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TRAVEL MAGAZINE
 Novo Magazine

E X C L U S I V E D E S I G N

Contents

Get to know HCMC

3 About the country and the people

8 Saigon Notre
Get to know HCMC
Dame Cathedral

10 Saigon Central
Post Office
Novo Magazine

12 Local food and

beverages

16 City at night
 H O C H I M I N H C I T Y

The city that has the name of a hero.

H o Chi Minh City - known to

many as Saigon - is Viet-
nam’s largest city and former cap-
ital of the south. Impossibly busy
and hectic most of the time, Ho
Chi Minh City can certainly raise an
unsuspecting traveler’s blood pres-
sure.

With the motorbike-driven cha-

os also comes a wealth of interest-
ing things to do and see around Ho
Chi Minh City. Don’t just run for the
nearest travel agency to book a bus
out - check out these things to do
in Ho Chi Minh City first!
 I f you’re stuck at home due to
Covid-19, the outside world
can feel a very long way away. Why
not take the time to get acquainted
with one of Vietnam’s most vibrant,
fascinating cities from the comfort
of your couch?
While your trip to Vietnam is on
hold, maybe it’s time to refine your
itinerary? There are plenty of ways
to get a taste of Ho Chi Minh City
from your living room. So, let’s get
out there (in a manner of speaking)
and start getting a sense of how
the city’s residents sleep, work,
play and eat.
F rom the crack of dawn to late the street is full of motorbikes and
at night, this atmospher- cars honking.
ic tour of Ho Chi Minh City serves
up a wealth of Vietnamese street
scenes. From elderly couples prac-
tising salsa and ballroom dancing
to school children
Due to being a deloped country,
daily life in Vietnam is quite rush
and fast. Everything starts at 5 am,
for some case starts at 3 am in the
morning. At 5 am street vendors
have got up and prepared their of-
ferings like buying supplies, mak-
ing broth, cutting vegetables,… At
about 6 am, people all got up and
 Novo Magazine

Feel just like home

Vietnamese peo-
ple’s hostility
T hailand likes to claim the “land of smiles” tag. Truly the Thais should surrender this handle to the
Vietnamese. Not that the Thais are unfriendly, but their comportment and demonstrations of ami-
ability are just not as genuine and sincere as that of the Vietnamese people. Their friendliness is not
driven by their country’s dependence on tourism as it it is still in its infancy when compared to Thailand.
Probably one of the most “civilized,” mannered and polite societies I’ve encountered. Just hope that this
doesn’t change as the country devotes more and more time, effort and money in making this a major

I have hundreds of stories to prove my

point, but I’ll use the one that happened
to me this week, my last night in Vietnam, in
a very non-touristy far-flung suburb of Hanoi.
I walked into a typical neighborhood small
store, smaller than your average 7–11 but
crammed wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with
everything a family might need.
I was probably one of very few Americans
(Westerners) to have ever set foot in this place.
Store was crammed with people. They see
me as I walk in and almost in unison say “hel-
looooooo!” customers and clerks alike, with
wide smiles on their faces.

Mind you, I’m a middle-aged male and not

most approachable guy (so my wife tells me).
Had to carefully navigate my way through the
store in order to not step on toes or trip over
produce and boxes.

E very time my eyes met someone, they just beamed and said hello again. Every time I lingered a
little too long looking at packaging as to discern exactly what it was I was holding (packs of curry),
a small crowd gathered around to me and mustered all the English they had at their disposal to help,
arguing with each other which was the best. Everyone who knew some English attempted to make
conversation. An elderly man saw that I had gathered more than a few items and grabbed a basket
and motioned to me to put the items in.

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 Novo Magazine

I politely refused, but he followed me

around with the basket, pulling items out
of my hands and throwing them in the bas-
ket and following me throughout the store. I
thought he might be the owner but learned ,
no, he was just doing his own shopping and
thought he would help me out. Went to pay
for my things, discovered I didn’t have my
glasses and couldn’t see the money (money’s
confusing anyway with all the zeros).

M ultiple persons grabbed the money

out of my hands and pulled out the
bills necessary to pay the exact amount (I’m
a long-time expat from Colombia, and on
heightened alert at all times for possible dan-
gers, but was never once worried about get-
ting robbed or shorted in the store or on the
street for that matter).

EVERYONE said goodbye and waved as I

opened the door to leave. Elderly man want-
ed to help carry my bags. I declined (I had
only two bags). Smiles broadly, pats me on the
shoulder and returns to the store.

M ore specifically, friendship is highly

treasured. In Vietnam, there is a saying
that “next-door neighbours are much more
important than distant relatives”. This is part of
Vietnamese traditional culture.

Friendship has been enhanced by the Viet-

namese people whose hospitality is always
praised by visitors. They are willing to receive
friends and visitors, either pre-arranged or un-
expected, and give them warm welcome.

