I arrived inwards Ho Chi Minh City past times the hr of 2:00 AM (Vietnam Time) due to a delayed flying which is supposed to live on before around 12:00 AM. The bird landed at Terminal 2 of Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Upon passing the immigration, I proceed to the coin changer to get got my the States dollars converted to Dong. I left the edifice too proceed to the taxi terminals. I get got read a lot virtually facts when hiring a taxi equally at that spot are a lot of taxis that rip off passengers. Upon exiting the building, at that spot volition live on a lot of taxi drivers that volition offering y'all a ride. I walked hurriedly straight to the Vinasun too Mai Lin taxi terminals, the recommended too trusted taxi companies inwards Vietnam. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Mai Lin taxi staff assisted me, carried my luggage, too paw me a stub amongst the automobile number. As I ride the car, I showed my hotel address to the taxi driver too started driving. The go fourth dimension from the aerodrome to the metropolis centre took around fifteen minutes.
Where I stayed?
I stayed at Galaxy Hotel too Capsule located inwards Pham Ngu Lao Street too is real unopen to the famous tourist spots inwards Ho Chi Minh city. I paid a unmarried room for 2 nights for $38USD ($19USD/night) where I booked 2 months inwards advance via email. There are also a lot of nearby hotels/hostels inwards the area. I chose this hotel for its proficient reviews from their visitors.
Upon arriving the hotel, the staff confirmed my reservation too paw me the room key. They require to leave of absence passports too volition live on returned upon checkout. They also make non require credit carte information or initial deposit during reservation. Payments volition live on made past times cash upon banking concern stand upwards for out equally well.
I slept around 4:00 AM too woke upwards at 8:00 AM to get navigating the city.
Breakfast is also served at 7:00 AM. Usually they serve staff of life too banana for breakfast.
Places I Visited
The famous tourist spots inwards Ho Chi Minh City are but walking distance away if y'all are staying at the metropolis center, specially at District 1.
The starting fourth dimension affair I did when I leave of absence the hotel is proceed to the Mekong Express Bus ticketing component inwards Pham Ngu Lao, but a few stalls from where I stayed. I demand to purchase a charabanc ticket to Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia for the adjacent day. Read: Getting to Phnom Penh from Ho Chi Minh past times Bus
When I had the charabanc ticket, I hired a taxi going to my starting fourth dimension destination, the Saigon Opera House. It is i of the 2 top venues inwards Vietnam to head to operas too classical music. The other i is located inwards Hanoi. Admission tickets cost varies from 650,000 to 1,500,000 VND depending on time, event, too seat. I but had a quick halt hither to take in the edifice which is a fine trial of a French colonial architecture.
Few steps from the Saigon Opera House was the Ho Chi Minh City Hall now well-known equally People's Committee Building. It is i of the oldest, biggest, too most beautiful French trend edifice inwards the city.
There are some Vietnamese couples that are having pre-nup/wedding photograph shoot within the museum.
After visiting the museum, I returned to the street nigh the metropolis hall too buy the farm on walking Dong Khoi Street until reaching the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica. The cathedral is also i of the most visited too most favorite attraction of tourists inwards Ho Chi Minh City.
I was amazed seeing this beautiful construction which is influenced past times French civilisation over Saigon. It is said that all the materials were straight imported from French Republic similar cherry-red bricks of the exterior walls, which retain their brilliant too lively cherry-red color until today. Around the cherry-red brick edifice y'all volition take in teams of photographers along amongst marriage couples amongst the brides wearing either inwards European white dresses, Asian cherry-red dresses or a traditional Vietnamese marriage gown.
The statue of the Virgin Mary that stands inwards forepart of the cathedral said to get got shed tears inwards 2005, causing thousands of people to halt around the Basilica.
Beside the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica is a small-scale too shady commons called 30-4 Park named later Vietnam's Liberation Day, Apr 30. It is a hub of activity too a pop gathering house for the locals.
Right adjacent to the commons is the Reunification Palace which is my adjacent house to visit. But since it nigh 12:00 NN they are no longer allowing visitors to larn inside. The palace was closed for visiting past times 11:00 AM too volition resume past times 1:00 PM. So I decided to get got some residue too took a spot on a bench inwards the commons facing the Reunification Palace.
After a few minutes, I walked dorsum to the cathedral too cross the street to the Saigon Central Post Office. It i of the oldest edifice inwards the metropolis too was built past times a famous French architect.
