Sapa - a magic mountain scenery above the mist

See the locations on Sapa Google Map and see the Weather in Sapa

Picture by marhas
Sapa morning: The mist is leaving and the view towards the valley with the rice terraces is opening

Picture by Lawrence Sinclair

Picture by ronancrowley

Picture by n gr0uch0
Sapa Square with churchbr>
It's a long one-hour drive from the town Lao Cai on a road winding up into the Hoan Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border in northwestern Vietnam. Up to 1650 m above sea level. Into a town, that may be still enclosed by mist, when you arrive early in the morning. There you may witness, how the mist is floating away and discloses a fine rugged scenery and rich cultural diversity, great views into the surrounding mountains and valleys, towards the famous rice terraces with the farm houses of the hill tribe people (Hmong and Dao) living around this town in the Tonkinese alps. The picturesque village is a former French hill station near Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam, rising from the Red River Valley. And you find here a very special atmosphere: something between a Vietnamese hilltribe-market-town and a skistation in the French mountains. Sapa’s streets are the business place to the Hmong, Dao, Giay, Pho Lu and Tay people. Their traditional ethnic dresses make the difference from the many nations, who come to Sapa to plunge in its landscape. The women of these groups carry their handmade goods on their backs in traditional wicker baskets to barter and trade with tourists.

Picture by marhas
Cau May street: Full of restaurants, handicraft- and outdoorshops and leading to the market


Muong Hoa Street: Wine and chocolate and more food

Picture by marhas
Cau May Street: The Hilltribe Mini Hotel, the Highland Bakery Restaurant and the Sapa Trekking Shop

Pictures by marhas
Pastries in the window of Highland Bakery

Picture by marhas
Crafts and fashion

Picture by marhas
Skipants in Sapa? Sometimes Sapa sees some snow - and normally a lot of tourists buying outdoorclothes

Picture by marhas
Flowers at the market

Picture by Hector Garcia
Black Hmong women at Sapa market

Picture by marhas
Black Hmong women waiting

Picture by marhas
Sapa street food

Picture by Arian Zwegers

Picture by marhas
In the evening: The mist creeps around the corner


Red Dzao Traditional Medicine Bath: 10 Thac Bac Street. Read about this experience. Due to the isolation in the mountains herb medicine plays an important role in protecting the health of the Dao people. There are plenty of herbs in the forests. During the herbal bath they drink restoratives. This helps women recuperate after giving birth, stimulate their appetite and protect infants from disease via their mothers milk. According to the wisdom of the Dao people a herbal bath helps against physical and mental fatigue and it enhances blood circulation. For women the herbal bath promises skin beauty by opening pores, removing dead skin and impurities. Read more: Trying medicinal bathing with the Dao

Picture by marhas
Red Dzao Traditional Medicine Bath


There is something in Sapa, that can be enervating. "Welcome to Sapa, home of the hard sell", writes the Ottawa Citizen. Susan Riley describes: "From the moment you step out of your minivan in the town of Sapa (...) you will be besieged by Hmong women - short, friendly, decked out in bright head scarves, patterned umbrellas and dark leggings and as persistent as black flies. They followed us everywhere (...) - even on a three-hour "trek" through high pastures, sodden rice paddies and down slippery goat paths to a neighbouring village. We told them we weren't buying the blankets, trinkets and scarves they carry in woven baskets; we asked them politely to let us walk in peace; finally, we affected tight smiles and tried ignoring them." As tourist you are really in the dilemma: You would like to be polite and answer their questions (where are you from?), but if you do this, you encourage them to follow you because they think sooner or later you are going to buy from them. "Don't talk to them", is the advise of the local Tay guide, who shows the author of this blog around. Another advise: "Say you are Belgian - they know that Belgians newer buy". Or should you buy, because you are a rich tourist and should give something of your richness away, because you know, that many people in the mountains of Vietnam are still poor and have not a lot of possibilities in their lifes? You are in a dilemma.

