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Overview of four days in Can Tho from Ho Chi Minh City

• How to get to Can Tho from Ho Chi Minh City
• Where to stay in Can Tho
• What to do in Can Tho
• Where to eat & drink in Can Tho
• Map of my four days in Can Tho

How to get to Can Tho from Ho Chi Minh City

There are several options on how to get to Can Tho from Ho Chi Minh City, but all of them are via road. When you look at 12Go* you have all of your options in one list, easy to compare. While the platform has reviews, I compared them to the google reviews of the companies and then picked one.

MEKO Limousine

I booked both trips with MEKO Limousine*. They were not the cheapest, but they offer more room than the big busses, clean cars, drivers that aren’t on the phone while at the wheel (like some others) and they drop you off at your accommodation in Can Tho!

Where to stay in Can Tho

I had booked my first nights at De Rivé Homestay 2, then I was supposed to continue on to Chau Doc. Since that fell through I booked some nights on short notice at the newly opened Lion 17 Hotel.

De Rivé Homestay 2

De Rivé has two houses in Can Tho, all in the same street. It was a bit confusing trying to find the correct one I had booked and a bit annoying since it was raining a lot and I had to zigzag between the houses with my luggage. My room at De Rivé Homestay 2 (on Agoda* / on Booking*) was affordable, clean, quite big and the bed was comfortable. If you need darkness at night: the door did not block the light from the hallway, which stayed on all night, since it has windows that were just painted over. The bathroom is also the wet kind.

Lion 17 Hotel or Lion 6 Hotel

When I had looked at accommodations from Germany, I had marked Lion 6 Hotel (on Agoda* / on Booking*) as my “Plan B”. Since they had no rooms left I ended up booking at the Lion 17 Hotel (on Agoda* / on Booking*) instead, which had just recently opened. The room was spotless, though less spacious and quite dark, since the only window looked out at a 20cm space, before a wall. The bed was very high quality and the bathroom was modern and had a clear wet/dry separation.

What to do in Can Tho

Tours that aren’t the Cai Rang Floating Market

Can Tho Museum

The Can Tho Museum is one of several in the city. This one covers the history of the province and the city Can Tho, the ethnic minorities who live here and every day life to this day. On one of the floors a traditional house was fully rebuild, complete with family altar, intricately carved wooden furniture and life sized mannequins engaged in making folk music on traditional instruments. A wall of pictures from the French Colonial times shows how Can Tho looked back in the day.

Historic Prison Can Tho

Can Tho Prison was built by the French colonial forces from 1876 and 1886 as “Prison Provinciale”. 1954 it was renamed to “Reeducation Center” and remained open until the end of the US-Vietnam war. In 1996 it was officially recognized as a National Historic Site by the Vietnamese Government. Today it serves as a museum to remind everyone of what cruelty humans are capable of. Walkways lined with barbed wire fences still remain and a fraction of the reality of prison life is depicted with statues of people inside the reclaimed real cellblocks.

One of the buildings was repurposed into a small exhibition on artifacts that belonged to former prisoners, with informations about their stories, how they came to Can Tho Prison and how their life continued afterwards if they survived the brutal prison conditions.

Muniransay Khmer Buddhist Temple & Chùa Phật Học

These two religious sights are almost across the street from each other. Muniransay Khmer Buddhist Temple is the one depicted here and in the posts main picture. Build in 1948, extended in 1988 and renovated during the following decades into the colourful and strikingly golden temple complex you see today. The temple itself is based on Khmer architecture, with a strong resemblance to Angkor Wat. It makes you think how that temple looked like during its (literal) golden age.

Chùa Phật Học on the other hand is a multi level building directly at a road crossing. It was built in 1951 and renovated in 2014 into the building you see today. Despite its location and being a well known religious and tourist destination it is calm and quiet inside. Though considerably fuller than the Khmer version across the street.

Can Tho Love Bridge

The Ninh Kieu pedestrian bridge got the nickname Can Tho love bridge, since it is often chosen as a date-spot and for some time couples put locks on the railings of the bridge.

The bridge itself is built with an s-shaped curve in the middle and two flowers on either end of said curve. During dusk, night and dawn the flowers are illuminated with colourful lights.

More tours in and around Can Tho

Where to eat & drink in Can Tho

Coco Mangrove Brunch – Tapas & Bar

The first time I went to Coco Mangrove it was in the evening of my second day, to visit the bar. They were close to the homestay and looked very clean and inviting from the outside. The “Tapas” almost made me reconsider, but in the end I am glad I went. During my first visit I tried their Basil Smash (gin, lime juice, sugar syrup, basil leaves) and a Passion Daiquiri (passionfruit juice, rum, lime juice, sugar syrup). During my second visit to the bar I had a Penicillin (scotch, lime juice, honey, ginger), since it is my go-to cocktail. And during my last visit I had a Negroni (Gin, Campari, Sweet Vermouth) and last but not least a simple Gin & Tonic with Vietnamese Sông Cái Dry Gin.

That is more alcohol than I usually consume in several months, packed into a single week. But as they say “you only live once” and the cocktails were all really well made. The barkeeper is also the owner of Coco Mangrove and his experience behind a bar really shows. Not just through the cocktails, but also in his demeanor as a barkeeper. You can easily spend hours here.

You can also spend hours here if you don’t drink. In the mornings Coco Mangrove is a Café and Brunch spot. I had breakfast here: crepes with caramelised banana, with the best latte in the city. Then a few days later I spend quite a while here on the day were my plans fell apart, with my luggage, cancelling some things, rebooking some others until it was time to check in at the hotel. During that time I tried their homemade cheese scone with butter and strawberry compote for breakfast and later a scrambled egg and bacon sandwich for lunch.

Ngon Vegan

Ngon Vegan is a plant based restaurant in Can Tho City. While I went there to get my favourite vegan meal in Vietnam, garlic friend morning glory with rice, I also ordered the tempura enoki mushrooms, which were incredibly crunchy and still tasted like enoki mushrooms, not just like frying batter and oil.

Xoài Coffee

Away from the tourist- and tour-crowds, accessed through a small alley, is Xoài Coffee. A huge courtyard lined with mango trees and fairy lights invites to stay a while, with a coffee or in my case a passion fruit lemonade.

Chicken Banh Mi 37

In every city I will find a favourite Banh Mi spot. And when the first one I try is already everything I want: fresh bread with a crunchy outside and fluffy inside, delicious pate and a fresh fried egg every time? I don’t go looking further. I think I went to Chicken Banh Mi 37 at least once every day.

Nem Nướng Thanh Vân

Nem Nướng Thanh Vân was recommended to me by the reception staff at Lion 17 Hotel and it is in walking distance of the hotel (450 meters). I went for the Nem Nướng (pork sausage) set, with rice vermicelly, herbs, salad, some green veggies, rice paper and dipping sauce. It was a good dinner. Nothing incredibly special, but a solid option.

Map of my four days in Can Tho

How to read the map: Black are hotel / homestay recommendations, purple museums, green places to eat orange cafes and bars and blue places to visit.

You can download the map to your google maps here.

Der Beitrag Four days in Can Tho – from Ho Chi Minh City erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

Cái Răng floating market

The Cái Răng floating market is a wholesale market, meaning that the minimum amount to buy something is quite high. From the early 20th century it was an important trading point where goods from all along the river were sold and redistributed.

Over the last few decades more roads have been built and, more importantly, bridges. Cars and lorries are more practical and faster nowadays to transport goods and food. The river is loosing one of the aspects that made it the lifeline of many cities.

Many boats means a lot of fuel is needed. And procuring it on land to bring it back is a long way. The next best thing is a swimming petrol station (first picture). Is is safe? I don’t know. But it is there.

Many merchants at the market advertise their goods by “bẹo hàng“, which means to hang a sample of what they’re selling on a long pole on their ship. So when you see a sweet potato on a stick, hanging off a boat: now you know why.

Cai Rang floating market tour

The tour starts at 5:30 AM at a pier in Can Tho City. They messaged me the day before to confirm I had read that when I booked the tour and sent a Google Maps location to me to make sure I found it. And yet in the morning I still managed to miss Sophia (our guide for the day) and the two other guests. Eventually we found each other and walked through a pitch black alley onto the slippery stone pier and climbed into the boat.

