By aussiematesvietnam 
Southern Vietnam presents travelers with a captivating blend of frenetic urban energy and tranquil natural escapes. From the pulsating streets of Ho Chi Minh City to the languid waterways of the Mekong Delta, the region offers remarkable diversity within relatively short distances. For visitors seeking to experience Vietnam beyond the well-trodden northern circuit of Hanoi and Halong Bay, the south delivers distinctive landscapes, cuisines, and cultural experiences that reveal another facet of this multidimensional country.
Ho Chi Minh City: The Urban Heart of Southern Vietnam
No exploration of southern Vietnam can begin anywhere but Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), still widely called Saigon by locals despite its official renaming after the Vietnam War. This metropolis of approximately 9 million people serves as Vietnam’s economic powerhouse and offers visitors a fascinating blend of historic significance and rapidly modernizing urban landscape.
District 1: The Colonial Core
Most visitors concentrate their time in District 1, the city’s historical and commercial center. Here, remnants of French colonial architecture stand in stark contrast to gleaming skyscrapers, creating a cityscape that visually narrates Vietnam’s complex historical journey.
Key landmarks include:
Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral: Constructed between 1863 and 1880 entirely with materials imported from France, this neo-Romanesque cathedral features distinctive red brick façades and twin bell towers that reach 60 meters high. The statue of the Virgin Mary in front allegedly shed tears in 2005, creating a minor religious phenomenon.
Central Post Office: Designed by Gustave Eiffel (of tower fame) and completed in 1891, this working post office blends Gothic, Renaissance, and French influences. The cavernous interior features magnificent arched ceilings, intricate floor tiles, and vintage telephone booths, while an enormous portrait of Ho Chi Minh overlooks the central hall.
Reunification Palace: Formerly South Vietnam’s Presidential Palace, this 1960s modernist building stands preserved much as it was on April 30, 1975, when North Vietnamese tanks crashed through its gates, marking the end of the Vietnam War. The preserved war rooms, telecommunications center, and period furnishings provide a time capsule of this pivotal historical moment.
Opera House: Built in 1897 in flamboyant French colonial style, this recently restored building now hosts high-quality musical performances and cultural events. Even if you don’t attend a show, the exterior illuminated at night makes for magnificent photography.
War Remnants Museum
While not architecturally significant, this museum offers essential context for understanding Vietnam’s recent history. Eight thematic exhibition halls present the Vietnam War (known locally as the American War) from a Vietnamese perspective, with powerful photographic exhibitions, preserved military equipment, and recreations of the infamous “tiger cages” used to detain political prisoners. Though the perspective presented is decidedly one-sided, the museum provides important balance to Western narratives of the conflict.
City Hall and Nguyen Hue Walking Street
The ornate Hotel de Ville (now City Hall) provides a grand backdrop to Nguyen Hue, a broad pedestrian boulevard lined with cafes, shops, and public art. In the evenings, this walking street becomes a social hub where locals gather to escape the heat, practice dance routines, and socialize. The nearby 42 Nguyen Hue “Cafe Apartments” building has been transformed from a mundane apartment block into a vertical village of boutique cafes, each with unique decor and atmosphere.
Culinary Experiences in HCMC
Ho Chi Minh City proudly claims Vietnam’s most dynamic food scene, blending traditional Vietnamese cuisine with international influences and innovative fusion approaches.
Ben Thanh Market: Though increasingly tourist-oriented, this market’s food stalls offer an accessible introduction to Vietnamese staples. The market transforms in the evening when outside food stalls set up along the perimeter, creating a lively night market atmosphere.
Street Food Streets: Venture to streets like Vinh Khanh in District 4 or Van Kiep in Binh Thanh District for authentic street food experiences where plastic stools, cold beer, and sizzling seafood create memorable dining experiences far from tourist areas.
Coffee Culture: HCMC boasts an extraordinary coffee scene ranging from traditional sidewalk cafes serving robust Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk to third-wave specialty coffee shops showcasing Vietnamese beans prepared with contemporary methods. For traditional atmosphere, visit Cafe Giang to try egg coffee, or explore the hidden cafes tucked into the crumbling colonial apartment buildings along Nguyen Hue.
Cho Lon (Chinatown): Located primarily in District 5, this sprawling neighborhood offers distinctive Chinese-Vietnamese fusion cuisine. The bustling Binh Tay Market provides an alternative to Ben Thanh, with fewer tourists and more authentic local shopping.
