Hola! The rain in Ho Chi Minh City doesn’t fall — it attacks. We arrived straight into a downpour and loved every second of it.
From our quiet olive groves in Andalusia to the noise, heat, and relentless energy of Vietnam’s biggest city — our life between borders just levelled up. Ho Chi Minh City hits all five senses at once. Sound, smell, and what Callum diplomatically called “the occasional survival instinct.” Crossing the road here is an extreme sport — you just walk and trust that the scooters will somehow weave around you. Somehow, they always do.
After months of off-grid farmhouse life surrounded by olive trees and mountains, stepping into this city felt like plugging straight back into the world’s energy supply. And honestly? We needed it.
🏛️ War Remnants Museum — History You Can’t Look Away From
Our first stop was the War Remnants Museum — and it’s not an easy visit. It’s powerful, emotional, and at times genuinely hard to take in. It’s also, we’d argue, essential.
Entry was 40,000 Vietnamese dong per adult — around $2 — and we spent well over an hour inside. Travelling as a family means we face history together, even when it’s difficult. The kids asked questions we couldn’t always answer, and that was exactly the point. Learning from experience, not just textbooks. This is what worldschooling actually looks like on the hard days — not just waterfalls and street food, but sitting with difficult truths and talking them through together.
🏢 Museum of Ho Chi Minh City — A Lesson in Real Value
Next we visited the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City, housed in a stunning French colonial building — grand staircases, arched windows, high ceilings, and rooms full of history. Entry was just 30,000 VND per adult (around $1.25).
Inside we found everything from old city maps and trade artefacts to exhibits tracing Saigon’s journey from quiet riverside village to the sprawling modern city it is today. One display stopped us in our tracks: an exhibit showing how fast the value of money can change — banknotes once worth fortunes now practically worthless.
It sparked a real conversation with the kids about money. Why we live the way we do. Why we invest in things that hold real value — land, knowledge, experience — rather than things that sit still and quietly disappear. Not a lesson you get from a worksheet.
🌿 Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens — Calm in the Middle of It All
Just when you think Ho Chi Minh City is nothing but scooters and skyscrapers, you turn a corner and find the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens — one of the oldest in the world.
Entry was 60,000 VND per adult ($2.50) and 40,000 VND per child ($1.65), and the contrast with the streets outside couldn’t be greater. Lush, green, peaceful — families of all kinds just enjoying a slow afternoon together. After weeks of travel and city noise, it felt a little bit like coming home.
There was far more to discover than we expected — beautiful gardens, animals, history, and a small fairground tucked inside that the kids absolutely could not believe existed. We also met some wonderful locals who stopped to chat for ages — warm, kind, and full of genuine pride for their city. Moments like that remind us that connection doesn’t need a shared language. It just needs openness.
🍳 Street Food, Napping Culture & Egg Coffee
One rule we never break: eat where the locals eat. In Ho Chi Minh City, the street is the kitchen — and the meals are extraordinary. Everything sizzles and steams, the flavours are incredible, and it all costs less than a coffee back home.
We also spent a lot of time marvelling at something uniquely Vietnamese: the ability to nap anywhere. On bikes, on benches, stretched out on the pavement in the middle of the city’s constant noise. It’s a skill. Maybe even a philosophy. The art of switching off in the chaos — something all of us could stand to learn.
And then — egg coffee. We’ve always loved cà phê muối (Vietnamese salted coffee) whenever we’ve been in Vietnam, but this was our first time trying the egg version. Jem went first. The verdict: eggy, yes — but somehow deeply satisfying. Callum agreed. It’s worth trying.
⛵ The Saigon Water Taxi — £3.33 for the Whole Family
One of the highlights of the whole trip. We spent a day exploring Ho Chi Minh City by water — hopping on the local Saigon water taxi for a river journey that gave us a completely different view of the city.
The total cost for the boat ride — an hour each way for all four of us — was 120,000 Vietnamese dong. About £3.33, or $4, for the whole family. Unbelievable.
From the river, you can really feel how old Saigon and modern Ho Chi Minh exist side by side. Colonial buildings pressed up against glass towers. Traditional life right next to change. It’s calm, colourful, and one of the most unique ways we’ve experienced any city anywhere.
🌱 What Vietnam Gave Us
Vietnam taught us about balance. How life can move fast and still feel grounded. How growth doesn’t come from comfort — it comes from stepping into the unknown.
Every trip, every challenge, every museum and street meal and impromptu conversation shapes us. And shapes Hayden and Amaya. In ways that no classroom could replicate.
We’re heading back to Cortijo Renacer soon — just in time for our first olive harvest. Vietnam reminded us exactly why we started this journey: to learn, to grow, and to live with more intention. From the olive groves to the city streets, every border we cross teaches us something new.
Next stop: Bangkok. See you there.
💰 Ho Chi Minh City Cost Highlights
| Experience | Cost |
|---|---|
| War Remnants Museum (per adult) | ~$2 (40,000 VND) |
| Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (per adult) | ~$1.25 (30,000 VND) |
| Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens (adult) | ~$2.50 (60,000 VND) |
| Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens (child) | ~$1.65 (40,000 VND) |
| Saigon Water Taxi (family of 4, return) | ~£3.33 / $4 (120,000 VND) |
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Have you been to Ho Chi Minh City? Or tried egg coffee for the first time? Tell us in the comments! ¡Hasta la próxima! 🌻