While we zipped along the river the sun slowly began to rise and colour the blue nights sky in pink, then orange and a bright yellow.

When we got to the market there were almost as many tourist boats (some full to the brink, others build for 30, carrying 5 people) as merchant boats. And the remaining merchants of Cai Rang market don’t particularly like the tourism, since nobody that’s visiting is going to buy their wares.

However some enterprising locals benefit from the new influx of people. We stopped at a smaller boat with just one woman in it. Sophia told us has been selling drinks on the river for over 20 years, first mainly to merchants and customers, today mainly to tourists.

Other small boats traverse the water, selling soup to anyone who docks to their boat. The bigger tour boats are too high to buy from either of these smaller sellers, so nobody on the river profits from those, except for the boat captains.

Once we had passed the market we watched as the bigger tour boats turned back around, while our small boat kept going. Past the market and into the surrounding small canals. Along the way Sophia told us about Can Tho province, the history and development. She joked “many people here work in agriculture, it is a hard job, but very important. But I have the best job, I get to talk all day!”

At some point we stopped at a makeshift pier and crossed a bamboo bridge onto shore, to then walk through a small village. Sophia explained the different fruits to us, how jackfruit and durian are protected from animals, how to tell different kinds of coconuts apart and how to spot a makeshift toilet in the jungle. Sophia also explained why they had picked this unassuming village as a stop of the tour. While many tours stop at the cacao garden or rice noodle workshop, they are mainly set up for tourists and don’t reflect the real local life she wants to share with people.

Once we reached a road crossing all of us thought we had to walk the entire way back, but to our surprise (and delight) our boat captain was waiting for us!

The next stop was an eco homestay even further down the river. A total of four groups stopped here, two of them by boat. There was a cabin for every small group and we got together to make Bánh Khọt in a cast iron pan over a fire, for second breakfast (or super early lunch). Once they were done we also got some Vietnamese green tea and some of the fruits we had just seen an hour before and relaxed a bit.

The last stop on the tour was the same as the first: Cai Rang floating market. This time without all the other tourist boats. We were invited to step onto the boat(s) of a merchant family. They have been living and selling on the river for several generations and their boat is not just their workplace, it is their home. This family had three boats docked together. One was for living on, with a small hut and a roofed outdoor area. The second had pets (and food) in the form of chickens, fish and toads as well as storage. The third was full of sweet potato, their current merchandise.

Should you travel to Can Tho for the Cai Rang floating market?

Don’t just travel to Can Tho to see the Cai Rang market. Bu if you travel to Can Tho, do visit the floating market as long as it still exists.

This tour is what you’re looking for if you really want to experience the Mekong Delta. The floating market is just the first stop – a long one, with coffee and noodle soup on the boat. But where the other (bigger, fuller) tour boats turn back our small boat kept going. Through side canals and the mangrove forest to a village in the country side, then even further to an eco homestay where we cooked a delicious Mekong cuisine style dish!

My guide Sophia made the tour very memorable. Not only did she share the stories of the people we met and the places we saw, she’s also very knowledgable about the fruits and legends of the area.

Der Beitrag Traveling to Can Tho for the Cai Rang floating market? erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

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Overview of one week in Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon

• Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City
• What to do in Ho Chi Minh City
• Places to see for free in Ho Chi Minh City
• Workshops in Ho Chi Minh City
• What to eat and drink in Ho Chi Minh City
• Day Trips from Ho Chi Minh City
• TLDR, show me a map with everything important

Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City

Personally, I don’t stay at hostels. Many do and many have good experiences there, but it not for me for several reasons. The cleanliness of a space is the most important factor for me, even before considering costs. And for that reason I also like my own bathroom. One of the places I used to recommend in 2023 doesn’t exist anymore, but in 2026 I stayed at a new accommodation, owned and managed by a couple and it was perfect.

Austin & Vanessa have two properties where they rent our rooms Austin Home and A&V Home. I stayed at the latter in a room for solo travellers twice in 2026. The property was very clean, the bed was comfortable and the bathroom was ideal with a hot shower with great pressure. On the ground floor is a communal kitchen with a drinking water filter machine, on the first floor is a laundry room where you can wash and dry for free and on the second floor is a living room that is ideal for working, reading or journaling on a rainy day. They also have great guidebooks for the surrounding areas – without which I wouldn’t have found some of the food spots I listed here!

Christina’s – Hotel & Café* (on Expedia* / on Hotels*) is a mid range choice for longer stays. With clean, modern rooms and lofts, with en-suite bathrooms, balconies and comfortable community spaces like a rooftop terrace, working space and a kitchen right in the middle of HCMC. I stayed with them in Hanoi in 2019 as well and can wholeheartedly recommend them. You have your privacy as a solo traveller without breaking the bank, but can still meet people in the community areas.

For a more luxury experience choose La Siesta Premium Sai Gon (on Agoda* / on Booking* / on Expedia*) or New World Saigon Hotel* (on Agoda* / on Booking* / on Expedia*). Both are located near the centre. They are on top of several lists of the best consumer voted hotels in Saigon and have good reviews over several booking platforms.

Ho Chi Minh City Metro

The Ho Chi Minh City Metro was inaugurated in late 2025 and currently starts at the Ben Thanh station (Nhà Ga Ngầm Bến Thành) and connects some districts that with normal traffic take quite a while to reach on a Grab or Taxis.

I booked a ticket at one of the electronic machines (which has an English language option), plus a return ticket for the same price to the Thao Dien station (Nhà Ga Thảo Điền). The metro stations reminded me a lot of the ones in Singapore, modern, clean and efficient.

What to do in Ho Chi Minh City

Even though it is not the current capital city of Vietnam Saigon has had as much of a rich history as Hanoi, maybe even a more turbulent one. Within the city and it’s surrounding areas you can find many well curated museums as well as places of historical and cultural importance.

Museum of Ho Chi Minh City

The Museum of Ho Chi Minh City is located inside the Gia Long Palace. When the impressive baroque villa was built in 1890, during the French occupation, while south Vietnam was still known as “Indochina”, to house the Museum of Commercial Trade.

During and after 1945 the palace had many different designations, from housing governmental and military headquarters of the Japanese, US and south Vietnamese to becoming the official residence of the Premier of the State of Vietnam, then later the temporary residence of the Prime Minister. It became the “Ho Chi Minh City Revolutionary Museum” after the country was unified in 1978 and renamed to its current name in 1999.

Parts of the former palace and museum are in disrepair, but I hope with Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City becoming one of the top travel destinations in Asia they will receive the funding to improve on it in the future.

History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City

The History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City doesn’t only cover the history of the city (as the museum mentioned above does), but rather of the country and neighbouring cultures, from the prehistoric period to the Nguyễn dynasty that ended in 1945.

Independence Palace

The site has seen French occupation (twice), Japanese occupation, the “Republic of Vietnam”, a coup d’état and not one but two wars that were decided right on its doorstep. If only walls could talk…

The building you can visit today was built in in 1962 to replace the old palace, which had been destroyed by dissident nationalist south Vietnamese fighter pilots. It was once the home and workplace of the president of the Republic of Vietnam until the end of the Vietnam war. Today you can visit it as a museum and learn about the life and politics of the time between 1868 and 1975.

In 1975 after the end of the US-Vietnam war it was renamed to Reunification Convention Hall. Today both names are used frequently. The Independence Palace is one of the most fascinating places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City, read more about why I think that here: Visiting the Independence Palace in Saigon

War Remnants Museum

While you can find a military museum in any bigger city in Vietnam the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City is of a different caliber. The museum expands over several floors and buildings, as well as a fenced in courtyard with military equipment. Several permanent and temporary exhibitions range from the First Indochina War, up until the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.

Internationally the museum is regarded controversially. As for my own opinion: everything government funded is by definition propaganda to some degree. That is no reason not to visit. Only when you expand your horizon and knowledge from multiple sources you can then form your own opinion.

Southern Women’s Museum

The Southern Women’s Museum is the Ho Chi Minh City counterpart to the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hanoi.

