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Travel Duy Truong Travel Duy Truong

Vietnam 2025

December 27, 2025 - January 2, 2026

The last time I visited Vietnam was in 2007. Too young to appreciate the privilege of traveling across the world to the motherland. We had the opportunity to visit Vietnam again for our friend’s wedding. This time around, I made it an effort to take it all in, and to be grateful for this opportunity to connect back to my roots as a Vietnamese American. A week was too short to explore all of Vietnam, but it was enough to experience a bit of Ho Chi Minh City.

This post will be a long one, as Ho Chi Minh City was such a fun place to photograph. It will be broken down into sections:

  1. Motorbike Food Tour

  2. Sites

  3. Cafes

  4. Food

  5. Miscellaneous Photos

Motorbike Food Tour

One of the highlights of our trip was going on a motorbike food tour. It was an encapsulation of what Ho Chi Minh City has to offer in one: riding on a motorbike, sampling tasty Vietnamese food, and exploring the different districts. The tour was recommended to us by a friend who experienced it just a week prior. It was a 4 hour eating and sightseeing excursion through different districts of Ho Chi Minh City. Half the excitement was the transportation, which was on the back of a motorbike. Prior to this, we had never been on a bike, so it was a good primer on how to get on and off a bike safely. Our first stop was district 3, where we indulged in Banh Xeo and Banh Khot.

As a Vietnamese American who lives in the Bay Area where a large population of Vietnamese immigrants have settled, most of the foods on this tour were not new, but our tour guides Khoa and Nhung kept things engaging by teaching us a few things we did not know at every stop. Nhung went through each of the herbs that accompanied the Banh Xeo, and showed us a trick to get rid of the fish sauce smell out of our hands by rubbing mint between our fingers.

Our next stop was to Nguyen Thien Thuat apartment buildings, originally built in 1968 to house American Soldiers. The 3 story buildings now house Vietnamese families, with businesses on the first floor.

While walking through the neighborhood, we observed details such as the stairwell ramps used for motorbikes that made this building unique to Vietnam. Throughout the city, sidewalks are sloped, allowing for motorbikes to easily park. Our tour guide made a joke about Vietnam’s ‘Black Noodles’, not a Vietnamese delicacy, but the tangled wires found strung around the neighborhood. The tangled mess is a result of unregulated building, which makes it hard to identify and presents a safety risk. The government has proposed to demolish this neighborhood to start anew, but that would displace families who have grown up in these homes since the 60s.

We were able to walk past residential apartments and got a glimpse of how locals lived. A strong sense of community was observed, with little privacy between neighbors due to the close proximity of each unit. This felt like a stark contrast to living in some parts of America where individuality and privacy seems to have eradicated any communication between neighbors, making community harder to establish. There are trade-offs to both ways of living.

Next on the tour was the Ho Thi Ky flower market and street food market.

The vibrant and bustling night market was filled with colorful arrangements of flowers from neighboring regions, and a plethora of interesting street foods cooked fresh to order.

Here we were able to sample ‘Vietnamese Pizza’, Banh Trang Nuong, Lemongrass beef or pork skewers, and refreshing sugar cane/kumquat and other fruit juices.

Our tour guide Nhung gave us a short demo and background of the lotus flower, Vietnam’s unofficial national flower that symbolizes purity, beauty, resilience, and optimism. We had a fun activity folding the lotus flowers to make it ‘bloom’, and were fascinated learning that the fibers of the stem could be used to make clothing.

During our demo, we could hear and observe loud drumming, and were told that we were witnessing a tradition in Vietnamese funerals.

After the flower market, we road our motorbikes to enjoy Banh Canh Cua, a comforting crab noodle soup dish.

During our trip, a constant was being peddled by locals trying to sell us things like massages, lottery tickets, sunglasses or cigarettes. While we were eating, an elderly woman tried to sell us lottery tickets, which sparked a nice conversation with our tour guides about the lottery system in Vietnam and in the U.S. Nhung mentioned that we would usually see the elderly, disabled, or children selling lottery tickets because they get commission for each ticket sold. There is a nightly drawing for their lottery.

