Great info. Thanks. Couple comments below.
Originally Posted by fiona
We headed off to Ben Thanh Market. This is the largest covered market in Saigon.
Back to the market- a word of advice- stay away from the narrower aisles. We made the mistake of going there first and you run an assault course. Hundreds of hands grab your arms and try to pull you over to see their stalls.
I hired a local guide for one of the days I was there and he took me to the Binh Tay Market in Cholon (aka Chinatown). He told me Ben Thanh was full of tourists. I was the only Westerner we saw while walking around Binh Tay and it's tout-free; no hassles whatsoever.
The advice is to look straight ahead, ignore the bikes thundering down on you and step right out and don’t stop until you get to the other side.
I think looking straight ahead might get you run over.
You need to weave your way through, sort of like crossing through a school of fish. While you can pause,
never back up. My local guide said you can put your hand out, palm facing towards the bikes, if you feel they are not yielding sufficiently. And he always looked at the bikes, as did I.
We had booked what is supposed to be the best restaurant in town for the evening- Hoi An. It is in an old Vietnamese house with wooden panels and fancy teak tables and chairs. Good service and great food.
Another great place is Mandarine. I had a duck dish that was a marriage of Vietnamese and French cooking. Excellent! I believe I read it's owned by same folks who run Hoi An. I was a bit disappointed with the Temple Club, another restaurant frequently recommended.
I really enjoyed Saigon. A fascinating place.