Places to see for free in Ho Chi Minh City

Ten Thousand Buddha Temple

The temple is four stories high, but hidden at the end of an alley so it is usually not frequented by tourists. The walls of the temple are covered in thousands of small Buddha statues, while two big ones reside in the middle. Behind them is a giant statue of a plant bud, surrounded by local folklore characters depicting good and evil.

Cafe Apartments

This nine-storey apartment building was built in the mid-1960s to house military and government personnel and it did for many years. The transformation into the building it is known as today, filled with small cafes and shops didn’t happen until the 2010s! Today only the stairways remind of us of the original purpose of the building.

Saigon Central Post Office

A remainder of the French colonial period of southern Vietnam / Indochina, this impressive old building is still in use as a post office today! A lot of the inside is covered by souvenirs and advertisements for tours and events, but the ceiling, floors and some walls still tell of the splendor and exclusivity it once had.

Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon

Finished in 1880 (1895 when you include the towers) this cathedral was built to give French colonists an area of worship and spread the catholic belief within the colony. All building materials were imported from France: the outer bricks are from Toulouse, the original floor tiles from Marseille and the stained glass windows from Chartres! Nowadays a lot of it has been replaced (because, oh wonder, a European building style doesn’t last in tropic climate). In 2023 when I spend one week in Ho Chi Minh City for the first time the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon was covered in scaffolding. That hasn’t changed until my last visit in March 2026.

Tan Dinh Church

Tan Dinh Church is also known as the pink church for obvious reasons, is another catholic church in Saigon worth a visit. The inside is also pink!

Nguyen Thien Thuat apartment blocks

These apartment blocks, some of the oldest still standing in Saigon, were built in the late 1800s, during French occupation. Today they are as much of a marvel as they once were, but for different reasons. Every block is like it’s own little village, with families of five and more staying in two bedroom flats, living above shops, schools, cafes, workshops, businesses and markets. As with other old apartment blocks in the city, the future of this part of history is uncertain.

Ho Thi Ky Flower Market

This market, made up of several streets and alleys, as well as hundreds of flower shops and stands with thousands of flowers and flower arrangements is one of the oldest flower markets in Saigon. The streets are breathtakingly colourful and the smell of the flowers covers up the smell of the city for the most part.

Hầm Vũ Khí Bí Mật Secret Weapon Cellar

During the Vietnam war the basement of this house served as a hideout and shelter for the Viet Cong operating within South Vietnam’s capital. Communist sympathisers met here, weapons were stored, some of which you can still see today. Since it was a secret hideout the basement isn’t easy to access. You have to lower yourself through a trap door that looks like the tiled floor.

Nowadays they turned this historical site into a mini museum. After you visit the basement you can also go up to the first floor where some artefacts are exhibited. Some of which are related to the Independence Palace.

The café next door “Cà Phê Đỗ Phủ” is not part of the historical site. You can visit the secret weapon cellar without having to buy anything at the café.

Workshops in Ho Chi Minh City

Conical Hat Keychain Workshop

If you are looking for a self made souvenir that involves the iconic conical hat, but the real thing is too big: Make a smaller version as a keychain instead. At the Workshop Hub they offer the keychain making workshop among many others: decorating a teddy bear, making something from stained glass, making bead bracelets and more.

More on the workshop here: Conical Hat Keychain – Crafting in Ho Chi Minh City

Magnet Portrait

Sine so many magnets at souvenir shops are AI generated I went to Veene Land to make my own instead. The process is straightforward: You pick the size of your magnet, I went with the smallest one that only includes a person, but you can also make bigger ones with frames and backgrounds, or even include multiple people. Then you pick your base, your expression, eyebrows, your hair and finally your clothes. You can also pick makeup, accessories or a “customize slot”. There are many options to choose from and yet in some aspects (skin colours) there are not enough.

Mini Lionhead Workshop

Another unique, self made souvenir is a painted mini lionhead. Liondancing is a tradition in many Eastern Asian countries und Vietnam has it’s own history connected to it. You can paint and decorate your own lion head with traditional patterns, or make it completely your own.

I wrote about the workshop here: Mini Lionhead Workshop in Ho Chi Minh City

What to eat and drink in Ho Chi Minh City

I linked all of the mentioned foods (and everything else form this post) in the map at the end of the blogpost.

Bò Né

Bò Né translates to sizzling beef, which is exactly what it is. Beef, sausage, pate and an egg, served on a sizzling hot cast iron pan, served with banh mi bread, veggies and greens. This is my favourite south Vietnamese breakfast! I had the best Bò Né from a street vendor in an alley at Hẻm 36 Trần Hưng Đạo.

Bún thịt nướng

I have listed this dish here and once more further down. It consists of rice vermicelli, spring rolls, sliced veggies, peanut sauce, pig skin crackers. The picture in the middle of the gallery below was taken at a street vendor at Binh Tay Market.

Sticky rice

Sticky rice in all kinds of variations will probably forever be my favourite meal in Vietnam. This one is from a food stand at Phùng Hưng market. When I was there they were at the end of the market, on the corner to another street. You can choose your toppings. During a food tour I got to try all of them, my favourite ones were quail egg, pork floss and mung bean paste.

Chuối Nếp Nướng

Grilled banana in sticky rice, with coconut cream “Chuối Nếp Nướng” from a street vendor at 378 Võ Văn Tần. This was my favourite lunch. It has the perfect portion size, is located between many of the things you’ll want to see in Ho Chi Minh City and isn’t too heavy.

Bánh Mì

No list of food in Vietnam is complete without Banh Mi. Of course you can also have many different Bánh Mì in Ho Chi Minh City. Some famous ones are Bánh Mì Hồng Hoa (quite touristy), Bánh Mì Huynh Hoa (the most gigantic Bánh Mì I’ve ever seen.). Close by is another street vendor selling the popular sandwich as well called Bánh Mì 37.

Since it was close to some tour starts I also stopped at Bánh mì Bùi Thị Xuân several times. Close to my homestay were Xíu Mại Chén Đèn Dầu where they mainly sell Banh Mi with meatballs thats famous in Da Lat. Last but certainly not least a personal favourite: Bánh Mì Heo Quay Bà Nam, specifically their crispy pork belly Banh Mi.

Vị Quê Kitchen

If you are vegan, or just want to try Vietnamese food, but vegan, you can eat at Vị Quê Kitchen. Their mushroom Bánh Mì was delicious and not more expensive than one from a street vendor. The fried tofu had an amazing texture as well, but I couldn’t really get on board with the cilantro dipping sauce.

Baba’s Kitchen Restaurant

After meeting a family from Mumbai in the History Museum they recommended me a restaurant with authentic and absolutely amazing Indian food: Baba’s Kitchen Restaurant. Since it will be some time until I can get to India to eat there I went and wasn’t disappointed. You should definitely try their Paratha with your meal.

Bò Lá Lốt

Bò Lá Lốt is one of my favourite street vendor foods. Minced beef is wrapped in Betel leaves and grilled. It’s good with rice vermicelli, herbs and rice paper, but honestly it’s also great on it’s own. If it’s a meal: eat it with a carb. If it’s a snack: It it by itself.

Nước mía

Nước mía = sugarcane juice is a delicacy you can find all over Vietnam. Often with street vendors who freshly grate the sugarcane to extract the juice. It is usually served with ice and Kumquat, to cut through the sweetness. Despite being made from 100% sugarcane it is not too sweet.

S’mores Saigon

If you are more a fan of something less sweet: Try the most delicious lemon ice tea, at a cafe with immaculate vibes, at S’mores Saigon. The lemon tea doesn’t sound like your cup of tead? Try the Oolong Latte or Creamy Drip Coffee instead.

Tonkin Cottage Coffe and Eatery

A tropical-themed decorated cafe with delicious drinks is Tonkin Cottage Coffee and Eatery. This cafe in the middle of an apartment block is a quiet oasis within this bustling city.

Cheese Coffee

While Cong Ca Phe can be found all over Vietnam there is another coffee chain in HCMC that really stood out to me: Cheese Coffee. I loved their Salt Coffe and Golden Boba Crepe Cake. This was my favourite Cheese Coffee location, it is great for people watching and editing your pictures while enjoying your coffee and cake. But there is another location that really stands out: Cheese Coffee – 15 Pasteur. The interior is beautifully decorated and very different from the other locations.

