Face up to the past
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| HCMC Museum |
Vietnam's war-torn history can't – and shouldn't – be ignored. Ho Chi Minh City Museum has many informative exhibitions, and explains the country's bloody past through photographs, artefacts and memorabilia. It's sensitively done, without glossing over the atrocities, and (rather ironically) is housed in the Gia Long Palace, where Ngo Dinh Diem spent his final hours in power before his assassination in 1963.
War Remnants Museum
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| War Remnants Museum |
The War Remnants Museum is a more grisly – but equally essential – reminder of local atrocities. From eerie bomb remnants and first-person accounts by war veterans to a bloodied guillotine and photographs of horrific napalm burns, this is a chilling reminder of life not-too-long ago.
Reunification Palace
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| Reunification Palace |
When the French left in 1954, Ngo Dinh Diem constructed the Independence Palace to demonstrate his country's strength, but it was pulled down after an attempt to assassinate him. The replacement building was later renamed Reunification Palace after the fall of Saigon in the 1970s. Much of the palace remains unchanged since the 70s, and although the shiny rosewood-clad meeting rooms and musty library are interesting, perhaps the most fascinating relic resides in the garden. Here, you'll find the tank that crashed through the gates of the palace on 30 April 1975, signalling the fall of the Saigon regime.
French architecture and historical buildings
When Vietnam was a French colony and Ho Chi Minh City was called Saigon, the city lived an opulent period. Together with the baguette recipe and the taste for wine, the French also left in Ho Chi Minh some beautiful architecture. The historical buildings are very close to each other, you can see and visit them during a pleasant walk through District 1 [city center]. These buildings are some of the top attractions in Saigon:
Central Post Office
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| Central Post-Office |
Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office dates from 1891, some people and historical websites tell it was designed by Gustave Eiffel, others say it was Alfred Foulhoux, the fact is that the Post Office is an important landmark in the city. Inside the building, you can admire the marble floor, the paintings and even the old telephone boxes are still there.
Notre Dame Cathedral
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| Notre Dame Cathedral |
In front of the post office is the Notre Dame Cathedral, a huge church in the heart of a Buddhist city, another legacy from the French. Built in the 1880’s it was called Saigon Church, on 1959 after the installation of the statue “Peaceful Notre Dame” the name was changed. Nowadays it´s called Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, one of the religious and historical attraction in Ho Chi Minh city.
Saigon Opera House
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| Saigon Opera House |
Keep walking through Dõng Khói Street till you reach the Opera House, another attraction in Ho Chi Minh city. This one you can’t get inside for free, you need to buy spectacle tickets to be able to see the interior design. Due to our short time we didn’t visit it, also we decided to spend our nights exploring the Saigon food scene, not so cultural, but very yummy. [more details further in the post]
Around the Opera House there are other historical buildings, the Hotel Caravelle and the Hotel Continental Saigon. If you look at these three buildings you have the sensation of being in a European city, a disconnected view from the Southeast Asia trip.
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| FITO Museum |
Museums of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine & Pharmacy
Although it's a little challenging to find if you're traveling without a guide, the first Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine (FITO) occupies a beautiful old five-story building framed by bamboo. It's worth a look for anyone who is interested in alternative medicine or wants to soak up some Vietnamese culture away from the main tourist trail. The museum displays thousands of items relating to Vietnamese traditional medicine, from the Stone Age to the present day, including books, documents, herbs, and implements used in preparing the medicines. You can also try your hand at grinding up some of the ingredients. The presentation begins with a short film on the history of Vietnam's traditional medicine, and herbal cures are available for purchase before you leave.
Jade Emperor Pagoda
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| Jade Emperor Pagoda |
If you only have time to see one Vietnamese pagoda, make it this one: built in the 1900s by Taoists and Buddhists, the Jade Emperor Pagoda is simultaneously spiritual and awe-inspiring in scale and ambition. Ornate carved panels and intricate deities line the interior, flanked by lotus flower and fruit offerings and cloaked in a cloud of incense smoke. Head upstairs, and out onto the equally embellished roof terrace, where you'll find a statue of Quan Am (the goddess of mercy) which overlooks a sacred bodhi tree in the courtyard.
