I have been itching to get out of the big city of Saigon for a few days. The problem is that it is New Year’s week and everything is super busy and crowded.
No problem, I found a way as always seem to when traveling and took a fun two-hour ferry ride.
I booked a ferry ride from the main terminal in HCMC down the Saigon River and then east to Vung Tau:
I am not sure what to expect so I booked a one-way ferry to see if I like the new location.
My original Airbnb in HCMC is booked until February 11th, so I packed a light bag and, off I went on January 26th, 2025. The beach looks great and there are tons of “white tourists” here so I might be on to something.
I found an inexpensive Airbnb with a rooftop pool for $17 a night:
I noticed a lot of Lunar New Year displays in HCMC, but Vung Tao goes all in as it was incredible to see. I have attached a hyper-ink and summary below:
“Chinese New Year 2025 is also called Spring Festival or Chinese Lunar New Year. In Mandarin, it’s called Guonian or Chunjie. 2025 is the Year of the Snake.
Chunjie starts on Wednesday, January 29th, and goes on until the Lantern Festival on February 12th. It’s also the first Spring Festival after it was successfully added to the cultural heritage list. People in China get an 8-day holiday for the Chinese New Year 2025.
During this holiday, they gather with their families and watch the wonderful Spring Festival Gala while enjoying a delicious reunion dinner. A series of celebrations will continue until the 15th day of the lunar calendar, the Lantern Festival”.
I hope the below pictures and video do it justice as a lot of hard work and passion goes into all of these displays.
