First Trip to Vietnam with Family

Can we easily find Halal food?
    -[at]Zain ul Haq

In HCMC, you'll find a number of Halal restaurants (at and around this location - Google Maps link) as well as hotels that cater to the needs of Muslim customers, on and nearby Nguyễn An Ninh street, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1.

I suggest you search areas of interest using the keyword "Halal" on Google Maps.

   Hi Folks,We are an expat family of 5 (husband, wife and 3 children) travelling from Malaysia to Vietnam on Dec 23, 2023 and will return back on Jan 06, 2024. This will be our first ever trip to Vietnam and while we did our little Googling, we're still looking for advice on what cities and places to cover during our trip? What would an ideal itinerary look like  so we could cover most of the places while saving both time and money?

Hi Zain.

Those two weeks will be a real treat for you and your family. You didn't mention the ages of your children, so of course I can't really suggest any age specific activities. As you'll be landing in Saigon, I'd suggest you spend the first 5 - 7 days exploring the city. Some sights which might be of interest to you (and yours) in the city; (Google links)

Book Street. One of my favourite spots in Saigon to while away an afternoon. Great spot for family pics, snacks/coffees/cold drinks. Books, new and used, on virtually any subject you might imagine at reasonable prices.

Nguyen Hue Walking Street. A nice place for a family stroll, especially in the evening. Good people watching, street foods, and family friendly. Note: expect the street to be crowded on both Christmas and New Year's Eve. It's a very wide promenade, so no worry about vehicle traffic.

Saigon River Front. Recently renovated. Perfect spot to watch the fireworks on New Year's. Clean, and again, very family friendly. Nice background(s) for photos.

Chinatown. HUGE Chinese market, the largest Chinatown in Vietnam. Unique architecture, all manner of Chinese herbs and medicines, restaurants, beautiful pagoda etc.

Saigon Antique Street. I consider this to be more for the "eye candy" value, rather than a chance to pick up any genuine antique at a bargain. Lots of fun stuff to grab your attention, but be warned; many fakes a reproductions on sale there. Still, fun to view.

Notre Dame Basilica. An absolute must-see, IMHO, in Saigon. ~160 years old, beautiful piece of architecture. A vestige of France's influence/presence in Vietnam. Interesting piece of trivia is that every piece used in the construction of the church had been imported from France. This includes, the roof tiles, the stonework, the stained glass...everything.

War Museum. There are several "war museums" here, one in particular I would not recommend bringing children to (too graphic depictions). That said, the War Remnants Museum's outdoor exhibits are quite impressive and a testament to the war-machine technology of those days.

There are so many more sights for you and the family to enjoy in the city, that doing so would easily take the whole of the two weeks you have.

Vung Tau. If you tire of the city, a quick boat ride from the riverfront (link) to the coastal town of Vung Tau would make a great one day getaway. Beautiful beach, cool sea breezes, great seafood selection. I very much enjoyed the cable car ride up to the park atop one of the city's peaks (great views!).

Mekong Delta. About a three hour bus ride from Saigon. Best to book a tour for this, as the Mekong is quite a large area. Take a boat tour while there, enjoy some of the Mekong's foods. Hundreds of kilometers of river ways.

Do you recommend bringing USD to VN? If yes, approximately how much should we carry for this 2 weeks trip (just a rough estimate)?

USD are not accepted at most (any?) locations in VN. ATM machines are everywhere, and dispense only VND. Check here for current exchange rate, Ringgit to VND.

Can we easily find Halal food?

In Saigon? No problem, but don't expect them to be conveniently located when your looking for a quick bite. Here's a few for consideration.That said, seafood restaurants abound, so you'll always have that option.

Any other advice or recommendation would be highly appreciated.

My only advice is for you not to try to "do everything" while here for your two weeks. Relax, and spend the evenings planning your next day's venture. One day at a time, and no bother if you decide to cancel one outing in favour of another. Enjoy your holiday here, feast your eyes on what's on offer, and just chill.

Thank you and we look forward to an amazing trip.Zain.       -@Zain ul Haq

You're quite welcome. I'm sure this will be a trip your family will remember forever.

Now, how about we agree that you'll give us updates as your trip progresses    Sound fair?

USD are not accepted at most (any?) locations in VN.

    -[at]Aidan in HCMC

I'm pretty sure I could pay at least 95% of Taxi Drivers, Restaurants, Hotels, Vendors and Tour companies with USD, but I always recommend against paying with dollars, because it will ALWAYS cost more than if the payment is made in Việt Nam đồng (VNĐ).

The hidden exchange charge and atrocious value of any change given in VNĐ can really have a significant financial impact over the course of a two week visit for a family.

    USD are not accepted at most (any?) locations in VN.     -@Aidan in HCMC

I'm pretty sure I could pay at least 95% of Taxi Drivers, Restaurants, Hotels, Vendors and Tour companies with USD, but I always recommend against paying with dollars, because it will ALWAYS cost more than if the payment is made in Việt Nam đồng (VNĐ). The hidden exchange charge and atrocious value of any change given in VNĐ can really have a significant financial impact over the course of a two week visit for a family.        -@OceanBeach92107

Agreed. Best to bring an ATM card, and pay the asked VND price. No sense converting Ringgit to USD, and then USD to VND when required.

Guaranteed 100% accept VND.

Thank you so much guys for the great advices. I'd surely post updates here as our trip progresses.

Oh and I'm sorry I didn't mention, my eldest daughter is 11, then 9 and then a son aged 4.

We'll be landing on Ho Chi Minh airport and will depart from the same. Thanks again.

...my eldest daughter is 11, then 9 and then a son aged 4.
      -@Zain ul Haq

Excellent! In that case, allow me to add to the list the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Link)

Safety and Security - be very careful in Saigon; phone and bag snatching are rife. Take a photo with an expensive iphone and it will be gone bin a flash!

In contrast, the capital city has an abundance of plain-clothed security police and crime is very low.

Saigon is a very nice place at Christmas time, whereas Hanoi is quite drab.  Have a good visit.