Had a great time in the city, bbut dont go there to relax.

• Insider tip:make the effort to learn some of the local language, like Hello, and Thank-you, makes a huge differance to the experience

This is a really excellent choice, the hotel and staff were lovely and it was super clean and right near everything.

Nice clean budget hotel. Staff helpful and very friendly

Ho Chi Minh again again

On our trip we actually stopped over in HCMC two other times before finally staying for more than one night and having a decent look. The first time we were located outside the centre of town so didn't do much. The second time we were located somewhere nearby the airport so were even more out of the way. But the third time we stayed right in the heart of the backpacker distric just down the road from the central markets and right next to heaps of pubs and restaurants. It was SUCH a good area to stay in. We met heaps of other aussies (holiday season) and generally had a blast.

• Insider tip:if you wanna see the floating markets on the mekong delta you need to book one of the overnight tours. The single day tour doesn't go far enough down the river.

Ho Chi Minh the noisy city

There are hundreds of thousands of motorbikes in HCMC, the noise they generate can be unbearable. Eating out and shopping is very affordable to this day.

• Insider tip:Stay in District 1, as it is the tourist district, there is no mass transportation system so you need to hire a motorbike or use the motorbike services to get around. People are pushy, so you might be bullied if you do not buy something.