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Vietnamese Coffee is famous all over the world for tasting bold and rich with an intense flavor.  Escaping the heat of Saigon by sitting down with colleagues or friends to drink iced coffee is a large part of Vietnamse culture. If you’re exploring Vietnam and want to sip on Vietnamese Coffee, I’m recommending that you sit down in a local cafe instead of purchasing from street side vendors. Cafe’s will hold a higher standard of quality for their coffee than a street vendor.

Is it safe to drink coffee in Vietnam? Yes, drinking coffee in Vietnam is extremely safe and million cups of coffee are being sold everyday. There is a black mark on the coffee industry in Vietnam though, as recently as 2018 there have been coffee suppliers caught using artificial ingredients in their ground coffee. I’m going to discuss what to be on the lookout for to avoid any suspicious or dangerous coffee drinks or beans.

Why is Vietnamese coffee so famous?

Vietnam is the second largest coffee producing country in the world, and coffee is one of the main drinks of Vietnamese people. With a number of popular coffee brands, local coffee shops, and numerous self-employed vendors on every corner, a cup of coffee is never far away when you are wandering around.

One of the most eye catching parts of coffee culture in Vietnam is Phin filter coffee. Locals leisurely enjoy their morning while waiting for coffee to drip through a filter, sipping it away, reading a newspaper, or gossiping. Phin filter coffee always occupies an important place in Vietnamese people’s hearts, it represents a lot of memories and traditions for Vietnamese.

What is the risk when drinking coffee in Vietnam?

When Vietnamese people don’t have time to sit back at a coffee shop, they run down to a cafe on the street and quickly grab a cup of coffee to take away. If you’re a person who enjoys discovering local culture, drinking coffee at the street vendors might be an interesting experience. However, the concern here is, where are you purchasing the coffee? In poorer and more rural areas of Vietnam, you may expose yourself to poor quality coffee that you may want to avoid. Sometimes the quality of the coffee may be covered up with the amount of Sweet Condensed milk that is being put into the coffee. With all of this being said, If you are staying in the main busy areas of places like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hoi An, and other major cities, everything should be okay.

Tips for Buying Coffee on the Street

Don’t buy from small vendors who only serve to Tourists. They don’t care about repeat customers, so If they are not providing quality coffee, no one is going to be able to complain about it in a way that will warn other travelers.

Follow the locals, if you see locals sitting and drinking coffee at a vendor, you will usually be okay.

Avoid purchasing anything from street vendors if you are in poorer areas of Vietnam, meaning very rural areas that lack education or proper hygiene.

A few famous local coffee brands that you should give a try!

Trung Nguyen Coffee, Highlands Coffee, The Coffee House, Cong Ca Phe, Phuc Long Coffee & Tea are all very popular local coffee brands that I recommend you try for a safe cup of coffee. If you are hesitant about the hygiene standards of cafe vendors on the streets, drinks from the mentioned labels above are a good idea.

How to bring Vietnamese coffee home?

After you fall in love with Vietnamese Coffee, you might want to take some home for yourself or as a souevenir. The brands I mentioned above sell clean coffee beans and ground coffee that you can purchase. With ground coffee and a phin filter kit, you can easily make a cup of coffee Vietnamese style at home to impress everyone after your trip. These brands have distributed their products throughout major cities in the country, so that finding their stores when travelling here is pretty easy.

Some coffee styles that you should not miss!

Vietnamese usually drink 2 main types of coffee: iced black coffee called “ca phe den da”, and milk coffee called “ca phe sua da”. Iced black coffee consists of brewed coffee with strong and bitter flavor, same as expresso. Adding a little sugar would make it taste more delicious, but you can drink it without sugar. Milk coffee is a mix of black coffee and sweet condensed milk.  The taste is sweet, silky, and strong.

Saigon and Hanoi locals have their own special coffee styles that you can not find anywhere else in the world. If you are a person who has a sweet tooth, “bac xiu” of Saigon is worthy of trying. With the main ingredients are milk and condensed milk, just a little of coffee, it is sweeter than “ca phe sua da” and has its own unique taste. In Hanoi, egg coffee called “ca phe trung” is a signature of Hanoi coffee culture. This is a cup combined of egg whites whipped with condensed milk, black coffee, and is drunk while still hot. Egg Coffee is almost like a dessert so it might make for a nice after lunch wake up treat.

If you want to drink one more Vietnamese cafe-style, coconut coffee is an option that should not be ignored. Coconut coffee is called “ca phe sua dua”, made of black coffee, condensed milk and coconut milk over ice. I recommend the best place to try it is Cong Ca Phe - one of the most popular local coffee labels in Vietnam.

Iced Coffee?

One of the more serious risks that should concern you when drinking coffee in Vietnam is ice quality used in making coffee at street vendors, so I recommend you to drink it at the local shops. If you want to know more about safety tips, check out the article we wrote about

Vietnamese coffee culture with different styles of coffee from South to North will never leave you disappointed when giving it a try. You will be surprised and won’t regret it!

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  Vietnamese Jicama Roll, Bò Bía

The little brother of the famous Vietnamese Spring Roll a.k.a Goi Cuon, Bo Bia is one of the easiest snacks to find when walking down the street of Ho Chi Minh City. This spring roll packs a unique punch of flavor and texture in comparison. With rice paper on the outside, Jicama, Beef Sausage, Dried Shrimp, fried egg, fried shallots, and multiple herbs on the inside this little roll is not to be missed.

You can find this served with a peanut dipping sauce, don’t forget to add the chili for that added heat.

Vietnamese Rice Paper Salad with Dried Beef, Bánh Tráng Trộn

The question “What is your favorite Vietnamese Food?” is a staple during our Interview process at Back of the Bike Tours. Eighty percent of the time I am given the quick and enthusiastic answer of, “Banh Trang Tron!”

Like so many other dishes in culinary history, this dish started out just trying to solve a problem. What to do with all of that scrap rice paper? Well, make a salad out of it! Using thin strips of rice paper to compose the bulk of the salad, Dried beef, Dried Shrimp, Quail egg, Vietnamese Hot Mint, Julienned Green Mango, toasted peanuts, and fried shallots are tossed together with a loose, dark, sweetened soy sauce with kumquat juice.

After being thoroughly mixed, it’s tossed into a bag with disposable chopsticks shoved inside.

This concoction is a fun texture experience and bursting with a great combination of flavors. This dish is great for accenting the strong and unique flavor of Vietnamese Dried Beef.

Quail fried in Butter, Cút Chiên Bơ

It’s not difficult to miss the man on the street corner with a rotisserie over open flames. What might be difficult to miss is the small birds that are strung through the poles roasting over the flame. Every few minutes, the quail vendor will brush these little birdies with his own oil or butter mixture that will usually contain a dried herb and spices to add a unique flavor to each vendors quail.

These quail can be taken to a whole another level when they are deep-fried in sweet butter and served with a baguette. Fried Quail will normally come with pickles, Vietnamese Hot Mint, and Cucumber as an accompaniment to the dish.

Some might be grossed out by the serving of the quail head still attached to the neck. No worries, it has a great pop to it when you take it in one bite.

Pork and Pork Sausage Skewers, Heo Nướng - Hồ Lô Nướng

  Grilled pork over an open fire! Count me in! These meat skewers are a great pre-game to hold you over before dinner.

Heo Nuong, Marinated Pork Skewers, find an excellent balance between chewy and tender. Pork comes into the markets around 4 AM here in Saigon. That is when the pork shoulder is purchased, then cut, and marinated for 6-8 hours in a mixture of honey and sesame seeds.

Holo Nuong, Sweet Pork Sausage balls, can’t help but leave a smile on your face when your teeth pop the roasted casing on the outside to find yourself enjoying a great balance of fat and sugar that is mixed into the sausage. Named for its resemblance of a round squash, these sweet morsels of meat are typically found in Southern Vietnam.

Don’t miss the chili sauce and pickles that are a necessity in balancing out the rich meaty flavor. Also, a nice cold beer goes quite well. Try it out on our food tours in Ho Chi Minh City on your next visit.

Grilled Vietnamese Rice Paper, Banh Tráng Nướng

Hailing from the mountain area of Dalat and one of the newest to arrive in the food scene of Ho Chi Minh City, Banh Trang Nuong, has been dubbed the “Vietnamese Pizza”. Here are the basics for almost every Banh Tranh Nuong, Rice paper, open flame, egg, and cheese. Top this with anything from Dried beef, green onions, spicy chicken, or even take the desert approach and try some banana. This crispy snack is being served in little restaurants or right on the street so it isn't hard to miss.

If you are interested in then be sure to check out our, if you are looking to check out a specific food in Vietnam then ask about our private tours and chefs tours!

Ho Chi Minh Food Tour

You have just arrived at your hotel or resort from a super long flight to Vietnam, they greet you with a nice glass of juice or tea. But Wait! There is ice in it! Can I drink this ice? Oh no, you are so thirsty though! What do you do?

Can I Drink Ice in Vietnam? Yes, most of the ice you will encounter is clean and you will be able to drink it. There are two types of ice in Vietnam and one of them isn’t filtered and should not be drunk. As a customer, you will rarely ever encounter this type of ice. This is for commercial use only, and not for drinking. Most Restaurants, Hotels, and even street vendors will not serve dirty ice to customers, this would be really bad for their business as everyone, even local Vietnamese, can not drink dirty ice.

