Sure there’s been heightened security in Vietnam’s major cities after recent political fiascos. But Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is still a cheap and nearby getaway, and with a bit of homework and curating, good ol’ Saigon can deliver plenty of thrills. Of course that means an obligatory pilgrimage to L’Usine, but there are plenty of other movers and shakers in the city’s indie revolution. Here are some highlights.

STAY

There may be plenty of reputable hotels in the more tourist-friendly District 1—the city’s center, where the main attractions are located—but skip those and go to the more picturesque District 2 for resort-like vibes. We stayed at Villa Song Saigon, a boutique hotel under the Secret Retreats umbrella, and could hardly tear ourselves away from the near-private saltwater pool and riverside restaurant. Rates start from about 2,900,000VND ($172) per night for a solo room.

Eateries typically close at 10pm here, so if you’re the type to get midnight munchies—who isn’t?—you can stock up on cheese at the nearby Annam Gourmet Market and booze at one of the few craft beer shops we found, Zebrafish. Plus, there’s a handful of quality restaurants and amenities like Harmony Spa for manicures (from US$7, or $8.80) and massages (from US$20, or $25) on the cheap.

DO

The best way to take in HCMC is definitely on a scooter: Try Vietnam Vespa Adventures’ night tour, essentially a bar crawl on a Vespa. This excursion to eateries and bars in different districts—lots of street food, local music and the occasional cockfight—is pretty eye-opening, and once on a bike you’ll come to appreciate the method to the madness that is Vietnamese traffic. If you have time to spare, do a day trip out on a speedboat; Vietnam’s waterways and rivers are gorgeous. Les Rives does full-day tours to destinations like the Mekong Delta and Can Gio Mangrove Forest for small groups.

EAT

We recommend that all visitors make the journey to hipster mecca L’Usine, which is hidden behind a dilapidated but very charming alley full of antique art (but of course!). The crowd is photogenic and the grub is good quality and almost Melbournian—a simple but lush garden pasta; grilled octopus tossed with caramelized onion and chorizo—and there’s a fantastic happy hour from 4-8pm with 1-for-1 wines by the glass, which makes the already-cheap wines even cheaper (it works out to $3/glass). 

Also check out Work Saigon, a co-working space and café for designers, and also where local boutique Blackmarket was located for a time. Conclusive proof that it’s a hipster magnet: We found a garden growing basil and strawberries for their homemade sodas and salads, and caught arthouse film junkies The Cinephiles setting up one of their regular outdoor film screenings.

PLAY

If there’s one venue in HCMC we’d kill to transplant to Singapore, it’s live music café Vung Oi Mo Ra. For the full experience, head there in the evening—it’s hidden, so you’ll have to navigate your way through a somewhat scary back alley—to watch Vietnamese musicians perform by candlelight. We didn’t understand a word they were crooning, but the singers we saw were pitch-perfect.

Then there’s art space (by day) and club (by night) The Observatory, where the good-looking and left-leaning congregate. It’s not unusual to find weed smoke wafting around here, but our drug of choice here is the chilli-flavored Saigon Cider, produced by a local brewery so committed that they collect and reuse their empty bottles from their stockists.

ESSENTIALS

Getting There

Singapore Airlines, Tigerair, Jetstar and Vietnam Airlines have daily direct flights from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City.

Getting Around

Cabs are plentiful and cheap, but to reduce the risk of scams, it’s safer to book a taxi rather than flag one down. Most venues will happily book one for you.

Visa

Singaporeans do not require a visa to enter Vietnam, but most other nationalities do.

Exchange Rate

10,000VND = $0.59 and the grub is good quality and almost Melbournian—a simple but lush garden pasta; grilled octopus tossed with caramelized onion and chorizo—and there’s a fantastic happy hour from 4-8pm with 1-for-1 wines by the glass, which makes the already-cheap wines even cheaper (it works out to $3/glass).

Sure there’s been heightened security in Vietnam’s major cities after recent political fiascos. But Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is still a cheap and nearby getaway, and with a bit of homework and curating, good ol’ Saigon can deliver some thrills. Of course, that means an obligatory pilgrimage to L’Usine, but there are other movers and shakers in the city’s indie revolution. Here are some highlights.

Stay

There may be lots of reputable hotels in the more tourist-friendly District 1—the city’s center, where the main attractions are located—but skip those and go to the more picturesque District 2 for resort-like vibes. We stayed at Villa Song Saigon, a boutique hotel under the Secret Retreats umbrella, and could hardly tear ourselves away from the near-private saltwater pool and riverside restaurant. Rates start from about VND2,900,000 ($172) per night for a solo room.

Eateries typically close at 10pm here, so if you’re the type to get midnight munchies—who isn’t?—you can stock up on cheese at the nearby Annam Gourmet Market and booze at one of the few craft beer shops we found, Zebrafish. Plus, there’s a handful of quality restaurants and amenities like Harmony Spa for manicures (from US$7, or $8.80) and massages (from US$20, or $25) on the cheap.