In the evening hours the area around Turtle Lake turns into a street vendor hotspot so you can try many different meals in one spot.

Breakfast Food Tour

The best thing to do in a new city, in my opinion, is taking a food tour with a local guide (not a travel office tour) to taste the best food spots. I went on a Breakfast Food Tour in Saigon with Saigonhappytour. They introduced me to some of the foods shown above and showed me where to get my favourites in this huge city.

TEA’SPACE – Bến Thành

This new and modern tea “house” provides a calm spot directly next / behind the Bến Thành market, which is bustling with people day and night. They had a good selection of teas, both Vietnamese and international. I went for their one person tea set and could do several brews. There is no loud music blaring in great difference to a lot of cafes in the area. If you like tea and quiet, or just need a break -> come to TEA’SPACE.

If you can’t find it: it’s through the alleyway and then to your right, up the stairs, on the 2nd floor on the left. After nightfall it looks like this:

Quán Bò Bít Tết “Aussie Meat”

At “Aussie Meat” you get meat from Australia, a fitting name indeed. I chose by price, since I couldn’t read the Vietnamese names of the different parts of the cow. It was served as “sizzling beef” in a cow shaped cast iron skillet, with egg and accompanied by banh mi, salad and some sauce. The meat was good, the quality was worth the price. Just be careful of the fat. Since it’s sizzling hot the fat splatters everywhere – and ruined my pants on the very first day in the country.

Pandachacà – Coffee & Matcha

The matcha craze has reached Vietnam. And while many cafes and restaurants use the cheaper green tea powder, sweetened and for a latte already pre mixed with sugar, some stores are real hidden gems. Pandachacà sits in an alley outside the city centre, close to my accommodation this time around. They have real matcha, prepare it the traditional way, you can choose how much sugar to add (none for me) and if you order a latte it comes perfectly separate, with the milk on the bottom and the dark green matcha on top. At the same time it mixes perfectly. No clumps, just a perfectly blended matcha latte.

Bún thịt nướng Hoàng Văn

Bún thịt nướng Hoàng Văn has recieved a Michelin Bib Gourmand for their dish Bún thịt nướng and since I was in the area I stopped here for lunch. Despite this everyone else here was a local, so I felt good about the choice. The Bún thịt nướng was savoury and the textures were soft for the noodles, chewy for the meat and crispy for the spring roll, and of course it was served with plenty of salad, herbs and sprouts.

Bunz Smash Burgers

I was once told about a burger shop in Hoi An it would be “among my top three” burgers, if I went against my principles and went there instead of getting Vietnamese food. It did not. Bunz Smash Burgers however, did. Their regular smash burger landed straight on the podium. A solid third place of all the burgers I had in 21 countries and over 100 cities worldwide.

The burger is simple, but their care for the quality of the ingredients, everything fresh and a small menu made it stand out to me both in taste and texture. The Australian wagyu beef they use to make their own ground beef turns into a delicate and juicy on the inside and crunchy on the edges, with a nice maillard-reaction browning patty. With two smashed patties the regular smash burger comes with actually good cheese (hard to come by in Vietnam), slightly sweet, mostly tangy, fresh diced white onion and a good amount of pickles, plus a delectable house-made burger sauce on top of a soft brioche bun.

I swear they did not pay me to write this, it was just that good. So good in fact that I got a second one after I had finished the first.

A+C Coffee Experience

Not only is the coffee at A+C Coffee Experience good, their other drinks are as well. Many tables on several floors, good wifi and an AC that is pleasantly cool, but not cold, invite to stay longer. To blog, to journal or just to hang out with friends. I spend a few hours here while it was raining and tried their “Fluffy Cloud” Coffee with traditional Phin coffee and “Cloud Concentrate” (no, I don’t know what it is either) and the Water Lilies drink with jasmine Tea, lychee rose and peach.

Là Việt Coffee Saigon

While waiting for a workshop to start I had a kumquat coffee mocktail at Là Việt. The sourness of the kumquat pairs really well with the Vietnamese robusta coffee.

Ănăn Saigon

This restaurant had won the first Michelin Star in Ho Chi Minh City – and has continued to renew their star every year since. They are located in one of the oldest markets in the city center: Chợ Cũ Tôn Thất Đạm. They offer two set menus at 100+ USD and à la carte dishes. Since I hadn’t gotten to eat crab in Singapore, I went for their crab fried rice. The dish contains Camau crab, shrimp, lạp xướng sausage, lotus seed, garlic, egg and rice. On some pictures it was served in a crab shell, but mine was just in a stone bowl.

Like every other Michelin Star restaurant I have been to so far one dish was not enough for a full meal. After the fried rice I had their Wagyu beef mini banh mi. As the name suggests it was a small banh mi bread, topped with wagyu beef short rib, bavette flank beef, pâté, tomato and pickled vegetables (carrot and cucumber).

With these two dishes I ordered a Saigon Special beer. The whole meal came out to roughly 25€.

At the risk of never being able to collaborate with them: In my honest opinion the food was good. But not spectacular. There is food just as good, or even better out on the market, at street vendors and small hole-in-the-wall places. A restaurant with 20+ things on the a-la-carte menu alone can – in my experience – never reach the taste with every dish that a person who makes the same single meal day in, day out, for decades, can. Or maybe the food was better when the Michelin people went. Who knows?

Day Trips from Ho Chi Minh City

As the biggest city in the south of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City is also a transport hub. From the airport, to the ports for cruise ships and the smaller passenger ferries, the train station and many busses, both from the central bus station and by smaller private companies it is easy to get from A to B. Even if said B location is hours away. There are many day trips or multiple-day-trips you can do from Ho Chi Minh City to maximise your time in the south, here are some of them:

Day trip to the sand dunes of Mũi Né

Mũi Né is a coastal fishing ward in the Lâm Đồng Province of Vietnam. Since the 1990s the area has slowly transformed into “resort central”, though some nature remains untouched, or integrated into the tourism economy in a ecological way. Mui Ne is known internationally for it’s sand dunes that look as if you’re in a desert prone country.

Half or full day trip to the Củ Chi Tunnels

The Củ Chi Tunnels, originally built during the French occupation and later enlarged and used more extensively during the Vietnam war can be visited at two locations Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc. Both are relatively close to Saigon.

The two locations are very different from each other: Ben Dinh is the more touristy one, while the area around Ben Duoc is much larger and more extensive. I recommend visiting the tunnels with a local guide*, to get background knowledge and historical facts about the tunnels and their importance in the Vietnam war.

If you want to read in more detail about the tour, click here: Cu Chi Tunnels – Tunnel systems of the Viet Cong

Day Trips and cruises to Côn Đảo Island

Con Dao island is part of the Con Dao archipelago and is officially counted as a special zone of Ho Chi Minh City, despite being 230 km away from the main city. You can get there either by plane or by ferry. During French colonialism the island became infamous for it’s prison where Vietnamese and Cambodian nationalists were sent by the colonial government. Today Con Dao and many of it’s surrounding islands are part of Côn Đảo National Park, with a focus on protecting marine life. A lot of the tourism here is focused on sustainable nature-based ecotourism and I hope they will manage to protect their slice of paradise.

Day Trips to Bến Tre

Bến Tre, often called the “coconut capital of Vietnam” is part of the Vĩnh Long province. Many day tours going to “the Mekong Delta” from Ho Chi Minh City take you here. Ben Tre is known for it’s coconut farming and coconut candy, even though agriculture, forestry and fishing only make up a third of the provinces GDP. Vinh Long is also renowned as a leading producer of red pottery in the country, with its products being exported to many countries around the world. If you take a boat along the river to Mang Thit pottery village you can see houses with huge kilns.

Weekend trip to Can Tho from Ho Chi Minh City

Day Trips to Cao Dai Temple Tay Ninh and Black Virgin Mountain

The Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh, also called Great Divine Temple, Cao Dai Cathedral or the Tay Ninh Holy See is the first (finished 1947) and most important temple of Caodaism in Vietnam. Caodaism is a fascinating religion in my opinion, so being able to (respectfully!) visit their main holy site is quite the experience. I linked the Wikipedia article, do read it.

