Saigon and Phu Quoc Solo: How My Vietnam Trip Ended

September 25, 20269 min read

The two halves of Kiss Bridge on Phu Quoc above the sea at a golden sunset

I spent my first evening in Saigon without seeing Saigon.

It was raining heavily when I arrived, so I ordered dinner through Grab and stayed in. Grab had been our ride for everything in Hanoi. Now it delivered my dinner too.

In the first post I promised that the tooth was not the last souvenir of this trip. This is the post where I keep that promise. First, though, the last stretch of the trip, which I did on my own.

This is part four of my Vietnam story. If you’re new here, start with the broken tooth in Hanoi, or see the whole route on the Vietnam overview.

Rain, Grab and a quiet first night

After the coffee with Pookie and Fefe in Da Nang, I flew straight to Ho Chi Minh City. Pookie was coming to the city later too, but we both had other plans, and we never managed to see each other.

So this was my solo stretch: two nights in Saigon, three on Phu Quoc, and two more in Saigon before flying home. I stayed at Meander Saigon both times. The first time I took a bed in a dorm.

I didn’t see much of the city that night, only what I saw from the Grab car on the way from the airport to my accommodation in the city centre. It was big, with a modern city vibe, and very developed.

Rainy Saigon street at night with taxis, scooters and bright storefronts — First glimpse of Saigon, straight from the taxi

Dormitory corridor with wooden sleeping pods at Meander Saigon — Fancy dorm pods — 10/10 recommend

Bowl of noodles with chopsticks and a drink on a restaurant counter — Dinner at the hostel, delivered by Grab

Saigon, the modern one

In daylight, Saigon felt different from the Vietnam I had seen so far. It was the rainy season here: still warm, but more humid.

After Hanoi’s lanes and Da Nang’s beach, this was a developed city, with fancy restaurants. The pavement food stalls were still there, but now they shared the streets with foreign restaurants, cafés, pastries (the French influence) and burger places.

Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta

I booked a day tour: the Cu Chi tunnels, the Mekong Delta and the area in between, with food included. If you’d like to book ahead, you can look at a full-day Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta tour on GetYourGuide.

Cu Chi came first. What I remember most is how humid it was: jungle, and mud, but not the kind that gets on your shoes. It was loud too, because there’s a shooting range where visitors can try to shoot guns.

A tank was parked there, and there was a line of traps that were used during the war. The rest was a nice walk through the area where locals hid during the Vietnam War. You can only imagine what it looked like back then. It must have been a scary place.

Our guide showed us some of the tricks they used to fool the enemy. One I remember: a kind of flip-flops, made so that one foot pointed forward and the other backward. The footprints always looked the same, so the enemy couldn’t tell which way the person was going.

Wooded path through the Cu Chi tunnels site — Into the jungle, heading towards the tunnels

Demonstration of a spiked pit trap at the Cu Chi tunnels, with a sign reading 'Clipping Armpit Trap' — Traps built to stop the enemy

Close-up of black sandals demonstrated during the Cu Chi tunnels tour — Footprints with a plot twist

I also went into the tunnels, a small part of them. It felt claustrophobic, so narrow and dark.

Then a small detail, which I didn’t think about at the time. While we waited at the café for the others, who had decided to try the shooting range, a mosquito bit me. Only then did I put on repellent, and as it turned out later, it was too late.

I can’t prove it, but I have a suspect. More about that at the end.

Guide demonstrating a camouflaged trapdoor hidden under leaves at the Cu Chi tunnels — Blink and you’d miss it: hiding in plain sight

Traveller following a local guide down the narrow stairs into a Cu Chi tunnel — Following the guide down into the dark

Shooting range target signs among tall palm trees at the Cu Chi tunnels site — The shooting range, breaking the jungle silence

Then the bus took us on to the Mekong Delta. We went by boat to some islands, tried coconut candy and saw how it’s made, and tasted a honey drink. You could buy honey powder there, which they say is full of vitamins.

Blue wooden riverboats docked on the muddy Mekong river under a dramatic sky — Blue boats on the brown Mekong

Two travellers holding small cups of honey drink during the Mekong Delta tour — A little honey stop

Our tour guide stepping onto the blue wooden boat on the Mekong Delta — Our guide — keeping the whole crew smiling

We also did a canal ride with a rowing lady, and from the boat we could see life by the river. There were food tastings too, and a proper lunch after.