Wander Dong Khoi Street
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| Dong Khoi street |
Dong Khoi, a lively stretch of shops and bars, spans from Notre Dame Cathedral to the Saigon River. Visit Dong Khoi for its stories: this characterful road has played a part in Ho Chi Minh's modern history, from the go-go bars that catered for young American GIs back in the 1950s, to its 1970s descent into disrepair after the fall of Saigon. Today, it's just as colourful: take in the colonial facades and street food stalls while dodging Honda-straddling teenagers and shady characters.
Haggle for bargains in the markets
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| Ben Thanh market |
There are two landmark markets (cho) in Ho Chi Minh City, and numerous others. Cho Ben Thanh, located in District 1 across from the bus station, is probably the best known. It is especially popular in the evening and at night, when food vendors set up stalls and locals and tourists alike gather to eat and shop.
The other, Cho Lon, is a huge Chinese market. You will not see as many tourists here, and the variety of goods is amazing. Both markets are a lot of fun, regardless of whether you're souvenir shopping or just browsing. Ben Thanh is possibly more regulated, so you may have to worry less about knock-offs or price gouging. That said, you should always be wary of knock-offs and gouging.
Stop for coffee
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| Cafe sua da |
Believe it or not, Vietnam is the biggest coffee exporter in the world. Vietnamese coffee is excellent – and it's inexpensive and available nearly everywhere. Black coffee with ice (ca phe da) is strong and sweet with an almost chocolate-like richness. Condensed milk can be added, giving you coffee milk ice, or ca phe sua da. Coffee shops are a huge part of the city's culture. From street vendors to side-walk shops, it's hard to beat having a coffee and watching Ho Chi Minh City go by. Prices range from 33 cents from a street vendor, to $3 or more at the top-end places. Deep-roasted Trung Nguyen is the most popular local brand.
Sample the street food
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| Street food vendor |
Vietnam’s reputation as one of the world’s tastiest street food nations is well deserved, but many of the pricier restaurants can be disappointing – especially when you combine (more-than-likely) poor service with the hit your wallet takes. You can have a much better meal elsewhere for just a few dollars.
Hit the spa
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| Heriatge spa |
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is awash with spas, offering the chance to relax and unwind far from the madding crowd while still being slap bang in the city centre. Unlike in the UK, you can easily spend a day pampering yourself without breaking the bank.
Chinatown and Thiên Hâu Pagoda
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| Thien Hau pagoda |
One of the top attraction in Ho Chi Minh city is the Chinatown. Located on District 5, a bit far from the city center, it takes around 15 – 20 minutes to go there by taxi. The Chinese area called Cholon, dates back to 1778, and the community managed to keep their traditional architecture and way of living during the French colonial period and during the Vietnam War.
Night time at Nguyen Hue walking street
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| Nguyen Hue street |
Go for a walk, listen to some young guys playing music, or for a selfie with uncle Ho Chi Minh statue… Nguyen Hue walking street gets really busy after sunset and it’s one of the top things to do in Saigon. Not only tourists go there, many locals come with friends, family to enjoy the fresh evening breeze.
Head underground
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| Cu Chi Undergound Tunnels |
An excursion to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels makes for an eye-opening afternoon. Used by the Vietnamese during the war with America, these immense networks of underground tunnels enabled whole villages to stay safe, plus meant Vietnamese guerrilla fighters could take the enemy by surprise. Visitors can crawl their way through a 100m stretch of tunnel and watch their tour guide demonstrate with ghoulish pleasure the ingenious traps the Vietnamese used to kill or maim US soldiers.
Mekong Delta
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| Floating market - Can Tho |
Cruising through the lush labyrinth of palm-fringed channels, rivers, and islands of the Mekong Delta is a popular day trip that seems a world away from hectic Ho Chi Minh City. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the way of life of the people who depend on this fragile waterway for their survival. Encompassing about 40,000 square kilometers, the delta produces more than half of the country's grain and 90 percent of its exports, and it's well-known for its floating markets, which usually take place during the early morning. My Tho, a market town on the banks of the Mekong River offers visits to local villages, farms, and factories as well as the chance to sample traditional dishes and tropical fruit from the region.
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| Boat trip in My Tho |
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