Follow a local’s guide for a healthy lifestyle

Vietnamese people are known for their agility and healthy lifestyle. You can see it reflected in their cuisine, which always has a variety of herbs and veggies to keep the dish in balance with the meats and carbs, or see it in the early morning, when the parks are crowded with people coming to exercise, especially the elders.

If you want to find ways to show your body and soul some care, but still don’t want to miss out on all the fun and delicious things in Thao Dien, a simple leisure day in Saigonese style will get you covered.

7 AM: At the park

Photo: Stocks

The Vietnamese, especially the older generation, has a habit of waking up very early in the morning, either to prepare for their business during the day, or boosting their body with simple exercises.

Though as early as 4 am, you will still see a few people going to a park or even standing in their front yard for some fresh air and doing exercise. To the elders, that even becomes their favorite part of the day because they get the chance to meet up with friends.

In parks at early hours, you feel a vibrant energy of elders dancing to the music, or doing graceful martial art movements and can really see that they are enjoying their life and their health despite their age.

If you want to try to wake up before the whole city does and get some fresh air, Sala Park is the nearest park in town with about 5 KM from Amanaki Thao Dien, where you can enjoy a nice walk, do a running section in a green surrounding next to a lake.

9 AM: Enjoy Phở Thìn for a local breakfast

_Photo: Phở Thìn by Sol_

After getting some fresh air and the city slowly waking up, the people would like to go for a coffee or breakfast to cool down and get their energy intake for the day.

Pho, our national dish that you might have heard of, is one of our favorite dishes to enjoy at breakfast. Here in Thao Dien, you can find a few Pho eateries that serve traditional Pho, but our personal favorite to stop by is Pho Thin by Sol. A Restaurant that serves the traditional Pho with stir-fried thin beef slices in a contemporary and spacious space.

You can enjoy a bowl of Pho with many other northern Vietnamese dishes and drinks just 900 meters away from Amanaki Thao Dien.

_Address: 37 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam_

_Opening hours: 6:30 – 21:30_

10 AM: Read or working at a Vườn Thảo Điền

_Photo: Vườn Thảo Điền_

After their breakfast, normally a Saigonese would go to their school, office or if they work remotely, you will see them settled at a coffee shop. Even in the busy mornings, where everybody is heading to work, you can find local coffee shops filled with people coming to buy their coffee or working with their laptops.

One of our favorite places to come and find inspirations for a productive day or simply just for a slow morning is at Vườn Thảo Điền, where you can work or relax in a quiet and green open space. Here they also offer event space and meeting rooms for rent which is ideal for business finding a place to meet up with their clients and colleagues.

_Address: 34 Street 11, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam_

_Opening hours: 7:00 – 22:00_

12 PM: Lunch at Poke Saigon

_Photo: Poke Saigon_

After enjoying a morning in a green surrounding, the next stop for our healthy day is Poke Saigon, one of the best places that offer the healthy Hawaiian dish to the people of Saigon.

With this dish, eating a salad is no longer boring but truly a personalized and fun experience. You can choose a variety of ingredients for your base, veggies, toppings, and pair them with their sauce collections to create your own colorful salad bowl.

Their choices include fresh and healthy ingredients such as fruits, sashimi salmon & tuna, mushroom, broccoli, tofu,… and they also offer fresh juice. A refreshing lunch ideal for the heat of Saigon just 200 meters from Amanaki Thao Dien.

_Address: 39A Nguyen Duy Hieu, Thao Dien Ward, District 2,Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam_

_Opening hours: 10:00 – 21:00_

1 PM: Enjoy a short nap time

_Photo: Stocks_

Normally after lunch, when the heat is the most intense, people often go for a short nap for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before they are back to their day.

Even in office buildings, they have spaces made for that purpose. Some companies even have a policy that allows their staff to move the table and provide mats so they can sleep on the floor, some staff might bring their own pillow so they can sleep right at their own desk.

Some foreigners might find this habit strange when they first come here, but once you try it, you will see that the short nap not only prevents you from getting tired caused by the heat but also an effective way to calm your mind and regain your energy for the afternoon.

3 PM: Meet up with friends at Saigon Outcast

_Photo: Saigon Outcast_

After getting all that energy from your healthy lunch and a quick nap, why not join some physical activities or meet up with friends with an ice cold cup of craft beer? Saigon Outcast is the place for both.

Located in an open space in a quiet area the place offers a chill outdoor atmosphere in the middle of Thao Dien. Beside their restaurants and cold beer taps which you can enjoy really nice food and drinks, they also have a modern push climbing center for the local people to participate with their friends and family.

_Address: 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam_

_Opening hours: 10:00 – 23:00_

7 PM: Dinner at Laang

_Photo: Laang Restaurant_

There is nothing like wrapping your day with loved ones in an intimate villa that offers healthy options for your dinner. Just about 200 meters away from Amanaki Thao Dien, you can enjoy healthy, vegetarian friendly dishes that were inspired by Vietnamese traditional cuisines at Laang Restaurant. Some of their signature healthy dishes include granola fruit bowls and raw juices, Greek kale salads, Coconut Quinoa kale with freshly-squeezed juices,… Their ingredients claim to be fresh and sourced locally for an all-day healthy dining experience.

_Address: 22 Dang Huu Pho, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam_

_Opening hours: 7:00 – 23:00_