I n addition, many Vietnamese are reluctant

to accept help from others because grati-
tude is thought to be a debt. Self-respect holds
a high status in the traditional code of virtues.
Overstatement is not common and Vietnam-
ese are not generous with praise. Lauding
someone improperly or in his presence is re-
garded as flattery and sometimes even as
mockery.

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 Novo Magazine
It is not the beauty of a build
at; its the construction of the
stand the test o
Saigon Notre
Dame Cathedral
N otre-Dame Cathedral is one of the most
unique buildings in Saigon, always at-
tracting the attention of tourists at home and
abroad. The cathedral has a circumference of
91 x 35.5 m and a height of 21 m. There is no en-
closure around. The foundation of the church
is specially designed, withstand loads of 10
times the entire church structure above. From
the outside, from the wall to the whole roof is
a bright red brick, no moss clinging to mold.
There are some broken tiles in the church, with
the letters Guichard Carvin, Marseille St André
France printed on top, and some other tiles
with the words Wang - Tai Saigon.
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T he twin-towered Notre Dame Cathedral
in Saigon merits at least a visit and a pho-
to. Constructed between 1863 and 1880, the
church was built by the French colonists en-
tirely from materials brought over from France.
The somber atmosphere inside Notre Dame
Cathedral in Saigon is a testament to the thou-
sands of prayers for peace given there through-
out both the French and American wars in Viet-
nam.
A highlight of seeing the cathedral is the
Virgin Mary statue which reportedly
shed tears in 2005, causing a frenzy of traffic
and onlookers. Although the church’s official
stance is that no tears were shed, thou-
sands of witnesses claim otherwise.
A lthough the Notre-Dame Ca-
thedral has existed for over a
hundred years, today it still exists as a
living relic of the religious freedom of
the country. Foreign visitors and locals
can not go here, especially on Christ-
mas Eve. The church area and the city
center turn into a jubilant festive area.
One of the most unique buildings. In
Saigon, always attract the attention of
domestic and foreign tourists.
 Novo Magazine

ding you should look

foundation that will
of time.
Notre Dame Cathedral in Sai-
gon looks almost like the Notre
Dame Cathedral in Paris. The pub-
lic opinion at the time was that the
church designer had imitated the
design and had no characteristic
architecture.

T hus, after 15 years of tower-

ing form, in 1895 under the
complementary design of the ar-
chitect Fernand Gardes, the church
built two additional steeple bells
above the tower, each with a 20m
high bell tower and additional
trees. The cross is 3.5m high. The
tower and the church steeple were
60.5 meters high, becoming the
highest architectural work of its
time.

The Notre Dame Cathedral is

well-designed to withstand earth-
quakes or storms. Like the typhoon
in 1904, the storm was the largest
in the South in a few hundred years
to sweep Saigon heavily, but Notre
Dame Cathedral was not seriously
injured.

T he Notre Dame Cathedral oc-

cupies a large block east of
the Reunification Palace on Pasteur
Street. Directly across the street
you’ll find the Saigon Central Post
Office, another must-see in the city!

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 Novo Magazine

T he Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, or the Saigon

Central Post Office (Vietnamese: Bưu điện Trung
tâm Sài Gòn), is a post office in the downtown Ho Chi
Nothing requires Minh City, near Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, the city’s
cathedral. The building was constructed when Viet-
the architect’s care nam was part of French Indochina in the late 19th
century. It counts with Gothic, Renaissance and French
more than the due influences. It was constructed between 1886 and 1891
and is now a tourist attraction.
proportions of build-
It was designed by Alfred Foulhoux, but is often er-
ings. roneously credited as being the work of Gustave
Eiffel or a collaboration between Foulhoux and Ha-
noi-based Auguste Henri Vildieu. As translated by the
historian Tim Doling, the journal Architecte construc-
teur: Revue du monde architectural et artistique of 15
September 1891 commented:

“The inauguration the new Saigon Post Office,

Saigon Central which was held on July 14, had been postponed until
the return of the Governor General. This monument,

Post Office
adorned with a most artistic façade, is particularly well
laid out and well equipped for the different services to
which it is intended; it does it does the greatest hon-
our to the skill and talent of the distinguished Chief
Architect of the Colony, M. Foulhoux.”

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 Novo Magazine

A lthough the experience is a

fascinating glimpse into
history, the fact that this is still a
functioning post office makes the
experience even sweeter, and we
encourage everyone to send a let-
ter or postcard from here – it’s a
piece of living history where even
the old fashioned glue pots are still
in use for sticking stamps to letters.
There are two wings branching out
from the main office, selling sou-
venirs, postcards and lacquerware
but the prices are inflated and the
same products can probably be
found elsewhere for a better price.