That’s why a company like Back of the Bike Tours exists providing Vietnamese food tours so we can navigate our customers to safe and hygienic eating places.

How do you Avoid Dirty Ice in Vietnam?

There isn’t a 100% guarantee that you can avoid ice that is a bit dirty from being mishandled, for example. I’m talking about a bag of ice that is put on the ground for a minute or some lady scooping ice with a dirty hand. Will that bit of mishandling make you incredibly sick? I highly doubt it.

As a traveller, you need to be concerned about a vendor or restaurant who is grossly mishandling their ice or purchasing from an unreliable source to save money. If it’s a hygiene problem and safety issue, then that isn’t the ice’s fault and you can’t avoid that 100% of the time no matter what you do, even in Western Countries.

The common sense approach to this is going to be thinking about it logically. Which type of vendor or restaurant is trying to save such a small amount of money and risk their reputation by serving dirty ice? These are going to be street food vendors serving a very cheap meal in a very poor area or a failing restaurant that is being mismanaged. If you eat in popular busy restaurants, street food vendors, cafes, and hotels that aren’t located in very rural poor areas, You aren’t going to be at much risk of getting contaminated Ice. These places will not risk their reputation for such an easily solved problem.

How does Ice become Contaminated or “Dirty”?

A lot of quality inspections are carried out regularly by the food and safety authorities but dirty ice cannot be completely controlled and prevented from being served to customers across Vietnam.

Contamination can occur at the source used to make the ice, the packaging process, the transportation of the ice, or the distribution. That is a lot of moving parts to control in a developing country like Vietnam. As long as a vendor or restaurant are purchasing the right type of ice, a risk of serious contamination is still rather low as the reputation of so many are on the line to deliver a safe product to customers.

What does clean ice look like?

While there’s no way to be 100% certain that the ice you consume in Vietnam is safe for health, there are a ton of safe and qualified ice manufacturers. A big safety tip with ice is to look out for commercially made ice with cylindrical  shape and a hole in it. Generally speaking, this type of ice is the safest, costliest to produce, to store, and to preserve. Only large manufacturers having more modern machines can produce it.

This type of ice is usually found at large “beer restaurants” where it is common to drink beer over ice. It can also be found in coffee shops and restaurants perfect to drink with juice and coffee.

The other type of clean ice you will commonly come across will be the small “chips” of ice. These are commonly found in Ice Coffee, Juice, and Tea as well.

What Kind of Ice in Vietnam should I be Wary of or Avoid Completely?

Large blocks of ice that get broken into smaller pieces. This is where you are gonna see your biggest issues. If you are at a vendor or restaurant who looks like they are breaking up giant chunks of ice, perhaps you can avoid it. 99% of the time, you would probably be okay. If you are easily susceptible to getting sick though, it may not be worth the risk.

These big chunks of ice are the cheapest and easiest to make, so these companies are probably not hiring the most astute employees. Which is where you might come across more of likelihood of some type of contamination.

Another tip is to look at the color. From the outside, if the ice shows signs of slightly turbid color and contains many bubbles, strange smell, it is dirty ice. Purified ice, on the other hand, has a clear crystal-like color, without any strange smell or residue.

Can I drink Ice Safely in Restaurants and Hotels in Vietnam?

Restaurants, Hotels, and even local restaurants aren’t going to serve you dirty ice. At least not on purpose, there would need to be a major mismanagement of the ice in order for it to be contaminated in a way that would make someone sick. These large companies would not dare risk their brand, and smaller mom and pop owned restaurants would not risk their livelihood.

When contamination does occur at a restaurant or hotel, it isn’t going to be from someone buying dirty ice, it would be contamination coming from staff most likely not the water source.

Iced Tea is everywhere, should I drink it?

In Vietnam, the water is sometimes replaced by a light tea called “Tra da” in Vietnamese. It is a popular drink usually served with street food for free.

I have never had a problem from drinking ice tea from cafes, restaurants, or even street food vendors. This does come down to common sense though, if you think a restaurant or vendor is a little too dirty or slow, don’t feel bad about not drinking the tea they offer. Iced Coffee is huge in Vietnam as well, check out this article about drinking and buying safe coffee in Vietnam if you want to learn more.

If after all this information you still feel skeptical, that is totally okay. It is your trip so you should do the best you can to enjoy it without any concerns. Simply, tell the waiter or waitress to serve you drinks without ice. In Vietnamese, that would be “Khong Da”.

You are being a smart traveler asking great questions about food safety and hygiene. Check us out if you want to know more about our Vietnam Travel Tips.

Overall, being prepared is the best tip for travelling to anywhere including Vietnam. After reading this guide about Ice in Vietnam, I hope that you feel more comfortable and ready for your trip to my beautiful country. If you find our tips helpful, please feel free to share our article so that other travelers can gain some local knowledge and feel even more confident about their future trip as well!

Vietnam Travel More Information

While it is quite easy for anyone to look up on TripAdvisor or Agoda for the best hotels in Saigon (and get some great deals), we have decided this time to search some accommodations here that stands out (to us) for their decor and style. As always, this is purely based on our team's opinion and this is not a sponsored post by any of the hotels mentioned below. Check out the video for the best boutique hotels here and scroll down for the list of addresses:

Our Best Boutique Hotels:

#5 L'Odeon, 63-65, Lê Văn Thiêm Street, District 7

#4 Town House 50, 50 Bùi Thị Xuân, Bến Thành District

#3 Cinnamon Hotel Saigon, 74 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành District

#2 The Alcove, 133A Nguyễn Đình Chính, Phú Nhuận District

#1 I Am Vietnam, 30/57B Nguyen Cuu Van Street, Bình Thạnh District.

Are you planning to stay at one of these boutique Hotels in HCMC? Which one did you choose?

Check Out More

Back in May, Our team and I had the chance to go on a custom History tour with a man from the UK named Tim Doling. Tim’s knowledge of Historic Vietnam may be unparalleled by any foreigner living in Vietnam. Researching into some of the most historical figures, architecture, railways, and history of Vietnam, Tim will blow you away on his Historic Walking Tour of Ho Chi Minh City or Cho Lon.

  When meeting with Tim, we had the chance to sit down over coffee and discuss the details of Historic Vietnam starting around the 1600’s into the 1950’s with the exit of the French from Vietnam.

  This chance to jump into your imagination and experience Saigon in the past is one that has stuck with me since. It has changed the way I even drive down the street. Now my eyes are constantly darting to the sides looking for old architecture that I might have driven by thousands of times before but never realized.

  This has also led to a major shift into our City Tours here at Back of the Bike Tours. Armed with new knowledge from an excellent Historian we were able to adapt some of the things we learned working with Tim Doling to help us create what we feel must be the best City Tour on a motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City.

  Tim has actually released a new book called “Exploring Ho Chi Minh City”. This book has 13 interesting walking tours for anyone who is interested in diving into the History and Architecture of old Ho Chi Minh City. If you are an expatriate living here in Ho Chi Minh City, please get up right now and go to the book store to purchase your copy.

  You can also contact Tim to set up a walking history tour with him on his website at www.historicvietnam.com

  As always, if you are interesting in experiencing the History and modern culture of Saigon you can check out our Morning City Tour all done with local, experienced, and professionally trained drivers. To learn even more about Ho Chi minh City explore our articles in depth!

Christmas is nearly a month away, and can be trully a magical time in Vietnam (minus the snow). If you decided to spend our favorite holiday in the South of Vietnam, make sure to check out our video on what Xmas is really like like in Saigon!

Are you spending Christmas in Vietnam? What are you going to do ?

If you are interested in then be sure to check out our, if you are looking to check out a specific area of Ho Chi Minh City then ask about our private tours!

Ho Chi Minh Things to Do

A Simple Guide for Taxi-hailing in Viet Nam

Taking a Taxi has never been a budget-friendly option for traveling around. The situation is the same in Viet Nam. However, it turns out to be a decent choice in Vietnam where the condition of the public transportation system is troublesome even in major cities. If you prefer walking to taking a vehicle, you may want to think again. The hot and humid atmosphere combined with the hustle and bustle of Viet Nam will tire you down.

  If this is your first time visiting Viet Nam, there is a big chance that you have many questions about taxi services. You may not know how to appropriately hail a taxi and wonder if the cab you are trying to catch is licensed. You are afraid of being ripped off. You want to know if it’s possible to pay for your ride by credit/debit card. So, let us show you everything you need to know about calling a taxi in Viet Nam, especially in major cities.

  We only recommend Mai Linh Taxi and Vinasun Taxi for foreigners in Viet Nam. If you have any doubt about traditional taxi services in Viet Nam, it may be a good idea to use ride-hailing apps such as Grab or GoViet.

How to Identify a Licensed Taxi?

Unlike some other places around the world, for example in New York where taxis are either yellow or green, there are many brands operating cab services in Viet Nam. Hence, there are more than just one or two uniform colors for taxis.

If the taxi you are ordering is not licensed, which means it’s illegal and unregulated by local laws, you can easily get ripped off. The authorities might not be able to help you in these scenarios.

According to laws applied to transportation service vehicles, these are the things you need to notice before getting on any taxi in Viet Nam to avoid falling into dangerous situations:

- Brand name, operating phone number, and logo of the taxi service provider on both sides of the car.

- A price chart, a working meter connected to a receipt printer, and a taxi driver’s name card on prominent display inside of the vehicle.

