Saigon's backpacker district lies almost entirely within the stretch between Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien in the city's District One. This is where many travelers meet Saigon face to face for the very first time; tourists come here for the travel agencies, restaurants, and many budget to midrange hotels that line the streets of Pham Ngu Lao, Bui Vien, and De Tham.
"Busy" is one way to describe the place; "frenetic" is another, depending on your tolerance for chaos. But this is a good kind of chaos - there's a greater-than-usual ratio of foreign visitors wandering down Pham Ngu Lao's lanes, haggling with shopkeepers over the price of a North Face knockoff, comparing restaurant menus, or hurrying to one of the tour offices along De Tham Street.
