What are the shopping options like in Ho Chi Minh City?

You never need a car to get food because everything is within walking distance or might even be in your own house. It is part of the culture that people are allowed to sell food in our homes, even with just 2-3 tables. There are all kinds of street food, from savory to sweet, like bánh tráng trộn, bánh sữa chiên, tré trộn… whose prices never exceed $1. There are free drinking water fountains and free bread stations on the street, where the homeless or the poor can come and take what they need.

Ben Thanh Market is located in the center of the city. This market so far has the most unique structure in the city. It was built at a prime location which is accessible via four main streets. The market includes 4 big main gates and other 12 small sub gates. Ben Thanh Market offers a wide variety of products from clothes to food, services, fresh ingredients, handicrafts, and authentic taste of Vietnamese cuisines. HCMC offers great cultural experiences that other places cannot.

The air quality in HCMC is not so good. You probably cannot see the blue sky above for it is always covered by a cloud of smoke. Secondly, traffic jam is a common practice in megacities in general, especially during rush hour. Above all, foreigners might be taken advantage of. Given that expatriates do not really know the real price of the products, they might be charged higher than their real values.