- An authorized taxi emblem stuck to the windshield.

- A light box that says “TAXI” standing on top of the car.

How to Know if a Taxi on the Street is Available?

If there is no passenger in the taxi between 6 PM to 6 AM, the driver is obligated to turn the lightbox on top of his vehicle on. If the light inside a cab is on, it’s available. You can feel free to hail them.

It might be frustrating to hail a taxi that looks “available” just to watch it pass by instead of stopping and picking you up. Perhaps the street is too crowded that the driver cannot turn the car towards you or they forgot to turn off the light. Please be patient and don’t get mad because it won’t happen regularly.

How to Order a Taxi in Viet Nam?

If you see an available licensed taxi on the street and want to hail it, feel free to do so since there is no specific spot for cab standing in Viet Nam. We know that hailing a taxi in the streets of Viet Nam doesn’t always bring about your desired result. Ordering one from their operators via phone might be a better option.

If you are staying in a motel, hotel or resort, ask the receptionist to order a taxi if you need one. They definitely can help overcome any language barrier.

If you want to order a taxi via phone by yourself, here is a list of the numbers of two trustworthy service providers in famous tourist cities and provinces of Viet Nam:

CITY/PROVINCE SERVICE PROVIDER PHONE NUMBER FARE (10% VAT INCLUDED) Sapa (Lao Cai) Mai Linh Taxi 1055 (national)

(0214) 376 76 76

(0214) 370 70 70

Up to 20.600VND/km Ha Noi Mai Linh Taxi 1055 (national)

(024) 38 333 333 (024) 38 222 666 (024) 38 222 555 (024) 38 616 161

Up to 20.600VND/km Hoi An Mai Linh Taxi 1055 (national)

(0510) 3 92 92 92

Up to 20.600VND/km Vinasun (0511) 3 68 68 68 Up to 16.500VND/km Da Nang Mai Linh Taxi 1055 (national)

(0236) 3 56 56 56

Up to 20.600VND/km Vinasun (0236) 3 68 68 68 Up to 16.500VND/km Hue Mai Linh Taxi 1055 (national)

(0234) 3 89 89 89

(0234) 3 82 47 47

Up to 20.600VND/km Nha Trang Mai Linh Taxi 1055 (national)

(0258) 38 38 38 38

Up to 20.600VND/km Vinasun (0258) 38 27 27 27 Up to 16.500VND/km Da Lat Mai Linh Taxi 1055 (national)

(0263) 38 38 38 38

Up to 20.600VND/km Ho Chi Minh City Mai Linh Taxi 1055 (national)

(028) 38 38 38 38

Up to 20.600VND/km Vinasun (028) 38 27 27 27 Up to 16.000VND/km Can Tho Mai Linh Taxi 1055 (national)

(0292) 3 65 65 65

Up to 20.600VND/km Vinasun (0292) 38 27 27 27 Up to 16.500VND/km

The meter begins counting when the taxi picks you up. There is a fare called “open-door-fare”. It is set approximately from 8.000VND to 15.000VND depends on the service provider and model of the car. The further your distance is, the cheaper fare-per-kilometer you have to pay. For example, Vinasun’s open-door-fare for a 5-seated Toyota Vios is 11.000VND. Then, you are charged 14.500VND/km for the first 30 kilometers, and 11.600VND/km from the 31st kilometer and beyond. There is always a price chart inside every taxi showing detailed information and fare.

There is no Uber or Lyft in Viet Nam. Instead, there are several similar ridesharing and ride service hailing networks such as Grab or GoViet for you to choose in your personal preference. They have foreseeable service fare as well as emergency reporting features thus the rides are more reasonable and safer.

How can you Pay for a Cab Ride in Viet Nam?

Drivers usually prefer cash. You can pay for your ride with credit/debit cards as well. Tipping is not a familiar manner in Viet Nam, but you can consider doing that if your trip is excellent. Drivers sometimes expect not to give back your change if it’s a small amount. If you feel irritated about it, tell them immediately.

Always Remember to Stay Aware

Before getting on any taxi, remember the number on the license plate, the taxi number glued on the windshield, or the driver’s name. If possible, take note of that information in case something dangerous happens. If you have a terrible ride or accidentally forget your belongings in the cab, providing that information to the operators can help solve your problems quickly.

You can’t fully trust registered drivers since some of them might try to rip you off by going on a detour. You could always open up Google Maps to make sure your driver isn’t taking you the long way.

Taking a Taxi is almost never going to be the most budget-friendly option. If budget isn’t your primary concern, taking a cab surely is easier and more comfortable than waiting for a bus or walking under the scorching sun. Also Taxi’s in Vietnam are most likely a lot cheaper than what you can find in other countries. We hope this article has helped you answer any questions you might have about how to call a taxi in Vietnam.

Traveling to Vietnam Helpful Tips

Ho Chi Minh City is known for crazy traffic! There are viral videos and photos all over the internet that show the chaotic dance of traffic happening here everyday. Walking across the street in Ho Chi Minh City seems intimidating to some travelers. Never fear the taxi cab is here!

As a person who has been living in this city for years, I would recommend calling Mai Linh Taxi (028) 38 38 38 38, VinaSun Taxi (028) 38 27 27 27 , or booking via the Grab application. This post is a complete guide to traveling with taxis happily and safely in Ho Chi Minh City. I’ve crafted all you need to know about what brands to use and how to contact them.

What Taxi Brand should I ride with in Ho Chi Minh City?

When visiting Ho Chi Minh City, you should only ride in Mai Linh and Vinasun Taxi Cabs. They are the oldest and most trustworthy brands in Vietnam. If you are still nervous about riding a taxi cab there are alternatives digital brands for you to choose. Go with Grab or Goviet. These are popular brands here that are used daily.

Here are my useful tips for you to recognize these brands, how to book a taxi, how to reach customer service, and what to do if you lost something in your taxi. I’ll also guide you how to get a proper and trustworthy taxi when you first land in the airport.

Mai Linh

This taxi is hard to miss, it’s a distinct green color. The green color represents pure environment and brings some sense of comfort. This brand is familiar to not only local people but also many tourists as this brand can be found all over Vietnam.

Drivers of Mai Linh wear a white shirt, black trousers, and a green tie. These uniforms are really recognizable because of the green tie. If the taxi driver isn’t wearing this uniform, I would be suspicious and wait for a different cab.

Below we have listed all of the contact information for Mai Linh. It’s a good idea to keep their customer service number on your phone just in case you want to call them because of issues.

To Book a Taxi Call: (028) 38 38 38 38

The operators speak limited English. We recommend asking for the help of your hotel concierge or a friendly local if you need to call for a taxi.

Mai Linh’s Customer Service

Address: 64-68, Hai Ba Trung, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hotline (Southern area of Vietnam): 028 3827 7979

Website:

Mai Linh does have an application but unfortunately there are too many errors making it not very useful. We recommend just grabbing a cab on the street or booking through the phone.

Vinasun

This is probably the most popular taxi cab in Vietnam. Their car is bare white with green and red lines connecting the wheels. The logo is a circle formed by red and green arrows, which reminds me of yin and yang symbol.

Similar to Mai Linh, the Vinasun taxi drivers’ uniform are white shirt, black trousers, and red tie. There is also a logo of Vinasun on the tie.

Phone number: (028) 38 27 27 27

This number speaks better English than Mai Linh. If you need to call on your own we recommend reaching out to Vinasun.

Contact of customer service departments:

Add: Vinasun Tower - 648, Nguyen Trai, Ward 11, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Tel:  (84-8) 38 277 178

Contact address when you lost your luggage: [email protected]

When you want to complain about their staff: [email protected]

When you have any other concern: [email protected]

Website:

These taxis are not only available in Ho Chi Minh City but also all cities in Vietnam. If you want to travel in Danang, Hanoi, or Hue City, remember the phone numbers and do those same steps.

Grab / Goviet

I may not have to tell you much about these brands. Grab is now the cheapest mode of transportation in Vietnam. Just download the app, install it on your phone. Then whenever you want a ride, open it and pick your means of transportation. You can choose your transportation between motorbike and car.

Older articles may say that Grab and Uber are two digital taxi brands in Vietnam, but you should take note that Uber has been shut down in this country since 2018. Moving into take the place of Uber, Goviet has become a popular ride app in Vietnam. Go Viet only has motorbikes at the moment, so if you have luggage, then stick to Grab.

How to get a taxi from Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City

There are two airports you can come in at in Ho Chi minh City. Getting a taxi from either airport is going to be very similar but a little bit different. We are going to direct you to make your way towards the “Taxi Queue”. At both airports you are going to need to make your way past the scammers and fake taxi’s looking to rip you off. These guys are gonna use the word “friend” alot and “looking for taxi”. Be strong but nice, and just keep moving away from them to find the queue.

At the international airport the queue should be across the little street when you exit from the terminals ground floor. The domestic airport you should make a left after exiting the terminal.

We only recommend two taxi services which we discuss in detail below. You are going to be looking for the representatives of these taxi companies so that you can get them to put you into the correct cab. The company’s colors is what you will be looking for to recognize their representative along with the brand logo.

Traveling from the Airport to the Center of Ho Chi Minh City

It takes around 30-40 minutes driving from Tan Son Nhat Airport to District 1, and even longer in rush hour. The cost for a taxi driving from Tan Son Nhat Airport to District 1 is around 100,000 VND to 200,000 VND (about 4.5 to 8.5 USD). Before leaving the airport, be sure to exchange some money as in Vietnam we only use our local currency.