Part of most tours from Ho Chi Minh City is also the Black Virgin Mountain. An area managed by the Sun Group who also manage Ba Na Hills and Fansipan. The mountain itself is fascinating. As an extinct vulcano it rises almost eerily from the flat surrounding area. During several wars the mountain had a high significance, due to its unique position and elevation. A Buddhist shrine is located about two thirds up the mountain. Nowadays a cable car takes pilgrims and tourists up to the very top where a newly built park resides.

Map of my trip to Ho Chi Minh City

How to read the map: In the first layer light blue are museums and places of historical importance, dark blue are buildings of religious or cultural importance. In the second layer light green are restaurants, dark green are street vendors and orange are cafes. You can open the menu on the top left and choose the layers of the map.

You can save the map to your Google Maps for your trip to Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon by clicking here.

Der Beitrag One week in Ho Chi Minh City erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

Workshop Hub Location

The Workshop Hub is some way outside the city parts most tourists stick to, but getting there is easy: With the newly inaugurated Ho Chi Minh City Metro! I entered at the Ben Thanh station (Nhà Ga Ngầm Bến Thành) and booked a ticket at one of the electronic machines (in English), plus a return ticket for the same price. From the Thao Dien station (Nhà Ga Thảo Điền) it was just a nine minute walk to the location.

Once there however I walked inside, thought I had the wrong address and walked back out. Several reviews deep in their Google My Business account I found the hint that the Workshop Hub is located upstairs, so I have included the picture of the only sign and the stairs for your convenience.

First things first: You can do many different workshops here, but I made the conical hat keychains, so I will focus on them. Other options include, but aren’t limited to: scented candle making, stained glass workshops and bracelet making.

Conical Hat Keychain Workshop

First you pick your hat size. I went for a bigger one and a smaller one, but size doesn’t matter for the price of the workshop. Then staff explained the process to me, showed me where to find anything and encouraged to me to ask for help whenever I needed it. During the workshop you are left alone, but always surrounded by staff and other crafters, so it was never lonely.

Afterwards you pick a chain or cord, an accessory and a bell for the top of your keychain, as well as a tassel for the bottom of it. If you pick something and later find that it doesn’t fit with the finished design you can change it again, so don’t worry too much about it.

Then it is time for painting. You can use markers and acrylic colours. I sketched with a light brown marker and then painted over it with a brush and acrylics.

For the smaller conical hat keychain I went for a nature design with a lotus flower pond and matching accessories: a medium green cord, light green bell and transparent pink flower for the top and a light blue tassel for the bottom.

The bigger hat was more colourful, with things that reminded me of Vietnam: The flag in red and yellow, bamboo in various greens and a silk lantern in blue and orange. For the accessories I went for a light blue chain, red bell and yellow star for the top and a medium green tassel for the bottom.

While I was painting staff got a hot glue gun ready, in case I wanted to use any of the many small decorative 3D pieces. The pond-themed hat got some iridescent butterflies, while the other hat got some tiny seashells and a cute light blue bowtie.

Then came the last big decision: a string of up to seven beads you could choose to adorn your conical hat keychain. There were so many! It took me at least 20 minutes to decide, if not longer. In the end I tried to replicate my painted design, or at least allude to it, with a lotus flower and butterfly for one and similar coloured beads to my used paints, plus two gold accents for the other.

While I paid for the workshop my finished keychains were placed in a delicate mesh bag, before being wrapped securely to avoid damaging them. I took the “finished” picture at home after hanging them on my wall. You can see that they survived two months of travelling in a stuffed suitcase with no damage.

How to book the conical hat keychains workshop

Now, I just showed up, BUT they told me that I got lucky that they weren’t fully booked that day. When I started I was almost alone in the location, but within half an hour every single seat was taken. Since I can’t find them on any booking plattform it’s probably best if you call or message them beforehand!

Workshop Hub

Phone Number: +84 703 214 361

Address: Lê Văn Miến/6 Thảo Điền, An Khánh, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam

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The museum building

The museum building aims to blend traditional and modern architecture, with five floors (and an attic type floor) that contain the exhibition. The visit starts with an overview of the exhibition, then a short documentary movie about the history, evolution and contents of traditional Vietnamese medicine. The stairwell is wooden, from floor to ceiling, the walls covered with pictures about acupuncture, anatomy, drawings of old medical institutions and medicinal plants. Some parts of the roof are exposed and you can see the symbol for “health” on the underside of every tile.

Traditional Vietnamese Medicine Museum Exhibition

After the movie you take the elevator up to the fourth floor. From there you can take a small staircase (almost a ladder) up to an attic like space on the fifth floor. The exhibits are mostly grouped by type:

• Implements to prepare traditional medicine: Knives, grinders, mortars and pestles, pots and jars.
• The interior of a traditional pharmacy, complete with cales, medicine cabinets, storage years and ceramic pots, printing mold, teapot, etc.
• Medical alcohols, with all kinds of things submerged inside
• Anatomical descriptions, as well as records of illnesses, treatments and cures
• Medicinal plants and their uses

Soaking herbs in liquor is an ancient method of preparing medicine. Quote from one of the museum descriptions “It was believed that tonic liquor had the effect of activating blood, regulating yin and yang, and enabling the flow of blood vessels. According to traditional medicine, medicinal liquor could be used as a medicine carrier, having the effect of nourishing and complementing, activating and harmonizing the blood and opening the meridians. The type of liquor commonly used to soak medicine is white liquor distilled from rice, corn, sweet potatoes, etc.”

But not only herbs were soaked in alcohol. Other things that were used were scorpions, snakes, seahorses, snails, chickens, etc.

Inside the museum you can find glass jars with ginseng liquor, different roots, but what I remember most vividly is the liquor with four snakes: Two cobras who are draped as if they are biting the neck of the two other snakes.

The majority of one of the floors is dedicated to plants. Multiple walls are covered by paintings of plants used for medicine. These paintings were done by Bui Xuan Chuơng (1932-2022). He was a pharmacist, who had a talent for painting. He specialised in drawing medicinal plants and animals in Vietnam. For that he travelled all over the country to search for and paint thousands of unique black and white pictures of medicinal plants and animals of Vietnam. His illustrations are printed in almost all the most significant publications on medicinal plants in Vietnam.

Compared to other countries with similar traditional oriental medicine (China, Japan, Korea), Vietnam is the only country located in a region with a tropical climate. The hot and humid weather provides the perfect conditions for many plants to thrive. The usage of them for medicinal purposes has been recorded from as early as the time of the Hung Kings (2879-258 BC). Today more than 1800 medical plants are known and recognized. One of the walls has a collection of storage jars:Every jar has a medical mixture or dried herb inside

A special exhibit is the “Vietnam Manuscript“: A 12 page album (one page is roughly 1,50m long) containing pictures of medicinal plants. 1,863 species of 238 plant families have been discovered to this date. You can flip through it at your leisure.

At the end of the exhibition, when you return to the ground floor, you get a free cup of herbal tea. The museum shop looks like a typical souvenir shop at first, but actually sells medical teas and other traditional medicine based products.

Most of these products are produced by the pharma company Fito. They specialize in manufacturing traditional medicine based on the foundation of ancient herbal remedies. This company is also the operator of the museum.

Some things to be aware of

Admission is more expensive than most museums in Vietnam: 180.000 VND. When I was there it had to be paid in cash, however other reviews during the same time say they had to pay by card and yet others say the tickets could be paid by card, but in the shop they only accept cash? It seems to depend on the employees. Make of that what you will.

At the traditional pharmacy there apparently used to be someone acting like an ancient pharmacist and you could even “mix” your own medicine. But all pictures and information I can find about that is dated before the border closure during the Covid-19 pandemic.

If there is a tour or not included in the price is unclear as well. Some people apparently get one, others don’t. I didn’t. There is no official schedule either, so that was not the problem.

I got a plastic folder with some printed explanations in English, German would have also been available. The explanations in the folder were very confusing at times, as if they had been printed a while ago and the museum had been reorganised since then. Many things were not where they were pointed out in the folder, but I managed to find most of them at some point.

