My first time traveling to Vietnam was July 8, 2013.
I was coming to meet Huy’s family for the first time, and also to attend my wedding!
During this trip I stayed in Ho Chi Minh City, otherwise known as Saigon, for 40 days. My experience coming to Saigon was different than the typical tourist since I was able to live with my Vietnamese family and go around experiencing things like a local rather than a tourist.
I’ve been to 6 or 7 other cities in Vietnam so far, but for some reason, Saigon has stayed in my heart. I’m sure it probably as something to do with the fact that it’s where I got married or that it’s where my husband grew up, but there’s just something else about the city that has captivated me since the first day. Let me tell you a little bit about why I love Saigon so much.
My first ever impression of Saigon was from the sky above. My plane was touching down at SGN in the afternoon and I could see the city below. When looking down at everything, the pastel colored buildings creates a vibrant sea of color that welcomes you to the city. Honestly I couldn’t have asked for a better welcome. I only really saw this once or twice. Every other time my flights have been at night, but I will never forget that view.
Huy and I have a special tradition when coming back to Vietnam. Two, actually. Our tradition is that the first meal we eat when we come back to Vietnam is phở from Phở Phu Vương in District 1. It doesn’t matter what time it is, even when we get in at midnight, mom has already bought the phở and it’s at home waiting for us. This is the our family’s favorite phở restaurant and will pho-ever be a symbol of coming back to Vietnam to see our family. In case you’re wondering, the second tradition is to eat fried spring rolls for lunch the following day with the family. Mom makes the best spring rolls which are served with rice vermicelli (bún) pickled veggies, mixed fish sauce, herbs and lettuce. I always eat too much because I’m so excited to eat her cooking again.
One of my favorite activities is simply hopping on the back of a motorbike and experiencing the city. The first time I got on the bike I was so scared, I held on for dear life. Huy’s sister was driving and we went to the shop to get my wedding dress fitted. I’m pretty sure she laughed at me because I was squeezing her waist as if I expected that I’d fly off the back! After that I realized I didn’t actually have to hang on. Now when we go back I’m always excited when Huy and I take the bike out together. I don’t know why but it just feels so romantic to me to be with him in the hustle and bustle of the city center. I like to just wrap my arms around him, rest my head on his back and close my eyes. The bikes are honking and there’s basically chaos everywhere but it’s exactly where I want to be in that moment, both a dream and my reality.
Getting up early is also something that I love about being in Saigon, or Vietnam in general. Getting up before 7am means you get to go outside and enjoy the perfect weather before the sun blazes overhead for the rest of the day. Not to mention you get to see the sunrise which is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen anywhere. Just that alone is enough to get someone out of bed at the “crack of dawn”.
I’m from a small town in Maine, so we never really had many restaurants or fun food options around unless you wanted to drive 2 hours to get to the nearest mall. My family did own a restaurant but the food was basically my “home” food so it wasn’t like going out to try something new. The best thing about Saigon is you never run out of amazing food on every street corner at any time of the day. I’ve been able to try so many great dishes and snacks, from fresh coconuts to mangosteen to red bean and sesame buns to pork congee. Delicious food all day every day.
So while I’m not a tour guide or expert on the city, I hope this glimpse into what I love the most about Saigon helps to illustrate the simple beauty of one of my favorite places on earth. Saigon, you’re giving NYC a run for its money.
What’s your favorite city in Vietnam?
I love of course Saigon where I grew up and lived until I left Vietnam at age 37. But I love Vung tau too which used to be my family’s fav seaside resort.
Hi Trung. I did visit Vung Tau once back in 2013 but it was only for a day trip and hard to remember. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to visit again in the future!