Contemporary HCMC
Beyond historical sites, Ho Chi Minh City pulses with contemporary energy:
Bitexco Financial Tower: While no longer the city’s tallest building, its distinctive helipad jutting from the 52nd floor creates an iconic silhouette. The Saigon Skydeck observation platform offers panoramic city views, particularly spectacular at sunset.
Saigon River Experiences: Evening dinner cruises provide unique perspectives on the city skyline, while the developing Thu Thiem area across the river showcases Vietnam’s urban ambitions with rising skyscrapers and the architectural statement of the Thu Thiem 2 Bridge.
Craft Beer Scene: Vietnamese entrepreneurs and expatriates have created a thriving craft beer community with breweries like Heart of Darkness, Pasteur Street, and East West Brewing offering sophisticated taprooms serving tropical-influenced craft beers.
The Mekong Delta: Vietnam’s Rice Bowl
Just a few hours southwest of Ho Chi Minh City lies a completely different world. The Mekong Delta—where the mighty Mekong River approaches the sea, fragmenting into innumerable waterways that crisscross the landscape—offers visitors glimpses of rural Vietnamese life that continues much as it has for generations.
Can Tho: Gateway to the Delta
The delta’s largest city serves as the ideal base for exploring the region. While the city itself offers modern accommodations and facilities, its primary attraction lies in access to the famous floating markets.
Cai Rang Floating Market: To experience this market at its authentic best requires an early start—typically departing around 5:30 AM to arrive when wholesale trading is at its peak. Unlike Thailand’s more tourist-oriented floating markets, Cai Rang primarily serves local needs, with boats piled high with agricultural produce trading goods in centuries-old traditions. Vendors hang examples of their offerings on tall bamboo poles (known as “advertising poles”) to attract buyers across the crowded waterways.
Phong Dien Floating Market: Smaller and less visited than Cai Rang, this market offers a more intimate experience for those willing to venture further afield. The absence of large tour boats means visitors can observe transactions and daily life without contributing to overcrowding.
Exploring the Waterways
Beyond the floating markets, the delta’s network of rivers, canals, and channels offers opportunities to observe daily life unfolding along the waterways:
Sampan Journeys: These small wooden boats can navigate the narrower canals where larger tourist vessels can’t venture, providing glimpses into ordinary riverside villages and lush tropical vegetation.
Bicycle Excursions: On land, bicycles provide perfect transportation through the delta’s flat landscape, allowing visitors to explore fruit orchards, rice paddies, and small villages at a relaxed pace, stopping to interact with locals and observe traditional crafts and agricultural practices.
Homestay Experiences: For deeper cultural immersion, homestays in traditional wooden houses offer opportunities to participate in family life, learn about local cooking, and experience the rhythm of rural existence shaped by the river’s patterns.
Ben Tre: Coconut Country
This province, famous for its coconut production, offers distinctive delta experiences:
Coconut Candy Workshops: Visit small family operations producing the delta’s famous coconut candy, often still using traditional methods where the whole process—from extracting coconut cream to wrapping candies in rice paper—is performed by hand.
Rural Canals: Ben Tre’s smaller waterways wind through coconut forests, creating atmospheric journeys where boats navigate beneath low-hanging water coconut fronds in a landscape that feels unchanged for centuries.
Tropical Fruit Orchards: The region’s fertile soil supports remarkable diversity of tropical fruits. Depending on the season, visitors can sample everything from dragon fruit to mangosteen, rambutan to durian, often picked directly from trees within family orchards.
Chau Doc: Cultural Crossroads
Near the Cambodian border, Chau Doc reflects the delta’s cultural diversity with significant Khmer, Cham, and Chinese communities alongside Vietnamese populations.
Sam Mountain: This 230-meter hill rises dramatically from the flat delta landscape, topped with temples and offering panoramic views across to Cambodia. The hillside is dotted with Buddhist and Chinese temples, creating an atmospheric pilgrimage site.
Tra Su Cajuput Forest: This flooded forest reserve showcases a distinctive ecosystem where visitors glide through channels bordered by cajuput trees, observing rich birdlife and aquatic plants from small wooden boats.
Floating Villages: Entire communities live on floating homes along the river, many belonging to ethnic Vietnamese and Cham people who maintain distinctive cultural practices despite centuries of integration.