Online you’ll find some complaints that people use the Traditional Vietnamese Medicine Museum as a backdrop for their photo shoots. I visited during a weekday, and there were still quite a few people in costumes taking photos, as well as an amateur movie being filmed. Both things in themselves are not a problem, until they block entire areas of the museum. At first I waited for them to take some pictures, polite person that I am, expecting in turn be afforded the courtesy as a visitor of the museum to see the exhibits they were blocking. Except for one pair of women (in beautiful Áo Dài), just did not happen.

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Overview of my DIY day trip to Vung Tau

• How to get to Vung Tau
• This was my DIY trip to Vung Tau itinerary
• Cost breakdown
• Map of my DIY day trip to Vung Tau

How to get to Vung Tau from Ho Chi Minh City

For transport you have three options: the bus, the ferry or private transport. The mini bus is the cheapest option, the ferry my favourite and the private transport the most flexible.

The bus

There are several companies who operate mini vans between Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau. You can book two of them online on klook* and get a guaranteed reserved seat at your booked timeslot for 10€ to 12€. This is the cheapest option and takes as long as the ferry if there is no traffic (there almost always is).

The ferry

My favourite option, though not the most convenient one. There used to be several lines connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau City, but currently I’m only aware of one currently running: Greenlines DP*. I went with Greenlines DP.

The earliest ferry leaves Ho Chi Minh City at 9:00 AM from the Bach Dang Speed Ferry Terminal (not the Ho Chi Minh City Passenger Ferry Port) and takes almost two hours to reach the pier in Vung Tau. The last ferry leaves Vung Tau at 3:00 PM. That leaves you four hours to explore the city.

During weekdays each way is 320.000 VND, so 640.000 VND in total round trip. You can book it online (on klook* / on GetYourGuide*). When you book there you get a QR code which you take to the terminal and it is exchanged for a ticket. This way you have a guaranteed seat on the ferry.

Tips: Bring a jacket or scarf for the ferry, they run the AC cold ! You can go outside onto the deck during most of the journey for better views. They have toilets on board.

Private transport

You can book a driver, but most only offer one way trips, meaning you have to book each trip separately. One way is about 40€, but you’re also the most flexible. You’ll be picked up and dropped off and you can choose how long you want to stay. If you’re sharing the car with more people the cost doesn’t rise, since you’re paying per car. This option on klook* offers a return trip option as well, which is cheaper than booking two seperate trips.

Transport booking platform

You can also book all of these three options on the platform 12go*, which is an aggregator of many transport options within Vietnam.

This was my DIY trip to Vung Tau itinerary:

09:00 AM Left Ho Chi Minh City from the Bach Dang Speed Ferry Terminal

11:15 AM reached Vung Tau and disembarked the ferry. Walked along the shore until I reached the “Front Beach – Bãi Trước” and enjoy the mostly fresh wind after the stuffy air of Ho Chi Minh City.

11:45 AM booked a Grab motorbike taxi (20k VND) to Bánh khọt Dì Hương for lunch. During lunchtime they are packed. It pays to be early or you’ll have to wait outside. But no matter how early you are, you will share a table with strangers. Bánh khọt Tom (savoury mini pancakes with shrimp) will run you about 65k VND a portion. The Banh Khot here were a lot fattier than I am used to from Central Vietnam (Since these were fried swimming), but nonetheless delicious.

12:30 PM I stopped at one of the branches of Golden Bakery and try the famous Vung Tau Salted Egg Sponge Cake. I went with the cream cheese and passionfruit topping for 65.000 VND. It was the perfect to-go “meal” for the ferry ride back.

12:45 PM I walked through the steets on Vung Tau, just to look at everything and passed Linh Son Temple. Before booking a grab to the museum I stopped by the Back beach and found it almost entirely deserted. Not a single person in sight.

01:15 PM Ba Ria – Vung Tau Museum

The Ba Ria – Vung Tau Museum covers the history, economy, culture and biodiversity of the former Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province. The museum also features an exhibit on the Con Dao prison, since the Côn Đảo islands were part of the former province. In 2025 the area of the Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu province was incorporated into Ho Chi Minh City.

It’s a great visit for an hour or two and I learned some new things, despite this being my n’th visit to a museum in Vietnam. Especially the exhibit on the Con Dao prison was memorable, since as an island prison it functioned differently to mainland ones. The exhibition on more recent history was also very interesting, with a focus on industrial and tourism development.

2:50 PM From the museum it’s just a short walk to the pier, where you have several options to get a to-go drink while waiting for the ferry back to Ho Chi Minh City Centre.

Cost Breakdown

So in total the day ran me about 30€. If you add more drink-stops, or choose a different main focus of your trip those costs will obviously change.

Aside of the Museum you have options:

• Go to one of the other beaches, Vung Tau has several to choose from!
• Take the cable car from across the road from the ferry pier up to the Hồ Mây Amusement Park (bring your swimmsuit and a travel towel*)
• Visit the Jesus Christ Statue (be prepared to climb 800+ steps), the view from up there looks amazing
• If you want a view of the headland that includes the Jesus statue visit Vung Tau Lighthouse

Several other tourism-focused development projects are currently underway in Vung Tau ward. According to hoarding banners along the fences of building sites there is a resort coming, an aquarium and a safari. I don’t know when, but it might be finished by the time you get there!

Map of my DIY day trip to Vung Tau

I listed everything I did on one layer with colours and the options I mentioned in another layer in grey.

Or, if you don’t want all the hassle of planning, you might want to consider one of these tours:

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About the Lacàph Coffee Experiences Space

The Lacàph Coffee Experiences Space is on the upper floor of an older building. A purple iron door (which is a bit hard to see when it’s opened) leads up the stairs. At the first landing turn to the left outside, open the glass door and you enter onto the sales floor, or proceed one door further down the balcony and you reach the coffee bar.

The workshop space is another floor up, reachable from the sales floor. It has big tables and many lights, surrounded by exposed brick. Since it’s away from the sales floor and coffee bar the atmosphere up there was was relaxed and calm, very conducive to learning.

Coffee-Cocktails Workshop

My workshop instructor, or “Coffee Guide” as they are called at Lacàph was Quan, featured in the main picture of this post. Apparently I had picked an unpopular day and time, because I ended up being the only person at the workshop.

Quan started the workshop with an explanation of the ingredients we would be using, while serving me a Vietnamese-Gin and Tonic, and an introduction to the two cocktails of the workshop: Cà Phê Mít and Phở Fizz.

The first cocktail he taught me to make was the Cà Phê Mít. The base of the cockatil is Vietnamese Phin Coffee, made from their Lacàph Phin Blend beans. Then comes a jackfruit infusion, followed by Sampan Rhum from the Distillerie d’Indochine near Hoi An (which you can also tour*). The mix is topped off with a ginger soda they make in-house and decorated with fresh mint and dried jackfruit.

While I savoured my first (well, second) cocktail Quan put on a short film about Lacàph coffee, their farms, their selection process and finally their roasting process. They have won awards for their coffee beans!

Next was the Phở Fizz cocktail. As the name suggests the cocktail is inspired by beef noodle soup. Cascara Tea is the base of this cocktail, a tea made from coffee cherry husks, which I had only encountered once before – 2023 at a roastery in Hoi An. Back then I wasn’t a big fan, but that didn’t stop me from fully diving in to this new experience. Lady Triệu Mekong Delta Dry Gin is the alcohol of choice for this cocktail, a gin made entirely from Vietnamese herbs and in Vietnam (only the juniper berries have to imported due to the climate). To add sweetness we used Coffee Blossom Honey – also made by Lacàph. Somewhere in there was an infusion of traditional Pho spices, as well as in the garnish of mint, lime and chili.

The cocktails had a bit more alcohol in them than I thought, which lead me to have a slice of honeycomb cake with coconut milk in the café space downstairs. And I am glad it did, as it was delicious! Not too sweet, a lovely texture and the coconut milk added a nice creaminess.

I also got a great recommendation for a place to eat at: Phở Phú Vương, which is nearby and serves hearty beef soup.