The tourism boom in Sapa has its backside. Some parents take the children out of school and send them to sell things to tourists. But there is an organization fighting against this and better education and formation for children: Sapa O'Chau. This organization, founded by Shu, a Black Hmong woman (see video1 and video2), is attracting children to their school classes of English language and guidework and then send the well prepared young guides to tours with guests or other work in the tourism. Today Sapa O'Chau has over 70 students. And you can get here experienced guides for trekking tours or tours to local markets.


Sapa O'Chau Café - where you book tours with their guides

While Sapa itself has much adapted to tourism - with more and more guesthouses and hotels lining its streets, all competing for the best views, with restaurants for many tastes of the world - the landscape around the town remains stubbornly untouched: Rice terraces, who have been built by generations, water buffaloes, pigs and ducks in between and the hilltribe people working in the rice paddies and on their handicrafts.

Special nights in Sapa used to be Saturday evenings. Then men and women from the surrounding hilltribes come to the "Love market" or better: dating market (Cho Tinh, see pictures). Which is described by edbourke.net. But the growing interests of tourists has destroyed this event. Young people now find other ways to date. What happens now is described by vietnamnet.vn.


Sapa Museum:

Picture by marhas
Hmong Shaman Altar


The main season for vistors is from September to November or from March to May with dry sunny days and cool nights.


Picture by jmhullot

Picture by Palojono
Sunset at Tram Ton Pass, after driving up from Sapa

Picture by alex franka
Hmong village


A two to three hours drive from Sapa lies Bac Ha, a Hmong village. It has a Sunday market. You can get tours to this market, taking you at Lao Cai railway station when you arrive in the morning and afterwards bring you to your hotel in Sapa or the other way round, when you leave Sapa on Sunday, for example here.

Picture by Tartarin2009
Bac Ha market



How you get to Sapa

By train:
From Hanoi to Lao Cai at the Chinese border (7 to 8 hours). You can travel with sleepers and book on vietnamrailways.com. Then get to the right railway station in Hanoi: The entrance is from Tran Quy Cap Street. See Hanoi Railway Station Google Map. From Lao Cai buses to Sapa (1 1/4 hour), take seat on the left side to have the best view.

Overland Travel to Luang Prabang: There’s no direct bus going to Luang Prabang from Sapa, notes flipnomand.com. His minivan left at around 8 am and took around eight hours to reach Dien Bien Phu (12 USD). There he took the bus to Mhuang Khua in Laos (5 USD) at 5.30 am via Tay Trang Border and arrived at around 2.30 pm. There he took a minibus the next morning to Udomxay and there another bus to Luang Prabang.


Where to stay in Sapa: Sapa Hotels and Guesthouses

Where to go from Sapa: Discoveries around Sapa

Restaurants: Where you eat in Sapa


Picture by johnlemon
Rice fields down in Sapa Lao Cai

Picture by ronancrowley

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Sapa Hotels and Guesthouses

See the locations on Sa Pa Hotels and Guesthouses Google Map

Bamboo Sapa Hotel: The views are "out of this world", the breakfast is excellent, according to reviews on tripadvisor.com. But there is no elevator. And the room walls are not soundproof. See the hotel on youtube.

Fansipan View Hotel: From USD 28. Xuan Vien Street. Train station pickup included. A boutique hotel with 15 basic rooms, overlooking the valleys of Sapa and Fanispan mountain. All deluxe rooms with balcony. No Aircondition, but this is not necessary. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com

Picture by Fansipan View Hotel



Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa Hotel: 77 rooms with private terrace. The hotel is situated on a hill. The pool, spa and some other facilities are more up the hill. A private train of Victoria Hotels is running from Hanoi to Lao Cai. "A top notch hotel" according to the reviews on tripadvisor.com

Picture by thomaswanhoff


Sapa Garden Bed & Breakfast: From 43 USD. 102 Dien Bien Phu Road, about 2.5 km away from the center of Sapa town (walkable within 20-30mins). A renovated French style Villa with three bedrooms and garden. "Best kept secret in Sapa" according to excellent reviews on tripadvisor.com.

