Catching up, April 5: Ho Chi Minh City, day 1
Finally, my first stop in Southeast Asia (SEA): Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, in Vietnam! After traveling for about 30 hours (20 hours on flights with a 10 hour layover), I had arrived at my first destination. I immediately felt the humid and warm air getting off the plane and in the airport. I also did a few things ahead of time: found a comfortable Airbnb for my first night to adjust (moving to hostels afterwards), made sure I met all the Visa requirements, and decided on a sim card so I could get data to grab an Uber from the airport.
I had researched the Visa requirements for all the countries I was definitely going to visit (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore). All the countries had straightforward Visas on arrival with the exception of Vietnam, requiring an "approval letter" ahead of time. All the countries also had a "stamping fee" that is usually paid in exact change USD, so I prepped that money as well. As a US citizen, I could apply online and get the approval letter through one of many "E-Visa" services. I ended up using "vietnam-visa" dot com after reading about positive experiences with other users. I decided on a 3 month Visa since I wasn't sure exactly how long I wanted to stay. I received my approval letter through email after about a day or two, printed it out, and prepped the stamping fee of $35 USD.
So, I found the line for the Visa on arrival after getting off the plane, waited in line for a bit, handed them my approval letter and passport, and then waited about an hour to get my passport back with the Visa attached. I had no issues getting through security and made it to the lobby where I could see many sim card stands, ATMs, and people starting to flag me down to go to their stall. After getting some cash from an ATM, I had already decided on grabbing a Viettel sim after some reading. For about $14, I got a prepaid data plan for about a month, touting "unlimited" data. The attendant popped the sim card in, and after a reboot, my phone had a data signal! Easy enough. I was ready to step outside and grab an Uber.
As soon as I stepped outside, I was overwhelmed. The warm air, the swaths of people waiting for other arrivals, the noise from the countless motorbikes, the smells (good and bad), and taxi drivers flagging me down for a ride. From everything I read, the taxi drivers were generally not the best option as they would try to overcharge. I read that both Uber and Grab were common ride share apps, with Grab being the most popular in SEA, but I didn't have success with Grab using my US phone number for verification. I also noticed something new in the Uber app when I started to request a ride: Uber Bike! I wasn't quite ready for my first ride in SEA to be as a passenger on a motorbike, so I opted for a car.
It's difficult to describe my experience during my first ride through the streets of Saigon. I knew that the traffic was chaotic: full of motorbikes, seemingly without any rules, but nothing prepares you for the reality. It was insane. The roads were clearly dominated by motorbikes, so being in a car would actually be more awkward and anxiety-inducing! Traffic moves far slower than in the states because everyone is competing for the right of way. It doesn't seem as if there are any rules, only some instinctual understanding of when to push through or when to yield. There are some traffic lights, but most of the intersections didn't have any rules. There is an endless sound of horns because they are primarily used for signaling: letting others know you are entering the intersection, or behind them, or about to turn. And nothing prepared me for the sheer density of bikes everywhere, only increasing as you get closer to the center of the city. Words don't do it justice, you just need to experience it for yourself.
After getting dropped off, I spent a good fifteen minutes trying to find my Airbnb, having some difficulty reading the house numbers. I walked up and down the street a few times and finally found the gate from the photos after crossing sides. The Airbnb host was very friendly, not speaking too much English, but it was easy enough to figure things out. After a much needed shower, I happily spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on the bed, quickly falling asleep.
I had researched the Visa requirements for all the countries I was definitely going to visit (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore). All the countries had straightforward Visas on arrival with the exception of Vietnam, requiring an "approval letter" ahead of time. All the countries also had a "stamping fee" that is usually paid in exact change USD, so I prepped that money as well. As a US citizen, I could apply online and get the approval letter through one of many "E-Visa" services. I ended up using "vietnam-visa" dot com after reading about positive experiences with other users. I decided on a 3 month Visa since I wasn't sure exactly how long I wanted to stay. I received my approval letter through email after about a day or two, printed it out, and prepped the stamping fee of $35 USD.
So, I found the line for the Visa on arrival after getting off the plane, waited in line for a bit, handed them my approval letter and passport, and then waited about an hour to get my passport back with the Visa attached. I had no issues getting through security and made it to the lobby where I could see many sim card stands, ATMs, and people starting to flag me down to go to their stall. After getting some cash from an ATM, I had already decided on grabbing a Viettel sim after some reading. For about $14, I got a prepaid data plan for about a month, touting "unlimited" data. The attendant popped the sim card in, and after a reboot, my phone had a data signal! Easy enough. I was ready to step outside and grab an Uber.
As soon as I stepped outside, I was overwhelmed. The warm air, the swaths of people waiting for other arrivals, the noise from the countless motorbikes, the smells (good and bad), and taxi drivers flagging me down for a ride. From everything I read, the taxi drivers were generally not the best option as they would try to overcharge. I read that both Uber and Grab were common ride share apps, with Grab being the most popular in SEA, but I didn't have success with Grab using my US phone number for verification. I also noticed something new in the Uber app when I started to request a ride: Uber Bike! I wasn't quite ready for my first ride in SEA to be as a passenger on a motorbike, so I opted for a car.
It's difficult to describe my experience during my first ride through the streets of Saigon. I knew that the traffic was chaotic: full of motorbikes, seemingly without any rules, but nothing prepares you for the reality. It was insane. The roads were clearly dominated by motorbikes, so being in a car would actually be more awkward and anxiety-inducing! Traffic moves far slower than in the states because everyone is competing for the right of way. It doesn't seem as if there are any rules, only some instinctual understanding of when to push through or when to yield. There are some traffic lights, but most of the intersections didn't have any rules. There is an endless sound of horns because they are primarily used for signaling: letting others know you are entering the intersection, or behind them, or about to turn. And nothing prepared me for the sheer density of bikes everywhere, only increasing as you get closer to the center of the city. Words don't do it justice, you just need to experience it for yourself.
After getting dropped off, I spent a good fifteen minutes trying to find my Airbnb, having some difficulty reading the house numbers. I walked up and down the street a few times and finally found the gate from the photos after crossing sides. The Airbnb host was very friendly, not speaking too much English, but it was easy enough to figure things out. After a much needed shower, I happily spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on the bed, quickly falling asleep.
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