How to book the Shake & Savor: Coffee-Cocktails Workshop

The Shake & Savor: Coffee-Cocktails Workshop is one of three workshops at Lacàph, the other two being about Vietnamese Coffee & Culture and Vietnamese Egg Coffee. You can book the workshop directly online here on GetYourGuide*, on TripAdvisor* or klook*.

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Workshop Location

The Mini Lionhead Workshop took place at Huê Sắc – The Huế Café in Ho Chi Minh City. The café is designed with Huê City in mind and reminded me a lot of my time there. Since I was a little too early I had a sesame based iced drink and waited for the other participants to show up.

Mini Lionhead Workshop

We started the workshop with an introduction to lion dancing: What it is, since when does it exist, how is it different across Asian countries and what is the symbolism behind it. Then we were introduced to the artisan who teaches the crafting portion of the workshop. Vuong Giai Huan, inspired by his fathers lion dance troupe, began making mini lionhead during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Introductions out of the way it was time for the crafting. Each one of us got a mini lionhead in white, which we could then paint. If you knew what design you wanted you were free to paint it, if not they had a sheet with traditional symbols and colours, as well as their meanings available:

• Lotus Flowers / Plants = Growth
• Fire = Strength
• Waves / Water = Flexibility
• Clouds = Success

There were also several finished mini lionheads to look at for inspiration.

After the painting was done and drying it was time for the pipe cleaners (that is what we call them in German anyway). These wires, covered with colourful fluffy hairs can be bent into many shapes and easily stick to the cardboard lionhead with the help of a hot glue gun (and I only burned myself once!). I gave my lionhead yellow eyebrows and bushy ears, an orange brim and green horns. When I got stuck giving him orange whiskers Vuong stepped in and helped me shape and affix them to my lionhead; you can see it in the main post picture.

After everything had dried they wrapped the lionhead for me in a bubble-wrap so I could take it home safely. Vuong had also prepared tiny traditionally painted lionheads for everyone in the workshop to take home as a present as well.

You can book it online here on GetYourGuide* or klook*.

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Overview of a trip to Da Lat

• Where to stay in Da Lat
• What to do in Da Lat
• What to eat and drink in Da Lat
• TLDR, show me a map with everything important

Where to stay in Da Lat

When I planned my stay in Da Lat I picked a small apartment with a kitchenette to save on food costs. Although the place had great reviews I found it lacking on all fronts except safety. I did feel safe from intruders outside, but the amount of different bugs and the mouldy and rank smell I had to deal with inside made me cancel the stay halfway through.

Slightly panicked I researched a new place to stay and saw on booking.com that the place that had been my second choice still had availability. So I hopped on a Grab Motorbike Taxi, asked about the room rates and the following day (that night I was staying on a coffee farm) the dad of the family that runs the Da Lat Stream Hotel* came to pick me and all my luggage up for free. I stayed in an inner room which was quite humid (not their fault, it was the beginning of rainy season), but it was also very quiet, which was amazing.

You can cross-reference them against other hotels:

What to do in Da Lat

If you aren’t looking for a romantic getaway, but still want to explore Da Lat and the surrounding countryside here are some other things you can do on your trip.

Explore Da Lat with a local

If possible I always try to spend a day with a local in any new place, nobody knows their city as someone who has grown up in it after all. In Da Lat I met Anna, who offers a tour of Da Lat on AirBnB Experiences. I had a lot of fun with Anna, walking through the town at sunset and hearing about culture, agriculture, food and drinks of Da Lat. We went to many places and had delicious food I haven’t had anywhere in Vietnam before. My favourite was the “Vietnamese Pizza”. It was an excellent start to my time in Da Lat! It felt like I was exploring the town with a friend

Palaces, Museums and the French Quarter

Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam had palaces built in Da Lat, or took over the villas of rich French colonialists. Those palaces were used for living and working in Da Lat. Two of these palaces, located in and around the French Quarter of Da Lat, can be visited today.

Bao Dai Palace 1

The Palace 1, formerly the villa of a French millionaire colonialist, is located at 01 Tran Quang Dieu Street, Ward 10, Dalat City. This palace is built in the style of French country houses around 1930. The area around the palace is 60 hectares wide and covered by flower gardens, sculptures, stables and a lush pine forest.

After the reign of Bao Dai, while Ngo Dinh was President of the Republic of Vietnam the Palace was used by him and expanded with tunnels and working rooms for more personnel and military officers. The palace was used as the resort for the heads of state until 1975. In 2014 the palace was renovated and restored to how it looked during Bai Dai’s reign.

Bao Dai Summer Palace 3

The third Palace, built in the art deco style, is also known as the summer palace and located at 01 Trieu Viet Vuong Street, Ward 4, Dalat City. This Summer Palace was used by King Bao Dai and his family to live in and work in when visiting Da Lat. This palace felt way more living- and family-orientated, with different bedrooms for the emperor, the empress (4th picture), the crown prince (first picture) and the couples four other kids. The kitchen (3rd picture) was also very big and set up to cater to a family and guests.

Lam Dong Museum

The museum of the province Lam Dong is situated in it’s capital city Da Lat. It is a general museum covering local history, science and art with over 15,000 artifacts in it’s exhibitions:

• Nature of the Lam Dong Province
• Da Lat then and now
• Archaeological findings in Lam Dong
• Typical cultural features of indigenous people: Mạ, Cơ Ho, Cho Ro
• Lam Dong Province during French Colonization and the war for independence
• Lam Dong Province during and after the US-Vietnam war
• The “Thousand Flowers of Dalat” with typical flowers of Da Lat such as Roses, Hydrangeas, Orchids, Lilies, etc. preserved by Japanese technology

Da Lat Train Station

Da Lat Train Station is Vietnam’s oldest railway station and dates back to Vietnam’s colonial past. Even though it is not an active part of the national railway anymore, there is still a vintage train departing from it several times a day.

Architecturally, the building itself is a mix of old French railway stations and traditional Vietnamese communal houses. Its three triangular roofs were modelled after the three peaks of the nearby mountain Langbiang.

Domaine de Marie

The Domaine de Marie is a church made out of pink limestone in Da Lat. Like the train station it combines French and Vietnamese architecture. It is an active Catholic convent with a nunnery that provides schooling for local children, but it is also a popular picture spot for tourists and locals alike.

French Quarter

During the colonial time of French rule over Vietnam Da Lat was hailed as a tourist destination. Many rich French people had villas built within a pine forest on a mountain slope, providing a calm atmosphere while still offering great views of the valley. Today the view is mostly gone, since the city of Da Lat has expanded into the French Quarter as well, but the architecture of the villas still reminds of the old times.

Canyoning and Alpine Coaster

If you are the type to seek an adrenaline rush instead of history and calm culture (not looking down on either, I do both) you can go on the 2,4 km long alpine coaster that takes you from the parking lot to the Datanla Waterfalls main area or go canyoning (including rappelling, abseiling and using a waterfall with a raging current as as water slide) within the same waterfall system.

Both are thrilling experiences that will get your blood rushing. But along the way, you also get to see breathtaking nature and bond with the other people in the group. More about it here: Canyoning in Da Lat.

Check-In at a photo op

One of the most popular things to do in Da Lat is to check in at a photo op park, or visit certain spots in the town which are set up as the ideal photo backgrounds. People flock to these places in crowds, dressed up and even queue for the chance of taking the perfect picture.

Lam Vien Square is one of those picture spots in the city, with two illuminated modern glass buildings the area on the banks of Xuan Huong Lake get crowded in the late afternoon. Other check in parks include Mongo Land (a theme park with photo ops, giant slides and picnic spots), Da Lat Mushroom Village (a farm/theme-park around mushrooms), Da Lat Lumiere* (a light and art installation) and many others.

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Da Lat is also called “the city of flowers“, after a government effort to increase local and foreign tourism to the city. While I was there most flowers weren’t in bloom yet, but depending on when you go they might be. Here is a current list of the flower gardens of Da Lat.

