overwhelming number of scooters around you
Ho Chi Minh City used to be known as Saigon. Many locals are still using the previous old name which rolls off the tongue much better than the new name. And the one area where I am staying is officially called Saigon, a district within Ho Chi Minh City.
So what brought me to Vietnam? I actually live in Chiang Mai, Thailand. That’s a great city with one BIG exception. During March and April the weather is extremely hot. And at the same time there is lots of agricultural burning going on during that time. The result of this is extremely high air pollution which is dangerous for your health.
That’s why I always escape to a different location with a better climate and less pollution during this time of the year. Vietnam is just a short airplane hop from Thailand. Prices are as affordable as in Thailand and temperatures are lower at higher elevations.
Actually Ho Chi Minh City is quite hot and polluted as well, however it is only the first stop towards my final destination which is a pretty mountain town called Dalat with hardly any pollution or burning problems.
Here in Saigon the first thing that struck me is the crazy traffic. And that says a lot since I am used to the traffic in Thailand and I have been driving a motorbike for 14 years in Thailand without any accident – knock on wood.
The statistics are staggering. Ho Chi Minh City (or HCMC for short) has about 10 million inhabitants and 5 million motorcycles – all small scooters. It seems that they are all on the road at once at all hours of the day or night.
and four is frequent. This bike has four people on it.
5 and even 6 people on one bike can be seen sometimes.
If we compare Thailand with Vietnam, the traffic in Thailand is quite civilized. Here are some major differences:
1. In Thailand nobody honks their horn unless there is an emergency situation. In Vietnam everybody is laying on their horn all the time, and for no good reason as far as I am concerned. It is a constant cacophony of sounds which result in just being tuned out by the drivers since everybody around them is honking.
is wearing a helmet as well, just in case, is pushing a hugely
overloaded cart down the street. However nobody finds this unusual.
2. Although there are lots of motorcycles on the road in Thailand, there are several times as many in Vietnam. While in Thailand the traffic rules are not exactly observed very strictly, Vietnam is an overwhelming scenario with motorbikes coming at you from all directions, all within inches from each other.
3. In Thailand there are pedestrian crosswalks with traffic lights, and cars actually stop at them (most of the time). Also when you cross the street, cars and motorbikes will slow down to let you cross (not always).
However in Vietnam no vehicle ever stops at a pedestrian crosswalk without a red light, and no vehicle will ever slow down to accommodate you crossing the street. So unless there is an intersection with traffic lights, your only way to cross a street is to just slowly and deliberately walk into the chaotic traffic.
The word is slowly. If you walk too fast, you are dead meat, and if you stop, you will get run over. As long as you walk slowly and keep your eyes peeled on the cars and bikes which are rushing past you without ever slowing down, somehow they will drive by you without hitting you as long as your movement is slow and predictable to the drivers.
flows around you without ever slowing down as long as you don’t
panic and walk slowly through the onrushing traffic
If you do something unpredictable like stopping or walking faster, you are history. This is the accepted way of crossing the street, and it is literally a death defying adventure. The Vietnamese are used to it. They share the street with huge buses, bicyclists, hand carts and walking street vendors.
bike is only mildly loaded compared to what I have seen.
There is a helmet law in Vietnam. Most drivers do wear a helmet, although they are very flimsy $5 contraptions whose main purpose is to protect you from fines by the cops. Chances are slim that they do much in terms of protecting your head in case of a serious accident. However really quality helmets are only available as expensive import products and they are way out of the price range of most Vietnamese.
Especially the women are really bundled up with long sleeved shirts, helmets, sun glasses, face masks against the pollution and even gloves. The reason is that most women in southeast Asia do not want to be tanned. Actually they do not only avoid the sun, but they liberally apply whitening creams to their faces to have that cherished pale look.
to the sun and to keep the worst of the pollution at bay.
I spent about one hour at one intersection and just snapped pictures right there without moving from the relative safety of the sidewalk. I say ‘relative’ because at one point I heard a screaming western woman and saw a Vietnamese man running.
As soon as the passersby realized what was going on, namely the man had either pickpocketed the woman or snatched something, immediately the guy was jumped by several Vietnamese, thrown to the ground and searched. Within seconds there was a big crowd of spectators assembled, and within minutes the police arrived and the unlucky thief found himself in handcuffs.
for police who arrived minutes later. Crime didn’t pay for him in this case.
Violent crime against tourists is very rare in Vietnam, however in the big cities there are plenty of opportunists who will pick your pockets or snatch your bag.