The people on the tour were ok, and I even met a girl from Edinburgh and a guy from Australia, and we hung out during the trip. Our guide, a lady, was the best: fun, caring, and looking after the whole group all day. I did feel taken care of.

Rowing boat travelling through a muddy canal lined with dense palms — The slow lane, Mekong style

Women resting in hammocks in a thatched shelter along the canal, conical hats hanging on the wall — Life by the canal: official hammock hour

Lunch dishes, dipping sauces and a drink on the Mekong Delta day tour — A proper lunch after

Flying to Phu Quoc, for a real vacation

After two nights in Saigon I flew to Phu Quoc, an island off the south-west coast of Vietnam. I wanted some time for a real vacation: beach and pool time, relaxing, good food, basically to treat myself.

I stayed three nights at Bauhinia Resort & Spa, on the west side of the island. I thought it would be fancy, but it wasn’t really. I liked my room, but the pool area was not as fancy as I had hoped. Next time I’d stay in the south-east of the island, where there are better hotels and a beach. That’s also where I spent most of my beach time, on the white sand of Sao Beach.

Swimming pool and tropical garden at the resort on Phu Quoc — Three nights to slow down

Private resort room with a white bed and garden-facing glass doors — My little island retreat

People We Meet on Vacation book held beside a sunny pool — Very appropriate holiday reading

The weather had a routine. Mornings were mostly sunny, and it rained in the late afternoon. So the first part of the day was for sightseeing and the beach, and there was time for reading.

I started a new book there, People We Meet on Vacation, and finished it at home. I loved it. They even made a movie about it, but I still recommend the book, which is much better. A book with that title, after a trip that began with a friend from a Madrid hostel: I couldn’t have planned that better.

Yellow entrance gate and tree-lined steps at Ho Quoc Pagoda on Phu Quoc — Ho Quoc Pagoda, between the jungle and the ocean

Woman with hands pressed together in front of the golden dragon ramp at Ho Quoc Pagoda on Phu Quoc — Asking the universe nicely

Giant split-head sculpture forming a gateway on the sand at Sunset Sanato Beach on Phu Quoc — Great for photos, not much for the vibe

Sao Beach and a beach club called Istanbul

The best moments were right on that same stretch of coast, at Istanbul Beach Club. The people were nice, the food was great, the beach was right there, and the vibe and the music were exactly what I was longing for. If you go to Phu Quoc, visit. It’s the place to be.

I had flown through Istanbul on the way to Vietnam, and I would again on the way home. On Phu Quoc, I found a third Istanbul.

Two layovers in Istanbul, and one Istanbul with a beach and a sunbed. Coincidence?

Two cold drinks on a table at Sao Beach Bar on Bãi Sao 1, Phu Quoc — Coffee first, beach second

Sunbed with a pink sarong, Kindle and pineapple juice overlooking Sao Beach at Istanbul Beach Club — My happy place found

Espresso martini beside an Istanbul Beach Club table marker numbered 01, with Sao Beach beyond — Istanbul: twice in transit, once by the sea

Sunset Town and the Kiss Bridge

I also loved Sunset Town, in the south of the island. You get the whole world in one area: you transport yourself to Italy, with a colosseum and more. The sunset at the Kiss Bridge was great.

But what I loved most was the classical music playing all over the bridge area. My soul felt like dancing. It was an amazing feeling, and an experience I won’t forget.

Amalfi Street direction sign beside Italian-style buildings in Sunset Town on Phu Quoc — A little Italy, Phu Quoc style

Golden sunset behind the Kiss Bridge with a patterned promenade in front — My soul felt like dancing

Night street in Sunset Town on Phu Quoc with an illuminated clock tower, blossoming trees and a yellow shuttle — One more look after dark

What I skipped on Phu Quoc

I was looking forward to Starfish Beach. Then my neighbour at the hotel told me not to go. She had been the day before: it’s a lot of driving to the north of the island, and it was dirty, with no starfish. So I ditched the idea.

