Of all the museums in Vietnam that chronicle the gruesome events of the wars with France and the USA during the 20th century, this is the hardest hitting. As such it’s the one must-see museum in Saigon, but with the proviso that it is not for the squeamish. The display of war planes, tanks and exploded ordnance outside is dramatic enough, but the photographs and jars of deformed foetuses on display inside make it clear what a nightmare this country experienced during the war years.
At the back of the museum is a reconstruction of the ‘tiger cages’ that were built on Con Dao Island by the French to imprison and torture the Viet Minh. Of course, these were late used by the South Vietnamese army to do the same despicable thing with the Viet Cong.
As you might expect, there’s a patriotic tone to the display, though the final gallery focuses on the anti-war movement and leaves visitors wishing these conflicts could have been avoided. 28 Vo Van Tan, (08) 3930 5587, open daily 07:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:00, fee 15,000D.
Saigon nightlife - night life guide to Ho Chi Minh City
The popular Crazy Buffalo bar
In this seething city of over seven million souls there is plenty to do after dark. But because of a midnight curfew over most of the city, you shouldn’t leave it too late before heading out. A typical night out in Saigon might begin with some shopping, followed by a fancy dinner, and then drinks and dancing if you’re in the mood.
For traditional types of entertainment, such as Vietnamese dance or drama, find out what’s on at the Municipal Theatre (04 3829 9976) or at the Conservatory of Music (04 3824 3774). Or you could buy tickets for a show at Binh Quoi Tourist Village which lies eight kilometres outside the city. Most hotels can arrange tickets, costing around 150,000D, which includes a boat trip to the site, as well as dinner either on the boat or at the village and a show of traditional music and dance.
As Vietnam’s commercial capital, Saigon has plenty of opportunities for shopping, and many markets and malls stay open till late at night for the benefit of visitors. A good way to combine shopping and eating is to wander round Ben Thanh market buying souvenirs, then settle down at one of the many seafood restaurants that open around the market in the evening.
For a bit more upmarket experience, cruise one of the city’s shopping malls, then stop off with your purchases to sample the fare at a buffet dinner in one of the big hotels. These encompass a wide variety of cuisines and are a great bet for families with fussy kids as there’s bound to be something they like
f you fancy an evening of passive entertainment, consider a visit to the cinema. A couple of convenient locations are Diamond Plaza Cinema (08/3825 7751) and Galaxy Cinema (08/3920 6688), located at 230 Nguyen Trai, near De Tham. Give a call to find out what’s showing.
For most people, however, enjoying Saigon’s nightlife involves heading for a crowded bar which either has a live band or disco, and the chance of dancing. For many years the city’s most infamous venue has been Apocalypse Now (2C Thi Sach), which attracts a mix of locals and foreigners to its dance floor.
It’s busy up till midnight, but single males need to beware of predatory females who have a knack of ensnaring their prey – thus the bar’s infamy. Other venues where you can shake your stuff are Seventeen Saloon (103A Pham Ngu Lao), where Filipino and local musicians play energetic covers of classic rock songs.
he most popular discos in town are the America, on the third floor of the Windsor Plaza Hotel and Cage, situated at 3a Ton Duc Thang, down an alley near the river. If you are set on escaping the midnight curfew, you’ll need to head for De Tham, where Go 2 (187 De Tham) and Eden (236 De Tham) both stay open till the small hours.
Weather in Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City tourist seasons
Situated just 10 degrees north of the equator, Saigon is firmly in the tropics and as such the weather is hot and humid. Unlike Hanoi over 1,700kms further north, it does not experience four seasons – just a rainy season (from about May to November) and a dry season (from around December to April).
The temperature hardly varies throughout the year, with maximum figures of around 32°C and minimums of around 22°C. December is usually the coolest month, while May is the hottest and best avoided unless you are comfortable with the tropics at their most brutal.
Because of the slightly cooler weather and lack of rain, the months of December and January constitute the high season for tourism in Saigon. At this time of year it can be difficult to find a room and many hotels and guesthouses hike their rates by 30-50 per cent.
However, since there is so little variation in temperatures throughout the year, and tropical rain is often limited to a short, sharp downpour each day, there’s no real problem about visiting at any time of year, and when occupancy rates are down, most lodgings will drop their rates.
Relative humidity in Saigon hovers around 80 per cent for most of the year, and while not as extreme as some places, when combined with the heat it can drain your energy very quickly, especially if you are not used to the tropics.
The implications for spending your time in Saigon should be evident – don’t try to fit too much into one day. Some of the city’s sights are far from the centre and can take a long time to reach, especially given the clogged-up nature of the city’s streets.
Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City
Filed under : Saigon FoodSaigon or Ho Chi Minh City as it is known today is the veritable cliché –A shopper’s paradise. The main feature of shopping here in the capital of Vietnam is that it is tourist oriented, almost everything on offer is meant for consumption by the hordes of visiting tourists. Having at least a basic knowledge of bargaining would serve you well here as there are many eye catching items on display, from the usual touristy fare to elegant antiques and souvenirs.
The shops in Ho Chi Minh City or anywhere else in Vietnam are far from being drab; they are a riot of colour from extensive decorative work to the colorful knick knacks on display, the color is an enticing prospect for tourists. The streets of the city are lined with small outlets selling indigenously produced toys, souvenirs and clothing most of which are very reasonably priced. Shopping in Vietnam is a mix of small vendors peddling locally made handicrafts to large western style department stores selling much more up market fare.
The main open air markets in Ho Chi Minh are Ben Thanh Market, the Night Market and the War surplus market. The biggest of the lot is the Ben Thanh Market, which is instantly recognized by the large clock tower near the traffic circle. It is a large old school open air market with hundreds of narrow alleyways that have store fronts. Due to regular patronage by tourists the market has now morphed into a tourist attraction, many stalls now sell Vietnam t-shits and counterfeit branded jeans, caps and souvenirs.
The Night Market is located almost right next to the Ben Thanh Market is usually open after 5.00 pm. This market also features a few food stalls where tourists can experience some local cuisine and try a local drink. However, the most interesting market of all is definitely the War Surplus Market; this market is sometimes referred to as the American Market or “Cho Cu”. Many military items left over from the bloody American campaign against the Viet Cong rebels, that ended with large losses of life on both sides can be seen here. American war gear such as old military uniforms, GI helmets, US Marine t-shirts and old army knives can be bought here. This might be an interesting place to visit for collectors and Vietnam War veterans, though the authenticity of the ware cannot be verified.
For long stay travelers that visit Ho Chi Minh City for business purposes an excellent accommodation option are the Ho Chi Minh serviced apartments that are located in the heart of the city.
The shops in Ho Chi Minh City or anywhere else in Vietnam are far from being drab; they are a riot of colour from extensive decorative work to the colorful knick knacks on display, the color is an enticing prospect for tourists. The streets of the city are lined with small outlets selling indigenously produced toys, souvenirs and clothing most of which are very reasonably priced. Shopping in Vietnam is a mix of small vendors peddling locally made handicrafts to large western style department stores selling much more up market fare.
The main open air markets in Ho Chi Minh are Ben Thanh Market, the Night Market and the War surplus market. The biggest of the lot is the Ben Thanh Market, which is instantly recognized by the large clock tower near the traffic circle. It is a large old school open air market with hundreds of narrow alleyways that have store fronts. Due to regular patronage by tourists the market has now morphed into a tourist attraction, many stalls now sell Vietnam t-shits and counterfeit branded jeans, caps and souvenirs.
The Night Market is located almost right next to the Ben Thanh Market is usually open after 5.00 pm. This market also features a few food stalls where tourists can experience some local cuisine and try a local drink. However, the most interesting market of all is definitely the War Surplus Market; this market is sometimes referred to as the American Market or “Cho Cu”. Many military items left over from the bloody American campaign against the Viet Cong rebels, that ended with large losses of life on both sides can be seen here. American war gear such as old military uniforms, GI helmets, US Marine t-shirts and old army knives can be bought here. This might be an interesting place to visit for collectors and Vietnam War veterans, though the authenticity of the ware cannot be verified.
For long stay travelers that visit Ho Chi Minh City for business purposes an excellent accommodation option are the Ho Chi Minh serviced apartments that are located in the heart of the city.
Cu Chi Tunnels
Characteristic: Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels.
Cu Chi District is known nationwide as the base where the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968.The tunnels are between 0.5 to 1m wide, just enough space for a person to walk along by bending or dragging. However, parts of the tunnels have been modified to accommodate visitors. The upper soil layer is between 3 to 4m thick and can support the weight of a 50-ton tank and the damage of light cannons and bombs. The underground network provided sleeping quarters, meeting rooms, hospitals, and other social rooms. Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels provides a better understanding of the prolonged resistance war of the Vietnamese people and also of the persistent and clever character of the Vietnamese nation.
For a place that’s physically invisible, the Cu Chi Tunnels have sure carved themselves a celebrated niche in the history of guerilla warfare. Its celebrated and unseen geography straddles – all of it underground – something which the Americans eventually found as much to their embarrassment as to their detriment. They were dug, before the American War, in the late 1940s, as a peasant-army response to a more mobile and ruthless French occupation. The plan was simple: take the resistance briefly to the enemy and then, literally, vanish.
