Auntie Bai's sampan boat, Ho Chi Minh City

Condé Nast TravelerNov 14, 2025

From bustling Ho Chi Minh City to the magnificent Mekong Delta, Chris Schalkx explores this country of contrasts.

Local legend ladling out pork noodles for over four decades.

14 things in this story

Mong BridgeSightBuilt by architect Gustave Eiffel during French-colonial era.
Park Hyatt SaigonHotelPlush base for exploring the city.
ChinatownNeighborhoodTemples with incense-thick air.
AnanRestaurantVietnamese-American chef Peter Cuong Franklin's restaurant.
Cai Rang MarketMarketFloating market with vendors selling produce and fish.
Auntie Bai's sampan boatRestaurantLocal legend ladling out pork noodles for over four decades.
Cờ Đỏ villageNeighborhoodVillage where locals share moonshine and grilled rice field rat.
Tra Su CajuputSightFlooded forest with incredible bird life.
Bang Lang Stork SanctuarySightWetlands with abundant bird life.
Chau DocPlace of worshipRiverside town with a night market.
Binh Thanh districtNeighborhoodHip district with coffee shops and neon-lit bars.
Khmer pagodasSightGilded pagodas where monks sweep courtyards.
Cham village of Châu GiangNeighborhoodFloating village where women weave silk brocades.
Thu Duc CityNeighborhood

Auntie Bai's sampan boat