The edifice fascinates tourists past times its typical colonial French features, from exterior to interior decorations. Upon entering, I felt I was brought dorsum to 20th century railway station inwards Europe. From its ornate furnishings, gorgeous-pattern-tiled flooring to its massively high ceilings too numerous wickets, all speak of some other house inwards time. The interior pattern is fifty-fifty to a greater extent than elegant amongst the telephone booths, which are but the same since the colonial period.
Then, he asked me where I've been inwards the metropolis too he's offering a 1-hour tour to stroll around the metropolis amongst his motorcycle since the palace is even too thus closed too he's yell for 250,000 VND for it, which is a reasonable i too thus I grabbed it. Then he handed me i of his helmets too nosotros started to stroll.
Note: Motorbikes are enough throughout Vietnam, too its i of the transportation agency inwards the country. People also role their motorbikes to offering brusque tours through out the metropolis at a reasonable price. But, y'all demand to haggle if they offering high rates.
He starting fourth dimension brought me to Chua Phuoc Hai Pagoda, or the Jade Emperor Pagoda. It is a Taoist pagoda built past times the Chinese community inwards early on 1900 inwards laurels of the supreme Taoist god. The temple is filled amongst quite a give away of figurines too is considered to live on i of the finest inwards Saigon. The crowd consists mainly of the locals inwards the surface area who are the grouping of worshipers performing the spiritual rites amongst flowers too incenses.
After visiting the pagoda, nosotros visited the Lacquerware Factory. Lacquerware is i of the most of import crafts inwards Vietnam. Inside the manufactory is a lacquerware store that specialized inwards using the old techniques to create real modern designs. This lacquer ware incorporated woman bring upwards of pearl, duck egg shells, paint, sand, too other materials to create a textured motion painting or pattern on the finished pieces.
Then nosotros passed past times the other major streets of Saigon until nosotros reached Saigon Bridge. Stopped on the top of the span for a few minutes too took some pictures overlooking Saigon City.
Then, nosotros caput dorsum to the metropolis centre passing the Saigon River Tunnel. We also passed past times the Bitexco Financial Tower, the tallest edifice inwards Saigon.
It's past times the hr of 1:00 PM, nosotros returned to the Reunification Palace. Its straightaway opened upwards too thus I took the queue to purchase a ticket. The human being waited for me outside.
The Reunification Palace is an of import site of political too cultural significance, built past times the French inwards 1868 to grade the newly established colony of Indochina. Nowadays, the edifice is a working regime edifice equally good equally having areas opened upwards to the public. Inside the palace, visitors tin give the axe take in the individual quarters, the president's old component too the War Command Room too larn a existent feel of what happened hither too its importance inwards Vietnamese history.
The middle floors are province rooms, designed to print visiting dignitaries too regime officials amongst their demonstrate of style, opulence, and, past times implication, power. Large conference too dining tables dominate coming together rooms decorated inwards a fashionable mix of traditional too modern.
In the basement are the stark, utilitarian corridors too cramped, windowless offices of the state of war rooms including communications equipment that lays scattered about, along amongst maps of the war’s progress.
After walking around the palace for almost an hour, I leave of absence too bought 2 bottles of water. I paw i bottle to the motorcycle driver who waited for me exterior the palace.
We headed to the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater to purchase ticket for the 5:00 PM show. It was advised to purchase tickets before if y'all want to spotter on the same day. The ticket costs 200,000 VND per person.
After I had the ticket, nosotros headed to the War Remnants Museum. This is the concluding attraction I visited amongst the motorcycle driver. As nosotros reached the museum, I payed too thanked him for a non bad ride.
I took the queue to larn a ticket too entrance sticker. The admission ticket costs 15,000 VND.
The War Remnants Museum is currently i of the most pop museums inwards Vietnam. The museum primarily contains exhibits relating to the Vietnam War, but also includes many exhibits relating to the starting fourth dimension Indochina War involving the French colonialists.
Outside the edifice are collection of state of war tanks too aircrafts.
The museum comprises several sections where armed forces equipment are stored, equally good equally some photographs virtually the traumatizing consequences of Agent Orange, napalm too bombs.
There are also pictures virtually cruelties such equally My Lai massacre, a guillotine used past times Southern Government of Vietnam. In addition, concluding but non to the lowest degree iii jars of deformed human features indicating haunting effects of the state of war on the adjacent generations. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 give away of unexploded ordinances are stored inwards the corner of the yard, seemingly amongst their charges removed. Not alone does the museum illustrate a stage of painful history, but it also tells unknown stories virtually state of war to people, specially to Westerners. Many preceding travelers get got failed to concur their tears inwards forepart of the pictures here.