Five Reasons I Love Living in HCMC
This is what makes Ho Chi Minh City special for me.
After 12 years of living in Southeast Asia, I’ve spent a lot of time in different cities and countries.
But Ho Chi Minh City is somewhere I currently call home.
And I think it’s easy, wherever you live, to focus on what a place doesn’t have or compare it with somewhere else.
I’ve certainly done that myself.
But sometimes it’s worth taking a step back and appreciating where you actually are.
Every place is different.
Every city has its positives and negatives, its own culture, energy and way of life.
For me, the best way to experience somewhere is to embrace what it has to offer and see what it can bring to your life.
So, after spending years here, these are five of the things I love most about living in Ho Chi Minh City.
1. The Energy & Buzz
The first thing that hits you when you arrive in Ho Chi Minh City is the energy.
The beeping, thousands of motorbikes, people moving in every direction, street vendors, cafés spilling onto the pavements — it can feel like a lot at first.
I remember arriving and immediately taking photos and videos of the traffic to send back home.
“Look where I am!”
It felt completely different from anything I was used to.
But then something happens.
You start to understand the rhythm of the city.
You learn how to cross the road.
You get used to the constant sound of horns.
You jump on the back of a motorbike, order a GrabBike, weave through the traffic and somehow start feeling completely comfortable in what once seemed like total chaos.
And that's what I love about Ho Chi Minh City.
There’s a kind of calmness within the chaos.
2. The Food Scene
Food is a huge part of why I love living in Ho Chi Minh City.
Even after years here, I’m still discovering new places to eat — from tiny restaurants down little alleys to plastic stools on the pavement with food being cooked right in front of you.
Some of my favourite meals are the simplest: a bánh mì, a bowl of phở, cơm tấm or bún bò Huế.
And there’s so much variety. Bánh xèo, noodles, seafood, rice dishes — the list goes on.
What I love most is that eating here feels like part of everyday life.
You can wander down a street, see somewhere busy with locals and think, “That looks good.”
More often than not, it is.
3. The Café Culture
As someone who loves coffee, café culture is one of the things I really enjoy about living in Ho Chi Minh City.
Coffee shops are everywhere, and they’re popular from early morning right through to the evening.
In the morning, you’ll see locals meeting friends, having breakfast or simply sitting with a coffee before starting their day.
By the afternoon and evening, people are still there, catching up, chatting or just taking a break.
I like how normal it is to spend time in a café here.
Locals do it all the time, and there’s no pressure to rush off after finishing your coffee.
You can sit, relax, chat, work or simply watch the world go by.
Then there are the small roadside cafés and pop-up stalls, some of which open specifically for the morning rush.
A few plastic chairs, a small table and a traditional coffee maker can be enough to create a busy little spot.
There’s also plenty of choice, from simple local cafés tucked down alleyways to modern, air-conditioned places where you can spend a few hours.
After living here for years, finding a good café and sitting down for a coffee has become one of those simple things I genuinely enjoy.
4. An Easy Base for Exploring
Ho Chi Minh City is also a great base for exploring.
I usually stay fairly close to the airport, and from here there are countless opportunities to explore Vietnam and beyond.
There are great-value flights to other Vietnamese cities, as well as plenty of connections across Southeast Asia.
It’s a city where you can build a life, but still easily get away and discover somewhere new.
5. The People
One of the things I’ve come to appreciate most about living in Ho Chi Minh City is the people.
I’ve found the Saigonese people to be incredibly friendly, warm and welcoming.
There’s a genuine sense of hospitality here, and I’ve lost count of the times someone has gone out of their way to help me, even when there’s been a language barrier.
There’s a friendliness in everyday interactions — from the person serving your coffee to the local family sitting next to you at a restaurant.
My Vietnamese isn’t great, but that’s never stopped people from being patient, smiling, laughing and finding a way to communicate.
It’s that warmth and openness that makes Ho Chi Minh City more than just somewhere I live.
It’s what makes it feel like home.
The city has incredible energy, but it’s the people who make you want to stay.
Have you ever travelled somewhere and ended up staying much longer than planned?
Where was it, and what was it about that place that made you want to stay?
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