Another sunset spot is a sunset beach with sculptures, which are the interesting part and great for photos. Otherwise, it’s nothing special. Maybe a good Instagrammable place, so sure, visit, but you probably won’t stay for the vibe.

Back to Saigon, and a surprisingly fun ending to my Vietnam trip

Then it was back to Saigon for the last two nights, at Meander Saigon again. This time I booked a private room, to have my own space to pack, rearrange my luggage and sleep properly before flying home.

My last day was a rainy scooter tour with Saigon Adventure. It was the highlight of my last days in Vietnam. I would never have said that riding on the back of a scooter on a rainy day could be so much fun.

My rider was a girl named Rae, and she was the nicest person on the planet. She brought me both a helmet with cat ears and a flowery raincoat, so I was ready for the rain.

The group was small and nice, five people in total, and off we rode.

A cat-ear helmet, a flowery raincoat and a rainy day. What’s not to love?

Andreja wearing a cat-ear helmet and flowery raincoat in Saigon scooter traffic — Cat ears. Raincoat. Ready.

Scooter riders in floral raincoats travelling through a rainy Saigon alley — Rain did not cancel the fun

Andreja and her rider Rae smiling for a scooter selfie in Saigon — Rae made a rainy day in Saigon even more fun

We saw the oldest part of the city, which was also the poorest part of this big city. We went to a market and tasted the food there.

I still can’t tell you what made it so good. Maybe it was Rae. Or the helmet with cat ears and the flowery raincoat she brought me. Or riding in the rain and not caring about it. Or seeing the oldest part of the city, which was also the poorest. Or the market, and tasting the food there. Or the group that was part of the tour.

Probably it was all of it: the vibe, and what I saw. It’s an experience that will stay with me forever.

All the locals call it Saigon. Somewhere in these last days, I stopped saying Ho Chi Minh City and started saying Saigon too.

Saigon is the old name of the city. On 2 July 1976, the year after the war ended and North and South became one country again, it was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City, after the leader Ho Chi Minh. On paper it’s still Ho Chi Minh City, but in daily life it stayed Saigon. Even the airport code is still SGN.

So my last story ended with a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. This one is about Saigon.

Colourful food tasting served in small round pieces at a Saigon market — A market worth stopping for

Andreja smiling with a drink and the scooter tour group at a local market — Cheers to a day to remember

View from the back of a scooter along a Saigon street — Sightseeing Saigon's fancier side

The postcard

At the end of the trip, as I always do, I put a postcard in the post box at the iconic Saigon Central Post Office. It’s often said to be the work of Gustave Eiffel, the man behind the Eiffel Tower, which would have been a link to my favourite city. That turns out to be a popular myth: the architect was Alfred Foulhoux. The coincidence, I’m keeping.

I got to love Saigon. I’m only sorry I didn’t see more of it.

I’m sorry I didn’t see more of Saigon. Or is that on purpose, so I have a reason to come back?

Yellow French-colonial facade of Saigon Central Post Office with visitors outside — Meeting Saigon's most glamorous post office

Vaulted interior of Saigon Central Post Office with its central counters — Where sending a postcard feels like an occasion

Hand holding a Bauhinia Resort Phu Quoc postcard inside Saigon Central Post Office — One last postcard

The second souvenir

Three days after I got home, I started to feel sick: a temperature, tired, like a bad version of the flu. My first thought was COVID, from the plane. After a few days of lying at home, I went to my doctor. I told her I had just come back from Vietnam, and I also had a rash. She had my blood checked, and the results showed dengue.

I only had the first phase. No second phase, and no worst version of dengue.

I took it as being lucky. At home I was so tired that I couldn’t stay up for 15 minutes. I just slept and sweated. Now imagine that happening while I was still travelling, or on the flight. After a week I got better, and after 10 days I was totally well.

Is the Cu Chi mosquito the one? I can’t prove it. But my advice is DEET 50, and a place for it next to the basic first aid I told you to pack in the Ha Giang post — not medical advice, just my story.

They say travelling turns you into a storyteller. This trip made me one.

So Vietnam gave me two souvenirs: a brand new tooth on day one, and dengue on the way out. Next time, I’m buying a fridge magnet.