Ho Chi Minh city is not the capital one but it plays an important role in the country and the busiest city of Vietnam. It is a vibrant mix of old and new city with the well preservation of colonial structures. Therefore, visitors can see French colonial constructions around the city.

Moreover, it is the economic city of the country; therefore, you can see most of people all round the country as well as international living and working here. It is a great for immersing in the local culture mixing here. There are a lot of ornate pagodas and Buddhist temples to visit and discover as well. Being one of the main destinations for tourism in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is also fitted with a wide array of accommodation. There are different options of varying price range and styles for travelers to choose. Ho Chi Minh city welcome millions of tourist come to Vietnam each year and most domestic and international airlines have flight in and out Ho Chi Minh.

Factually, Ho Chi Minh City is a vibrant and charming city. It converges all the conveniences of a modern metropolis. Ho Chi Minh City becomes the economic, cultural, scientific, and technological hub of the country thanks to the rising economy and modern facilities as well as location.

 

Ho Chi Minh City is the busiest one in Vietnam. Therefore, it has the name the un-sleep city. That is always correct because all activities last throughout night. This makes the city special of the country. Travel to Ho Chi Minh City and enjoy as well as experience the nightlife is the highlights and special of this city. Here are some special night in this city.

 

The Khmers originally settled the region, with the Vietnamese taking over in the 17th century. In 1859, the French conquered Saigon. Then it made the capital of Cochin China in 1862. As a result, there is much elegant architecture and broad boulevards still remain today. In 1969, the city had 4.5 million citizens who were all evacuated when Saigon and the rest of the South fell to North Vietnam in 1975. After 30 years recovered, the city has the current population at over 7 million. The name Ho Chi Minh City was called after the spiritual leader of Vietnamese Communism. However, the old name Saigon still well-known from residents as well as people in the country.

 

Travel to Hoi Chi Minh City nowadays is much easier than. But where is the most highlights of the city. After years experiences in travel line we would like to suggest top 10 place to visit in Ho Chi Minh City.

It has the name the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes formerly. The War Remnants Museum is popular with Western Tourists The museum attracts a large number of visitors to present authentic, vivid, real-life material, images of Vietnam’s wars of aggression.

Located on the grounds of the former USSR administration building, the War Remnants Museum displays material, artifacts and images that highlight the aftermath of the wars that the invading forces have caused out for the people of Vietnam. The museum opened only a few months after the peace day, with the original name of the US-Wei exhibition. Although there are a number of topics on the war against the United States, the main objective of the museum is to emphasize the cruelty of war.

 

The Reunification Palace was designed by Ngo Viet Thu and completed in 1966. From 1967 to 1975 Independence Hall was the home and headquarters of General Nguyen Van Thieu of the National Leadership Committee. In 1975 a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the palace gates and leading to the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. Vietnam got the freedom completely. Nowadays, it is one of the most attractions for tourists in Ho Chi Minh city.

 

 

 

The Ben Thanh Traditional Market (Cho Ben Thanh) is the symbol of Ho Chi Minh City. It is the most famous shopping destination in the city. It has a good reputation, a central location and a history although it is not the cheapest market in the city. Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 is a great place to buy local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other souvenirs. Visitors can find eating stalls inside the market as well as taste Vietnamese cuisines. When the night falls, restaurants around the market open their doors which create a vibrant street side scene. Ben Thanh offers a great atmosphere that is absolutely authentically Vietnamese.

 

Ho Chi Minh City has quite a large Catholic community who worship at this historic cathedral. It was built between 1863 and 1880 under the French colonists. They used only building materials imported from France. It has a red brick exterior which came from Marseilles.

Notre Dame Cathedral is a cathedral of the archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City. It is one of the unique architectural works of Saigon.

 

 

 

The Central Post Office has become a tourist attraction because of its beautiful architecture and history. It is the largest post office in Vietnam and should not miss once visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Built in 1891 when Vietnam war a part of French Indochina.

It features by wooden shutters, arched windows, a marble floor, old fashioned phone boxes and a large portrait of Ho Chi Minh. Once reaching the post office visitor can see the large clock hanging above the entrance. It was there since first open and still works now. It is opposite Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral which makes the most impressive. The post office now still the post office for sending letter, buy stamps and phone call.

 

Bitexco Tower is 262 meters high with 68 floors and the tallest building in Ho Chi Minh City. Designed by American architect Carlos Zapata; this construction began in 2007 and was completed in 2010. It has the unique design by the distinctive helipad perched on the edge of the roof. In addition, it is more unique for the 6,000 glass panels forming the exterior curtain wall in each floor.