After our warm meal, we cooled off with Coconut ice cream, street side. The ice cream was topped with cherries, peanuts, corn, and coconut flakes.

Our last stop of the tour was in District 4, where we enjoyed fresh seafood and beer.

Sites

People’s Committee Building (Ho Chi Minh City Hall)

The French colonial style building marks the beginning of the long Nguyen Hue Walking Street.

Buu Dien (Saigon Central Post Office)

Another building with French Colonial architecture, this post office still functions, but is also filled with souvenirs for the many tourists that walk through. It is located next to the Notre-Dame cathedral, which is being renovated.

Bookstreet

Located next to the Notre Dame and Buu Dien is ‘Book Street’, a pedestrian only stretch filled with bookstores and cafes.

Tan Dinh Church

This Roman Catholic Church was built in the 1870’s during the French colonial period.

Ben Thanh Market

A bustling market offering souvenirs, clothes, and more. Aggressive merchants and haggling tourists.

Cafe Apartments

A unique multi-story complex filled with cafes and boutique stores.

The 8 story building gives great views overlooking the aforementioned Nguyen Hue Street. It looks like they were preparing for the New Years festivities, with Tiger beer sponsored stages being built.

Saigon Princess Dinner Cruise, Saigon River Skyline

We opted for a dinner cruise along the Saigon river for our first night. This gave us a great view of Ho Chi Minh City’s beautifully vibrant skyline. The dock was filled with other themed boats.

Admittedly, the food was not great.

The Saigon Princess boat had 2 main levels, a formal dining room in the bottom floor, and an open air floor with bar and live band up top.

The tall bright skyscrapers were a reminder that Ho Chi Minh City has gone through a lot of development since the last time I visited in 2007. As an outsider, the city felt like it was in a transitionary period of development, with views like these showing modernity. While grateful and hopeful that these developments improve the lives of local Vietnamese, I hope it finds a way to preserve it’s unique charm, while resisting the influences of western civilization and catering to tourists.

Bui Vien Walking Street

Speaking of catering to tourists, Bui Vien walking street felt just that. A caricature of night-life, with its loud music, dancing on tables, and tons of lights.

Independence Palace

The site of the Fall of Saigon in 1975 that ended the Vietnam War.

Saigon Opera House

Cafes

With strong ‘Vietnamese Coffee’ being known worldwide, it is not a surprise to learn that Cafe culture is alive and well in Ho Chi Minh City. Expanding from simple drip coffee, Vietnamese have creatively crafted unique caffeinated drinks, and with it the rise of cafes that showcase creativity of the community.

King Koi Coffee Cafe

Thanks to social media, Koi fish cafes have gained popularity. Ethically questionable, but King Koi cafe was a unique experience. Customers enjoy coffee in sunken booths, and can buy fish food to feed the Koi.

You mostly come here for the koi fish, but that gimmick quickly wears off. The service was not that great and the coffee was not worth the elevated prices. The location is a bit far from the city center.

Tonkin

Tonkin was our first stop in Vietnam. A great introduction to egg coffee, and coconut coffee.

Meraki Cafe

This cafe is found inside the Cafe Apartments. Coconut coffee and ice cream were great.

Good Day Cafe

Another cafe found inside Cafe Apartments

Eggyolk

A modern cafe in District 1 specializing in egg coffee. Their cold brew was equally great.

Highland Coffee

This coffee chain was found all over Ho Chi Minh City. They serve drip coffee.

Food

Growing up in the Bay Area where a large population of Vietnamese immigrants have settled, we take the wide array of great tasting Vietnamese food for granted. What better way to connect back to my roots than to taste all the different foods I grew up eating, made from local ingredients where they were invented.

Banh Mi Me In

Our first meal was a banh mi from Banh Mi Me In. A hole in the wall, accessible down a narrow alley, this busy eatery had a flavorful chicken banh mi. You can find Banh Mi food vendors on the street for very inexpensive banh mi’s, but it was hard to find one that offered chicken.

