CAUTION
Ho Chi Minh City is one of the safest cities to travel to in Southeast Asia, but there are many cases where people are caught off guard and end up in trouble. Be sure to read the following precautions to prevent accidents in advance.
Take a Taxi
There are dozens of types of fake taxis doing business in Ho Chi Minh City. By manipulating the meter, the fare is several times higher than that of a regular taxi, and there is a high probability that they will avoid the fast route to your destination. It is better to think that all taxis except VINASUN and MAI-LINH are fake taxis.
Using Money Exchange
Rather than exchanging your money directly for Vietnam Dong(VND) at the bank, it is much more advantageous to exchange using 100 us dollar bills at a private currency exchange and gold shop in local. In Vietnam, 100 us dollar bill is the highest value, and as it goes down to 50, 20, 10, and 5 dollars, the value decreases, so you must use 100 dollar bills. Also, if the banknotes are dirty, torn, or otherwise damaged, they will refuse to exchange money, so it is recommended that you bring clean new banknotes.
Issues such as Theft, Etc.
Always be careful of snatchers and pickpockets in places where there are a lot of travelers, such as places where are money exchanges or tourist attractions. Since your wallet and mobile phone can be stolen in an instant in a variety of unexpected ways, you should not take them out, and hide them in a place that is difficult to find. Hotels are also unreliable places, so it's best not to take valuables with you when your traveling, and if you do, you should hide them deep in your bag or keep them on you at all times.