Picture by Sapa Garden Bed & Breakfast
Bed and Breakfast in a French style villa


Sapa Rooms Boutique Hotel: From 59 USD. There can be noise from the street, say good reviews on tripadvisor.com. See picture on flickr.com.

Picture by David McKelvey


Thai Binh Sapa Hotel: "A great choice" according to very good reviews on tripadvisor.com. See picture by feng77


The Village Noshery:

Read more and see pictures: Sapa Impressions

Where to go from Sapa: Discoveries around Sapa

Restaurants: Where you eat in Sapa


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Halong Bay impressions

Picture andreakw

Picture David McKelvey

Picture David McKelvey
The bay in front of Sung Sot Cave


Michael Buckley's essay about the Halpng Bay: Vietnam's Bay of the Descending Dragon


Picture David McKelvey
Sung Sot Cave

Picture andreakw
Floating store

Picture andreakw
Floating village

Picture andreakw

Picture andreakw

Picture David McKelvey

Picture txfiddlechick
Kayaking through a cave tunnel

Picture txfiddlechick
On the shore of Ti Top Island

By txfiddlechick
View from the top of Ti Top Island

Picture chericbaker
Fighting cocks

Picture Rosino


Bo Nâu Cave: See picture of the entrance by TTVo, From 2 to 3 km southeast of Trong Mái Islet lies Bo Nâu Cave (Pelican Cave). This grotto covers 200 m2. Pelicans often find shelter here. Read more on halongtours.com


Dau Go Cave: This means Driftwood Cave. The ceiling of the cave is about 25m up, hundreds of stalactites are falling down like a waterfall. There are three rooms inside, at the end of the cave you find a well of clear water. Read more on halongtours.com
See picture by Tai Thanh Vo and view from Dau Go Cave by rathmax

Picture iko

Picture Xurxo Martínez


Thien Cung Cave: This means "Heavenly Palace". The way to Thiên Cung leads through thick forest. The cave ist 130m long. In the centre four pillars support the "roof of heaven”. At the last part of the cave you discover three ponds with clear water. Read more on halongtours.com

Picture Dennis Jarvis

Picture Erik A. Drabløs

Picture romancrowley


Read more:
How to choose the right junk for Halong Bay
Cat Ba and the islands and caves in Lan Ha Bay: Have a quiet time
Quan Lan island
Co To Island







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How the dream turned into a nightmareon Halong Bay

Picture marhas Not all the junks on Halong Bay are safe enough

See on youtube, how the sunken "Dream Voyage" is recovered.


A sad story gets sadder and sadder: 12 tourists died, when their junk "Dream Voyage" sank near Titov island, when they were sleeping on February 17 2011. "It's the deadliest Vietnamese tourism accident until now, and is a sad lesson," Nguyen Quy Phuong, a deputy director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, told Agence France Press. Visitors from the United States, Sweden, Russia, Britain, Japan, France and Switzerland have lost their lives. Nine tourists and all six crew members have survived.


The company changed its name - after a deadly accident

When this happened, the sea was not stormy and the boat ankered near an island, as all the junks on Halong Bay do, when passengers sleep in their cabins. It is not known until now, what caused the tragedy. But: The company, that operated the ship and some others, has a history. And this history seems to be not good: The Truong Hai Company has changed its name four month ago, as Thanh Nien News reports. It was previously named Bien Mo Company, which owned a boat, that sank in Ha Long Bay in September 2009, killing two British tourists, a French man and two Vietnamese. Their boat overturned during strong winds in wild seas.


The last accident happened after irregularities

Also the last deadly accident has a history in the internet. An investigation by Hertfortshire Police in England turned out, that the accident happened between 6.30 and 7.00 pm, but the boat named "Halong Party Cruiser" was only permitted to sail between 12pm and 4pm, while there was 50 tonnes of cement on board, acting as ballast. The cruiser¨had also been modified without permission, measuring a length of 32.6m when it was designed to be 25.87m. All this was reported by Watford Obersever. Sandren, a surviver of this tragedy, writes on tripadvisor.com: "There were no lifejackets, no first aid kids and no emergency equipment (...) There were lifejackets on a smaller boat that was attached to our big boat, but this was pulled under along with the main ship, so the lifejackets did no good."