How to Hail a Taxi in Ho Chi Minh City

Walking in Ho Chi Minh City is not popular, as the sidewalk infrastructure here is a mess. It can be an intimidating experience when you try to walk in this city. No worries, the taxis are here to help you get around.

Hail a taxi using our tips so that you travel safely in Ho Chi Minh City.

Lucky for everyone, there are usually taxi’s everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically talking about the two brands we have mentioned above. It won’t take long to get a taxi if you stand on the street waving one down for a ride. The exception to this rule is during rain and rush hour. When hailing a taxi at these times, you can expect to wait if you don’t get lucky in the first few minutes.

Raise your hand to get the taxi driver’s attention. While they may understand your signal, you don’t have to yell “Taxi!” or whistle like in Western culture. If you can whistle loudly, I recommend you do that because you will just look cool.

When the taxi driver arrives, the next step is just telling them your destination.

Though drivers these days are trained to speak English, there are still elderly drivers who don’t. Thus, you’ll need to carry a phone with you to show them the address, or write down the address on a piece of paper. A screenshot of the location is also very helpful.

What do you do when lost your wallet/luggage/phone on the taxi?

First, contact the taxi customer service immediately and report what you’ve lost. Before calling, you should make sure that you can provide as much information as possible, including the taxi identification number, driver’s name, departure and arrival points, total fare, and the route that was taken.

If you forget your phone, you shouldn’t call your number. In case there are some drivers or passengers who may want to keep it for themselves. Instead, allow the operator to find the taxi you’ve taken and have it sent back to the office.

To conclude, traveling via taxis in Vietnam is easy. Follow these instructions, you have the best chance to enjoy your trip without being a victim of any fake taxis or scams. Just like in life, nothing is a guarantee but we believe that this advice will help every traveler in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh Things to Do

Let’s face it, during your first tip to Saigon, You don’t know anything about the different districts of Ho Chi Minh City. Now it’s up to you to pick the best spot for your family to stay during your vacation to Ho Chi Minh City! The pressure is on! I’m gonna give you some information about District 4 compared to District 1 to help you make a decision if an Air Bnb in District 4 is a good option for your family.

How does Ho Chi Minh City’s District 4 compare to District 1? They are very different but District 4 is so close to District 1 that it makes sense to stay here if you are travelling. I’m going to go over some of the questions you might have if you choose to stay in District 4 rather than District 1.

Should I stay in D4 instead of D1?

This all depends on what you are looking for. In my opinion, if you are planning to spend most of your time outside of your hotel, I would have no problem staying at one of the accommodation options in District 4. It is an easy hop in a taxi cab to get right into the thick of things in the middle of District 1.

If you are looking for an apartment style stay that has a swimming pool, the accommodation options in D4 are pretty sound. The location is good if you are okay with jumping in a taxi cab ride when you want to go out. If you decide to walk around, you’ll be in for a real experience of a local area of Ho Chi Minh City. Honestly, this isn’t the right location to stay in if you want to leave your hotel and walk right outside to find a restaurant that is suitable for younger kids or western food.

District 4 Information

Over Thirty years ago, district 4 was often known for its low level of security and gangsters. However, thanks to improving management by government and gentrification, today District 4 is a pleasant place. It hasn’t been known as a dangerous area since the 70’s.

Due to its location, District 4 has become a coveted area for people to live and work. This makes the property value for homes in District 4 extremely high. Many of the families who still live in this district now have been living in these houses for decades. The small houses that we refer to as tube houses because of their narrow width but tall height are tightly packed in, creating a web of small alleyways that are very interesting.

In recent years, due to the influence of other nearby districts like District 1 and District 2, District 4 has gradually developed. Many new apartments were built here, streets were improved and repaired, entertainment areas also began to appear. This not only makes local people’s lives better but also creates convenience and comfort for tourists when visiting District 4.

District 4 Location Compared to District 1

District 4 is likened to a triangular island located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. It is surrounded by rivers and canals and stuck among 3 other developed districts: District 1 (in the Northwest), District 7 (in the Northeast) and District 2 (in the South).

    This means that District 4 is very close to District 1, people here usually only take 10 minutes to reach famous places in District 1. To get to District 1 from District 4, you need to cross a Ben Nghe canal. There are 5 bridges built to cross this canal such as Khanh Hoi bridge, Calmette bridge, Ong Lanh bridge, Rainbow bridge, and Nguyen Van Cu bridge. Depending on your location, you can choose the closest bridge to shorten the time to reach District 1.

  Hotels or Airbnb?

Honestly, District 4 doesn't have many hotels like District 1. So sometimes on holiday, hotels in District 4 often run out of rooms. Therefore, if you want to stay at a hotel to enjoy high-class service, you should book a room advanced.

Although not owning many famous hotels like District 1, however, District 4 has a lot of room rental services which local people open by themselves. To be able to find out more information about these rental rooms, you can easily find it on Airbnb’s website.

Normally, both hotels and room rental services will be in the newly constructed apartments right across from the canal. This means you are very close to the center of the city for a bit cheaper price. The area to wander about from these large apartments is actually interesting. Just behind these large apartments you can wander into Xom Chieu market for a visit during the day to see one of the most local and busiest wet markets in Ho Chi Minh City.

Transportation in District 4

District 1’s location for walking to some of the main attractions in Ho Chi Minh City is better than District 4. District 4 is about a 10-minute walk plus a bridge crossing in order to get to Nguyen Hue walking street in the center of the city. The walk might be a little bit difficult but interesting. While walking across these bridges, you can watch the canal flowing through the city and take some nice photos. The bridges at night will shine by the beautiful street lights, which is one of the typical beauties of this city.

If you are going for a night out and a bit dressed up, you’ll probably want to call a taxi or grab to give you a lift. I don’t think District 4’s location is convenient for making a lot of trips back and forth to the city center on foot but its very close if you are using a taxi cab. Check out our in depth article about about taxi cabs in Ho Chi Minh City to

Another thing about transportation in District 4 you should know is heavy traffic jams at rush hour. Because the roads in District 4 are quite small and narrow, so during peak hours these roads often occur more serious traffic jams than other districts. My university is located in District 4, every afternoon after school, it takes me about 45 minutes to 1 hour to get home. If you choose to use a taxi or grab to take you around, don't choose rush hours to go out.

Walking around District 4

If district 1 is famous for high-class and luxury restaurants, the cuisine of district 4 is famous for being found in plenty with delicious options. There are so many people living, working, and visiting District 4 that the local street food is fantastic and famous. You can find street foods in food carts, food stalls or small private restaurants open by locals.  Food stalls and restaurants are usually located along many streets in District 4, which makes district 4 is so famous for many food streets. The three most famous food streets that I want to recommend to you are Xom Chieu, Vinh Khanh and Ton Dan.

Xom Chieu has special and delicious dishes. The food stalls and restaurants in this street have existed for a long time and have created a famous reputation. That makes them attract many people coming and trying the taste of special foods. These dishes which are cooked with unique recipes seem to be “specialties” of this district. Some "specialties" on Xom Chieu street I want you to know are banana cooked with sugar, crab soup mixed vegetables and many other types of ingredients, mussel noodles.

- Pha Lau Miss Oanh

Beef Organs Cooked in Coconut Milk served with Banh MI

Address: C200 / 20 Xom Chieu, District 4

- Vermicelli crab and snail

Address: C200 / 6 Xom Chieu, District 4

- Oc To

Small but Popular Seafood Stand

Address: C218 Xom Chieu, District 4

- Crab Soup Hang

Thick Soup made with Tapioca, Crab, Shrimp, and about 8 other ingredients

Address: C200 / 18 Xom Chieu, District 4

- Banana cooked with Sugar

Braised with sugar and topped with sesame seeds, this dish is unique to Xom Chieu

Address: Head of the alley 200 Xom Chieu, District 4

In 2018, Vinh Khanh street officially became the food street of District 4 and is strictly managed on food safety and hygiene by the government. Up to now, it has been extremely famous not only to locals but also for foreign visitors. Most of the restaurants here serve seafood and beer. Plates of seafood here are cooked in Vietnamese-style but a little bit spicier than normal Vietnamese food. Famous dishes like snails cooked with coconut milk, fried crab with salt and chili, grilled octopus with sate can be found up and down Vinh Khanh Street. If you are a person who loves seafood, Vinh Khanh is definitely a great choice for you. The operating hours of Vinh Khanh street are from afternoon to evening. The restaurants here are crowded at 6:00 pm until Midnight. Make sure that you are there at the right time so you can enjoy the bustling atmosphere of this food street and delicious dishes. If you want to experience street food like this but are a bit nervous to do it yourself,

- Chilli hotpot

Alot of grilled meat options, oysters, and hotpot. Delcious and Highly recommended

Address: 232 Vinh Khanh, District 4

- Oc Oanh

A standout on a street known for seafood, don't miss out on the scallops!

Address: 534 Vinh Khanh, District 4

- Sushi Ko

International Sushi on the Street?

Address: 122/37/15 Vinh Khanh, District 4

In addition, other roads like Hoang Dieu, Doan Van Bo, Ngo Van So or Nguyen Truong To also have a few interesting restaurants. These roads are very close to Vinh Khanh and Ton Dan, you can visit them conveniently.

