Top 9 things you must-try when travel in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is one of the charming cities in Vietnam where you can feel funny, chaotic, noisy, morden, and traditional. It's very easy to see the best rooftop bars mixed with ancient architectures. That all make a woderful trip for tourist who come to Ho Chi Minh City in the first time.   

1. Where do we mus-visit in Ho Chi Minh City?

There are many tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City which make travellers must-visit in the first time come here.  

- War Remnants Museum:

The War Remnants Museum was opened in 1975 for everyone who love Vietnamese history and want to know more about the historic stemps. With a lot of graphic photograps and American military equipment are on display that make visitors shocked for a long time. 

The first impression when people come here is a helicopter with rocket launchers displayed in front-yard of the War Remnants Museum. Moreover, tourists can see a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft, even a conventional bomb. It weights at 6800kg. These weapons were used by American to against the Vietnamese between 1945 and 1975. 

Address of The War Remnants Museum: 28 Vo Van Tan, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

- Reunification Palace:

Reunification Palace is one of the must-visit tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. Visitors can see both of the original tanks here where used to be the home and workplace of the French Governor of Cochin-China. It has lush gardens, secret rooms, antique furniture, and a command bunker. It is still in use to host important occasions in Ho Chi Minh, including APEC summits.

This place has 5 floors with a basement features tunnels, a war room and telecommunications centre. The war command room has original maps on its walls. Period telecommunications equipment are also on display. Its adjoining basement rooms display war propaganda materials. On the third floor, there's a card playing room while the fourth houses a casino. Reunification Palace's rooftop terrace is fitted with a heliport. 

Address: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

- Saigon Central Post Office:

The Saigon Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia.This building was designed by Alfred Foulhoux and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th Century. 

The Central Post Office was constructed between 1886 and 1891 with the looping arches, marble floors and antiquated telephone boxes all serve as a reminder of the importance the post office played in days before email and mobile phones.

Although the architecture is distinctly French, the large portrait of Ho Chi Minh hanging high above everyone at the far end of the building reminds everyone we are definitely in Vietnam. Painted onto walls overhead are two maps of the region; one of them showing the telegraph lines that crisscross Vietnam and Cambodia and the other displaying a map of the Saigon region in 1892. 

 

Address: 2 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

- The Notre Dame Cathedral:

This venues was built in 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica. Measuring almost 60 metres in height, the cathedral’s distinctive neo-Romanesque features include the all-red brick façade which were imported from Marseille, stained glass windows, two bell towers containing six bronze bells that still ring to this day, and a peaceful garden setting in the middle of downtown Ho Chi Minh City District 1. 

There is a Virgin Mary statue also stands in front of Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, which locals claimed to have shed tears in October 2005. While this incident was refuted by the Catholic Church of Vietnam, thousands of visitors still flock to this statue in hopes of witnessing a miracle. 

Address: 1 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 

 

2. Weather in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is not immune to flooding. If tourists go to this city in June, during the rainy season, and although it only rained once during their stay, the downpour is heavy enough to cause a bit of flooding. 

Tourist can see the view of children taking shower under heavy rain that is a traditional sign of Vietnamese. There are some foreign photographers usually come to Ho Chi Minh City in rainy season to take beautiful pictures.  

3. Transportation

It is very easy to use public transportation in Vietnam, especially, Ho Chi Minh City. Recently, there are many travel group on Facebook where tourist can buy some tickets to travel around this city by public transportation like bus, etc. Besides, tourists can hire a motobike to visit Ho Chi Minh City if they can ride this vehicle. Walking or taking a taxi is a great idea for a short tour. 

4. Don't currency confusion

The currency in Vietnam is the dong. However different Vietnamese dong notes look similar and one can easily get confused. 

A foreigner was giving a tip to a massage therapist and was meant to give her 60,000 VND but handed her 540,000 VND instead. The girl realized his mistake and handed me back the 500,000 note, which he promptly replaced with a 20,000 note after thanking her profusely.

So, when you would like to travel Vietnam, you have to learn how to avoid the Vietnamese currency confusion. That make you don't confuse and get a bad look about this nation. 

5. Street vendors in Ho Chi Minh City

It is not hard to see a street vendors in Ho Chi Minh City that is also an essential part of city life. Street vendors can be roughly divided into three types: those who constantly move around either by bike or on foot, those have a stable stand on a street and lastly, those who own a shop and expand their products on the pavement. They serve as an informal yet extremely important agent in the local economy.  

Products vary as widely as needs call for. In general, fruits, flowers and domestic products are the most common goods. Strange as it may sound, street vendors do have regular customers and stable trading relationships. Therefore, while certainly there are gaps and differences; quality is often preserved to a good extent. Local people who shop for fresh grocery everyday can enjoy the luxury of having products delivered to their door at a competitive price without a delivery fee. However, bargain is virtually a must, especially if you are a tourist and a foreigner at the same time.

6. Singapore hotel in district 1

Booking advance a luxury room is the great thing when you travelling any countries. Singapore hotel in district 1 is ranked as top the best hotels in Ho Chi Minh serving tourists' demand with full of well-equipped amenities. 

Bay Hotel is one of the big hotels which is considered first by foreigners come to this city. There are many room are designed by guests' style. It has a CHIC restaurant with lots of Asian food and traditional Vietnamese dishes for everyone. 

Furthermore, when the sun is falling down, it is the time to turn on classic mixed EDM music on the Propeller bar on the rooftop of this hotel. It's such a interesting hotel!.

>>> Further information of Bay Hotel: http://www.bayhotelhcm.com/ 

7. Massages is super cheap  

After a long trip about Ho Chi Minh City during a day, people usually want to relax in spa where has massage or pendicure services for men and women. Don't worry! because you can find this service on streets in this city with a ideal price.  

8. Vietnamese coffee is really good

Ho Chi Minh City famous for a drink which is called "Ca Phe Sua Da" (iced milk coffee). In each corner of the city, travellers will meet coffee shop where people can order a glass of iced milk coffee.  

Sweeties, refreshing and definitely a highlight are great feeling when you try it. Residents uasually start a new day with a cup of milk coffee which became their habits. It is really a mistake if you leave this city without trying this cup of Vietnamese coffee.

9. Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City

It would have been great to spend an hour or two in Chinatown in District 5, or have dinner at a riverside restaurant in District 7. Of course, there are also a shopping mall in district 1 if tourists have a shopping soul. 

Some shopping malls and traditional markets for tourist:

• Binh Tay market: Thap Muoi St., District 6, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
• Ben Thanh market: Le Loi St., district 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
• An Dong: An Duong Vuong St., district 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
• Saigon Squares: 81 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St., district 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
• Vincom Center: 72 Le Thanh Ton St., district 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
• Diamond Plaza: 34 Le Duan, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

With an easy guide of Ho Chi Minh City, hopefully, travellers can make a wonderful trip around this city. 

>>> Read also: Top the best rooftop bar in Ho Chi Minh City