According to banmoi.com this ship was a new vessel, that had "just done its only trial run to test the boat’s equipment and seaworthiness, and the crew’s ability to serve and please foreign tourists". Thanh Ninh Weekly quoted Vu Hong Thanh of the Quang Ninh Province People’s Committee: "This is a clear breach of safety regulations. We will investigate the incident and initiate criminal proceedings if there is enough evidence to warrant it.” The savmped boat itself was not that damaged as there was no collision. “After being salvaged, the boat is still in reasonable condition and its hull is undamaged,” Quang Ninh shipping registrar Phung Ngoc Viet was cited.


The reports of earlier guests on board sound not good

And there are reports of travellers, who have been to ships of "Bien Mo", that sound everything else than good: HalongHell wrote on tripadvisor.com in 2006: "Don't expect anything in terms of safety. There was no safety demo or information*. And about the ship "Dream Voyage" whizzyjayne wrote on tripadvisor.com in 2009: "The boat itself must of been the worst in the whole port". WicNYC published his warning in 2009: "The boat was in extremely bad condition, the decks and the deck chairs were partly broken, walking on the boat was dangerous caused by the holes in broken wood floor panelling, rusty nails and loose fencing. Life boats or other safety measures were completely unsufficient." A bad experience with "Halong Party Cruiser" is also reported by Josh and Clare's Travel Blog in Ocotober 2010. And then lib on Thorntree in 2006 wrote about a Bien Mo ship: "Our boat "Bien Mo" was in bad condition, all the deck chairs were broken, all of us had problems with our cabins like doors not locking, toilets overflowing and the hot water service in my cabin caught on fire then exploded leaving us without hot water for the remainder of the trip."


What do the authorities now?

The local port authority said Friday that all overnight tour operations on the bay had temporarily been suspended. Day cruises were not affected.

"We are going to examine the safety of all the tourist boats in Quang Ninh and Halong Bay after this accident," Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Hung of Quang Ninh province, which includes the bay, told the Agence France Presse.

Let's hope that this will really happen and improbe the security on the boats on Halong Bay.


Update from February 20 2010:

Truong Hai Company, based in Ha Long Town, has been suspended until related agencies reach conclusions about the cause of the accident, said Dang Huy Hau, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee. “The provincial authorities’ viewpoint is to strictly and objectively punish people who let the accident happen without exception,” Hau said. This was reported by Thanh Nien News


Update from February 24 2011

The Travel Agency "Nu Hoang" in Hanoi, that organised the deadly excursion with the "Dream Voyage" was unlicensed according to AFP. The company "did not have a licence authorising it to conduct international tourism," said Vu Xuan Thanh, chief inspector at the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism. The guide who died in the sinking had neither a work contract nor a ministry-issued guide's identity card, Thanh told AFP.



Read more:
How to choose the right junk for Halong Bay



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Ho Chi Minh City Delights

Discover the restaurants through the eyes of people, who have been there, read their comments, see their pictures and find your way with the help of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Google Map


Cafés

Windows 4 Cafe: 12 Alexandre De Rhodes Street. Near Reunification Palace. The place to be for fashion lovers.

Picture © Lawrence Sinclair


Aq Café: 39 Mac Dinh Chi. In a restored wooden residence with pleasant courtyard. Read review on elephantguide.com


Café 9: 9-11 Ly Tu Trong.


Café Central An Dong: 18 An Duong Vuong. In Windsor Plaza Hotel. "One of the rare places in the city, where food is available 24 hours", notes indochinatravelexpert.com. From Vietnamese to Western food.


