5 Best Districts to Live in Ho Chi Minh City (By an Expat)

Inside Japan Town in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
I moved to Vietnam from the USA in 2018. I first lived in Da Nang, then in Ho Chi Minh City. I’ve lived in five different districts in ...
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15 Best Hidden Gems in Ho Chi Minh City (By an Expat)

Sunset outside the People's Committee Building in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, showing the yellow French colonial building and some pigeons on the road in front of me
Living in Ho Chi Minh City in 2018, 2019, and again in 2023 and 2024, I discovered many lesser-known places throughout the city. Since riding a motorbike to ...
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14 Best Budget Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City: A Local’s Guide With Map

The entrance to Victory Hotel Saigon in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, showing the all-white hotel, cars, motorbikes, and signage
Using my years of experience living in Vietnam, I’ve written several guides on hotels in Ho Chi Minh City. I’ve covered everything from luxury hotels to hotels in ...
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24 Best Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City: A Local’s Guide With Map

Outside one of the best hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, the Park Hyatt Saigon, showing the giant, all-white hotel, with taxis, trees, and motorbikes
I consider several things when recommending a hotel to family or friends visiting Vietnam. Because I’ve lived in Ho Chi Minh City, I know where these hotels are. I know ...
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15 Best 5-Star Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City: A Local’s Guide With Map

The Ho Chi Minh City Opera House on the left and the five-star Caravelle Hotel Saigon on the right in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
In my articles covering the best hotels in District 1 and District 3, I touched on a handful of the best 5-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City. ...
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Saigon Uncovered: 7 Best Areas to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City skyline from a coffee shop rooftop in Binh Thanh District, showing the Landmark 81 skyscraper and the City Garden apartment complex
I’m an American expat living in Vietnam. Before living in Phu Nhuan District, I lived in three other districts in Ho Chi Minh City: District 8, which is ...
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How to Rent an Apartment in Ho Chi Minh City (An Expat’s Guide)

The Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal, viewed from my apartment in Phu Nhuan District in Ho Chi Minh City
While living in Vietnam, I’ve rented nearly a dozen apartments. I have lived in several parts of Da Nang and four different districts in Ho Chi Minh City. ...
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The 7 Places I Buy Gym Supplements in Ho Chi Minh City

A shaker cup, protein powder and other gym supplements found in Ho Chi Minh City
My first gym in Da Nang in 2018 was a small, open-air gym with no windows, just a small waist-high gate guarding the rusty equipment. I think I ...
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9 Best Places to Eat Ramen in Ho Chi Minh City (By an Expat)

Japanese ramen, eggs, pork, and seaweed paper from Daiichi Ramen in Japan Town, Ho Chi Minh City.
Having been in Southeast Asia since 2018, I am embarrassed to say that it wasn’t until the spring of 2023 that I first tried ramen. Real ramen, that is. ...
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8 Best Pizza Places in Ho Chi Minh City (By an Expat)

BBQ Chicken Pizza from Pizza & Bia in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Article Featured Image.
Buongiorno! Somewhere in the land of amore, where the sun-drenched vineyards meet the cobblestone streets, doughy delight was just flung into the air, composing a symphony of flour ...
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