Vietnam has always been more laid back compared to its Southeast Asian counterparts. However, budget travel options and an economic revolution has opened Vietnam to a steadily increasing flow of tourists from all over the world. It has indeed awaken from its sleep!

Ho Chi Minh, the oriental capital city of Vietnam, is a beautiful city which remains to be discovered by many. The architecture of Vietnam has some French influence to it, considering its rich history with its European ties. Visiting this city requires a lot of walking and lead inhalation. The latter is because of the main mode of transportation in the country, namely, motorcycles. Only one lane is given to vehicles. The rest is dedicated to motorbikes alone.

Handicrafts are a plenty in this Asian jewel. You will find exquisite wood laquer articles, embroidered linens for the dining and living room, hand-carved wooden clogs, dazzling and colorful embroidered and beaded bags, and many more! A huge and famous market called Ben Thanh Market is a place where products from all around the country of Vietnam are displayed, (at tourist prices of course).

The food is always served fresh in Vietnam. Its leafy greens are one of the freshest you will ever find in the world! The most famous dish in Vietnam is the beef noodle soup called “pho”. You must not leave Vietnam without trying it!

A variety of accommodations are available to any travel guest in Vietnam. There are unbelievably cheap hostels that can be booked for less than US $20 a night. That rate is already good for two people. The room size is large for hostel standards. A famous and popular five-star hotel is the New World. It is located very near to the Ben Thanh Market and considering it is a five-star hotel, the rates are suprisingly three- or four-star only.