Is Ho Chi Minh City Dirty?
As an expat living in Ho Chi Minh City for over 12 years, I have to admit that Saigon can be a bit dirty sometimes. Like most developing cities in the world, household litter and air pollution are problematic. In fact, a majority of the problems and complaints by residents in Vietnam could be solved by not littering.
Is Ho Chi Minh City Dirty? No, Saigon is kept pretty clean despite its population and the amount of littering that happens daily. Tourist attractions and the center of the city are kept extremely clean compared to more local areas of the city. The city government has been trying its best to improve the hygiene and sanitation of the whole city in recent years. The efforts, including placing public trash bins at the intersections and hiring sweepers to clean the streets, have been paying off.
Although littering, air pollution, and flooding are the main factors making the city dirty, it is not as bad as you would think. District 1, where people are better educated, is generally a cleaner area than District 12. However, market areas near the bus station at September 23 Park, which is also in District 1, are dirty.
Pollution is a global problem that all major cities around the world have to deal with on a daily basis. Don’t expect Ho Chi Minh City to be as clean as Singapore, but it is comparable to Bangkok. This city isn’t dirty enough to avoid visiting like some places in the world that have a reputation for this.
District 1, 3, and the center of the city are kept clean and nice
Littering is banned at popular places and tourist attractions in the city. If you are visiting Museums, pagodas, and cathedrals around the city you can expect nice clean areas. Like the ones you’ll find in our 1 day in Ho Chi Minh City recommendations if you are here for a short time and looking to make the most of it. There is some littering that is annoying around areas like the Opera House and Nguyen Hue walking street because of young vietnamese who aren’t cleaning up after their small get togethers. The city does a great job of getting these places cleaned up during the night though.
Bui Vien Street and Pham Ngu Lao Street are generally clean. However, during rush hour, which is around 5pm—6.30pm, the streets are crowded with heavy traffic. Also, when there is a music event going on in the Park, the street is loud at night. Although it is great for partying, you should beware of the inevitable trash, littering, dust, smoke, and graffiti that comes with partying and backpacker areas around the world.
Sanitation in the city is nice. Public toilets such as the ones on September 23rd Park near the backpacker area are kept clean. When using them, it is best to bring toilet paper yourself in case they are out and there isn’t a bum gun. You should also prepare some small money like 5000 VND for the donation box in front of most public toilets. This donation rule works for other public toilets in Ho Chi Minh City too.
🚯Littering
Ho Chi Minh City has a beautiful skyline sitting right along the Saigon river that is very charming. The patchwork of different color houses sitting like a quilt spread out for kilometers in every direction is also breathtaking. When you get a closer look on the streets though, trash and dirt can be found in small alleys, sidewalks, canals, and parks. This sort of litter can come with the territory in certain areas of the city. The city averages a whopping 8,700 tons of household garbage everyday which can create some sanitation problems in smaller unnoticed or maintained areas.
Littering in Ho Chi Minh City, all over Vietnam for that matter, is an unfortunate problem that is very common. The government is doing a great job of educating the youth of Vietnam to be more aware of our environment but the older generation can still be seen littering with no remorse. There have been recent movement in the past few years to educate the older generation to take care about the environment which seems to be gaining some traction.
There will be a difference between someone throwing their plastic single use cup in a plastic bag into the river, when compared to the trash you see sitting under the trees when you walk along the sidewalks. The trash under the trees is actually the neighborhood spot for placing household garbage. Everynight Ho Chi Minh City sanitation workers, clean up every street collecting this trash. So placing it under the tree, electric pole, or lamp post is just a collection point for the city sanitation crew. This shouldn’t be confused with careless littering.
Recycling isn’t implement in Vietnam like other countries around the world. Even though people tried to separate waste into different trash bins, staff from environmental companies still mix them together before sending them to the city’s dump sites.
Trash in markets and vendors
Most people go shopping at markets rather than supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City because they can find fresh ingredients at cheaper prices. However, hygiene is not guaranteed, as waste and garbage can be found all over local markets.
Most vendors do not throw rubbish into bins. They just simply throw their rubbish into the gutters or directly to the ground under their stalls. The trash includes plastic bags, food scraps, rotten veggies, cigarette butts, and tissues. Only when the sellers need to close their stall do they sweep the floor, collect trash, put it in big plastic bags, and throw it at a collection point at the rear of the market.
These vendors aren’t as dirty as it sounds. Personally, I feel most vendors are doing their best to keep things sanitary, but at the end of the day, it is what it is. These markets are unique tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City because people can enjoy local food from people peddling their wares.
Despite the fact that selling on sidewalks is banned by the government, local people still do these small businesses illegally to make a living. Sometimes, you will witness vendor owners running away from the police, or when you are enjoying your meal, the vendor will make a quick dash down the street, leaving you alone and confused.
Flooding in the city
This may be a blessing to any traveler who wants a great and unique local experience in the city, but it’s always painful for us locals. Flooding in the city during the rainy season is a nightmare for every citizen. It is annoying not just because of trash floating on the street but also because it is an inconvenience afterward. When the water level is above your knees, traveling around the city becomes harder than ever. The car and motorbike engines stopping in the middle of the street leads to prolonged traffic jams. Some people have to push their motorbikes by hand, while others trip and fall after riding on flooded potholes they can’t see.
You may also experience difficulties even if you do not live in a flooded area. When there is flooding anywhere in the downtown area, traffic jams usually occur in the whole city. This is going to be the most difficult time for you to take a taxi or grab, during the rain, most people are trying to hail a ride.
The main reason for flooding is uncontrollable littering by us locals. The drains are choked up with garbage, river runoff is slowed down because of household trash, giving rainwater no way to escape from the city. Therefore, if you visit the city during the rainy season, which is from May to November, you should really bring a raincoat, waterproof accessories and flip-flops to prevent you from getting wet
The optimism of people, even in such situations, may surprise you and make you want to visit the city anyway. Some visitors and citizens found this entertaining. When it rains, fish in canals swim to the streets, and people try to catch them. Some travelers enjoy this and even go kayaking in the middle of the city.
Air pollution
Most cities in the world presumably face this problem. It is no doubt that an overpopulated city like Ho Chi Minh is in the same situation. Heavy traffic, smoke, dust, and air pollution are a part of citizens’ daily lives. In the sunny season from December to April, the air pollution is even worse in sunlight.
Trucks carrying cattle or fish sauce is another cause of air pollution, but you can only see them in the suburb areas of Ho Chi Minh City like District 12.
The abovementioned factors are the reasons why you should wear face masks and sunglasses when walking down the street in Ho Chi Minh City. They don’t just keep you from sneezing but also protect you from respiratory diseases and other kinds of sickness.
We hope this article answers your question about the cleanliness and safety of Ho Chi Minh City. This is my home, and it is surprisingly clean even though our city faces many sanitation issues with such a large population. I feel that most travelers visiting Ho Chi Minh City will feel the same. And you might be surprised what you think of the cleanliness in comparison when you travel to other places after Ho Chi Minh City. Thanks for reading!