Phu Quoc Island: Tropical Paradise
Vietnam’s largest island, located in the Gulf of Thailand near the Cambodian border, has transformed from sleepy backwater to international resort destination over the past decade. Despite rapid development, Phu Quoc still offers both sophisticated luxury and untouched natural beauty.
Beaches and Coastal Areas
The island’s western coastline features the most developed beaches, with Long Beach (Bai Truong) hosting most major resorts along its 20km stretch of sand. Northern beaches like Bai Dai and Ganh Dau offer more seclusion, while the southeastern coast around Bai Sao presents picture-perfect white sand and turquoise waters that rival any in Southeast Asia.
Natural Attractions
Despite development, over 50% of Phu Quoc remains protected as national park, offering excellent opportunities for nature exploration:
Phu Quoc National Park: Covering the northern part of the island, this dense tropical forest harbors diverse wildlife, including several endangered species. Hiking trails range from easy walks to challenging treks through primary rainforest.
Snorkeling and Diving: The An Thoi Archipelago off the southern coast provides Vietnam’s best marine experiences, with coral reefs supporting vibrant underwater ecosystems. Day trips typically visit multiple islands with opportunities for snorkeling in crystal-clear waters.
Ham Ninh Fishing Village: On the island’s east coast, this traditional community built on stilts over the water offers authentic glimpses into the island’s traditional economy before tourism arrived.
Cultural Experiences
Fish Sauce Factories: Phu Quoc produces Vietnam’s most famous fish sauce (nuoc mam), considered the champagne of this essential Vietnamese condiment. Factory visits explain the production process where anchovies are fermented with salt in wooden barrels to create the intensely flavorful liquid that underpins Vietnamese cuisine.
Pepper Plantations: The island’s distinctive soil and climate produce high-quality black pepper, another key ingredient in Vietnamese cooking. Several plantations offer tours explaining cultivation and processing methods.
Night Market: In Duong Dong town, the night market showcases the island’s seafood bounty with countless restaurants displaying fresh catches for diners to select. Beyond food, vendors sell pearls, handicrafts, and souvenirs in a lively atmosphere.
Con Dao Islands: Remote Sanctuary
For travelers seeking experiences off the standard tourist path, the Con Dao archipelago offers compelling combination of pristine natural environment and sobering historical significance. This group of 16 islands, located about 240km from Ho Chi Minh City, requires effort to reach but rewards visitors with Vietnam’s most beautiful beaches and fascinating historical sites.
Historical Con Son
The main island, Con Son, housed infamous prisons established by French colonists and later used by American and South Vietnamese forces to detain political prisoners. These facilities, now preserved as museums, present a difficult but important aspect of Vietnamese history.
Con Dao Prison Complex: The largest of several prison sites features preserved cells, solitary confinement chambers, and the notorious “tiger cages” where prisoners were subjected to particularly harsh conditions. Historic photographs and explanatory materials provide context for understanding this dark chapter in the island’s history.
Hang Duong Cemetery: This cemetery contains graves of thousands of political prisoners who died during incarceration, including national heroine Vo Thi Sau, executed by the French at age 19. Her grave receives steady stream of Vietnamese pilgrims leaving offerings.
Natural Splendor
Beyond its challenging history, Con Dao offers extraordinary natural beauty:
Pristine Beaches: Beaches like Dam Trau and Dat Tham feature crystal-clear waters, powder-soft sand, and almost no development. Even in peak season, visitors can often find stretches of beach entirely to themselves.
National Park: Covering approximately 80% of the islands and surrounding marine environment, Con Dao National Park protects diverse ecosystems from primary forests to coral reefs. The park hosts several endangered species, including the Con Dao bow-fingered gecko found nowhere else on Earth.
Marine Life: The islands offer Vietnam’s premier sea turtle nesting sites, with guided nighttime excursions available during nesting season (May to October) to observe endangered green turtles laying eggs on protected beaches. The surrounding waters also harbor dugongs (sea cows), an increasingly rare marine mammal.
Practical Considerations
Con Dao’s isolation requires planning:
Access: Daily flights connect Ho Chi Minh City to Con Son, while less frequent services operate from Can Tho. Infrequent ferries depart from Vung Tau, but the sea crossing can be rough.
Accommodation: Options range from simple guesthouses to the ultra-luxury Six Senses resort, with limited mid-range choices. Advance booking is essential, especially during Vietnamese holiday periods.