Do

The best way to take in HCMC is definitely on a scooter: try Vietnam Vespa Adventures night tour, essentially a bar crawl on a Vespa. This excursion to eateries and bars in different districts—lots of street food, local music and the occasional cockfight—is pretty eye-opening, and once on a bike you’ll come to appreciate the method to the madness that is Vietnamese traffic. If you have time to spare, do a day trip out on a speedboat; Vietnam’s waterways and rivers are gorgeous. Les Rives does full-day tours (from VND1,697,000, or $100) to destinations like the Mekong Delta and Can Gio Mangrove Forest for small groups.

Eat 

We recommend that all visitors make the journey to hipster mecca L’Usine, which is hidden behind a dilapidated but very charming alley full of antique art (but of course!). The crowd is photogenic and the grub is good quality and almost Melbournian—a simple but lush garden pasta; grilled octopus tossed with caramelized onion and chorizo, for example—and there’s a fantastic happy hour from 4-8pm with 1-for-1 wines by the glass, which makes the already-cheap wines even cheaper (it works out to $3/glass).

Also check out Work Saigon, a co-working space and café for designers, and also where local boutique Blackmarket was located for a time. Conclusive proof that it’s a hipster magnet: we found a garden growing basil and strawberries for their homemade sodas and salads, and caught arthouse film junkies The Cinephiles setting up one of their regular outdoor film screenings.

Play

If there’s one venue in HCMC we’d kill to transplant to Singapore, it’s live music café Vung Oi Mo Ra (17 Ngo Thoi Nhiem, District 3, +84 8 2215-7813). For the full experience, head there in the evening—it’s hidden, so you’ll have to navigate your way through a somewhat scary back alley—to watch Vietnamese musicians perform by candlelight. We didn’t understand a word they were crooning, but the singers we saw were pitch-perfect.

Then there’s art space (by day) and club (by night) The Observatory, where the good-looking and left-leaning congregate. It’s not unusual to find weed smoke wafting around, but our drug of choice here is the chilli-flavored Saigon Cider, produced by a local brewery that collects and reuses the empty bottles from their stockists.

Essentials

Getting there

Singapore Airlines, Tigerair, Jetstar and Vietnam Airlines have daily direct flights from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City, from $120 round trip.

Getting around

abs are plentiful and cheap, but to reduce the risk of scams, book a taxi rather than flag one down. Most venues will happily book one for you.

Visa

Singaporeans do not require a visa for trips (up to 30 days), but most other nationalities do. Avoid the dodgy visa websites and go straight to the Embassy of Vietnam.

Exchange rate

10,000VND = $0.59

Esther Goh 25, illustrator & designer

What inspired your piece? Singapore, as a young and successful metropolitan city, thrives on progress and advancement in all aspects, which also means the scenery is constantly changing. Focusing on old-school trades and businesses, this piece brings to mind an admirable generation of makers and entrepreneurs who took things into their own hands, from the ground up, with only a fraction of what we have now; who also honed their skills for decades and stayed true to their trades. And they are dying out because society and the economy have evolved. What's your daily routine? You could say I sleep at unearthly hours, as I'm most productive working during the uninterrupted stretch after midnight. I also have a habit of checking my emails on the go, all the time. My inspiration usually comes from daily encounters with people, dreams and a variety of media, so really there's no particular go-to place. www.esthergoh.co

Ann Gee 27, freelance illustrator

What does your piece represent? The helplessness I feel at seeing old places and forests mowed down to make way for "progress", the increasing lack of space and never-ending crowds everywhere.    What do you hate most about Singapore? The high cost of living (especially while the elderly have to do menial work just to struggle to get by), fat greedy landlords jacking up the rent, taxpayer's money wasted on useless endeavors while the government trumpets every single cent given to those who need help, the lack of enforcement of rights for those who truly need them and the political and general apathy of people here, although that is changing.    What do you love most about Singapore? The pockets of spaces where time is still suspended, the growing vibrancy of the creative scene and increasing political awareness—people are no longer afraid to voice out and critique government policies. www.anngee.sg

Carmen Chen 22, freelance illustrator

What does your piece mean? In our tiny, multi-cultural nation, we tend to have many negative (or not) opinions, which we take to the internet every so often. These are represented by the colorful and chaotic shapes in the background. But in real life we are still rather hush-hush about our problems. I portray this through the contrasting black outline.    You took art as a subject in secondary school. What was your experience like? Instead of guiding us to develop a personal style after fundamental studies, my teachers taught us how to paint the same elements and the same obvious meanings. Trying something new was deemed wrong. After graduating, I made it point to do the total opposite of what I was taught.   www.turdsieroll.tumblr.com

Teo Chong Wah 23, NSF

Tell us about your piece. This work is part of “Why Must We Serve”, a personal series I started after entering the army. It's a documentation of my mundane—or sad, or plain ridiculous— life in the service.   What keeps you going every day? An ice cold cup of coffee.   What do you hate most about Singapore? Peak hours! www.seedoubleyouuu.tumblr.com

Want more art? Check out these upcoming shows and our favorite places to buy affordable pieces.