T he looping arches, intri-

cateldesigned marble floors
and antiquated telephone boxes all
Cambodia and the other displaying
a map of the Saigon region in 1892.

serve as a reminder of the impor-

tance the post office played in days
before email and mobile phones.
E ven it was constructed a long
time ago, the sculpteres of
the Post Office has been preserved
as how it had been completed,
Although the architecture is dis- being influenced by both Western
tinctly French, the large portrait of and Asian building style.
Ho Chi Minh hanging high above
everyone at the far end of the Which may catch your attention
building reminds everyone we are when coming through the main
definitely in Vietnam. entrance is a giant clock hanging
above the gate along with the

P ainted onto walls overhead years of construction from “1886-

are two maps of the region; 1891” sculptured below it. Other
one of them showing the telegraph details are arranged symmetrically
lines that crisscross Vietnam and on the two sides of this center

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 Novo Magazine

All of the best

things you might
like are on the

S treet food is the heart and soul to many of the

Southeast Asian countries and Vietnam is cer-
tainly one of it. Lining the streets you can find local
markets, rustic food joints and rickety food carts with
plastic tables and stools.

Simple and uncomplicated food, these Vietnamese

street food will beckon your tastebuds and sneak
their way into your heart.

Hủ tiếu

H ủ tiếu is a dish eaten in Vietnam as break-

fast. It may be served either as a soup
(hủ tiếu nước) or dry with no broth (hủ tiếu
khô). Hủ tiếu became popular in the 1960s
in Southern Vietnam, especially in Saigon.
The primary ingredients of this dish are pork
bones, mixed with diverse kinds of noodles,
herbs and other kind of meats

The toppings may include pork, pork ribs,

pork offal, shrimp, squid, wonton dumplings,
fried garlic, fried shallots and scallions.

It also has a “dried” verison, is lightly chewy

with a stronger sauce than the “wet” variety.
At present, there are about 20 different types
of ‘hu tieu’ in Saigon for diners to select from.

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 Novo Magazine

G ornden Ramsay, a world-renowned

chefs who fell in love Vietnamese cui-
sine. Gordon Ramsay has made it clear that
Vietnamese cuisine is on the top of his list.
His love was on full display in the Master
Chef US 2013, where he tasked the final 5
contestants to prepare a bowl of hu tieu
“I’ve been to a lot of Vietnamese restaurants in
London and the broth and and the soup are abso-
lutely fine nowhere near as delicious as this (a bowl
of hu tieu that he took in Viet Nam)”
“Vietnamese cuisine is harder to understand than
any country I’ve ever visited”
-Ramsay, a famous chef

Phở
D efinitely, nothing beats a good bowl of
heartwarming rice noodle soup to start
your day when you’re in Vietnam. As iconic as
it comes, you can explore hidden backstreets
to discover the best spot to enjoy your phở on
this food tour.

When it comes to street food in Vietnam, the

most obvious choice would have to be Viet-
namese noodle soup, phở. This local daily sta-
ple is made up of chewy rice noodles in piping
hot savoury broth with tender slices of beef or
chicken and topped with crunchy, spicy, herby
garnishes.
“It’s kinda sweet because of the unami taste from
beef or chicken stock, the broth is sweet too but gen-
tle. Pho has a special kind of rice noodle, broth and
beef or chicken on top. There are also onion, lime,
bean sprout and few herbs can be used optionally as
it provides customizations for personal references so
that everything can eat in their own ways.”
-Tum, a travel blogger shared her experience

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 Novo Magazine

One of its kind coffee

Ca
phe
T his is a pretty dire picture, painted on Vietnam’s
vibrant and lively background, and it mars the
sua
overall cultural experience of enjoying a glass of ca
phe sua da and a nice chat with a friend on the colour-
da
ful sidewalks of Saigon.

So let’s put this aside and focus on the variations of

traditional Vietnamese coffee. The Vietnamese like
their coffee dark roasted. Even darker than Italian
espresso roasts.
T he Vietnamese like their coffee nice and slow,
and setting up the filter and choosing right
time to drink is an art in itself. When the coffee is
good, you’ll want to make it last.

V ietnamese coffee is almost always drip coffee.

The ubiquitous Vietnamese street coffee stalls
utilize rudimentary aluminum drip filters. Coffee is tra-
ditionally brewed in individual portions using a phin,
which consists of a small cup, a filter chamber and a
lid that also functions as a container to catch dripping
cups of exquisitely aromatic black coffee.
Preparing the coffee this unhurried way, forces
you to slow down and savor the experience. Watch-
ing the coffee, drip by drip, not only stokes your
desire, but also forces you to sit for a few minutes,
while the coffee brews. While all Vietnamese coffee
is not prepared this way, the classic slow drip meth-
od, is a real treat and a reminder to chil.