Centro Café: 11-13 Lam Son Square. It replaced former Illy Café. MIxed reviews on tripadvisor.com. A good place to pick up local magazines and newspapers, notes Food & Wine.


Ciao Café: 74-76 Nguyen Hue. Pizza, pasta and sandwichs. Head for the top floor! See also picture gallery by boy yniguez. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com. "The local Vietnamese coffee-shop that slips into the role of an Italianate trattoria at lunch and dinner looks best when it comes to fresh doughnuts at breakfast", notes thebestasia.blogspot.com.

Picture © ANDY LEDDY


Creperie & Coffee: 5 Han Thuyen. Atrracts trendy people. Read noodlepie's reviews, travelmuse.com, chefmoz.org and saigonscene.com.

Picture © marhas1

Apple and cinnamon crepe. Picture © CC


Sozo Café: 176 Bui Vien. Sozo is a cafe, which was established for helping street kids to be trained for employment and have the opportunity for a new start in life. Read worldcitizen's review.. A nice place for some bakery and coffee according to the reviews on tripadvisor.com. Read more in an article of Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong.


Vietnamese:

Allez Boo: 187 Pham Ngu Lao. A bar for backpackers with restaurant.

Picture © natsu


Banh Xeo 46a: 46a Dinh Cong Trang. Pancakes. "A must-try for those wanting an authentic, cheap and delicious local dining experience in Saigon", comments A Girl in Asia.

Picture © Hiroht

Picture © Hiroht


Banh Xeo: Near Tan Dinh Church. Vietnamese pancakes deep fried with shrimp and filled with beansprouts.


Bo Kho Restaurant Bun Nuoc Leo Soc Trang: 11 Phung Khac Khoan.

Picture © Noodlepie


Bun Bo Thanh Noi: 75-77 Cong Quynh. Just around the corner from Bui Vien. Hue style cuisine.


Bun Cha Hanoi: 26/1 Le Thanh Ton. Grilled pork served with a dish of vegetables. "Very popular but unadorned eatery", comments indochinatravelexpert.com.


Hoa Mai Restaurant: Rex Hotel. 141 Nguyen Hue.

Picture © marhas1


La Table de Saigon: At the lobby of Hotel Bi Saigon.

Picture © buck82


Lemongrass: 4 Nguyen Thiep. A good place to discover the traditional Vietnam cuisine. Read review by concierge.com

Cold spring rolls, fish baked in a pot, morning glory (spinach) and chilli and ginger chicken. Picture © George & Bec


Long Son Quan (Bo Tung Xeo): 31 Ly Tu Trong. Bo tung xeo means barbecued beef dish. Noodlepie describes, what this is. You get also Cha Cha, the fried fish in Hanoi style. Read the review of Vietnames Pho Noodles.

Picture © buck82


Maxim's Nam An: 13-17 Dong Khoi. Vietnamese Haute Cuisine. Sit in carved wooden booths with silk curtains and flower decorations on the wall, at the center of a grand dining room or in the upstairs gallery, feel like in Saigon from 1920 and enjoy a wide variety of traditional seafood, pork or beef dishes. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com

Picture © marhas1

Decoration on the wall. Picture © marhas1


Mi Keo Soi Trung Hua: 86 Bis Le Thanh Ton. Noodles, freshly made in front of the guests, served with grilled pork and a bowl of broth.


Miss Saigon: 86 B le Than Ton. Fish-meals. With beautiful garden.


Nam Giao: 136/15 Le Thanh Ton. Hue style cuisine.


Nam Kha: 46-50 Dong Khoi.


Nam Phan: In two villas and a courtyard. 64 Le Thanh Ton. Dishes from the south, the centre and the north.


Ngan Dinh Harbour View Restaurant: 2A Ton Duc Thang. Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese seafood.


Pho 2000: 1-3 D Phan Chu Trinh. Noodle soup. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com, also Bill Clinton was here.

Picture © ashleyt

Picture © ∗natsu∗


Phung Vy Seafood Restaurant: 222-226 Nguyen Tri Phuong.


