Real, on-the-ground travel recommendations — where to stay, what to eat, what’s worth your time, and what to skip. No brochures. No fluff. Just lived experience.
That Was The Week That Was -
Ho Chi Minh City
Arriving from island calm into full-throttle Saigon chaos, this city made its intentions clear immediately. Relentless energy, constant movement, and a pace that demands engagement.
The week balanced street-level exploration with solid hotel bases, standout food, cultural pauses, serious wellness sessions and meaningful business momentum.
Ho Chi Minh City doesn’t ease you in — but if you lean in, it rewards you fast.
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide
Food, Stays, Experiences & Honest Recommendations
Recommended Bases
Cochin Zen Hotel
A strong first landing point. Calm, practical and well-located for re-orienting after arrival and starting to explore the city without friction.
👉 Check rates & availability here.
Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
Hotel Bases that Actually Work
Saigon Prince Hotel – Executive Floor
Verdict: Outstanding value, unbeatable location, and proper facilities where it counts. This one wins the day.
What really stands out
• 💪 Gym: Absolutely fantastic. Proper equipment, well maintained, and a huge reason to stay. After a shocking gym at my previous District 1 hotel, this alone justified the move.
• 🥂 Executive Lounge (9th Floor): A real highlight. Eat and drink pretty much all day as part of the room rate. Quiet, refined, and incredibly civilised — I’ve had breakfast there solo the last two mornings. Bliss.
• 🛏️ Room: Massive room with a huge double bed, excellent business desk, great TV, loads of wardrobe and drawer space, and a large ensuite bathroom. Room 908 — step out, turn right, and you’re in the executive lounge.
• 🌴 Pool: Calm, quiet, and elevated, overlooking the iconic The Apartments precinct — cafés, restaurants, and nightlife below, with beautiful night views.
• 🤝 Staff: Truly excellent. Restaurant bookings, spa appointments, even IV drips — they handle everything effortlessly. No need to lift a finger (or even use AI).
Location, location, location
• Walk straight into the heart of District 1
• Minutes from Little Japan
• Easy stroll to the Opera House
• Surrounded by laneways, cafés, Japanese restaurants, and major shopping centres
• The Ho Chi Minh City statue just up the road — this is peak central Saigon buzz
Value
• 💰 AUD $219 per night (Executive Floor)
• Roughly USD $120–140 / £100
• In Sydney or Melbourne, this level of room, lounge access, gym, pool, service, and location would easily be AUD $800–900 per night
Comparison:
I stayed nearby previously (Cochin Zen Hotel) — lovely vibe, great area, fantastic doorman… but:
• Gym: terrible
• Breakfast: ordinary
• More expensive
• Lacked the facilities I expect globally
Final word
For gym lovers, business travellers, executive lounge devotees, and anyone who wants maximum comfort in the absolute heart of Saigon — Saigon Prince Hotel delivers incredible bang for buck.
⭐ Rating: 9/10
This is how you do Ho Chi Minh City properly.
👉 Check rates & availability here.
Area Tip: District 1 matters. Staying central saves time, energy and frustration.
Ho Chi Minh City’s food scene doesn’t live behind menus or marketing. It lives on the street — plastic stools, bare bulbs, and dishes refined quietly over decades. This is a city that understands balance, restraint and flavour better than most.
Where to Eat in Ho Chi Minh City
Food worth your time — from street staples to sit-down resets
🦀 Ho Seng Hoan Gia — District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
If seafood is your religion, then Ho Seng Hoan Gia is holy ground.
Second night in Ho Chi Minh City and I went straight to the deep end: a 2.5-kilo live king crab. Let me be clear — this is a two-person dish, minimum. I don’t know how I did it. I only know why I did it: because it was quite simply one of the best seafood experiences I’ve ever had.
The crab arrived perfectly steamed, and honestly, it didn’t need anything else. Sweet, delicate, ocean-fresh — you could eat it naked and still call it world-class. But then they took it further.
Two Styles. Both Ridiculous:
• Singapore chilli-style sauce — that glossy red perfection of sweet heat, rich without being heavy, clinging beautifully to the meat.
• Garlic crumbed — sinful, aromatic, crunchy in all the right ways. Proper die-for-it stuff.
And here’s what really elevates the experience.
Service That Gets It.
Crab is one of the greatest foods in the sea — and one of the biggest pains in the arse to eat. Ho Seng Hoan Gia understands this.
The staff came to the table and expertly dismantled the entire crab, right in front of me. Every leg, every joint, every hidden pocket of meat freed with precision and care. I happily gave a generous tip — because that service alone turns indulgence into pure pleasure.
Atmosphere & Memory
This place instantly took me back to unforgettable seafood nights in Da Nang with the Gregorios, Shaino, and friends — same generosity, same obsession with freshness, same confidence in what they serve. It’s that classic Vietnamese seafood temple energy: live tanks, buzzing tables, no shortcuts.
Final Word
I ate too much. Far too much.
And I regret nothing.
This was heaven pulled straight from the sea and laid on a plate.
Highly rated. Deeply memorable.
