HCMC: top spot in Vietnam for slow travel lovers

Ho Chi Minh City has been named the destination travelers spend the most time in on average in Vietnam.

This announcement was made by digital travel platform Agoda, amid slow travel being one of the most talked about travel trends.

Famous for its bustling streets, Agoda said, HCMC pulses with vibrant energy that’s best enjoyed when embraced fully.

“Step into the rhythm of the locals and experience the city slowing down by enjoying a traditional Ca Phe Sua Da [iced coffee with milk], Vietnamese coffee, in the morning. Taste the culture of Vietnam by indulging in the epic street food variety and then take a break from the buzz and seek solace among a collection of over a thousand trees in one of the city's oldest parks, Tao Đàn Park. Saigon presents a diverse array of experiences to be discovered at a relaxed tempo,” it said.

Bac Ninh and Phu Quoc Island are the two other destinations rounding out the top three.

When travelling internationally, travelers from Vietnam spend the most time exploring Manila in the Philippines in a quest for a slow travel experience.

Agoda also shared the top Asian destinations for slow travel for longer stays. Thailand’s Khao Lak takes the crown as the tourist destination where travelers spend the most time.

Across eight Asian markets, the destinations with the highest average length of stay are Khao Lak in Thailand, Seoul in South Korea, Perhentian Islands in Malaysia, Tokyo in Japan, Siargao Island in the Philippines, Pekanbaru in Indonesia, HCMC, and Ahmedabad in India.

Agoda analysed data from the first three months of 2024 to compile the ranking.

Searches for slow travel have grown threefold in the past five years, according to Google Trends.

Slow travel is an approach to travel that encourages travelers to stay longer at their destination, allowing them to create deeper connections with the local culture and people, resulting in meaningful travel experiences.

Lam Vu, country director at Agoda shared, "It’s easy to understand why slow travel is one of the most fascinating travel trends right now. In today’s fast-paced world, many travelers recognise the desire to use their holiday to disconnect from day-to-day life and form a deeper connection with the people and places they visit.

"It’s something we love to see and encourage at Agoda, as we are passionate about bridging the world through travel. For travelers looking to fully submerge in a holiday destination, whether it’s lazing around in a beach villa or settling in a chic city hotel, the destinations on our slow travel ranking are great places to start."

Some of the destinations on the list are also well-known favorites for shorter city breaks, but both the rural and urban destinations on the slow travel ranking are worth spending an extended amount of time in. From swimming amidst the rich reefs in the Perhentian Islands to having a feast in the streets in HCMC, travelers can gain a deeper local experience in these eight destinations.

HCMC is always among the top destinations that visitors want to come to when travelling to Vietnam. In the first four months of this year, over 1.8 million visitors came to HCMC, or 30% of the annual target and a 32% year-on-year increase.

Director of the City Tourism Department Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa stated that in the future, the city’s tourism industry will continue to implement 3D technology to promote tourism programmes. The city will use an interactive smart 3D/360 map, connecting HCMC with 62 provinces and municipalities using five languages. Up to now, the 3D/360 Map has received 450,000 interactions from visitors coming from 124 countries and territories.

In addition, tourism promotion activities will be further intensified, such as implementing distinctive tourism products of Thu Duc city and its districts, developing waterway tourism products for 2023-2025; developing cultural and historical tourism products; agricultural and eco-tourism; night tourism; and promoting the development of community tourism products in Thieng Lieng commune of Can Gio district.

In the second quarter, the tourism sector is focusing on effectively coordinating the organisation of tourism activities and events in the city, notably the 2nd Water Festival scheduled for 2024, expected to last for 10 days, from May 31 to June 9.

The industry will continue to efficiently implement regional tourism linkages between HCMC and the provinces and municipalities according to the plan, with a particular emphasis on collaborative tourism development between the city and the 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta region.

For the whole year, the city expects to welcome 6 million foreign visitors and 38 million domestic visitors.

Recommendations for slow travel lovers in HCMC:

1. Enjoying Café Sua Da in the morning.

2. Exploring city parks such as Tao Dan, Hoang Van Thu, Le Van Tam, and Gia Dinh.

3. Taking a bike or motorbike ride around the city.

4. Enjoying a dinner cruise on the Saigon River.

5. Trying the hop-on hop-off city sightseeing tour.

6. Relaxing with coffee and live music in the evening.

7. Visiting Chinatown in districts 5, 6, and 11.

8. Shopping at traditional markets like Ben Thanh Market, Binh Tan Market, Cho Lon Market, and Tan Dinh Market as the locals do.

9. Indulging in street food delights such as banh xeo, hu tieu, bot chien, banh mi, com tam, oc, and bun bo.

10. Joining a cooking class to learn how to make traditional Vietnamese dishes using fresh ingredients from the local markets.