Pho Pasteur

We started our second day with a goal in mind: to have our first bowl of Pho in Vietnam. Pho Pasteur delivered. The restaurant does not shy away from free toppings, and at $3-$4 per bowl, the value was unbelievable. It was so good, we revisited a second time, for our last meal of the trip. It receives extra gratitude for serving Chicken Pho. Many pho restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City serve beef only pho.

Hong Phat

This next restaurant felt extra special to visit, as it was recommended to me by my Dad who remembers enjoying it while he lived in Vietnam. Since 1975, Hong Phat has been serving Hu Tieu Nam Vang along with other noodle dishes. It is now on the Michelin Guide. Again, the value was shockingly unbeatable.

Pho Vietnam

Also on the Michelin Guide is Pho Vietnam. They serve pho with fresh wide noodles. I personally preferred Pho Pasteur.

Bep Nguoi Hoi An

A personal favorite Vietnamese dish of mine is Mi Quang, a tumeric-infused flat rice noodle dish with a savory broth topped with shrimp, pork, qual eggs, peanuts, and served with rice crackers and fresh herbs. I am happy to have stumbled upon this Michelin recommended restaurant on Google Maps.

Bep Me In

Bep Me In serves Vietnamese comfort food that you would typically eat for a weeknight dinner. Growing up my dad would cook these familiar dishes.

Pasteur Street Craft Beer

It was interesting to see craft beer in Vietnam. I enjoyed the Vietnamese inspired twists, such as Jasmine and Kumquat Beer.

Pizza 4P’s

When researching for this trip, Pizza 4P’s was frequently mentioned. During our trip, our friends referenced the restaurant as well, noting that reservations were required for this popular restaurant. Initially, I was wary of wasting a valuable meal in a foreign country in Asia on pizza, but after experiencing Pizza 4P’s I stood corrected. The restaurant did an excellent job with fusing Vietnamese flavor profiles to Italian favorites like Pizza, Risotto, and Pasta. A standout was the Tom Yum Pizza. Herby, Citrusy, and all around unique, it inspired us to experiment with our new pizza oven that we got for Christmas.

A perfect example of fusing flavors from different regions was the crab tomato pasta. It was Bun Rieu in pasta form.

Ben Nghe Street Food

A food hall geared towards tourists, where you can find stalls selling all kinds of Vietnamese dishes.

Chuoi Nep Nuong

This street side stall serves grilled banana with coconut cream sauce. For $1.

Assorted Street Vendors

Miscellaneous Street Photos of Ho Chi Minh City

Architecture

Streets and Alleyways

Motorbikes

The city’s infrastructure is built around this mode of transportation. As time has gone by, more cars can be seen on the roads, but the motorbikes are still the best way to get around the city. After our first introduction to riding motorbikes on our food tour, we were instilled with confidence to ride the motorbikes around using Grab, a ride sharing app used in the city. I will look fondly back at our memories riding on a motorbike through the city.

A week was too short to explore all that Vietnam has to offer. But our time in Ho Chi Minh City was inspiring and we had a great experience. We’ll be back someday to explore the rest of Vietnam.

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London 2025

Monday July 7 - Friday July 11

Our last stop of the trip was London. On initial arrival, being in a country where English is the first language reminded me a lot of America. Having come from Rome and Paris, London felt like it could be another state in America. In hindsight, experiencing the people, pubs, and taking in the historical landmarks around me highlighted the cultural differences between our two countries and by the end of the trip, I had a better understanding and appreciation for London.

Westminster

Westminster is located on the Western side of London. This is where you can find London’s houses of parliament, and Big Ben.

Tower Bridge

Our hotel was situated near the Tower Bridge on the east side of London. The beautiful bridge has a distinct blue paint that makes the bridge stand out. This bridge is commonly mistaken as the London bridge, which is much less remarkable.

Trafalgar Square

The Ivy

Piccadilly Circus

Said to be the ‘time square’ of London, mostly due to the large advertising screen and bustling streets. There were an abundance of storefronts for shopping. We walked through Piccadilly Circus multiple times on way to other neighborhoods.

Poppies Fish and Chips

Our first taste of proper fish and chips. Poppies located in the Soho district did not disappoint with its light and flakey battered fish, and surprisingly great tasting mushy peas. The mushy peas had a taste and texture reminiscent of mashed potatoes and gravy. The fried foods paired nicely with a crisp mojito.