This of course is not something which is just happening in Vietnam, but it is a common phenomenon in most big cities on the planet. You just have to be careful what you carry with you and how easy or hard you make it for potential thieves.
an impromptu recliner for a break on the sidewalk.
Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City is a teeming city which has grown into a super heated engine for economic development and booming tourism. You can have a great time here as long as you survive the traffic.
I am trying to look at the silver lining of it all. At least you never have to wait until the light turns green in order to cross the road. And you never have to worry about getting a ticket for illegally crossing the road. And nobody will ever give you the finger for standing in the middle of rush hour traffic.
All you have to do is not get run over which is literally a death defying adventure.
by a heavy water bottle which is swinging freely.
Actually HCMC is quite a pleasant and civilized place. Trees are lining most streets and there are lots of green spaces along with the Saigon river meandering through the city. The variety of restaurants with food from all around the globe is amazing, and there is lots to do and see.
So don’t let the traffic turn you off. Just don’t try to ride a scooter through it on your own – at least not in the beginning.
The author, Shama Kern, has been living in Thailand for over a decade. He can be reached at shama@shamakern.com
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Related Reading:
8 Unusual Applications For Motorbikes In Thailand
How My Appreciation Of Thailand Was Renewed
The Mystery Of Traffic Stops In Thailand
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Hi Shama, thank you so much for this eye opening, considering that Im planing to visit Vietnam next Winter and starting in HCMC, this is valuable info, I look forward to more info about places to stay and Vietnam massage, ciao, talk to you soon, very busy right now and looking forward to our move on March 15,
FUN@!!!
Sawadeeee Kap Shama!
I love your approach and have very much enjoyed your presentations!
I rode a bicycle during the 4 months I lived in Chiang Mai ~`geez already 2 years ago! ~ it didn’t take long to tap into the magic of the city. It is the only place besides Sukhothai(for Loi Krothung!)that I visited. Sooo much beauty and peace. I look forward to returning some day to continue my studies…and more!
I have a woman coming on Monday specifically for sciatica and a herniated disc and I have your latest course =). She has never experienced Thai Massage and is coming to me via a friend who bought some gift certificates for her. I truly hope she will receive much benefit.
With warmth and deep appreciation,
Trace Pecora
Looks like a good opportunity to put the sciatica material to good use. I am sure you will do a good job and I hope it works out well for you with the new client!
I really enjoyed your presentation. I live in Palermo, Sicily and I thought the traffic was bad here. O bviously it is very small in comparison, however up until a few years ago and sometimes even today loading up scooters is practically the same. Now they are enforcing the law more. Keep up the good work, as I am sure it is appreciated by many.
Thank you June, I am glad you like my travel stories.
Thanks for your article. It was an interesting read.
I’ve just popped over to Saigon from Chiang Mai to get a visa and to check out the city. I can’t wait to leave.
It is insane, and not in a fun way (as some tourists seem to think). You’re right about the road crossing technique – do it slowly and deliberately. But this only works when the traffic is moving slowly. Otherwise it’s akin to walking a tightrope. I wonder how many people die each year crossing the roads here.
The constant and utterly pointless horn honking is a really poor reflection on the people here. Doing it during the rush hour is bad enough, but at 3am? To me, it just shows total disrespect for your fellow human beings.
And then there are the frequent phone and bag snatchings. If you go out, you have to use a backpack tightly strapped to your body and keep your phone out of sight as much as possible.
Maybe it’s grumpiness from lack of sleep due to all the horn honking, and I’m sure there are more liveable parts of Saigon, but this is not a city I am going to rush back to any time soon. On the plus side, coming to Saigon makes me appreciate Chiang Mai and Thailand even more.
There are indeed more livable areas in Saigon, however in general I prefer smaller towns in Vietnam with less maddening traffic. The horn honking is a national obsession in Vietnam. The interesting observation is, as you well know, that in Thailand you hardly ever hear any horn honking, and the traffic works just as well. So clearly the honking isn’t really necessary.
Shama, I am so pleased to have come across your writings. I really enjoy the experiences that you describe and can almost live vicariously through your accounts. Vietnam in on my bucket list and hopefully to be put into action within the next year. Do you come across many women that travel solo either in Thailand or Vietnam? I look forward to reading more of your adventures! Thank you!
Susan, there are LOTS of solo women traveling both in Thailand and in Vietnam. Both are very safe countries (with common sense precautions).