People’s Committee Building, photo by Armi Deticio

Done with the Ho Chi Minh City tour? Visited the Cu Chi Tunnels already? Posed in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral? Cried in the War Remnants Museum? Rode the cyclo? Already immersed yourself in the street culture of Saigon?

Time to step out of Saigon and drive a bit further out the city to explore new sights!

Saigon with all its charm and chaos is a perfect gateway to neighboring tourist sites. Some takes you two hours or may be half a day but compared to other places in Asia, traveling won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Mekong Delta River Tour

Explore the towns of Cai Be, Vinh Long, Ben Tre and, Can Tho. Take a morning river ride and see the floating market come to life. We tried the Cai Be and Vinh Long route before and it was a wonderful opportunity to see the countryside and indulge in some local delicacies. You will never go hungry if you take this tour, I tell you. And while you’re at it, try the snake wine too!

Ho Tram

Another of my favorite destinations outside Saigon is Ho Tram which is just 2.5 hours by bus. And if you’ve been staying in Saigon for a while, you’d know that vehicles here travel from 40-60 kph only so 2.5 hours travel is quite short.  The more popular resort in this area is The Grand Ho Tram Strip.  It’s the nearest beach you can go to from Saigon.

Phan Thiet

If you can have half a day devoted to travel, Phan Thiet is a terrific option for beach bums. There’s a long strip along Nguyen Dinh Chieu in the town of Mui Ne, where you can laze your day away by the beach or visit the awe-inspiring Yellow Sand Dunes or the White Sand Dunes. And while you’re there, make sure to try the seafood! We always drop by Hoa Vien or Cay Bang.

Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc is an island destination in Ken Giang Province found at the South West of Saigon. It’s roughly a 30-minute plane ride. Yup! You aren’t done with your snack yet and you’re already landing. We’ve tried Air Mekong on our holiday there and we had a smooth trip. What I loved most about Phu Quoc is the pristine white Sao Beach and of course the food! Phu Quoc is also home to a national park including land and sea areas.

Cambodia

Yup, from Ho Chi Minh City, it’s just a 4-hour ride to Phnom Penh. If you’re holding an ASEAN passport, you don’t have to worry about getting a Visa once you get to the border. Explore the city’s capital and visit interesting spots like the National Museum, Royal Throne Hall, Silver Pagoda, Wat Phnom, and Victory Monument. Take a plunge in Cambodia’s history by visiting the Killing Fields and Toul Sleng Museum. But of course remember to cap off your stay with a visit to the Russian Market. If you want to take a longer visit to Cambodia, Siem Reap is worth the trip!

Those are 5 fantastic ways to take full advantage of your stay in Ho Chi Minh City!