Transportation: Motorbike rental provides the most flexibility for exploring the main island, though a limited taxi service exists. Many beaches and hiking trails require some walking to access.
Da Lat: Highland Retreat
While geographically part of Vietnam’s Central Highlands, Da Lat culturally and historically connects to the south, having served as mountain retreat for colonial-era Saigon residents seeking escape from lowland heat. This former French hill station, situated 1,500 meters above sea level, offers cool climate, distinctive architecture, and agricultural bounty that creates welcome contrast to southern Vietnam’s tropical regions.
Colonial Heritage
The French influence remains visible throughout Da Lat:
Bao Dai Summer Palace: The last emperor of Vietnam maintained this art deco-influenced residence as a summer retreat. The preserved interior with its 1930s furnishings provides insights into royal life during the twilight of Vietnamese monarchy.
Da Lat Railway Station: Designed in Art Deco style with elements of Normandy manor houses, this 1938 station stands as one of Vietnam’s most beautiful colonial buildings. A short scenic train journey operates to the nearby village of Trai Mat.
Da Lat Market: The central market combines French-influenced architecture with vibrant commerce centered around the agricultural products that thrive in the highland climate—strawberries, artichokes, avocados, and flowers not commonly found elsewhere in Vietnam.
Natural Attractions
The surrounding landscape offers numerous opportunities for nature exploration:
Lang Biang Mountain: Rising to 2,167 meters, this peak provides challenging hiking opportunities and panoramic views across the highlands. The mountain holds special significance for the indigenous K’Ho people, featuring prominently in their origin myths.
Waterfalls: Multiple waterfalls surround Da Lat, including Elephant Falls, Pongour Falls, and Datanla Falls, each offering distinctive experiences from easy access to more adventurous canyoning opportunities.
Tuyen Lam Lake: This large artificial lake surrounded by pine forests provides peaceful setting for boat excursions, fishing, and meditation at Truc Lam Zen Monastery overlooking the water.
Agricultural Experiences
Da Lat’s economy centers around specialty agriculture enabled by its microclimate:
Flower Farms: The region produces the majority of Vietnam’s cut flowers, with countless greenhouses cultivating roses, lilies, and chrysanthemums. Several farms welcome visitors, with best displays during the flower festival held biennially in December.
Coffee Plantations: The highlands surrounding Da Lat produce some of Vietnam’s highest-quality arabica coffee. Plantation tours explain cultivation and processing methods, typically concluding with tasting sessions of freshly brewed coffee.
Weasel Coffee Production: Several facilities demonstrate the production of weasel coffee (cà phê chồn), where coffee cherries are partially digested by civets before processing, creating distinctively flavored beans that rank among the world’s most expensive coffees.
Mui Ne: Coastal Escape
Just four hours east of Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne offers sun-seekers a beach destination with distinctive character. Originally a sleepy fishing village, the area has developed into resort destination particularly popular with Russian and Chinese tourists, while maintaining pockets of authentic coastal culture.
Natural Wonders
Red Sand Dunes: These striking formations provide otherworldly landscape reminiscent of Arabian deserts rather than Southeast Asia. Visitors typically arrive for sunrise or sunset when the changing light intensifies the reddish hue of the sand.
White Sand Dunes: Located further from the main resort area, these more extensive dunes surround lotus-filled lakes, creating dramatic contrasts between water, sand, and sky. ATV rentals and sand-sledding opportunities add adventure elements to the scenic beauty.
Fairy Stream: This shallow stream winds between red sandstone formations, creating miniature canyon with striking colors and formations. Visitors wade upstream through ankle-deep water, observing how water has sculpted the soft stone over millennia.
Water Sports
Mui Ne’s consistent strong winds have established it as Vietnam’s premier destination for wind and kite surfing:
Kiteboarding: Between November and March, steady onshore winds create ideal conditions for kiteboarders of all levels. Numerous schools offer instruction for beginners, while experienced riders appreciate the reliable conditions and relative lack of crowds compared to other Asian destinations.
Windsurfing: The same wind conditions attract windsurfers, with equipment rental and instruction readily available along the main beach.
Traditional Fishing: Early risers can observe traditional fishing methods as colorful round coracles and larger wooden vessels return with overnight catches, particularly in the original fishing village section at Mui Ne’s eastern end.
