DestinationsAsiaWhy People Love Ho Chi Minh City After Travel There and Even Stay Long?
Why People Love Ho Chi Minh City After Travel There and Even Stay Long?

Why People Love Ho Chi Minh City After Travel There and Even Stay Long?

This is another post in my series about Ho Chi Minh City travel. Honestly, as a son of this city, I just want to share more about this beautiful place with everyone around the world. So you can know that, in South Vietnam, there is a nice city that attracts a lot of people from travelers, explorers to entrepreneurs, ex-pats, students, etc. come for varied purposes.

From another country or Vietnam’s province, people travel to Ho Chi Minh City then love the city after a while of staying there. Indeed, the city attracts people in different ways. Here, I have collected the reasons why they love Ho Chi Minh City from over 2,000 answers, and I’m going to list them in this post. Let’s see!

Because There Are Beloved Ones

ho chi minh city travel coffee shop
The city is where I and my wife met. Photo was taken at the Thinker and Dreamer coffee shop in the Café Apartment.

Have you ever fallen in love with a place just because it’s where you met your half one? Or, you love the city just because it’s where your other half is living? Yes, I’m in the same situation, and so do many people:

  • “Because this city has the person I love”.
  • “Saigon has you”.
  • “I found my crush here”.
  • “Because I can see you every day”.
  • “I love Ho Chi Minh City as I love you”.

Don’t forget to join a local party or event here if you plan to travel to Ho Chi Minh City. Who knows, perhaps you are able to meet your other half in this city and decide to stay here.

Because There Are Memories

People in HCMC gather at the central walking street to enjoy the count down in NYE 2019
People in HCMC gather at the central walking street to enjoy the count down in NYE 2019.

One of the beautiful quotes of Anthony Bourdain says: “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind”. Indeed, many people love Ho Chi Minh City simply because it stores a part of their memories. That could be a good or bad one, but definitely, that’s the part that they are hard to forget:

  • “Because there are lovely memories”.
  • “I lost a person that I used to love so much”.
  • “I got lost in the alleys even with Google Maps”.
  • “The Cub that took us everywhere in the city”.
  • “Because this place and I have grown up. We experience beautiful memories together, and it listens to my tears confided”.

If you are planning to travel to Ho Chi Minh City or have ever been to the city, please share with me your beautiful memories at the place! I want to know more about your thinking and appreciate that a lot.

Because There Are Future

The center of Ho Chi Minh City with many international companies
The center of Ho Chi Minh City with many international companies.

Being the most advanced city in the country and evenly a technology, start-up hub of the region, Ho Chi Minh City attracts a lot of big companies, funds, and entrepreneurs around the world. As a consequence, people come to the city to find their chances for careers, businesses, and developments. If there is an ‘American dream’ in the USA, Ho Chi Minh City is also a dream to many people:

  • “Because Saigon leaves no one behind”.
  • “Because there is no other option. I studied in Saigon so choosing to stay here”.
  • “It’s easy to make money”.
  • “There are my present and future here, so wherever I go, I must return to Saigon”.
  • “Freedom and comfort. People are happy, likable. Food is plenty. I just don’t have money to buy, LOL”.
  • “To learn all the new things”.

Certainly, you will be surprised with the applications of advanced technologies in Ho Chi Minh City, especially in the center area. For example, there are super apps that you can easily use on your smartphone for ordering foods, booking transports, and many other services anywhere.

Besides that, in case you are going to Ho Chi Minh City for business, you can contact me. I can give you a guide or initial support when first come to the city.

Because There Are Attractions

Cơm Tấm - Broken Rice with Pork Rib at Cơm Tấm Hùng Võ Văn Tần
Cơm Tấm – Broken Rice with pork rib at Cơm Tấm Hùng Võ Văn Tần.
a café with special drinks in Ho Chi Minh City
It isn’t hard to find a café with special drinks in Ho Chi Minh City.

Without sea or mountain, Ho Chi Minh City still has many tourist destinations for wanderers. From my blog posts, you may know about Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Independence Palace, Cafe Apartment, etc. There are also nice spots to hunt the sunset or take photos. Nevertheless, the answers I got from the survey are slightly different. Surprisingly, there are so many people in love with the city because of its food. Indeed, Ho Chi Minh City has a long list of delicious Saigon foods and beautiful café for food-tour in months:

  • “Because Saigon has all kinds of life spice – bitterness, sweetness, happiness, and a billion other emotions!”.
  • “Because there are broken rice and beef noodle soup”.
  • “I love the city because it has so many delicious foods everywhere”.
  • “The city has all brands of milk-tea”.
  • “Does anyone know the specific address in the alley on Hai Ba Trung street that sells food and barbecue? Help me please, it’s been too long”.

