having men in the same room doesn't make getting dressed and undressed very easy either!
I would recommend the Hideout Hostel if you're a party animal, and City Backpackers if you need something a bit quieter!
Tam biet for now- until next time! x
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