Cat Tien National Park: Wildlife Encounter
For those seeking wildlife experiences, Cat Tien National Park offers the south’s best opportunities to encounter Vietnam’s remaining large mammals and diverse birdlife. Located about 150km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, this protected area encompasses one of Vietnam’s largest remaining lowland tropical forests.
Wildlife Observation
Night Safaris: Evening jeep excursions offer opportunities to spot nocturnal wildlife including sambar deer, gaur (wild cattle), and various civets and lorises.
Primate Encounters: The park houses a gibbon rehabilitation center, where visitors can observe several species including the endangered golden-cheeked gibbon. Wild primates including macaques and langurs can often be spotted along hiking trails.
Crocodile Lake: A challenging 10km trek leads to this remote lake housing one of Vietnam’s last wild populations of Siamese crocodiles, an endangered reptile rarely seen elsewhere.
Birdwatching
With over 350 bird species recorded, Cat Tien ranks among Vietnam’s premier birdwatching destinations. Specialties include endemic orange-necked partridges, germain’s peacock pheasants, and several hornbill species. Guided early morning birding walks maximize chances of significant sightings.
Practical Information
The park offers various accommodation options from simple forestry service rooms to more comfortable lodge facilities. Most activities require registered guides, arrangeable through the park headquarters. The wet season (May-November) brings lush vegetation but challenging hiking conditions, while the dry season offers easier trekking but reduced waterflows.
Planning Your Southern Vietnam Journey
Getting Around
Southern Vietnam offers various transportation options for travelers:
Domestic Flights: Vietnam Airlines, VietJet, and Bamboo Airways connect Ho Chi Minh City with Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Da Lat, and Can Tho, providing efficient connections for time-limited itineraries.
Private Cars with Drivers: Particularly useful for Mekong Delta exploration, hiring cars with drivers offers flexibility while eliminating navigation challenges. Most hotels can arrange reliable services.
Public Buses: An extensive network of comfortable long-distance buses connects major destinations, typically offering multiple daily departures at very reasonable prices.
Motorbike Rentals: Popular in Da Lat and Phu Quoc, motorbikes provide maximum flexibility for independent travelers comfortable with Vietnamese traffic conditions.
Seasonal Considerations
Southern Vietnam’s tropical climate features two distinct seasons:
Dry Season (December-April): Lower humidity and minimal rainfall make this the most comfortable period for exploration, particularly for Mekong Delta journeys and beach destinations.
Wet Season (May-November): Characterized by brief but intense afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain. The countryside appears more lush, tourist sites are less crowded, and accommodation prices often decrease. Cat Tien and the Mekong Delta appear particularly verdant during this period.
Suggested Itineraries
Essential Southern Vietnam (1 Week):
- 3 days in Ho Chi Minh City
- 2 days in the Mekong Delta
- 2 days in Phu Quoc
Comprehensive Southern Circuit (2 Weeks):
- 3 days in Ho Chi Minh City
- 2 days in the Mekong Delta
- 3 days in Phu Quoc
- 3 days in Da Lat
- 3 days in Mui Ne
Off-the-Beaten-Path South (2 Weeks):
- 2 days in Ho Chi Minh City
- 3 days in Cat Tien National Park
- 3 days in Da Lat
- 3 days in the Mekong Delta (focused on less-visited areas like Chau Doc)
- 3 days in Con Dao
Conclusion: The Diverse Appeal of Southern Vietnam
Southern Vietnam offers remarkable diversity within relatively compact geography—from the metropolitan energy of Ho Chi Minh City to the tranquil waterways of the Mekong, from highland retreats to pristine islands. This variety allows travelers to craft journeys balancing urban exploration, cultural immersion, and natural beauty without spending excessive time in transit.
What distinguishes the south from Vietnam’s more frequently visited north is its distinctive cultural character—shaped by later Vietnamese settlement, stronger international influences, and different historical experiences. The region’s cuisine features brighter flavors and more tropical ingredients than northern counterparts, while the general atmosphere often feels more outward-looking and commercially oriented—reflections of the south’s historical position as Vietnam’s international crossroads.
For travelers who have previously explored northern Vietnam or those seeking alternatives to more touristed areas, southern Vietnam rewards with experiences ranging from luxurious beach resorts to wildlife encounters, from colonial architectural heritage to floating markets little changed for centuries. This multifaceted region continues revealing new dimensions even to returning visitors, cementing Vietnam’s reputation as one of Southeast Asia’s most compelling and diverse destinations.