- Mi Vit Tiem Thuan Hieu

Chinese inspired Duck soup with wheat Noodles. Very Tasty and Open late

Address: 3 Hoang Dieu, District 4

- Crab Curry in Quan Oc 63

Crab smothered in Delcious curry sauce that you mop up with Vietnamse Bread. Very close to Air BnB's on Ben Van Do

Address: 63 Nguyen Truong To, District 4

Any other recommendations?

Yeah, I’m gonna let you now about my secret coffee shop that is my absolute favorite This is my place for working during the afternoon. This is located 2-5 minutes from the Air BnB locations in District 4.

Spotlight Coffee 

Address: 64 Le Quoc Hung, Ward 12, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City

The operating hours: 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

We hope these tips help you make a decision on staying in District 4 or not. If so, please enjoy our recommendations for spending time in District 4 and commuting to District 1. Please share this article if you think it will help other travelers like yourself book a vacation that they will remember for a lifetime.

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Vietnams Visa Process

The Visa process has been adjusted last year in order to encourage more travelers and tourists to come to Vietnam.

This is great news for a lot of people but still not a perfect solution. With that being said, let’s talk about Vietnam Visa. who needs it? who doesn’t? how to get one?.

Requirements for everyone even if you don’t need a Vietnam Visa!?

A passport! This might seem crazy to some people to even mention this but some might not be used to traveling. So lets cover it, you MUST HAVE a passport if you are visiting Vietnam from another country.

This next point is very important and I have actually seen many people get caught up on this and not even realize it until they get here.

**important** Your passport must have 6 month of validity from the date of Travel. **important**

Our company Back of the Bike Tours have actually seen this issue a few times where one person in a group gets stopped from traveling because of this issue.

Don’t let it happen to you! Check cousin Jimmy and Grandma’s passport to make sure they aren’t expiring 6 months from the date you land in Vietnam.

This isn’t something you can get around as well, If you land in Vietnam with a passport that is expiring, they will not let you in. Your best and most unlikely scenario would be that your embassy would issue you an emergency passport to travel. The most likely thing to happen is that you will be on the next flight home after sitting in the airport for a number of hours.

Will I need a Vietnam Visa?

There are only 24 countries at the moment who are allowed to enter Vietnam without needing a Visa for a certain amount of time.

Exempt from Visa for 15 Day Stay:

Belarus

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Italy

Japan

Norway

Russia

South Korea

Spain Sweden

United Kingdom

  Exempt from Visa for 14 Day Stay:

Brunei

Myanmar

  Exempt from Visa for 21 Day Stay:

Phillipines

  Exempt from Visa for 30 Day Stay:

Thailand

Singapore

Malaysia

Laos

Kyrgyzstan

Indonesia

Cambodia

Exempt from Visa for 90 Day Stay:

Chile

  My country doesn’t need a visa to visit Vietnam! How lucky is that?

Hey! That is pretty lucky as most countries do require a visa! Congrats and we hope you enjoy your vacation. Please make sure you don’t plan your trip longer than your visa exemption lasts and you will be golden! If you plan on staying longer than the amount of time you are exempt then please continue to read on and learn more.

My Country isn’t exempt from needing a Visa, Whats next?

That’s okay! Maybe your country will be exempt next year!

Let’s get you a Visa so that you can have fun traveling around this beautiful country.

There are three ways to get your Visa:

Mail your Passport to the Vietnam Embassy inside your country. They stamp a Vietnam Visa into your passport and send your passport back to you.

or

Obtain an Approval Letter so that you can obtain your Visa on Arrival

or

E-Visa that allows you to enter Vietnam through 28 different points of Entrance. This would be the best option for those coming into Vietnam through Land or Sea.

Let’s jump into each way to get your Vietnam Visa, the specifics on how to get it. The advantages and disadvantages of each one.

Obtaining a Vietnam Visa from your Local Embassy in your country

This is old reliable.

Before the days of the internet and expecting everything within just a few minutes of our current culture, we all had to send our Passport to the embassy before taking off to Visit Vietnam.

What do we need for a Visa from the Embassy or consulate?

Each country has its own price and time frame to complete the Visa Process. Since there are so many different countries world wide we believe you should use the following link to track down the embassy in your country and follow their Visa Process which should be rather easy and simple to follow.

Use this link to track down the website for you a consulate/embassy in your home country to follow their Visa Process.

Here is an example of the Visa Process from The Vietnamese Embassy in the United States,

APPLY FOR VISA IN PERSON OR BY MAIL

To apply in person or by mail, the applicant is required to submit the following documents:

01 application form to be completed online at http://visa.mofa.gov.vn ; please select VIETNAM EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as Place of visa submission and collection. After completing the online application form, please PRINT OUT and sign your application. In case you are unable to fill out the online application form, you can download the form (click here) and fill it out by hand or use paper application forms available at the Embassy upon your submission.

Passport (the original for a sticker-visa application OR a copy of the ID page for a loose-leaf visa application) with at least 06 months of validity prior to the proposed date of entry into Viet Nam to meet airlines’ and immigration requirements). For Vietnamese holding a US Permanent Resident Card (also referred to as “Green Card”), you can apply for a Visa Exemption Certificate (click here), also known as “Viet Nam 5-year visa”.

Photo: one (1) 2×2 inch identical photo if the original passport is submitted for a sticker visa OR two (2) 2×2 inch identical photos if a copy of the passport is submitted for a loose-leaf visa.

Visa fees: paid in cash or Visa Card/Master Card for in-person application at the Embassy, or in the form of money order/ cashier’s check/company check payable to “EMBASSY OF VIET NAM”.

Other supporting documents (if any): copy of visa approval document or provision of visa approval reference number issued by the relevant authority of Viet Nam; invitation letter from sponsor/host etc.

If you wish to receive your passport and/or visa sent back to your mailing address by mail: 01 prepaid self-addressed return envelope. To ensure safe delivery of your application package and visa, it is recommended that you use certified mail service offered by USPS, UPS and FedEx with tracking number to check on delivery status. The Embassy shall not be responsible for any loss of documents due to insecure and uncertified mailing service. In case you do not bring along a prepaid return envelope upon submission of visa application at the Embassy, you may use FedEx envelopes available at the Embassy and are required to pay for the additional mailing service.

The process above seems rather straightforward.

I have personally always gotten my Visa on Arrival, but I can see how getting your visa before leaving would be easy just to have it completed and done before leaving. One less thing to worry about when traveling with a large group or small children

What is the Pro’s and Con’s of getting your Visa from the Consulate/Embassy?

  Pro’s:

  Scam Free

If you are worried about submitting for your Vietnam Visa on arrival through a scam site, then bypass those worries and just apply directly with the embassy.

Worry Free

When planning travel and on the actual date of flying, sometimes thinks can feel rushed and overwhelmed. If you get your visa through the consulate/embassy its done and there will be no surprises when you land in Vietnam. This peace of mind is comforting and a huge reason to get your visa through the consulate.

Debit/Credit Card Payment

Many of the consulates/embassies provide an online payment source for you to pay for your Visa before sending your Passport to them for the Visa. Some people enjoy this rather then having to worry about cash payments on arrival in Vietnam.

No Waiting

If you have your Visa already, you will queue up in the immigration line and not have to wait for the “Visa on Arrival” line that can sometimes add over an hour to the immigration process depending on how long the wait is when you arrive. After a long flight, I do find this additional line irritating.

Length of Time

Getting a Visa from your embassy/consulate provides the option for you to apply for single or multiple entry Vietnam Visa and 1 month or 3 months Vietnam Visa.

  Con’s:

  Time

If you don’t have the luck of living right next to an embassy or consulate, you will have to send your Passport in via the post. This might take up to 6 weeks to get your passport back. If you are great at planning and do this part early, then time may not be a factor that you’ll need to worry about.

Price

Depending on your individual consulate, this might turn out being the most expensive way to get your visa. But the peace of mind might be worth it.

Paying in Check or Money Order

This feels like a bit of a con because I don’t write many checks or get money orders in the days of debit/credit cards. This may not be a big deal for those who often deal with these forms of payments.

Verdict: If I was traveling with just myself or as a couple. I might go for the option of getting my visa on arrival or Evisa listed below. If I was traveling with children or any sort of large group whether its all friends or family, I would prefer to gather all the passports and send them in for a Visa before the trip just for the knowledge that I won’t have any surprises when I land. This is my personal opinion though, and please use all the information provided to find out what works best for you.

What is Visa On Arrival and a Approval Letter?

Okay, here is the deal with the Visa on Arrival.

Step 1: You Fill out some information online and make a payment to receive a Approval Letter. This letter allows you to get a Visa when you land before you go through immigration.

Step 2: You land in Vietnam, before you can go through immigration, you have to wait in line to get your Visa. This is where you will give them your approval letter, a form, and the additional photos you brought along. You will have to also pay a Stamping Fee here, which they would like for you to pay in cash. If you don’t have cash they will have someone escort you to an ATM inside the airport( I have had this happen before)

Step 3: Once your passport is stamped, you get your passport back with your visa inside and now you can go through immigration. Enjoy your time in Vietnam ?

What are the Pro’s and Con’s for the Visa On Arrival?

  Vietnam Visa on Arrival Pro’s:

  Time

You can sign up for your approval letter rather quickly, and in just a few days receive the letter allowing you to travel to Vietnam and get your Visa.