Take a self guided tour to the Truc Lam Monastery and the Clay Tunnels

The area around Tuyen Lam Lake south of Da Lat is a perfect day tour destination. Reachable from the city by the Da Lat Cable Car this scenic landscape has something for everyone: breathtaking nature, panoramic views across the lake, the beautifully restored Truc Lam Buddhist Monastery, options for kayaking or SUP, check in photo parks and an open air art gallery in the form of the Clay Tunnel.

You can explore most of this area in half a day to a day and you don’t need to book a tour to do it, more on that here: Self guided tour to the Clay Tunnels and Truc Lam Monastery

Overnight farmstay in the Gia Lâm Commune

On AirBnB I found a farm stay that offered a one-day experience with an overnight stay included: Elon Farm. I messaged them and after talking to Jenny I decided to book a day with her at the farm. I got the experience of the full process of growing coffee, processing the coffee beans, roasting coffee and making several delicious cups of coffee with her.

After a family style lunch we rode bicycles around the village and Jenny showed me a silkworm farm and silk factory, we stopped at the nearby Linh Ẩn Pagoda for sunset and ventured up close to the Elephant Waterfall.

More details about it here: Elon Farm – Experiencing Coffee and exploring the Gia Lâm Commune

What to eat and drink in Da Lat

Da Lat has another nickname: “the city of eternal spring”, since it is a mountain town with mostly temperate climate. Surrounded by many different farms and plantations Da Lat has developed a rich cuisine that is quite different from the rest of Vietnam.

I linked all of the mentioned foods in the map at the end of the blogpost.

Something you will find all over the city and in many different forms and variations are Xiu Mai = Meatballs. My favourite version was Banh Mi Xiu Mai: Baguette with xiu mai and egg. Another version is Baguette served with the meatballs in a broth with, pork skin and Vietnamese pork ham.

You can also find Xiu Mai in the sauce for Banh Can = Mini Pancakes, similar in the cooking method to the Dutch Poffertjes, with different savoury fillings. I tried Banh Can with egg and with egg and beef at different places. The pancakes themselves weren’t that different from each other, but the sauce is usually a family recipe and can change the overall taste of the dish drastically.

Baked rice paper (banh trang nuong): This is a savory snack made by grilling a thin rice paper topped with a variety of ingredients, including minced meat, dried shrimp, sausage, scallions, and herbs. This crispy, savory, and slightly sweet snack is perfect for enjoying on the go.

With many avocados growing around the city Da Lat is one of the prime spots for Kem bơ = avocado ice cream. You can get it from many street food vendors or at the market, there it’s usually mixed with milk or coconut cream, like at Thanh Thao Dalat. At Chạm, an ice cream chain from Da Lat, the avocado ice cream is made from only avocado, served with different toppings like caramelized coconut, avocado slices, clear boba and milk foam.

Mulberry is another fruit that is grown in large quantities around Da Lat. While the leaves are used to feed silkworms the berries are made into jam, juice or preserved in sugar. Something I’ve seen here a lot in cafes is mulberry yoghurt.

Da Lat is also home to not one but two big milk enterprises: Da Lat Milk Joint Stock Company and Vinamilk. The milk from here is sold all over the country and is internationally certified. From this milk the famous Da Lat Yoghurt is made. It is sweet, without added sweeteners and a lot firmer than Yoghurts you are used from from the EU or USA.

Steamed thin rice pancake (banh uot): This special kind of pancake is made by steaming a slightly fermented rice batter on a cloth that is stretched over a pot of boiling water. These thin rice pancakes are often eaten with fish sauce, fried shallots, and cha lua (Vietnamese pork sausage).

Da Lat Wine is sold all over the country and comes in three variations: Dalat wine – Premium, Dalat Red Wine and Dalat White Wine. It is less intense and less sour in flavour than the French versions and goes very well with heavy foods.

It almost seems wrong to write this, but one thing you have to eat in Da Lat is French Toast. At Trangs Cookery, a restaurant specializing in all day Breakfast and a small number of hand picked Western dishes I had one of the best French Toast in the world. It was so good I went there five times in total during my two weeks in Da Lat.

What began 2010 as “planting, processing and trying to sell the green coffee beans” flourished into La Viet Coffee over the following years. Roasting their beans inhouse, this Da Lat based Coffee Roastery and Café now sells speciality coffee all over the world and has five locations all over the country. At La Viet you can try different coffee blends with different brewing methods, or choose from their menu of cold brew cocktails (coffee instead of alcohol) like a Mulberry Lemon Cold Brew or innovative coffee drinks like Lavender Milk Coffee.

Map to Explore Da Lat

How to read the map: The map has three layers: Basics, To Do (nature spots, pagodas and churches, historic buildings and museums, photo-spots and shopping opportunities) and Food & Drink (street vendors, restaurants and cafes). You can open the menu on the top left and choose the layers of the map.

You can save the map to your Google Maps for your trip to Da Lat by clicking here.

Der Beitrag Explore Da Lat – Between tourism and agriculture erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

Da Lat Cable Car

Taking the cable car from Robin Hill in the south of Da Lat City to Truc Lam Monastery is the best way to reach your destination, while enjoying great views of the valley below.

Opened in 2003 this 2.267 meter long Cable Car is equipped with capsules of different colours, holding up to four people. In comparison to the Fansipan or Ba Na Hills Cable car it doesn’t feel very modern, but that creates a “retro” feeling while you are riding it.

You can easily reach the Cable Car station by a Grab taxi, then buy a round trip ticket. The round trip ticket is cheaper than two single tickets. Once you reach the top station you exit, take the stairs to the right and exit right in front of:

Truc Lam Buddhist Monastery

In the 1990s Vietnamese government started to invest in the restoration of Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen School and Truc Lam Zen Monastery. The complex was opened in 1994 and pagoda has since been working on combining different Zen schools in the world into Vietnamese culture and Vietnamese Zen. It is still an active monastery, despite being a tourist destination at the same time.

Usually the monks and nuns stay in the internal area of the complex, but I did have the pleasure of meeting one of the monks in the monasteries public library. We talked a bit about my country of origin, Germany, as well as Vietnam and the spread of religion in both countries.

The name “Truc Lam” means “Bamboo Forest”, which is fitting since the monastery is surrounded by over 20 hectars of protected forest.

Crossing Tuyen Lam Lake

Tuyen Lam Lake is a man made lake, created as a reservoir covering an area of 350 hectars. There are kayaking and SUP tours you can book to explore the lake, but a walk around the lake to its many viewpoints is also a popular activity, especially during sunset.

You can also book a motorboat to take a tour on the lake. The price of the boat depends on the number of people, so it is better to find others to take the tour with. By yourself you’d pay 400k for the boat. With one more person each will only pay 200k. If you don’t want to just cruise over the water for 30 minutes you also have the option to use the boat to get from point A to point B. We went from the Monastery to the Clay Tunnel, paid the boat captain 200k to wait for us for an hour, then went back to the Monastery from where we took the cable car back.

Clay Tunnel

Best known on social media for one specific art piece (two stone heads, facing each other, surrounded by greenery and looking out over a small lake – the title picture) the Clay Tunnel has more than 200 sculptures made from clay.

The park is divided into different areas: history of Da Lat, landmarks of the city and province, local animals, war planes, trains and motorbikes. At the end of the park, it’s newest addition, you’ll find the “Covid-19 park”, with many sculptures relating to the pandemic.

Is the Clay Tunnel worth a visit?

I’d say yes if you

1. like taking pictures,
2. like sclptures or
3. are interested in different art forms and how a culture represents itself through it.

If neither is the case, skip this attraction.

Should you go on a tour or visit the Clay Tunnel by yourself?

I recommend doing this tour by yourself, it’s both cheaper than picking a countryside tour or booking a driver for a day (since you’d have to pay the driver and the admission tickets) and you can take as much time at each destination as you like.

• 32k for the Grab taxi to the Cable Car
• 150k for the round trip Cable Car ride
• Free admission to the Monastery
• 200k for the boat ride
• 100k for the boat to wait for you
• 120k admission to the Clay Tunnel
• 32k for the Grab taxi back to the city

634k VND ~ 23,5 €, I haven’t found a tour online that covers the same places, only countryside tours and those start at 41€.

Der Beitrag Self guided tour to the Clay Tunnel and Truc Lam Monastery erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.