Ho Chi Minh City
Travel Guide > Asia > Vietnam > Ho Chi Minh City
Introduction
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam with a population of 6 million. Although it was renamed back in 1975 after the Vietnam war, it is still commonly referred to as Saigon by both Vietnamese and foreigners alike. Ho Chi Minh, former capital of South Vietnam, is located in the south of Vietnam about 1750km south of Hanoi, todays capital. The city centre is situated on the banks of the Saigon river.
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 tourist 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
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
- Daytrip to Cu Chi
- Daytrip to Tay Ninh
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.
Getting There
By Plane
By Train
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
Eat
Drink
Work
Learn
This is version 8. Last edited at 23:21 on May 22, 08 by Lavafalls (-579). 5 articles link to this page.
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