We Walked Saigon… and Got Scammed! 🇻🇳

Explore Saigon’s real side — from chaotic local markets and cheeky coconut scams to the historic Independence Palace, where Vietnam’s history changed forever. We spent a full day walking through Ho Chi Minh City, uncovering the best eats, honest prices, and local moments most travellers miss. We kick off at Ben Thanh Market for a local-style breakfast and share real street food prices before navigating a classic coconut water scam (so you don’t have to!). From there, it’s on to the People’s Court, then into the Reunification Palace, still frozen in time from the 1970s. Later, we wander Nguyen Van Binh Book Street, check out the build-up to the 50-year celebrations, stop at Turtle Lake, and finish at Binh Tay Market — a wholesale gem far from the tourist crowds. 📍 What’s covered in this vlog: Ben Thanh Market breakfast & prices How to avoid common Saigon scams Independence (Reunification) Palace tour Book Street & Turtle Lake review Binh Tay Market bargains 👣 We’re Marc & Vee — a UK couple exploring Vietnam on a budget. Subscribe for more honest, real-world adventures across Asia and beyond. 👉 Like, comment, and share to join our journey — Let’s adventure together! 📘 Grab our full Vietnam Travel Guide on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZLeubP If you enjoy it, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more adventures! 🇻🇳 VIETNAM: THE FULL JOURNEY Missed our first trip to Vietnam? Catch up on the entire series from start to finish here: 🎬 https://tr.ee/9kPmdn 🌍 TRAVEL PLANNING & ESSENTIALS Buses & Trains in Asia: https://12go.asia/?z=11180835 eSIM (15% OFF): https://airalo.pxf.io/c/6088765/2071037/15608 NordVPN (73% OFF): https://nordvpn.com/footstepstyretracks Our Favorite Itineraries: https://plannin.com/en?refId=FootstepsTyretracks 💳 TRAVEL CARDS WE USE Starling: https://www.starlingbank.com/referral?code=Udl4ja Revolut: https://revolut.com/referral/?referral-code=marcz55v!NOV1-25-VR-GB-MDL-CTRL&geo-redirect 🚐 GEAR & MERCH Our Travel & Vanlife Gear: https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/footstepstyretracks Get the Merch: https://footsteps-tyretracks-shop.fourthwall.com Our Soundtrack (Epidemic Sound): https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/fpupd2 📸 FOLLOW THE ADVENTURE Blog: https://footstepstyretracks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/footsteps_tyretracks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/footstepstyretracks Support our adventures on Ko-fi ➔ https://ko-fi.com/footstepstyretracks (Exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes, and video credits) 📩 BUSINESS ENQUIRIES footstepstyretracks@gmail.com 00:00:00 - Welcome to Saigon (Day Plan) 00:04:29 - Ben Thanh Market Street Food Breakfast 00:08:05 - Coconut Water Scam: How to Avoid It 00:08:43 - Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court Quick Look 00:08:57 - Independence (Reunification) Palace Intro 00:17:08 - War Bunker and Command Room Inside Tour 00:17:57 - 1970s Palace Interiors and Library 00:18:07 - 50th Anniversary Exhibit Overview 00:20:52 - Palace Architecture and Cooling Design 00:24:40 - Nguyen Van Binh Book Street Stroll 00:26:18 - Parade Preparation for 50-Year Celebration 00:27:23 - Turtle Lake Honest First Impressions 00:30:37 - Binh Tay Market Wholesale Vibes and Prices #SaigonVietnam #TravelScam #BackpackingVietnam #HiddenSaigon #FootstepsAndTyretracks