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 Novo Magazine
Egg coffee
W alk down any street in Vietnam, and it quick-
ly becomes apparent this is a coun-
try that’s crazy about coffee. From people
sipping and sitting on low plastic stools
on the sidewalk while gossiping with
friends, to those who prefer the pric-
ier, hipster-style cafes popping up
around Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi,
the need for caffeine is inescapable.
E veryone however, is after
something more than just a
caffeine fix. They’ve come for “cà phê
trúng,” or egg coffee, a Hanoi special-
ty in which a creamy soft, meringue-like
egg white foam is perched on dense Viet-
namese coffee. While destinations across the
city now serve it, this cafe claims to have invented it.
It all started in 1946 when coffee, introduced by the
French during the colonization period, had al-
ready become a popular drink in Vietnam.
Due to the shortage of fresh milk during
the war with France, the supply of cof-
fee with milk was jeopardized.
T o overcome the supply issue
Nguyen Van Giang, who at the
time worked at the renowned Sofitel
hotel in Hanoi, decided to replace
milk with a combination of egg yolk
and condensed milk, inventing the
first Vietnamese Egg Coffee.
The result is a strong coffee with a
creamy, sweet and dense layer . The great trick
of the egg coffee recipe is to minimize the egg taste
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 Novo Magazine

The city that never

The streets will never stop liv-
ing, people live on the street

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Novo Magazine

City at night

N ightlife in Ho Chi
Minh means very
different things depending
where you are in the city.
Downtown in District 1,
rooftop bars, high rolling
casinos and smooth jazz
bands are the choice forms
of nightlife entertainment in
Saigon. But move a few ki-
lometres west into District
3 and the backpacker street
of Pham Ngu Lao, with its
street bars, cheap eats and
good time vibe, is certainly
the place to be when night
falls.

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 Novo Magazine

The city at night

N ightlife in Ho Chi Minh means very different

things depending where you are in the city.
Downtown in District 1, rooftop bars, high rolling
casinos and smooth jazz bands are the choice forms
of nightlife entertainment in Saigon. But move a few
kilmoetres west into District 3 and the backpacker
street of Pham Ngu Lao, with its boisterous street bars,
cheap eats and good time vibe, is certainly the place to
be when night falls.

Regardless of whether you prefer to say Saigon or

Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll have an interesting time in Viet-
nam’s busiest urban center. Nightlife rages a little hard-
er in Saigon than in Hanoi, and Western influences have
taken hold. Saigon’s first McDonald’s restaurant opened
in 2014, but the delicious pho still flows freely. Southern
Vietnamese people claim to be a little more open than
their cohorts in the north, meanwhile, people in the
north think the southerners are out of their minds.

I had the pleasure of living and

experiencing life in Saigon for two
months as I taught an English sum-
mer camp in the hear t of the city.
B e f o r e a r r i v i n g , I ’d h e a r d n o t h i n g
but glowing reviews of Vietnam

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 Novo Magazine

Bui Vien street

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Bui Vien Street

is Ho Chi Minh’s
crazy backpacker
street and where
the action happens
as the sunsets.
Here you’ll find
the best hostels to
meet fellow solo
travelers, fun bars
and clubs, and de-
licious food.

A large city rectangle formed

by Pham Ngu Lao Street and
Bui Vien Street has transformed
O n Bui Vien street you also
find many bars that offer
drinks with a view of the busy city
with the many bars and pubs pop-
ular until 02:00 or even later.

into the backpacker and budget life. Depending on the location you
travel area in Ho Chi Minh City.
Both major roads as well as small
connecting streets are buzzing
can have a beer for VND 10.000 to
VND 80.000 (US$ 0.5-3). Besides
this there are many souvenir shops
T he total ‘backpackers area’
consist of roughly four
streets and some small intercon-
with cafes, restaurants, bars, and that sell affordable gifts ranging necting alleys. To have dinner here
places to spend money. from paintings, statues to clothing is very affordable and will cost you
and bags. around VND 100-200.000 (US$
Equivalent to Bangkok’s famed As this is the heart of the city 4-8), for this amount you will have
Khao San Road, Pham Ngu Lao centre it can easily be reached by a decent meal including a drink.
Street is HCMC’s backpacker dis- foot or taxi and almost all locals in The options vary from Vietnamese,
trict, and it’s where the revelry goes here speak English. It gets busiest Indian, Italian to Chinese and West-
on long into the night. from early evening, around 18:00, ern.

N ightlife is lively along Bui

Vien Street where drinks,
live music, and new friends are
easy to find. The area is also home
to a host of budget hotels and trav-
el agencies with tours and buses
to all points in Vietnam. Bui Vien
Street is Ho Chi Minh’s crazy back-
packer street and where the action
happens as the sunsets. Here you’ll
find the best hostels to meet fellow
solo travelers, fun bars and clubs,
and delicious food.

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 Novo Magazine

The magazine that

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