I saw this about a lot of places, but man I definitely need to come back here. This is the perfect backpacking country, where everyone will travel either south (Ho Chi Minh City) to north (Hanoi) or vice versa, so a similar route tends to form. Transit here is amazing and you can either take sleeper bus or train to any city for less than $10. Food is good, nightlife is great, and there are so many experiences and places that are so unique to Vietnam. This country left me with the biggest feeling of admiration, and I shall make it a personal goal to be back!

ITINERARY

  • HCMC

    • August 2016 - HCMC – 2 nights @ 1 night in a hostel

      • It was so bad and creepy that the next night we rented an Airbnb

  • Mui Ne

    • August 2016 - Mui Ne – 2 nights @ Mui Ne Backpacker Village

      • Another favorite hostel of mine! Cheap, lots of fun people, and a great pool. Note, not the CLEANEST, but for the price + sharing a room with 7 other people... what can you expect?

Ho chi minh HIGHLIGHTS

  • Shopping at Ben Thanh Market! Great knockoffs and if you ever wanted elephant pants this is the place to go. 

  • Getting your nails done. Gel manicure, pedicure, and an amazing foot scrub all for $12.

  • Staying at the coolest Airbnb (cleanest and best valued Airbn) all for less than $12/night. Was a studio located in Ben Thanh Market, where to enter upstairs you had to enter into a shoe shop and open a mirror to go upstairs. 

  • Bar hopping with Richard Le, Jess and friends! Including rooftop Chill Sky Bar.

 

mui ne highights

  • Staying at Mui Ne Backpacker Village. Clean hostel, with amazing pool. One of the funnest hostels I've stayed at, that didn't lose it's quality of cleanliness even though they had a lot of programming and drinking events. 

  • Eating amazing seafood. Mui Ne had some of the best and cheapest seafood I ever had. I had a plate of scallops for $1.50. Also fresh fruit carts wherever you go.

  • Waking up and taking a jeep to see the most beautiful sunset over Mui Ne’s white sand dunes.

 

lowlights

  • Staying in the worst hostel ever. Our first night in HCMC we stayed in this horrible hostel. (Ping me if you need the name). Very dirty, and had such a creepy vibe to it.

    • If you’re an all girls group, I don’t recommend staying in rooms that are mixed gender. Shell out the extra $2-3 a night and stay in an all girl’s dorm for peace of mind. I wouldn’t say this about EVERY place you go to, but for HCMC, definite yes.

  • The weather. Bleh. When it gets so hot you’re sweaty, and then the rain comes to add more to your sweat.