If you love seafood and you’re in Ho Chi Minh City — don’t walk past this place.
Giddy fucking up. 🦀🔥 Incredible 10 out of 10!
Ho Chi Minh's Street Food
Street Food You Can’t Skip
These are the anchors. Eat them often.
Phở
Phở (PHO) — The Addiction
Somewhere early in the trip, I completely fell back in love with phở.
It’s deceptively simple and incredibly hard to get right:
• Clear, deeply layered broth
• Rice noodles cooked just so
• Beef or chicken that doesn’t hide
• Herbs that lift everything
Morning, afternoon, late night — phở always works. Comforting, energising, grounding. This is the dish I’ll forever associate with Vietnam.
Bánh Mì
Paying under AUD $3 for a bánh mì that delivers this much flavour is almost insulting to the rest of the world.
Crunch, freshness, balance, acidity, heat — Vietnamese street food understands restraint and harmony better than almost anywhere else.
Sol Kitchen & Bar
Vietnamese-Mexican fusion done properly. Prime cuts, confident flavours and execution that feels ready for global expansion.
Last night was next-level at Sol Kitchen & Bar — a Vietnamese twist on Mexican flavours by Michelin-starred chef Adrian Chong, and honestly… this place is a hero restaurant.
I was lucky enough to be Chef Adrian’s guest and we let the kitchen decide. Prime rib that melted in the mouth. Ribeye with sauces that deserve their own applause. Sizzling fajitas. And empanadas so good they’re the best I’ve ever had — full stop. Mexican soul, South American influence, Vietnamese finesse. Your tastebuds will absolutely explode 🌶️🔥
Michelin-starred for the third year running, and you feel it instantly — the energy, the confidence, the room. By the end of the night people were coming up saying “You should open this in Tokyo… Melbourne… Sydney… everywhere.” And they’re right. This is a future global brand in the making.
Casual, sharing-style dining. Not pretentious. Not expensive. Just exceptional. Massive shout-out to Rosie and the team — flawless service. And to be clear: this isn’t a mate’s review. If it’s average, I say it.
This was 10/10.
If you’re in Ho Chi Minh City, District 1, do not miss this.
Huge recommendation from Mr Paparazzi’s World 🌍
🔗 Sol Kitchen & Bar: https://solkitchenbar.com
C’s Steakhouse –
Ho Chi Minh City, District 1
There are steakhouses… and then there is C’s Steakhouse.
Perched high above the beautiful chaos of Saigon, this place stops you in your tracks before you’ve even sat down. The brutalist rooftop architecture is simply breathtaking — raw concrete meeting expansive glass, city lights flickering beneath you, the kind of design that would be impossible to execute in many parts of the world. It’s bold, unapologetic, and seriously cool.
From the moment the elevator doors open, you feel it. The vibe. The confidence. The staff in their tees with “How can I help you?” across the back — relaxed, sharp, effortless. Cool without trying. That tone runs through the entire experience.
The evening was elevated even further by Adrian Chong, the creative force and owner, who personally took us through the venue and philosophy behind C’s. His approach is simple and powerful: hire on personality. And it shows. Every single staff member is warm, switched on, and genuinely engaged — service with soul.
Now let’s talk food — because this is where C’s absolutely dominates.
The bone-in steak, sliced tableside, was outrageously good. Rich, perfectly aged, deeply flavoured — a cut that could comfortably feed three people. Add to that Australian rib-eyes on the bone, aged Wagyu, and select Japanese beef including Kobe, and you’re looking at a meat program that rivals anywhere in the world.
But it’s not just about steak.
The mac & cheese — pure indulgence.
The Caesar salad — classic, executed perfectly.
The lobster spaghetti — a total hero dish.
And the sauces… this is Adrian’s signature. Every dish paired with a different house-made sauce, each one designed to elevate rather than overpower. It’s thoughtful, confident cooking.
Downstairs, you can even choose your own live seafood, brought upstairs and cooked exactly how you want it. The open-kitchen concept ties it all together — theatre, transparency, and energy.
And here’s the kicker: value.
At around AUD $60 / USD $40 per head, C’s Steakhouse is easily 30% cheaper than comparable steakhouses across Ho Chi Minh City — and frankly, most global cities. For this quality, this atmosphere, this level of execution? You simply won’t find better value anywhere in the world.
Michelin-recommended (not starred, but make no mistake — it deserves to be talked about in the same breath), C’s Steakhouse is a leading light in Saigon’s dining scene.
Sitting high above the streets, watching the madness of Ho Chi Minh City unfold below, steak knife in hand — this is dining theatre at its absolute best.
Final verdict:
Cool architecture. Exceptional food. World-class value.
This isn’t just one of the best steakhouses in Saigon — it’s one of the best dining experiences in Vietnam.
Bunz
This is a clean, scalable burger concept done properly — no gimmicks, no circus, just a tight menu executed well. Everything about it feels considered: efficient service, consistent quality, and pricing that makes sense for locals and travellers alike.
You can tell it’s well run, from the ordering flow to the speed food hits the table, and that polish explains why it’s rolling out across Ho Chi Minh City so quickly.