Don’t be surprised if you see eateries with so many customers across Ho Chi Minh City. That could be a trendy or special shop, but that’s truly an attraction of the city. If you find a good restaurant or coffee shop in Saigon, don’t forget to tell me. There are so many that I cannot know them all.

Because It’s a Home

A panorama view of Ho Chi Minh City
A panorama view of Ho Chi Minh City.

I have different feelings knowing different reasons that people call Ho Chi Minh City home. Some simply love the city because it’s their hometown. Some move to the city and decide to spend their life there. To each person, there is always a reason:

  • “I lived there for 10 years”.
  • “I’m Saigonese”.
  • “It’s where I was raised”.
  • “Saigon saw me grow up and it also witnessed many of my inner torments the most”.
  • “If I ignore the delicious food, the friendly people, and the infrastructure progress, it is because my beloved relatives are here and it gives me a home”.

Additionally, there are some people stay at the home Ho Chi Minh City due to some special occasions.

A Story of the Belarusian Lady Selling Cake on the Street of Saigon

Irina Khmilnikova worked in the tourism industry, particularly selling tours to Russian travelers. Back in 2020, when the pandemic came, she lost her job and got stuck in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In order to continue living here, she makes cakes and walks around the city center to sell them. Despite the language barrier, she is having a good life in the city thanks to the greatest support of the place and the locals. She learns more about the culture, history, and many things about the place. Ho Chi Minh City to her, “it is my home now”, said the lady.

Actually, I collected that beautiful story about the Belarusian lady in Vietnam Times. There are even more similar stories and cases that are happening here in the city. Briefly, they all find a second home in Saigon to love and spend a long life. And you, why do you love Ho Chi Minh City?


IF YOU LOVE THIS POST, ‘PIN IT’ NOW!

reasons people love ho chi minh city - the broad life's pinterest board
reasons why people love ho chi minh city - the broad life's pinterest board

Khoi Nguyen builds The Broad Life with a desire to inspire people go exploring the world and live a more interesting, experience, and adventurous life. This blog shares the stories, pictures, and experiences at destinations where he has traveled to.

28 Comments

  • Claudia

    I can see whaty Ho Chi Minh City is so popular. It sounds like an amazing place.

  • Kuntala

    I would love to see Ho Chi Minsh City one day. I’ve been trying to get a trip together to China for years, but I haven’t been able to make it happen yet.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah you can easily make a trip to Vietnam and China at the same time.

  • Roger Alberty

    Wow, the food looks good, views are amazing, and the place in general is “likeable”. Sounds like a place I hope to visit one day!

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Definitely, you will love the place after visiting it!

  • Angela

    Such a beautiful place to visit Ho chi minsh city. I would love to be there sometime.

  • CA

    I miss HCM City, although I will be one of those who will be afraid to cross its streets. I miss your green mangoes with 2 types of spicy dips! I do agree that food is great in HCM, most especially coffee!

    • Khoi Nguyen

      I’m glad that you had a great time traveling to HCMC. Will you come back one day?

  • Nyxinked

    I can’t wait to travel again. It looks so gorgeous here and I’m honestly sick of the same old scenes and people.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Sounds like you had a great trip traveling to the city. Glad you love it!

  • Clarice

    I love Ho Chi Minh City! There is too much to see and do. Just like you sad, it has many tourist destinations. So far my favorite is the Ben Thah Market. 🙂

    • Khoi Nguyen

      You will like all those tourist destinations for sure.

  • Elise Ho

    There are many things to love. Of course, our biggest highlight is friends and family. However, the food is also amazing as it is also to see the nuances of a country that is not where I am living.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Definitely, you will love things about the city when visiting it.

  • Deborah

    There are so many places I would love to visit within Vietnam and this has just been added to my list. What an exquisite place!

  • Autumn Murray

    I couldn’t agree more with this article! I love Ho Chi Minh City and would love to live there. My family and I vacationed their four years ago and fell in love.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Wow, you must have a great time spent at HCMC.
      How are you planning to live in the city?

  • ebonynrobinson

    We had the privilege of visiting Ho Chi Minh 2 years ago and absolutely loved it! Everything you listed such as the culture and food were amazing! I can’t wait to go back one day!

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Soon Ho Chi Minh City will open again to welcome visitors when we can control the Covid-19.

  • Lily

    I need traveling graces again. This would be an amazing place to travel to!

  • Monidipa

    Even when I visit singapore, I do hear a lot about HCH city. I wish to visit it once.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      You will find out HCMC is so much interesting when visiting it.

  • emman damian

    Ho Chi Minh City is one of my favorite cities. I love the food. It is also cheap compared to other Asian cities.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      I’m glad that you favor the city. Hope you have a great trip there!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

a man running to the sun on a rope bridge

Sign up for Newsletter

    Discover more from Travel Blog - Blog About Traveling | The Broad Life

    Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

    Continue reading