Ho Chi Minh City

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Quick Facts

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Coordinates

• Latitude: 10.758
• Longitude: 106.6534

On Travellerspoint

• 1 Ho Chi Minh City Apartments
• 5 Ho Chi Minh City Guesthouses
• 15 Ho Chi Minh City Hostels
• 34 Ho Chi Minh City Hotels

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Introduction

Chuc Mung Nam Moi from the hotel window Ho Chi Minh City

© All Rights Reserved adamandmeg

Ho Chi Minh is still the economic heart of Vietnam and the streets bustle with activity, not to mention what seems like an endless stream of motorbikes. Vendors, markets, shops, stands and cafés crowd the busy streets and sidewalks adding to the vibe. Booming economically, chic bars and clubs have popped up around the city to be crowded by affluent Vietnamese and expatriates.

Districts

The main district that tourists visit in Ho Chi Minh is Saigon. This is the old town that the French built and has most of the sights and older buildings. After the war the district was named Saigon then the city the name was changed to Ho Chi Minh.

Sights and Activities

Ho Chi Minh City Royal Palace

© All Rights Reserved Grant-Alan

Visit the Tourist Information Centre (4G 4H Le Loi St, District 1. Tel (84-8) 822 6033) in the city centre to get ideas of what to see and do and to pick up a free map.

• Royal Palace.
• Museum of History houses, amongst others, the mummy of Ms Tran Thi Hieu, who died in 1869. Admission is under one dollar.
• War Remnants Museum.
• Daytrip to Cu Chi.
• Daytrip to Tay Ninh.

Shopping

• Ben Thanh Market (Le Lai Street), one of the city's most famous landmarks. Bustling with activity at night with vendors selling everything from snacks to souvenirs and cheap clothing.
• Saigon Trade Tax Centre (39 Le Loi), the ideal place to find gold jewelry and gems.
• T&T Tailor (112 Bui Vien, Tel +84 8 836 7108), let Mr Thinh sew clothes to your specifications without breaking the bank.

Events and Festivals

• Tet Festival (late January/early February) is Vietnamese New Year, which is the same time as Chinese New Year. It is also known for its famous offensive during the Vietnam War, when the North Vietnam army actually got into Ho Chi Minh City.

Weather

Weatherwise, the best time to visit Ho Chi Minh is in the dry season which runs from December to April. In the dry season the humidity is at a level which is easier to handle. As this is common knowledge it also means the crowds are bigger this time of year, so to avoid the crowds you'll need to tolerate the extra humidity. Temperatures average 31 degrees Celsius during the day year round, and drops to just a little below 25 degrees at night. Most of the rain falls from June to September.

Getting There

By Plane

Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) serves Ho Chi Minh City. It has numerous flights both domestically, including flights to Hanoi, as well as many airlines serving the city from neighbouring countries and further beyond. There are several flights every day to Bangkok.

By Train

Trains connect Ho Chi Minh City to cities north in Vietnam, including Hanoi.

By Car

By Bus

Open Bus Ticket

Many different open bus ticket vendors start and end there operations in Ho Chi Minh. Almost all the travel agencies will sell open bus tickets. Remember to shop around and ask other travellers about the quality of the different ticket vendors. It is best to find people that are heading out of the country in order to hear a review of their entire trip across the country with a certain open bus ticket companies.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

• Black Cat is a good place for lunch; whether a Black Cat Burger or a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich. 13 Phan Van Dat Q1 ~ Telephone +84 8 829 2055.
• Hoang Yen is known for its caramelized fish in a clay pot and pork stewed in coconut milk served with steamed rice. 7-9 Ngo Duc Ke ~ Telephone +84 8 823 1101.
• 3T Rooftop BBQ lets you choose your own marinated meats, seafood and vegetables to cook on your own tabletop grill. 29-31 Ton That Thiep ~ Telephone +84 8 821 1633.

Drink

• Cepage offers more wine by the glass than anywhere else in Ho Chi Minh City. 22 Le Thanh Ton ~ Telephone +84 8 823 8321.
• Le Pub is a great place for a cocktail or a local or imported beer. It's associated with KOTO hospitality school which helps street kids by training them in guest services. 175/22 Pham Ngu Lao ~ Telephone +84 8 837 7679.
• Velvet Lounge is a popular late night hangout with well-dressed locals enjoying the Hot Kiss, a drink made with tabasco and tequilla. 26 Ho Huan Nghiep ~ Telephone + 84 90 301 2158.

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

• The Palace Hotel is centrally located in the middle of midtown and offers reasonably priced rooms. Art Deco original with a mid-century modern vibe after a recent remodel. 55-56 Nguyen Hue, Telephone: +84 8 829 2860

Upscale

• The Continental is the grande dame of the city's hotels. 132-134 Dong Khoi, Telephone: +84 8 829 9201.
• The Park Hyatt offers the most expensive and expansive rooms of Ho Chi Minh. It also has two excellent restaurants. 2 Lam Son Square, Telephone: +84 8 824 1234.

Work

Learn

• Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City.

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The Ho Chi Minh General Post Office can be found at 2 Cong Xa Paris Square. It's an impressive building, designed by Gustave Eiffel and sets the standard for the city's colonial architecture.