Ho Chi Minh City travel tips

Posted by admin on February 25, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam Travel in the South | Read the First Comment

Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as it was once known, is Vietnam’s largest city and most chaotic. I love the chaos, though you need to be careful walking across the street! Connections to Vietnam’s turbulent history are visible all over the city, from the War Remnants Museum to the Cu Chi Tunnels. The city has a lot to offer, great shops, fantastic nightlife, and delicious food. After Hoi An, it is my next favorite city in Vietnam.

Costs in Ho Chi Minh City

• Hostel Prices: A private room costs from 140,000 VND per night.
• Budget Hotel Prices: A night in a budget hotels costs from 150,000 VND.
• Average Cost of Food: By eating at street stalls and markets you can get a meal for 19,000VND.  Sit down restaurants are also inexpensive at around 75,000VND.
• Cost of Internet: Internet access is extremely cheap in the city at around 100VND per minute.
• Transportation Costs: Public buses around the city will cost 3,000 VND, taxis are more expensive at 12,000VND for the first kilometer then 10,000VND per kilometer thereafter.

Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City

• Cu Chi Tunnels. Crawl through the extensive network of nearly 500 km of tunnels utilized by the Viet Cong in the 1960s.  Tours involve a description of the tunnels, after which tourists are allowed to crawl about the maze and fire AK47s at shooting targets.
• Chinatown. Chinatown is the predominately Chinese district of Saigon.  A hive of activity, it is a maze of temples, restaurants, jade ornaments, and medicine shops.   Aside from the sprawling Binh Tay market, you’ll find some fascinating temples in the area including the Chinese Chua Quan Am Temple and Cha Tam, which is a Catholic cathedral.
• Museum of Ho Chi Minh City. Not to be confused with the “Ho Chi Minh Museum”, the city museum’s history has included a Governor’s Palace, committee building and Revolutionary Museum.  Nowadays its picturesque grounds attract newlyweds posing for photographs. You’ll find a collection of weaponry and memorabilia from the country’s revolutionary struggle and captured U.S fighter planes and tanks.
• Vietnam History Museum. The History Museum is a great place to learn about the colorful events of Vietnam’s past.  The museum houses a fantastic collection of ceramics, weaponry and cannons.   For your cultural fix, there are photographs, clothes and household objects dating back as far as the 1700s.
• Emperor Jade Pagoda. Emperor Jade is one of the most impressive pagodas in Vietnam.  The intricate carvings and depictions of deities including the Emperor Jade himself are hugely photogenic and it’s no wonder this pagoda is as popular with tourists as worshipers.
• Notre Dame Cathedral. The Notre Dame Cathedral is an imposing red brick building built between 1877 and 1883.  The two towers that front the cathedral tower over visitors at nearly 200 feet tall while the neon lit statue of the Virgin Mary is also an arresting site.
• War Remnants Museum. The War Remnants Museum is a must see for anyone with an interest in Vietnam’s history of combat with both the French and the Americans.   Inside you’ll find hugely informative exhibits focusing on biological warfare, weaponry and in depth statistics of Vietnam’s armies during the conflicts.  The museum’s best exhibit is the collection of bombs, tanks, planes and war machinery which can be found in the courtyard.
• Cao Dai Holy See Temple. The Cao Dai religion is relatively new at less than 100 years old.  The temples are distinguished by the “all seeing eye” which dominates its architecture and as the Cao Dai temple is the central to the religion, it is hugely ornate and impressive.  Many people combine a trip to the temple with the Cu Chi Tunnels excursion.
• Ben Thanh Market. Though the market is crowded and rife with pickpockets, it is the ideal place to pick up a bargain or try some traditional (and inexpensive) Vietnamese food.  Vietnamese traders drive a hard bargain but you’ll be hard pushed to find a better selection of souvenirs!
• Can Gio Island. The Can Gio island is popular with tourists and Ho Chi Minh locals attempting to get out of the rat race.  The beaches here aren’t mind blowing but it’s a great place to relax and enjoy a meal at one of the many seafood restaurants.  The island’s monkey sanctuary and mangroves are great for wildlife fans.

Budget Tips for Ho Chi Minh City

• Taxis. Taxi drivers will rip you off so agree to a price ahead of time.
• ATMs. These offer the best exchange rates and there are plenty dotted round the city.
• Markets. When shopping in any of the city’s markets you may feel like a wallet on legs as the traders call out to you. Be firm and be ready to walk away.

(Source: nomadic matt travel site)