Quan 3 Mien: 122 B Tran Quoc Thao. Specialities from Hue, Hanoi and Saigon.


Quan An Ngon: 138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia. Former street vendors prepare their specialities in an openair area. The tables "are packed by locals - always an auspicious sign", comments concierge.com. Some dishes you see in Noodlepie's blog. A lot of good reviews on tripadvisor.com and frommers.com. Read also the report of Wanderlust.

Picture © jamewong

Picture © Lois

Mien Luon. Picture © Noodlepie

Banh Tom Ho Tay. Picture © Noodlepie


Quan Nuong: 3rd Floor, 29-31 Ton That Thiep. Barbeque on the roof.


Restaurant 13: 13 Ngo Duc Ke,


Saigon Tan Cang:. 100 Ung van Khiem. Garden restaurant at Saigon river.


Song Ngu Seafood Restaurant: 70 Suong Nguyet Anh. In a villa with a vast garden. Every evening traditional Vietnamese Music. "Though popular with tourist, the food’s too good for Song Ngu to be a tourist trap", writes hautestuff.blogspot.com.

Picture © Song Ngu Seafood


Song Trang Restaurant: 1035 Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh. The place to enjoy cuisine from Binh Dinh. For example nem: A pork paste made from minced lean pork spiced with fish sauce. Or Thit thung, a fillet of beef seasoned with spices, fried in oil and cooked in water. Read an article by Diem Thu.


Temple Club: 29–31 Ton That Thiep. In a former Chinese temple. Read the reviews by concierge.com and frommers.com. At the same place is Fanny Ice Cream.

Temple Club. Picture © Lawrence Sinclair

Fanny. Picture © 一上


Vietnam House: 93-95 Dong Khoi. In an old colonial building. High class cuisine, according to thebestasia.blogspot.com. Read also the review by My Vietnam and good reviews on tripadvisor.com

Picture © Josette


Wrap and roll: 62 Hai Ba Trung. You roll your choice of meat or seafood with basil, mint and lettuce up in a rice paper. Good review by frommers.com.

Meal at "Wrap and roll". Picture © loan


Xu: 71-75 Hai Ba Trung. "One of the finest restaurants Saigon has on offer", notes frommers.com.

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hochiminhcity/D67986.html#ixzz0jlmdJWyN



French

Au Manoir de Khai: 251 Dien Bien Phu. Entertainment with violin / cello / guitar music performances in the garden every Thusday and Friday from 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm. From "best restaurant in Saigon" to "overprized": the reviews on tripadvisor.com. "Au Manoir is Ho Chi Minh City’s most opulent and costly dining experience", notes Noodlepie and adds: "Concealed behind a perimeter of high concrete walls, this very exclusive establishment - housed in a stunningly restored French colonial villa framed by manicured gardens and a reflecting pool - epitomizes the aspirations of the newly rich."

Picture © Connie

A crab-cake as starter. Picture © Connie


Camargue: 191 Hai Ba Trung. French and Mediterranean cuisine in a French villa, surrounded by palm trees. "Saigon's most fashionable dining place" according to thebestasia.blogspot.com. "You can choose to sit in the cozy interior on garden level or on the airy terrace and balcony on the first floor", notes anyarena.com. Very good reviews on tripadvisor.com.


Picture © oneyearonearth.com


La Fourchette: 9 Ngo Duc Ke. French bistro. *Among the city’s better French restaurants", comments travelandleisure. Read also the blog auf gastronomy.

Picture © Lawrence Sinclair


La Nicoise: 42 Ngo Duc Ke. French and mediterranean cuisine. Just five tables on the ground floor and four upstairs. "La Nicoise may be a little hole in the wall but the food won't disappoint", says travelfish.org. One good review on tripadvisor.com and on ruba.com. See picture by Shadow Traveller.


Le Mekong: 57 Dong Du. "Classical guitar and violin music combined with soft lighting create a relaxed and romantic atmosphere for dining", describes travelmuse.com. See fotostream by Jon Siegel.