First the French, then the Americans were baffled as to where they melted to, presuming, that it was somewhere under cover of the night in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta. But the answer lay in the sprawling city under their feet – miles and miles of tunnels. In the gap between French occupation and the arrival of the Americans the tunnels fell largely into disrepair, but the area’s thick natural earth kept them intact and maintained by nature. In turn it became not just a place of hasty retreat or of refuge, but, in the words of one military historian, "an underground land of steel, home to the depth of hatred and the incommutability of the people." It became, against the Americans and under their noses, a resistance base and the headquarters of the southern Vietnam Liberation Forces. The linked threat from the Viet Cong - the armed forces of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam - against the southern city forced the unwitting Americans to select Cu Chi as the best site for a massive supply base – smack on top of the then 25-year old tunnel network. Even sporadic and American’s grudgingly had to later admit, daring attacks on the new base, failed for months to indicate where the attackers were coming from – and, importantly, where they were retreating to. It was only when captives and defectors talked that it became slightly more clear. But still the entries, exits, and even the sheer scale of the tunnels weren’t even guessed at. Chemicals, smoke-outs, razing by fire, and bulldozing of whole areas, pinpointed only a few of the well-hidden tunnels and their entrances. The emergence of the Tunnel Rats, a detachment of southern Vietnamese working with Americans small enough to fit in the tunnels, could only guess at the sheer scale of Cu Chi. By the time peace had come, little of the complex, and its infrastructure of schools, dormitories, hospitals, and miles of tunnels, had been uncovered. Now, in peace, only some of it is uncovered – as a much-visited part of the southern tourist trail. Many of the tunnels are expanded replicas, to avoid any claustrophobia they would induce in tourists. The wells that provided the vital drinking water are still active, producing clear and clean water to the three-tiered system of tunnels that sustained life. A detailed map is almost impossible, for security reasons if nothing else: an innate sense of direction guided the tunnellers and those who lived in them.
Some routes linked to local rivers, including the Saigon River, their top soil firm enough to take construction and the movement of heavy machinery by American tanks, the middle tier from mortar attacks, and the lower, 8-10m down was impregnable. A series of hidden, and sometimes booby-trapped, doors connected the routes, down through a system of narrow, often unlit and invented tunnels. At one point American troops brought in a well-trained squad of 3000 sniffer dogs, but the German Shepherds were too bulky to navigate the courses. One legend has it that the dogs were deterred by Vietnamese using American soap to throw them off their scent, but more usually pepper and chilly spray was laid at entrances, often hidden in mounds disguised as molehills, to throw them off. But the Americans were never passive about the tunnels, despite being unaware of their sheer complexity. Large-scale raiding operations used tanks, artillery and air raids, water was pumped through known tunnels, and engineers laid toxic gas. But one American commander’s report at the time said: "It’s impossible to destroy the tunnels because they are too deep and extremely tortuous."
Today the halls that showed propagandas films, housed educational meetings and schooled Vietnamese in warfare are largely intact. So too are the kitchens where visitors can dine on steamed manioc, pressed rice with sesame and salt, a popular meal during the war, as they are assailed with true stories of how life went on as near-normal, much of the time. Ancestors were worshipped there, teaching was well-timetabled, poultry was raised – and even couples trusted, fell in love, were wed, and honeymooned there. But visitors have it easier: those re-constructed tunnels give the flavor of the tunnels but not the claustrophobia and the sacrifice of the estimated 18,000 who served their silent and unseen war there with only around one-third surviving, the rest casualties of American assaults, snakes, rats and insects.
Now the unseen and undeclared No Man’s Land is undergoing a revival, saluted as a Relic of National History and Culture with its Halls of Tradition displaying pictures and exhibits. The nearby Ben Duoc-Cu Chi War Memorial, where the reproduced tunnels have been built, stands as an-above ground salute to a hidden war.
General Information
Geography
In the core of the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is second the most important in Vietnam after Hanoi. It is not only a commercial center but also a scientific, technological, industrial and tourist center. The city is bathed by many rivers, arroyos and canals, the biggest river being the Saigon River. The Port of Saigon, established in 1862, is accessible to ships weighing up to 30,000 tons, a rare advantage for an inland river port.
Climate
The climate is generally hot and humid. There are two distinctive seasons: the rainy season, from May to November, and the dry season, from December to April. The annual average temperature is 27ºC. The hottest month is April and the lowest is December. It is warm all year round.
History
Many centuries ago, Saigon was already a busy commercial center. Merchants from China, Japan and many European countries would sail upstream the Saigon River to reach the islet of Pho, a trading center. In the year of 1874, Cho Lon merged with Saigon, forming the largest city in the Indochina. It had been many times celebrated as the Pearl of the Far East. After the reunification of the country, the 6th National Assembly in its meeting of the 2nd of July, 1976, has officially renamed Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City. The history of city relates closely with the struggle for the independence and freedom of Vietnam.