For visitors, it’s an easy win when you want something familiar without sacrificing quality — especially between sightseeing, late nights, or long travel days.
Reliable, unfussy, and satisfying, it’s the kind of place you don’t overthink but end up recommending anyway. Sometimes the smartest food experiences are the ones that simply get the basics right.
The Takeaway
Ho Chi Minh City rewards eating simply and often. Street food forms the backbone, while a handful of strong restaurants provide balance when you need space, comfort and consistency.
Ben Thanh Market (Daytime Only)
Ben Thanh during the day is where real Saigon shows up. Coffee aromas hit before you see the stalls, spices are stacked like artwork, and daily life unfolds in every aisle. It’s busy, chaotic and genuinely alive — exactly what a market should be.
The night version and so-called “Russian Market” hype?
Cheap knock-offs, zero soul, complete waste of time. Skip it entirely.
Ho Chi Minh City isn’t about ticking attractions off a list. It’s about energy, movement and atmosphere — and choosing the right environments to experience it properly.
Experiences in Ho Chi Minh City
Experiences and Precincts Worth Your Time
Little Japan
is one of Southeast Asia’s most intoxicating nightlife precincts, and after dark it absolutely comes alive. Neon signs flicker on, narrow laneways fill with energy, and tiny vertical bars, hidden breweries, and late-night Japanese eateries stack upward in controlled chaos. The atmosphere is playful and theatrical rather than rowdy — seductive without ever feeling unsafe — and it’s a masterclass in how a nightlife district can thrive when it’s well run and well understood.
If you’re looking for nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City that’s vibrant but not overwhelming, this is the place.
The night kicked off with a no-nonsense dinner at Fijiro, tucked right into Little Japan. A proper pork schnitzel with curry sauce, rice, and miso soup — the full set — for just 100,000 VND. Ridiculous value, and genuinely good. From there, we wandered the glowing streets as showgirls in flowing white dresses added a sense of pure theatre to the laneways. A few beers, a few sodas, plenty of laughs — I sensibly called it around midnight, while my mate pressed on into the neon. Whether you’re here for food, atmosphere, or a memorable night out, Little Japan delivers an experience that’s hard to forget.
Saigon Opera House
A necessary pause in the chaos. The Opera House offers a refined contrast to the city’s street-level intensity — strong performances, a beautiful building and a reminder that culture still holds space here.
Easy to overlook. Worth prioritising.
Bánh Mì Breakfast Before Golf
Him Lam Golf Course
Him Lam Golf Course was a brutal but brilliant way to experience Ho Chi Minh City before most of it had even woken up. A 4:00am start, a silent city, and first light breaking over a course that feels less like a golf club and more like a palace — immaculately run, polished to within an inch of its life, and genuinely world-class. I barely play, swing far too big when I do, and paid for it with a dodgy groin, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
Playing at dawn here is surreal and strangely calm; the contrast hits hard on the way back, when the city snaps back to life and the return trip turns into a grinding, chaotic crawl. Exhausting? Absolutely. Worth it? Without question. If you’re looking for a premium golf experience in Ho Chi Minh — even as a casual or once-off player — Him Lam delivers something unforgettable.
The Experience Takeaway
Saigon rewards curiosity and selectivity. Choose places where locals still show up, where energy feels organic, and where the city hasn’t been flattened into a product.
What to Skip (And Why)
Not everything deserves your time.
-
Hype-driven night markets
-
So-called “Russian Market” experiences
-
Mass-produced souvenir zones
They add noise, not insight — and deliver none of the character that makes Ho Chi Minh City compelling.
Ho Chi Minh City quietly outperforms most of Southeast Asia on wellness. Massages are intuitive, unhurried and exceptional value.
Standout:
Saigon Dragon Spa — multi-hour treatments that genuinely reset the body.
This city moves fast. Recovery isn’t optional.
Wellness & Recovery in Ho Chi Min City
Finding calm in a City that Never Stops
How Long Is Enough?
-
3–4 days — perfect for most travellers
-
5–7 days — max without a clear purpose
-
Longer stays — only if working, building or healing
Ho Chi Minh City rewards intensity, not lingering.
How Long Should You Stay in Ho Chi Min City
How long before this city clicks for you?
Ho Chi Minh - City Cuts
DO
-
Eat street food daily
-
Stay central
-
Explore Little Japan at night
-
Book proper spas
DON’T
-
Waste time at night markets
-
Overstay without purpose
-
Ignore pollution and pace
THE TRUTH
This city is about energy, not polish — and that’s exactly the point.
Tips & Truths for Ho Chi Min City
Useful advice, minus the fluff
Ho Chi Minh City doesn’t try to be liked.
It simply exists — and if you meet it on its terms, it gives you more than expected.
Mr Paparazzi
CONNECT
EXPLORE
The official digital headquarters of Darryn Lyons' global expedition - Mr. Paparazzi's World. Merging celebrity access with unfiltered reality.
Website and Digital media powered by SportsWeb Australia.
© All rights Reserved Mr. Paparazzi's World & Darryn Lyons - 2026.