L'en Tête: 139 Nguyen Thai Binh. Live jazz on some days. very good review by Michael Slater. "Part art gallery, the spacious dining room is full of comfortable velvet chairs, intimate tables and artfully draped curtains", writes Nell Mcshane Wulfhart.

Picture © L'en Tête


L'Etoile: 180 bis Hai Ba Trung. Classic cuisine "with nouvelle innovations greatly appreciated by diplomats, expats and cosmopolitan locals", comments thebestasia.blogspot.com. Critical reviews on tripadvisor.com.


The Refinery: 74/7 Hai Ba Trung. French bistro in the old headquarter of an opium refinery. Reead review by frommers.com. Mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com.

Picture © Melanie

Picture © amasc


Chinese:

Crystal Jade Palace: Legend Hotel. 2A-4A Ton Duc Thang. Cantonese cuisine.


Golden Phoenix: 242 Tran Binh Trong. Dim Sum. "A rising star in Ho Chi Minh City's restaurant firmament, though its Szechuan and Cantonese treats don't come cheap", notes iexplore.co.uk.


Lucky Star: 38 Nguyen Hue.


Ming Dinasty: 23 Nguyen Khac Vien. Top end Cantonese restaurant. It "can please even the savviest connoisseurs of traditional Chinese cuisine with its dim sum and Hong Kong specialties", writes The Vietnam News. One review on tripadvisor.com.


Seasons Szechuan Restaurant: Windsor Saigon Hotel. 193 Tran Hung Dao. Spicy dishes.


Tan Hai Van: 162 Nguyen Trai. From Dim Sum to shark fin soup. Read the review by indochinatravelexpert.com.


Italian:

Good Morning Vietnam: 197 De Tham.


Korean and Japanese:

On Thai Van Lung and Le Thanh Ton you find many Korean and Japanese restaurants.


Bu Ja Jib: 19 Thai Van Lung


Dae Jang Geum: 01 Nguyen Van Chiem. Marinanted grilled beef cooked at the table. Read the blog of Cutie and see her pictures.


Kampachi: Equatorial Hotel. 242 Tran Binh Trong. See pictures and read the review by Christine Leng.


The Sushi Bar:2 Le Thanh Ton. Sashimi and Sushi from Vietnamese and imported fish in reasonable price, notes anan-vietnam.com. "The place always seems full, which is a good sign", comments frommers.com. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com. More details has noodlepie.


Thai:

A Silver Elephant: 17 Do Quang Dau. "one of the best spot for Thai Seafood Cuisine in Saigon", comments anan-vietnam.com. Outstanding food, according to travelfish.org.


Sawasdee: 102-104 Le Lai. "Well-crafted seafood dishes like the crispy catfish salad with mango sauce", notes The Word Ho Chi Minh City.

Picture © Sawasee


German:

Gartenstadt:. 34 Dong Khoi. Good German food, good German beer, according to tripadvisor.com


Vegetarian:

Original Bodhi Tree: 175/4. Pham Ngu Lao. Vietnamese and international dishes. It used to be next door at 175/6, where the owner of the house opened a copy of Bodhi Tree Restaurant...


Black Cat: 13 Phan Van Dat. "Operated by an American expert and his Vietnamese wife, Black Cat is the best marriage of the two culinary cultures in town", comments Indochinatravelexpert.com. "Black Cat burgers are absolutely sumptuous", adds saigonscene.com.

Picture © Bob&Patty


International:

Gourmet Royale Restaurant: 193 Tran Hung Dao. In Windsor Hotel.


Floating Restaurants:

Bonsai Cruises: Bach Dang pier at foot of Nguyen Hue Street. Vietnamese and Western (sea)food from a buffet. Live Band.



More about Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon):

Ho Chi Minh City Impressions: Discover the town.

Cholon Impressions: Discover Chinatown.

Hotels and Guesthouses in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Good reviews and not so good ones.

Temples in Ho Chi Minh City: Pictures and history



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