This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Valerie Do, 19, a TikTok creator who posts about life as an international student. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I spent the day exploring Ho Chi Minh City's former mafia hot spot and recommend other tourists do the same
09.10.2023 - 05:55 / insider.com / Ho Chi Minh
Two decades back, one of Vietnam's notorious mafia bosses was executed by a firing squad. Truong Van Cam, more commonly known as Nam Cam, or Vietnam's "Godfather," oversaw a vast criminal network that controlled much of Ho Chi Minh City's District 4. It was the ideal place for him to base his criminal activities: It's centrally located, buffered by waterways, and chock-full of clandestine networks of alleyways.
This is a period the government would rather forget, which is perhaps why evidence of District 4's criminal history is hard to come by. "There's really no documentation about District 4 in that era," Tim Doling, a historian in Ho Chi Minh City who's the author of "Saigon-Cho Lon: Vanishing Heritage of Ho Chi Minh City," told me when I asked about the district. "It's all down to the personal reminiscences of those who lived there."
Ho Chi Minh City, designated a future megacity by the United Nations, is divided into 24 districts, half of which are numbered and half of which are named. The airport sits in Tan Binh District, but most visitors end up dividing their time between districts 1, 3, and 5, which contain the bulk of the city's heritage buildings and museums.
Some also venture into Thao Dien, an expat enclave in District 2. As a travel writer who primarily covers Vietnam, I make regular trips to Ho Chi Minh City, and I've found that some of the most interesting spots — including District 4 — are outside the popular tourist hubs.
At a little over 1.5 square miles in size, District 4 is the smallest district in Vietnam's most populous city; it's densely populated, though, with nearly 200,000 residents, by one count, as of 2019. With the district having shrugged off its reputation for crime, many characteristics that made it a handy criminal hub — the waterways, alleyways, and proximity to District 1 — now make it ripe for urban exploration. On my most recent visit to Ho Chi Minh City, in September, I spent a day exploring some fresh spots in District 4 and found it worth including in visitors' travel itineraries.
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
lonelyplanet.com
26.10.2023 / 16:41
Local Bites: the best places to eat and drink in Bangkok
People sometimes talk about “love at first sight” when they arrive in a new city. That probably isn’t what you’ll experience when you first get to Bangkok.
skift.com
25.10.2023 / 11:09
Booking.com Executive on Addressing Payment Failures and Return of the Chinese Traveler
Booking.com says its problem getting payments to European and Asian hotel partners is mostly fixed and that it is even making manual payments in some cases.
nytimes.com
25.10.2023 / 09:53
If You Can Take the Cable Car to the Colosseum, You’re in Vietnam
We are inside a glass box of a gondola, part of the longest passenger cable car in the world, flying silently along on a nearly five-mile ride, and some 50 stories above a sapphire sea just off the coast of Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam. On this bright March afternoon, hundreds of colorful wooden fishing boats speckle the crystalline water below as we sail toward Hon Thom Island.
insider.com
23.10.2023 / 20:57
The No. 1 tip for a successful trip with your partner? Spend time without them.
When Serena Masand and Anish Kotecha wake up in Europe, one of them will venture out alone to get coffee and croissants for breakfast. For Masand and Kotecha, it's the perfect way to start their day of travels — individually.
lonelyplanet.com
19.10.2023 / 07:49
How to visit Taiwan on a budget
You can definitely travel cheaply in Taiwan, and with some planning, it can be immensely enjoyable.
travelandleisure.com
18.10.2023 / 15:59
Cambodia’s Newest and Biggest Airport Aims to Bring More Tourists to Angkor Wat
Cambodia has a brand-new airport for travelers flying directly to its popular attraction of Angkor Wat, offering an upgraded experience to get to the famous site in an effort to boost tourism.
lonelyplanet.com
15.10.2023 / 10:23
18 of the best things to do in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka may only be small, but thanks to its jungle-clad mountains, golden sandy beaches, abundant wildlife in their natural habitats, and spice-laden cuisines, the island nation ensures visitors are never bored.
insider.com
14.10.2023 / 15:03
He's trying to charge $100 for phở in Ho Chi Minh City. That's 50 times the usual price. I had to try it.
"The implicit rule of phở is: Don't fuck with phở." Those were the words of Peter Cuong Franklin, the founder and head chef at Anan Saigon, when he gave me his take on phở's controversial history earlier this year.
insider.com
13.10.2023 / 13:31
A student was excited to move to Florida for college. Then she realized she'd applied to Miami University — in Ohio.
When Valerie Do, 19, applied to study at Miami University in 2019, she was excited by the prospect of spending her days lounging on beaches in the sun in Florida surrounded by palm trees like she'd seen in the movies.
forbes.com
12.10.2023 / 00:13
The Met Opera’s ‘Dead Man Walking’ Star Ryan McKinny Talks Travel
In my latest column where I interview actors, singers and other creatives about travel as it relates to their craft, I interviewed Ryan McKinny, a bass-baritone singer who plays the role of Joseph De Rocher in the MET’s blockbuster production of “Dead Man Walking.”
nytimes.com
11.10.2023 / 10:53
The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
Filipino, Tasting Menu