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Ho Chi Minh, City Hall

Ho Chi Minh, Opera House

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www.vietnam.co.nz - Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon

This is the biggest, bustling, prosperous city of Vietnam! It’s home to around 6 million inhabitants and is the commercial capital of this country. During the Vietnam War, Saigon (as it was then known) was the nerve centre of the Americans. After they withdrew and communism enveloped the country, the economy took a downturn and only since the economic liberalization in 1986 has the city’s old fortunes started to make a comeback.

The French influence can’t be ignored, with bakeries selling fresh baguettes and gateaus, cafes and an abundance of colonial style architecture. Certain parts of the city have a real Parisian atmosphere.

Episodes of the war can be relived as you come across famous landmarks – the Opera House as seen in the movie version of Graeme Green’s novel, The Quiet American; the famous wartime Continental and Rex Hotels, The Reunification Palace (formerly the Independence or Presidential Palace) which was the last bastion of the Southern government before falling to the North on 30 April 1975.

Highlights of this city:

Mekong Delta Tours: From here you can take day tours or overnight trips.

War Remnants Museum: A disturbingly visual display of the horrors of the war fought in Vietnam.

Chu Chi Tunnels: See for yourself some of the tunnels and the way of life for the Viet Cong army. This is a day trip from Saigon.

Shopping: In the markets where you’ll find all sorts of cheap and wonderful stuff. There are also art galleries, trendy boutiques and the usual fake merchandise that you’d find almost everywhere in Asia.

Soaking up the atmosphere:

Just walking around, visiting historical buildings and monuments all within a crazy cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Areas to stay:

The hotels on this website are all fairly central in the city. The majority are on or around Dong Khoi Street which leads from the river, past the Opera House to Notre Dam cathedral. Dong Khoi Street boast some fine French architecture plus landmark hotels such as the Continental, The Grand and The Majestic. Here you’ll find cafes, restaurants and classy boutique shops.

About 5 minutes taxi drive away is Pham Ngu Lao area where backpackers from the world congregate, eat and sleep. The area is a busy ensemble of small, cheap hotels, shops, cheap cafes and restaurants. It’s a buzzy little place, pumping with an international atmosphere. It’s an enjoyable part of town to stay in. Check out the Que Hong Liberty 4 hotel if this sounds like you.

Getting there and away:

To / From Hanoi

Train takes from 30 hours Plane takes 2 hours

To / From the Mekong Delta

Transfers in a van or bus from Can Tho take about 4 hours Victoria Hotels provides boat transfers from either Can Tho or Chau Doc. Available on request and you must have stayed overnight in one of their two resorts in the Mekong, either in Can Tho or Chau Doc.

To / From Mui Ne / Phan Thiet

Van / Bus transfer is around 3 hours

To / From Nha Trang

Train takes from 5 hours 20 minutes Plane takes 1 hour 10 minutes

To / From Hoi An

Train takes from 15 hours Plane takes 1 hour 10 minutes

To / From Hue

Train takes from 17 hours 45 minutes Plane takes 1 hour 20 minutes

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Ho Chi Minh City