Soho District

The Soho district is a lively neighborhood full of pubs, restaurants, theaters, and more. It was an area we frequented for an evening drink.

Darwin Brasserie at Sky Garden

Reservations to visit Sky Garden were free, but another way to enter the Sky Garden is dining at one of the restaurants or bars in the building. We made reservations to have breakfast at Darwin Brasserie, where I was able to try a full English breakfast (black pudding included). I enjoyed the English breakfast with its myriad of ingredients, allowing me to pick at and combine different foods in each bite (who knew baked beans with poached egg on toast would be great). The black pudding did not bother me.

Sky Garden

The Sky Garden is located at the top of the Fenchurch building. The building has a nickname of “The Walkie-Talkie” building due to its interesting curved shape. The London skyline has a unique array of interestingly shaped buildings, all viewable from Sky Garden. Other major cities have view points, like the Space Needle in Seattle. But the Sky Garden stood out for its size, green-space, mixed use space with restaurants and bars, and general aesthetics. You can spend awhile in this space without feeling cramped or bored.

Leicester Square

Entertainment center of London.

Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace

Covent Garden

Shopping and entertainment hub.

London Chinatown

Tower of London

A historic citadel and castle in London built in 1078. It was used as an armory, treasury, menagerie, and prison. It houses the Crown Jewels of England. Tickets were required to enter the Tower.

Fortnum & Mason

Founded in 1707, this department store is a destination for all things tea and confectionery.

Notting Hill

Known for their vibrant pastel colored houses, and Portobello street filled with street vendors and shops.

Rock & Roll Tour / Abbey Road

Joined along a Rock and Roll tour where we learned about London’s role in rock music history, including The Beatles history. We visited famous landmarks including Abbey Road, where the Beatles took their famous record cover photo.

The Cross Keys Pub

Our tour took a short break at Cross Keys Pub, the oldest pub in Chelsea. It was built in 1708, and prominent artists have been patrons here.

Borough Market

London’s oldest and largest food market. A crowded but fun place to peruse and take in all the different food stalls and their viral treats. Here you’ll find popular stalls like chocolate covered strawberries, fish and chips, paella, creme brûlée donuts, sandwiches and more.

Churchill Arms Pub

Built in 1750, it was said that Churchill’s grandparents frequented this pub. The beautifully ornate pub is decorated with Churchill memorabilia, with florals covering the exterior of the building. A classic pub, except they serve Thai cuisine (pretty good from what the reviews say, we did not partake).

ffiona’s

Our last dinner of the trip was at Ffiona’s, at the recommendation of one of our friends. Excellent hospitable service from Fiona herself.

Miscellaneous Pictures

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Paris 2025

Friday July 4 - Monday July 7

Third stop of the European trip was Paris. Technically the fourth, as our 7 hour train from Milan to Paris was cancelled due to floods in Paris. Instead, we took a train from Milan to Zürich Switzerland where we stayed a night.

Le Marais

We stayed in the lively Marais district in Paris, situated between the 3rd and 4th arrondissement. The narrow streets of the neighborhood are filled with small cafes, shops, and bars, perfect for walking around. The beautiful streets and architecture gave the city a charm that was enhanced by the people and French language.

At night, the neighborhood bars and restaurants are filled into the lively streets with patrons having a drink with friends.

The Eiffel Tower

An iconic landmark that reminds you that you are in Paris.

Louvre Museum

Due to limited time, going inside the museum was not an option. Admiring the architecture from outside was an equally enriching experience.

L’Atelier Entrecote & Volaille

On the must try list of foods was Steak & Frites. Although not the main restaurant everyone goes to for steak & frites, we were excited to have found a restaurant with a chicken & frites option. It did not disappoint.

Arc de Triomphe

Champs-Elysees

A famous avenue filled with luxury shopping, cafes, restaurants, and more. A center for events, and even the finish of the Tour de France. On this day, there was a parade that closed off the street to only pedestrians.

Jardin Des Tuileries

Stunning landscaping made for a pleasant walk through this large garden. Lovely manicured trees and avenues filled with lush green foliage.