Tourism
Today, Ho Chi Minh City is the big tourism center in Vietnam, attracting a large of visitors to Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City has various attractions as Ho Chi Minh Museum, formerly known as Dragon House Wharf, Cu Chi Tunnels, system of museums, theatres, cultural houses... Recently, many tourist areas are invested such as Thanh Da, Binh Quoi Village, Dam Sen Park, Saigon Water Park, Suoi Tien, Ky Hoa..., which draw numerous tourists.
Despite its quite recent past, Ho Chi Minh City nevertheless possesses various beautiful buildings, displaying a characteristic combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and European cultures. These include Nha Rong (Dragon House Wharf), Quoc To Temple (National Ancestors’ Temple), Xa Tay (Municipal Office), Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre as well as many pagodas and churches (Vinh Nghiem, Giac Vien, Giac Lam, Phung Son pagodas...). After more than 300 years of development, Ho Chi Minh City presents many ancient architectural constructions, famous vestiges and renowned sights. It is remarkable for its harmonious blending of traditional national values with northern and western cultural features.
Transportation
Ho Chi Minh City is the main junction for trains, roads, water, and air transportation systems for domestic trips and for foreign destination.
Roads: Ho Chi Minh City is 1,730km from Hanoi, 99km from Tay Ninh, 30km from Bien Hoa (Dong Nai), 70km from My Tho, 125km from Vung Tau, 168km from Can Tho, 308km from Dalat, and 375km from Buon Ma Thuot. The City has National Highway 13 which connects Vietnam with the rest of Indochina.
Train: Thong Nhat express train connects Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, vie many provinces in Vietnam.
Air: Tan Son Nhat International Airport, 7km from center of city, is the biggest airport with many domestic and international routes. There are flights from Hanoi and Danang to Ho Chi Minh City and between the City to many regions as well a lot of countries on over the world.
In the core of the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is second the most important in Vietnam after Hanoi. It is not only a commercial center but also a scientific, technological, industrial and tourist center. The city is bathed by many rivers, arroyos and canals, the biggest river being the Saigon River. The Port of Saigon, established in 1862, is accessible to ships weighing up to 30,000 tons, a rare advantage for an inland river port.
Climate
The climate is generally hot and humid. There are two distinctive seasons: the rainy season, from May to November, and the dry season, from December to April. The annual average temperature is 27ºC. The hottest month is April and the lowest is December. It is warm all year round.
History
Many centuries ago, Saigon was already a busy commercial center. Merchants from China, Japan and many European countries would sail upstream the Saigon River to reach the islet of Pho, a trading center. In the year of 1874, Cho Lon merged with Saigon, forming the largest city in the Indochina. It had been many times celebrated as the Pearl of the Far East. After the reunification of the country, the 6th National Assembly in its meeting of the 2nd of July, 1976, has officially renamed Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City. The history of city relates closely with the struggle for the independence and freedom of Vietnam.
Tourism
Today, Ho Chi Minh City is the big tourism center in Vietnam, attracting a large of visitors to Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City has various attractions as Ho Chi Minh Museum, formerly known as Dragon House Wharf, Cu Chi Tunnels, system of museums, theatres, cultural houses... Recently, many tourist areas are invested such as Thanh Da, Binh Quoi Village, Dam Sen Park, Saigon Water Park, Suoi Tien, Ky Hoa..., which draw numerous tourists.
Despite its quite recent past, Ho Chi Minh City nevertheless possesses various beautiful buildings, displaying a characteristic combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and European cultures. These include Nha Rong (Dragon House Wharf), Quoc To Temple (National Ancestors’ Temple), Xa Tay (Municipal Office), Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre as well as many pagodas and churches (Vinh Nghiem, Giac Vien, Giac Lam, Phung Son pagodas...). After more than 300 years of development, Ho Chi Minh City presents many ancient architectural constructions, famous vestiges and renowned sights. It is remarkable for its harmonious blending of traditional national values with northern and western cultural features.
Transportation
Ho Chi Minh City is the main junction for trains, roads, water, and air transportation systems for domestic trips and for foreign destination.
Roads: Ho Chi Minh City is 1,730km from Hanoi, 99km from Tay Ninh, 30km from Bien Hoa (Dong Nai), 70km from My Tho, 125km from Vung Tau, 168km from Can Tho, 308km from Dalat, and 375km from Buon Ma Thuot. The City has National Highway 13 which connects Vietnam with the rest of Indochina.
Train: Thong Nhat express train connects Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, vie many provinces in Vietnam.
Air: Tan Son Nhat International Airport, 7km from center of city, is the biggest airport with many domestic and international routes. There are flights from Hanoi and Danang to Ho Chi Minh City and between the City to many regions as well a lot of countries on over the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)