Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is Vietnam’s biggest and busiest city. If you are thinking about traveling to HCMC, try to stay here for a few nights so you can enjoy it to the fullest. Most people’s first impression of the bustling city is of the thousands of motorbikes on the streets. But there is more to it. HCMC is a fascinating city to visit, full of restaurants, cafés, museums, shopping malls and of course – Bui Vien.
Bui Vien is also called the “Backpacker District” because of the many backpackers who either resides there or comes to enjoy the many things you can do in this area. You might have heard people compare it to “Khao San Road” in Bangkok. There is no doubt there are some similarities, but Bui Vien stands on its own.
The street of Bui Vien became famous after “Lonely Planet” in 1993 introduced it to travelers who were making their way to Vietnam. After a few years, Bui Vien boomed with tourism and new developments were being built, bars and clubs were opened and the streets were filled with noise and loud music at night. Take a look at this list to find out what Bui Vien has to offer:
Street Food
Vietnam is a great place to indulge on street food. Not only is it extremely affordable, it is also delicious and will fill you up! You can never get bored of the street food here. Walk around in Bui Vien and try some local delicacies such as “coconut sticky rice” and “banh mi”, the Vietnamese baguette. There is also plenty of BBQ stands here, if you want something savory.
Cafés
Ho Chi Minh City is the city to go to if you want to café hop. There are all kinds of cafés spread out in this big city and you will find some good ones in Bui Vien as well. Although there are some big chains there such as Starbucks, try to go to the local shops. The Vietnamese drip coffee is a specialty you need to try and what better place than at a Vietnamese coffee shop. If you want to try the famous egg coffee, go to Goc Ha Noi.
Get lost in the alleyways
Bui Vien Street-in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
During daytime, Bui Vien is a bit more quiet, while everyone’s preparing for the night. This is an excellent opportunity for you to go explore Bui Vien without the crowd and noise. Wander around in the little alleyways and try some local Vietnamese dessert that the ladies are selling on the street.
Bars and Pubs
As night falls, Bui Vien becomes a very different place. If you like to party and drink, this is the place for you to be. There are a ton of bars and pubs you can go to. If the first bar does not fit your taste, you can just hop over to the next. You can find all kinds of bars here, from rock bars to smaller pubs. Here are three favorites:
- Sky Bar Corner – One of the fancier bars in Bui Vien
- The Hideaway Bar – Usually has live bands playing. Keep an eye on their Facebook Page to see when they have live bands playing
- Ong Cao, Craft Beer – If you fancy some craft beer then visit Ong Cao
There are clubs in this area as well, but go to Bui Vien for the bars. You can pay as little as 0.3 cents for a beer, depending on which bar you go to. A pretty good deal, in other words.
On a further note, please apply for your Vietnam visa in good time before you travel to Vietnam. Depending on where you are from, you can apply for a Vietnam visa in three different ways: either you get a Visa on Arrival, an E-Visa or go to your nearest Vietnam Embassy or Consulate and apply for a visa there. The first option is by far the most popular choice, thanks to how quick and easy it is. All you need is a computer and internet. You will usually get your visa approval letter within a few days. The E-Visa is another way of acquiring a visa online, however, only certain countries are eligible to apply for this sort of visa. The E-Visa is a 30 days, single-entry, type of visa so if you are planning on staying longer or want a multi-entry, the Visa on Arrival is a better choice.