Notre-Dame

A thunderstorm with heavy rain made the visit to the exterior of the Notre Dame a memorable one.

Bo & Mie

Croissants and baguette next to the Seine River.

Seine River

Le Calife Seine River Dinner Cruise

A lovely dinner experience cruising down the Seine river during sunset. Excellent food with a great view of Paris.

First time trying Foie gras

Miscellaneous Pictures

Paris is up there with Rome for my favorite places that I have visited. I would definitely make the trip to experience the charming city again.

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Rome 2025

Sunday June 29 - Wednesday July 2

The first stop of our time in Europe was Rome, Italy. I did not travel much growing up, so the thought of traveling to Europe never seemed feasible, nor did it cross my mind as a place I wanted to visit. Having only traveled internationally once in 2007 to Vietnam, there was apprehension related to navigating around the city, and communicating in a foreign country. Those fears quickly faded, and replaced instead with a sense of awe and adventure as we stepped off the plane and started the journey to the Airbnb.

Trastevere

We stayed in the lively, and touristy Trastevere neighborhood. The cobblestone streets, and narrow passageways instilled a sense of old-world charm that was a consistent reminder that we were no longer home, but instead somewhere that had a deep culture and history baked into the streets and surrounding buildings. Speaking of home, the hills of San Francisco prepared us well for days of long walks exploring the city. All major landmarks were around a 30 - 50 minute walk from the Airbnb, great for slowly taking in the atmosphere and life around us.

Pantheon

The Pantheon in Rome is one of the city’s most iconic and well-preserved ancient monuments. Originally built in 125 AD as a temple to all Roman gods, it features a massive domed roof with a central oculus that lets natural light stream into the interior. It was the first landmark we encountered in Rome. The impressive scale and intricacy of the craftsmanship, all completed thousands of years ago, makes you marvel at what humans were able to accomplish so long ago.

Spanish Steps

Trevi Fountain

18th-century fountain in the Trevi district, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Guiseppe Pannini in 1762. Very grand, but also extremely crowded with happy tourists collectively checking this place off their bucket list.

Osteria Da Fortunata

Our first dinner in Rome was at Osteria Da Fortunata. Handmade pasta can be seen being prepared through the glass window in the storefront. This restaurant was a great introduction to Italian food. The Cacio e Pepe had a great bite, and the gnocchi perfectly pillowy. The meal tasted fresh, with each ingredient distinctly making its presence known.

Piazza Navona

Rome is filled with Piazzas, public open spaces for people to gather.

River Tiber

Restaurants, bars, and pop up shops line the base of River Tiber, making it a pedestrian friendly walk way for both running groups and nightlife types.

Colosseum

We took a walking tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. We learned a wealth of history from our passionate local tour guide who painted a better picture of what life during active use of the Colosseum was like better than we could have researched on our own. Seeing and experiencing one of the new wonders of the world was a highlight of our time in Rome.

Forum and Palatine Hill

Walking through the ruins of what once was the center of important government buildings gave a small glimpse of what Roman life was like in the early days. It is hard to comprehend events that occurred many lifetimes ago, but there was still a sense of wonder and undercurrents of melancholy while passing through crumbled pillars, buildings, and Julius Caesar’s grave site.

Julius Caesar’s grave

Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum had an expansive collection of historically significant art by renowned artists. A very cool experience seeing iconic pieces like the Creation of Adam and the Last Judgement in person.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Although not religious, visiting the St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican during the 2025 Jubilee felt like a special opportunity that I am grateful to have experienced. The Holy Door opens during the Jubilee, which occurs every 25 years, so it was a very special moment to be able to walk through the doors to enter the Basilica. St Peter’s Basilica might be the most grand and awe-striking building we walked through in Rome.

Trapizzino

Trapizzino is a Roman street food, an Italian pizza pocket.

Gelato

The first thing we noticed walking around Rome was the abundance of Gelaterias. There seemed to be multiple stores in every neighborhood. Many were consumed.

Miscellaneous Pictures

Walking through the streets of Rome, the impact of the history, architecture, and art was palpable, and I am grateful to have been able to experience it all.

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