Price

The Visa on Arrival might be a little bit cheaper than sending your Passports to the embassy or consulate in your home country. This does depend on each country individually as the price for the visa differs country to country.

Emergency Travel

In Emergency cases you can get your Approval letter in just 4 hours. This does depend on the time and availability of the immigration office and the agency you are using for you letter.

Location

The Visa on Arrival does not require you to go out of your way when preparing for a trip to Vietnam. After receiving your Approval Letter via email, the only thing you need to do is fly to Vientam where you will get your visa right when you get off the plane.

Length of Time

The Vietnam on Arrival provides the option for you to apply for single or multiple entry and 1 or 3 months.

  Vietnam Visa on Arrival Con’s:

  Scams

I have used the Visa on Arrival process every time I have needed to travel when I first came to Vietnam before receiving my Residency card. There was never an issue i had with scams but apparently it does happen, so often that you can find warnings issued on Vietnam Embassy websites as you can see here:

(The following is an excerpt from http://vietnamconsulate.org.au)

Warning from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia: There has been an increase in the number of Australians applying online for a ‘visa on arrival’ approval letter. There have been reports of visa scams involving online Vietnamese visa applications. There have also been reports of applicants’ personal details being made public by online visa websites. As result, we recommend you apply for a Vietnamese visa directly from the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Vietnam.

Warning:

– We have the honour to announce that the following websites are not legitimate:

http://vietnam-embassy.org, http://myvietnamvisa.com, http://vietnamvisacorp.com, http://vietnam-visa.com, http://visavietnam.gov.vn, http://vietnamvisa.gov.vn, http://visatovietnam.gov.vn, http://vietnam-visa.gov.vn

– The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam has recently received many feedbacks from foreign nationals on the visa online service provided by above-mentioned websites.

– We holds no responsibility for any visa application for Viet Nam provided by these services.

Personally, I have had no issue using an online service, but it is important to be made aware that these services are not the Vietnamese Government so they do hold some risk when relying on them for your visa.

Time

I have marked time as a pro when it comes to getting the approval letter, but the time spent waiting for your stamp after a long flight can be excruciating. I have also waited for hours at the airport when friends and family were waiting to receive their Visa stamp before going into already long immigration lines.

Miscommunication/Errors

I believe the biggest con here is that if there were any issues in your Approval letter process, then you might have a difficult time on arrival that will not be a great way to start your vacation. The other issue here is that sometimes people forget, I have been caught at the Visa on Arrival window myself with no cash for the stamping fee. That was painful after a long flight. A different example, my friend forgot her photos to give to the VOA when she arrived so she had to take time to get new photos and pay for that. While not expensive, its just painful after a long flight and doesn’t provide a “I’m ready for vacation” mood.

Not applicable for Land or Sea Arrival

The Vietnam on Arrival ONLY applies to travelers coming into Vietnam through an International Airport in Vietnam. This leaves Land or Sea Arrivals needing a different way to get a visa like the Vietnam E-Visa.

Verdict: Visa on Arrival is really useful if you are in a pinch and need a visa quickly. If that is the case, then that one pro outweighs all of the cons of the Vietnam Visa on Arrival. If you are planning your vacation in advance, then getting your visa before you arrive might be a better option.

What is the Vietnam E-Visa?

I am glad you asked! The Vietnam E-visa is an excellent step forward for Vietnam. Adapting their tourism policies and infrastructure to their customers needs is very important and we are so excited to see that happening last year with the introduction of Vietnam E-Visa.

The first and most important thing you need to know about the Vietnam E-Visa

You can only get the Vietnam Visa here ->

Any other site is not an E-Visa and is either a scam or just signing you up for the Visa on Arrival.

This is so important I am gonna say it twice ?

You can only get the Vietnam Visa here ->

Alright, Now that we have that cleared up let's get into understanding what you’ll need for the E-Visa.

You will need a photo of yourself that looks like this. Your face will need to be clear with a white or light colored background.

The next thing you will need is a clear photo of your passport details that looks like this.

Here are a few tips from struggles we have read about online.

Be sure that your photos are Jpeg images

You might need to resize the photo so that it is smaller for upload if you are using a photo from your phone rather than scanning your passport and photo. This can easily done by opening Paint program and resizing the photo to a smaller size.

To resize the image copy:

Right click on the image file in the File Explorer, select Open With, Paint.

Select main menu item Image, Stretch/Skew … Change the Horizontal and Vertical percentages to a percentage less than 100. Keep the percentages equal to preserve the aspect ratio.

Select the main menu item File >> Save As to save the resized image.

After you have all that, its a simple process of filling in and submitting the form.

You will need to pay $25 for your Vietnam E-Visa which is Single Entry for 30 days which should cover most travelers coming to Vietnam.

The Pro’s and Con’s of the Vietnam E-Visa

  Vietnam E-Visa Pro’s:

  Cheap

The E-Visa is the cheapest option out of all three. At $25 for a 30 day single entry this is a nice price compared to the charge by embassies and consulates. Its not such a far departure from the price for Vietnams Visa on Arrival but still cheaper.

Credit/Debit Payment

This is the only option for paying your full Visa fee with a credit or debit card.

3-5 Day Approval

Receiving your Visa back in 3-5 days is great turn around for the complete Visa.

All Ports

You can use your E-Visa at every port of entry into Vietnam.

Simple Process

After viewing the website and entry form, this is a simple process to get your visa.

Peace of Mind

Once you have received your Visa with No Errors on it, you are 100% done, just go right through immigration when you get to Vietnam with no worries. Personally, this is my favorite part, I like knowing that things are complete and done with no hang ups.

  Vietnam E-Visa Con’s:

  No Option For Multi Entry or Longer Stay

The current process doesn’t allow for travelers to select anything other than the 30 day single entry Vietnam Visa. If you need to leave and come back, you will need to have another Visa.

Filling out Forms

Currently, you can only apply for 1 visa at a time on the website. This means a family of 4 will have to enter in 4 different forms and make 4 different payments on the government website for the Vietnam E-Visa. This is a bit painful for most of us, but might be worth it when considering the price.

Website Issues

It seems that the website has some issues every now and again not letting people submit photos. These seems to be debugged rather quickly and sometimes are user errors but it travelers should still be aware.

Typos

Some name Typos may occur on your visa, these issues can from from the user or the immigration office. Either one still causes an issue going through immigration if the name on your Visa doesn’t match your passport. Please check each name carefully.

This wraps up most everything you would need to know when it comes to getting a Vietnam Visa. As you can see there are multiple options with multiple pro’s and con’s.

If you have any more questions about traveling to Vietnam or the Visa Process, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. We would love to help!

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Put some Pate on It: The Best Banh Mi Saigon and Where to find the best Banh Mi Saigon at Huynh Hoa

Banh Mi has become a Phenomenon across the globe over the last few years. In London alone, you can find approximately 26 shops selling their own versions of the Banh Mi for 4-6 on average. America is being swept up by its own wave of Banh Mi enthusiasts who are not even blinking while shelling out an expected $6 dollars for a quality Banh Mi.

  What is it that makes the Banh Mi so fantastic that its notoriety is spreading across the world so quickly?

  As a cook and foodie, I appreciate the balance of the sandwich. It touches every sensation on my tongue perfectly and leaves nothing more to be desired from such a humble and simple sandwich. Layered with meat, smothered in pate and mayo, and topped with fresh herbs, pickles, and chili creates a texture and flavor party that leaves the masses standing in line with their hands open begging for more night after night in Saigon.

  The Saigon Banh Mi is a special type of bread that is unique and different from a standard French Baguette you might find at a French bakery.

Not only used for sandwiches, the Banh Mi has found its way onto many different Vietnamese dishes as a necessary side. One of the most notable being the French-influenced Vietnamese dish Bo Kho, which requires the Banh Mi for soaking up the meaty rich broth making for an excellent breakfast. A very popular Goat Curry restaurant in Saigon provides its guests with a stack of Banh Mi at each table used to soak up the rich curry gravy which provides a unique substitute to the Naan Bread that is typically placed alongside curry dishes.

The bread itself is much debated online in various forums given to the difficulty of finding a legitimate recipe that uses Rice Flour to create the Banh Mi. The complexity comes from the nature of Rice flour not containing any of the necessary proteins that help create gluten which assists the leavening agents to capture pockets of gas. Also, that rice flour, depending much on the granule size of the flour itself, is slower to absorb liquids than wheat flour but will also absorb more liquid. This is a mystery that should be left to solve with someone that has an oven inside of their apartment, which would not be me at the time of this article.

  Is the best Saigon Banh Mi the only sandwich we need to eat in Vietnam?

The Banh Mi sandwich has very different forms depending on where you are in Vietnam. There is the Infamous Banh Mi of Hoi An that was visited by Anthony Bourdain. This Banh mi is dubbed the “Deluxe” and along with fresh salad, pickles, and 4 types of pork is topped with a fried egg. Just a little bit up the road in Da Nang, you can find a specialty in the dehydrated pulled chicken sandwich called Banh Mi Ga. In Hanoi, you can find grilled pork in a spicy sauce with fresh vegetables. Other variations found all over Vietnam include Fish sauce marinated grilled pork, Grilled Pork Patties with a sweet sauce, Meatballs in tomato sauce, and a morning favorite of fried egg. These are just a few of the variations, not even mentioning what foreign chefs and cooks are now doing with the humble Banh Mi.

