What’s It Really Like to Spend Your First Day in Saigon?

On my first day in Vietnam, I woke up to flowers in the hotel lobby—at first thinking it was for a wedding, but it turned out to be a funeral. The day began with a taxi ride to meet my friend for lunch, giving me my first real impressions of Ho Chi Minh City—still called Saigon by many, especially at the airport (SGN). The heat was intense, and the sheer number of motorbikes was staggering, yet the traffic was surprisingly organized. We enjoyed fresh seafood, beer, and local flavors before I checked into a riverside hotel with breathtaking Mekong River views. I explored the city on foot, noticing its cleanliness, patriotic decorations celebrating 50 years of independence, and European-style walkability. From local shops with cheap clothing to landmarks like the War Museum, opera house, and bustling nightlife streets, the city felt alive day and night. My evening ended with friends at a rooftop bar overlooking the city—a perfect wrap-up to a day in this vibrant, welcoming, and endlessly fascinating place.

🎵 Music BG credits:
Summer Madness by Roa | https://roa-music.com
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Dirty Thinkin' by Michael Ramir C. | https://mixkit.co/free-stock-music/

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