A hive of activity at all hours of the day. Constant waves of scooters, motorcycles and cars fill the streets and jostle for position at every turn; not surprising considering the city has over 8.4 million people (about 14 million in the larger urban region).
And hot... wow! Arriving from Hanoi where the temperature hovered pleasantly in the low 20's, the tarmac of Saigon Airport was a sauna!
Ho Chi Minh City has 7.4 million motorbikes, almost 1 scooter for every person. The streets are organised chaos; no rhyme or reason, yet pedestrian-friendly.
"If you can drive in Ho Chi Minh City, you can drive anywhere in the world!" — Taxi driver
This gentleman sits outside his house everyday. Reading the paper in his sling-back armchair, he happily smiles for the camera as I walk past. I'm not the first person to take his photo; he seems to enjoy the attention he gets as tourists walk past his house.
The heat and chaos from the street spill into the local market. Meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, humidity—it's a pungent combination that smacks you in the face.
This miniature rooster—yes, he's fully grown—is the pride and joy of the local market stall owner. Standing 20cm tall and packing a high-pitched crow, he parades around the market with the authority of a rooster many times his size.
This cute market dog has a comfortable life. He lays around the stall, sleeps, and poses for photos from western tourists.
Image 1: 29 April 1975—CIA agents help evacuees into a helicopter. A day later would mark the end of the Vietnam/American War.
Image 2: 11 March 2019—same building 44 years later.
I love how nonchalant Vietnam is towards workplace health and safety. Take these next group of photos; crew members ride on the front and side of locomotives as they shunt carriages back and forth, preparing the days fleet.
First Hanoi, now Ho Chi Minh City, this is my second 'On the Tracks' tour with Vietnam In Focus. Victor, my guide, was sensational. We started at 5.30am and finished at 11am. We covered a lot of ground on foot and I got some great photos.
At 8.30am, we find the shunting yard and see 10 trains—apparently this was a busy morning.
We stay at the shunting yard for about 30 minutes. Locals come and go, completely unfazed by the train line a few steps outside their front door.
No automatic boom gates here. The train crew appear from nowhere and drag the gates onto the road to stop traffic.
Life on the tracks in Ho Chi Minh City is quieter compared to Hanoi. No tourists, no houses turned into bars.
D19E-971 departs Ho Chi Minh City; 35 hours later it'll arrive in Hanoi.
Life on the tracks in Hanoi has become a major tourist destination. Locals have embraced it by turning their homes into shops, restaurants and bars.
Foreigners flock to the tracks and pose for photos to fill up their daily Instagram feed.
Me, I stopped for a cold beer at one of the pop-up bars that has sprung up between Hanoi station and Long Bien Bridge. A beer on the tracks will set you back 20,000 VND ($1.30AUD).
Cha ca la vong—the yummiest meal I had in Hanoi. You BBQ mix of perch, dill, spring onions, chilli, coriander, peanuts and vermicelli rice noodles at your table..
Method: in the pan, fry the fish, add the greens and heat. In your side bowl, add the rice noodles, peanuts and sauce. Bring together. I paired mine with a Hanoi lager—perfection!
If beer and food on the streets isn't your scene, check out the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi or Polite & Co. You'll end up paying Australian prices at both, but they are air conditioned and very comfortable.
It wouldn't be a holiday without some plane spotting. The Ibis Saigon Airport have a spectacular rooftop pool and bar with sweeping views of the runway and greater Ho Chi Minh City.
© 2026 Hilton Luke
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