Our favorite Banh Mi, aka The Best Banh Mi Saigon

  Where is it?

At Banh Mi Huynh Hoa located at 26 Le Thi Rieng, There are two carts stacked with 9 different types of meat, fresh pate, and homemade mayo pushed up against the right wall of the building. On the left side, there will be a man who is constantly heating up baguettes inside of a low heat oven. Depending on the time that you have chosen to get the best Banh Mi Saigon, there will be a mob standing on the outside of the store, which is helpful in identifying the shop if you are not familiar with Ho Chi Minh City.

How to order

You want the best Banh Mi in Saigon? You are going to have to get through the mob. Now, don’t be intimidated or offended by people cutting in front of you and ignoring you when you enter the mob. This is just Darwin’s Theory at work, only the strong will get a sandwich!! Politely, but confidently push your way to the front as you feel that your turn is coming. The Banh Mi maker will be slathering bread and placing meat onto sandwiches at the speed of light. When it comes your time to order, be ready! Just use your fingers to indicate how many sandwiches you want. This lady is busy and has no time to provide excellent customer service. The Best Banh Mi in Saigon will do that for them. If she asks a question just shake your head “Yes”. Most likely she asked if you want Chili or not. The sandwich is now getting made! Get excited! The Banh Mi will be passed down the line to be finished with pickles and vegetables. It will then be passed to a man who stands on the left side of the first sandwich maker. This will be the man you will pay.

Vietnam is not the easiest place for travelers, especially when trying to experience it like a local. You just located and purchased the best Banh Mi Saigon without speaking any Vietnamese, Well done! Now please enjoy it! If you want help exploring the best Banh Mi's in Ho Chi Minh or other delicious Vietnamese Street food then click here.

What is in the best banh mi Saigon?

I thought you might be curious on what you now have holding in your hand. This is a Banh Mi Thit, which translates into Wheat Bread Meat Sandwich.

Light and crispy Vietnamese Baguette

6 types of deli meat made from pork, with ranging textures. Some are smooth like Bologna and others chunky like head cheese with lots of fat.

2 types of roasted pork

Pork Floss, which is much like a dehydrated pulled pork that is packed with flavor

Homemade Mayonaisse

Homemade Pork Liver Pate

Pickled Carrots and Daikon

Cilantro

Chili

Well, that covers the best Banh Mi Saigon in our opinion. If you disagree, please let us know. We want to hear what your favorite is!

If you are interested in then be sure to check out our, if you are looking to check out the Best Banh Mi Saigon then ask about our private tours and chefs tours!

Ho Chi Minh Food Tour

Check out our article about our secret underground project back in 2013.

Ho Chi Minh Things to Do

There has been alot of buzz around the world with the new concept of the "underground" or "pop up" restaurant. The idea is that Chef's who can't afford to jump right into starting their own restaurant can have the chance to do it inside of their homes or at featured venue's. This is an exceptional idea and a unique way for Sous Chef's or Cook's to show their chops without their hard work being hidden by the name of a restaurant or the Executive chef. All of this without the risk of crippling debt that comes with a failed restaurant.

I have lived in Saigon for the last two years and suffer from "Great food envy". This is the dark and deep depression that might enter a cook, chef, or foodie's life when he is not able to book a dinner at a new restaurant with a creative menu from a young aspiring chef. The excitement that comes from seeing a cook push the envelope or take a step on the ledge with a new tasting menu or restaurant concept.

Why do I suffer from this when I am surrounded by some of the best street food in the world? Well, in all honesty, I grew up on it. Spending away the hard earned minimum wage money that I earned on my Externship eating my way around the Big Apple at 18. It was just what I was into at the time, and I have not grown out of it.

It seems that Saigon is lacking a movement of Chef's who are looking to remove labels from their food such as "Vietnamese Cuisine", "French Cuisine", or anything else that will restrain the creativity in which a chef or cook looks at when planning a menu or dish. Sure, you can find a few restaurants out there who are serving great Vietnamese, French, Spanish, or Italian cuisine. This isn't what I want though! I want someone who went to the market in the morning, found fresh ingredients, and came back to the restaurant to create.. Whatever the hell they wanted! Without the labels or confining themselves to stick to a certain realm of techniques just to satisfy the classification of their restaurant.

This is where Chad and I stepped in to take care of business ourselves during the summer of 2013 when we created, Tasty Inc. Chad and I met in Culinary School in New York in 2005, we were both cooks, and in 2013 we were living in Saigon with some time on our hands. Chad being the owner of Back of the Bike Tours. Fredrick, that is me, was looking at starting up cooking classes and was already restaurant consulting.  Both of us had a bit of extra time on our hands and were interested in starting up a new project. We looked at the size of our apartment, kitchen, and the interest of possible foodies in the city. It would be difficult to do but nothing worth doing isn't. So we picked up a few kitchen equipment supplies, dishes, and had some furniture built. Within 4 weeks, we were serving our first guests.

  Chad took the role of Executive Chef in the way of planning our menu's. I took the role of Sous Chef, which meant doing whatever was needed to make the dinner a success.

Our first dinner was an excellent experience with Chad showing a bit of his time at Daniels Restaurant in NYC and some inspiration from his time at Alinea in Chicago. These two styles combined with the fresh local ingredients at the market were a huge success.

  Braised Beef and Chili Cashew Puree, Lime, Candied cashews, Onion, Cilantro

Shrimp saladAvocado Puree, Pickled leeks, Shaved Radishes, Fennel, Shallot

Pork Belly Braised Pork Belly With Roasted Pumpkin, Mustard Leaf Puree, Garlic Puree, and Garlic Chips

The above dishes are 3 of the 6 courses that were served on our first night.

We would continue to serve out of our house for the next two months and begin to get some regular guests and great feedback. Among our greatest moments, we got a write up in Oi Magazine which you can read here: Secret Supper Club We even got the chance to do a private dinner for Chef Luke Nguyen, one of the judges of Australia's Master Chef show.

Unfortunately, we had to close the door when Chad and Thuy, his wife and co-founder of Back of the Bike Tours, decided that it was time to move back to America.

When I think about my favorite time of cooking in my entire life, I think of the days of Tasty Inc. The idea of going to the market and cooking whatever looks best that day was a consuming desire when I was a young cook. This was the backbone of Tasty Inc and what made us so unique and interesting for our guests. The techniques and ways of thought about food that I learned while working with one of my best friends in our small apartment kitchen will never allow me to look at cooking the same way again. This was also the heart of Tasty Inc, pushing the envelope on what people have come to expect when eating dinner in Saigon.

I hope that someone else takes the torch that was lit by Chad and I. There are hungry people in Saigon who are looking for something new and different. I am one of them!

  Eating in Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnamese Salad Recipe: Goi Ngo Sen (Lotus Stem Salad)

Everyone hears about the freshness and interesting flavors that make Vietnamese food unique and exciting. Especially for those seeking refuge from salads made up of Green Leaf lettuce covered in oil and vinegar with the hope of taking a few pounds off their waste line. Now, I am not promising that Vietnamese Salads don’t have their fair amount of sugar but they are absent in oil. We will provide a recipe below for a basic Vietnamese salad along with the dressing. This has been tested and is Back of the Bike Tours approved for you to recreate at home for friends and family. Hopefully this recipe will help you think about the possibilities when in the kitchen making a salad at home. Instead of picking up that head of Iceberg or Romaine lettuce through an initial thought process of covering it in a bottled dressing, you will pick up that cabbage, carrot, daikon, pepper, onion, or cucumber in the hopes of creating something new and unique using this recipe below as your blue print for what a fresh and delicious salad can be. The best Vietnamese salad when going out to eat at a large family style beer restaurant with friends and family for me personally is the Lotus Stem Salad. The crisp provided by the Lotus Stem, the freshness from the herbs, umami from the pork and shrimp, and sweet and sour from the Fish Sauce Dressing make this an incredible side dish to start off with. So when ordering on a night out, I will normally start the feast with this or a similar dish on the menu.

Goi Ngo Sen

Lotus Stem Salad with Shrimp Pork and Fish Sauce Dressing

• 75 grams of cleaned Lotus Stem • 30 grams or 5 pcs of Sliced, De shelled, Poached Shrimp* • 25 grams Poached Sliced Pork shoulder, loin, leg or ear* • 6 Grams -1 tbsp of peanuts • 6 grams - 2 tsp of shallot/oil* • 45 ml - 3 tbsp of Fish Sauce Dressing SALAD DRESSING* • 20 grams Carrot and Daikon Pickles* • 8 gramsChopped Or Torn Herbs - Mint, Thai basil, Vietnamese Mint, Cilantro • 4 to 8 Fried Prawn Crackers Toss the Lotus Stem, Shrimp, Pork, Pickles, and Herbs together in a mixing bowl with ½ of the fish sauce dressing. Taste and adjust the dressing according to your preference. Plate the salad ingredients, then drizzle a little more fish sauce dressing on top. Place the chopped peanuts and fried shallots on top of the salad. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Creates salad for 1 person, so please multiply by the number of people you are looking to feed.

Vietnamese Fish Sauce Salad Dressing

• 60ml - 4 tbsp of water • 15 grams - 1 tbsp of sugar • 20ml - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp of fish sauce • 1 bird chili minced • 6 grams of Garlic minced about 1 clove • 15ml - 1 tbsp of lime juice or rice vinegar Place all ingredients except for chili into small bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust according to your preference for sweet, sour, and heat. Add the chili accordingly. Creates enough dressing for 1 salad, so please multiply by the number of people you are looking to feed.

Shallot Oil

• 80 Grams – about 16pcs Peeled Asian Shallots • 175ml - ¾ cup – Neutral oil – Canola, vegetable, grapeseed etc… Slice the shallots as thinly as possible. Place shallots into cold oil and set on a low heat. Watch carefully as the moisture begins to be released from the shallots.

Once browning occurs prepare to remove the shallots immediately using a metal strainer or “spider”. Set shallots aside to cool and use later for your salad. This will make enough shallots for 8 salads. You can hold these fried shallots inside of oil for 1 week.

Vietnamese Pickling Liquid Recipe

• 625ml – 2 ½ cups Rice Vinegar • 440g – 2 Cups Sugar • 15g - 1tbsp Salt • 500 grams- Carrots • 500 grams- Daikon Place the vinegar, salt, and sugar into a pot over low heat. Let come to a simmer and then turn off the heat. Stir well to help dissolve the sugar and salt into the vinegar. Once the liquid has cooled to room temperature submerge your Carrots and Daikon in this liquid and let sit for at least 48 hours. Remove the pickles from the pickling liquid when ready to use. Pickles can be stored inside the pickling liquid for 1 week when refrigerated. Makes enough pickles for 50 salads. You can feel free to cut this recipe down or have some pickles on hand in your refrigerator for your next Vietnamese inspiration.

Looking to learn more about Vietnamese Food? Please check out more of our blog or our Motorbike Street Food Tours in Saigon.

Wanna let us know how your salad turned out? Please leave a comment below!

Everyone likes to go on a shopping spree sometimes, and Saigon is definitely one of the best place for this. Through a quick Google search will help you find countless of high end shopping malls (Vincom A and B, and the most recent Takashimaya), we decided to have a look at more local (and affordable) places to buy souvenirs from your trip in Vietnam. We have decided to not include as well the infamous Bến Thành Market in District 1, mostly for its constant haggling and pricing (though it doesn't match others in terms of convenience). Check out the video and scroll down below for the different markets and streets:

Best Shopping Spots in Ho Chi Minh City:

  # Dried foods, Fabrics and souvenirs: Binh Tay & An Dong Market, District 5

# Clothes, Handbags: Nguyen Trai Street, Saigon Square(s), District 1 to District 10

# Shoes: Luu Van Lang Street, District 1

# Paintings: Tran Phu Street, District 5

# Antiques: Le Cong Kieu Street, District 1.

  What's your favorite shopping spot in Ho Chi Minh City?

Shopping in Saigon

We're quite proud to say that we had our tours customers aged from 1 to 95 years old, and they all enjoyed it! Though parents are often quite scared to let their children on a motorbike in busy Saigon, we believe that is also a fun experience for them to buzz through the lines and crossroads of our city. Many travelling families have been asking us, either throughout the tour or through email: "Where should I take my kids to in Saigon?" And it is indeed a good question: after all, while we believe attractions such as the War Remnants Museum or the Museum of Fines Arts are things to do in Saigon, they're not quite kid-friendly (definitely not the first one for sure). So we decided to make this new video, our top 5 children activities in Saigon (according to us!). Scroll down below the video for the list and addresses.

#5 Artinus 3D Art Museum, 02-04 Street 09 (Next to Vietopia) Him Lam area, Tân Hưng Ward, District 7

#4 X-Rock Climbing, 75 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Street, Ward 6 District 3

#3 The Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater, 55B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street, Bến Thành Ward, District 1

#2 Đầm Sen Park, 3 Hòa Bình Street, Ward 3, District 1

#1 Ourselves :-)

  We hope this post will help some enjoy a great family experience here in Ho Chi Minh City. Stay tuned on our for more videos coming soon!

  Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City

What to eat for Lunch in Ho Chi Minh City a.k.a Saigon?

Entering the world of Vietnamese food can be a daunting task for a beginner out there on their own. What is it? Where is it? Is it the best? These are the questions that probably run through the mind of those out on their own Ho Chi Minh City foodie adventure.

Well, this is why we have put together a Top 5 List of our favorite Lunch foods in Saigon. We have done the leg work to point in you in the right direction for a delicious afternoon feast.

  #5 Miến Gà Kỳ Đồng

Glass Noodles, Boiled Chicken, in a sweet but light chicken broth has been pleasing the crowds in District 3 for a long time now. One of the unique items that you will find in your bowl is small yolk that is found inside the chicken before it makes its way to become an actual egg. While this isn't typically something you would find in a bowl of Chicken Soup back in the Western Nations, do not be fickle! Dig right in because this small yolk is delicious.

Glass Noodles for the uninitiated is a transparent noodle commonly known as cellophane noodles. You can find these noodles in different dishes from Pakistan all the way up to Korea. Typically, the noodle is made from various starches that might include Potato, Mung Bean, Cassava, etc etc. If you haven't had the glass noodle, go for it. If it isn't your thing, then be sure to ask for some other options in your soup. The two other popular noodle choices here would be rice noodle or wheat noodle.

The homemade Vietnamese hot sauce for dipping the chicken is also a do not miss when you visit this vendor. I repeat, use this sauce, it is delicious.

The herbs on the table will be Thai basil, Mint, and Sawtooth Coriander along with a nice big plate of Bean Sprouts.

Address: 14/5 Kỳ Đồng, Phường 9, Quận 3

Hours: 8 am- 11 pm/ 7 days a week

Note: Restaurants close for random days in Vietnam but this one is open 99% of the time it should be, if it is not Tet Holiday. 

  #4 Bánh Khọt Vũng Tàu Khanh

This vendor is located fairly far from the city center of Saigon. If you plan on making a trip out here, it might be worth while to check out our other recommendations in this area so that you can make an event of the trip with more bang for your taxi bucks.

It is best to think of this dish has a wrap, since this is the proper way to eat the Banh Khot. This delicious fried disk of Coconut water and Rice Flour is topped with flash fried seafood such as shrimp and squid. There are a few different versions of Banh Khot but this is the more traditional version from Vung Tau. If you have tasted Banh Xeo, the famouse Vietnamese Pancake, then you will be familiar with the taste and style of eating this dish.

The plate of Banh Khot is set on the table leaving you to assemble your own wrap according to the desires of your own palette. Feel free to sample all of the fresh herbs and vegetables placed on the table to get an idea of what you like and don't like. Using the big leaves as the base for the wrap, you can then place the smaller herbs on top of those. Placing the Banh Khot disk inside with a little shredded papaya, you will then roll the wrap tight, dip into the side of sweet fish sauce, and enjoy.

Tip: Don't hesitate to add some chili to your sweet fish dipping sauce.

Address: 7 Đồng Nai, P. 15, Quận 10

Hours: 9am-10pm / 7 days a week

  #3 Bún Chả Hà Nội

Allow me to get wax poetic, on the dish that is Bun Cha Ha Noi. A delicious meal brought to us from the heavens playing on our love for sweet and sour infused with the taste of grilled pork. Combined with fresh herbs and vegetables to keep it light and playful in our mouths. This dish is damn good and you should eat it.

Now, if you have the chance to eat it in Ha Noi, then you should eat it there. If you are only visiting the South of Vietnam then our recommendation here at #3 will do the job just fine.

If you decide that you want to eat two bowls of Bun Cha, we won't judge. We have done this as well on several occasions.

Tip: Banh Thom (Fried Shrimp and Potato "Cake") and Nem Cua (Square Crab and Pork Spring Roll) are two side dishes you should order while here. 1 plate of Banh Thom is enough for 3-4 people. While if you love crab like we do, then perhaps 1 Nem Cua per person will be ideal.

Address: 8B Trần Phú, Phường 4, Quận 5

Hours: 7am-9pm / 7 days a week

  #2 Bún Thịt Nướng Chị Tuyền

In Southern Vietnam this is an extremely popular dish that can be eaten for Breakfast, Lunch, and/or Dinner. You can find heaps of Bun Thit Nuong vendors all over the streets of Saigon.

We have been serving this dish on our afternoon food tours for years and have no plan on stopping. Quite often this tends to be the highest ranked dish on the tour based on the response of our guests. With that many thumbs up from all over the world we suggest you try it as well.

Tip: This dish contains pork in every way possible, so if you are not eating pig this dish is probably not the best choice for you. Be sure to check out our Top 5 Vegetarian Foods in Ho Chi Minh City Blog.

Address: 195 Cô Giang, Quận 1

Hours: 7am-9pm / 7 days a week

  #1 Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ

Broken Rice, Pickles, and Marinated Grilled Pork served with Sweet Fish Sauce is our number one choice for the best lunch food in Ho Chi Minh City.

This dish can literally be found everywhere you look on the streets of Saigon, but this particular vendor is doing it very well. Not a very far taxi ride from the center makes this a must try dish while in Ho Chi Minh City.

Be prepared as this can be quite filling and heavy so you aren't going to want to eat for a while after sinking your teeth into this meal.

Tip: Come here very hungry for Breakfast or Lunch.

Address: 74 Nguyễn Văn Cừ, P. 2, Quận 5

Hours: 6:30 am- 3 PM / 7 days a week

  Saigon Street Food