There are six floors for stores. Furthermore, there is a cinema complex, and restaurants from the 50th to 51st floors. It offers the amazing views, a food court and the Helio Bar on the 52nd floor. The Saigon SkyDeck is an observation deck on the 49th floor.

There are English speaking guides at the Sky deck. They interactive touch screen fact boxes and maps to explain the sites you see below. From here visitor can have 360° views of the city and Saigon River. Usually it has art exhibitions on the Sky deck.

 

The Opera House is also called the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City. The theatre can hold 500 audiences.

The only way to see inside is by attending a show. The building was designed by Eugene Ferret and built in 1898 in the French colonial style.

The Opera House is currently home to the AO Show Saigon; an extravaganza which combines traditional Vietnamese music and dance with Cirque du Soleil style performances.

Address: 7 Cong Truong Lam Son Square, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening Hours: AO Show Tues-Fri 6pm; Sat-Mon 8pm

 

 

Ho Chi Minh City is in South Vietnam, therefore, it has a pleasant climate all year round.

And it has two distinct seasons. December to April is the Dry Season –with hot, dry, and low humidity

While March to May, the temperatures are at their hottest, reaching as high as 39°C (102°F)

And May to November is the rainy season in Ho Chi Minh. Rainy has on few hours and then stop. It doesn’t last long as in North Vietnam for many days. There’s still sunshine

Nightlife in Ho Chi Minh means that there are different things for you to enjoy when you are in any area in the city. The main District 1 is known as the western places because most of foreign tourists stay here. There are rooftop bars, high rolling casinos as well as jazz bands for entertainment in this area.

Moreover, travel few kilometers to District 3 and the backpacker street in Pham Ngu Lao street, there are many street bars, cheap restaurants which is enjoyable place for nigh falls.

A dinner cruise tour along Saigon River is the perfect time for escaping the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City. It will give the impressive of nightlight along river bank and harmony for the scenery on the cruise while dining with local food.

Ho Chi Minh is the biggest city in Vietnam. Most of domestic and international flights land on this city. Furthermore, there are many transportations have in this city for traveler to choose.

There are a lot of flights in and out Ho Chi Minh city from early morning till end of the date. So there are much choice for airlines to reach this city and travel in Vietnam. All flights has schedule to Vietnam land on Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Because it is the biggest airport in Vietnam and Indochina, so there are two separate airports: domestic and international one with distance 1km by car. However, it has the hallway to connect between two airports for walking now. When traveling to Ho Chi Minh, visitor should take note this so that avoids reaching the wrong airport area.

There are some seacruise to reach Vung Tau port so visitor can move from Vung Tau to reach Ho Chi Minh City for visiting. There are two choices to reach from Ho Chi Minh from Vung Tau is by car or speed boat along the river.

Most public bus or open bus companies for tourists have office in Ho Chi Minh City. As a result, visitors have many choices to travel in and out the city. And the bus always stop in main cities along the country.

Bus companies: Hanh Cafe, The SinhTourist, Phuong Trang (Futabus), Kumho Samco, Mekong Express, etc.

Some bus company has schedule for overland from Cambodia through Tay Ninh border.

Play the main point in Vietnam Railway. Most trains in and out from Ho Chi Minh city. There are many trains daily in and leave Ho Chi Minh city for choice.

 

 

The best Ho Chi Minh City dishes are well regarded as nutritious, savoury, and hearty delights that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Some of the defining traits in Vietnamese cuisine include rice, noodles, seafood, pork and beef, as well as various fresh herbs and spices, all of which result in robust flavours and unique interpretations. Although the city is evolving into a cosmopolitan landscape with sprawling shopping malls, fine-dining restaurants and luxury hotels, you can still find plenty of roadside eateries, vibrant street market, and street food carts to satisfy your appetite for authentic Vietnamese delicacies.

 

Available almost everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City, banh mi is a quintessential Vietnamese dish that you should never miss out on. This baguette sandwich with pickled vegetables, pate, butter, soy sauce, cilantro, chilies, and hot peppers. Quick and tasty, you can also choose from a variety of meat fillings for your banh mi, including heo quay (roasted pork belly), cha ca (fried fish with turmeric and dill), cha lua (boiled sausages), xiu mai (meatballs), thit ga (boiled chicken), trung op la (fried egg), thit nuong (grilled pork loin), and xa xiu (Chinese barbecued pork).

 

Pho is rice noodle that’s served in a flavourful soup with beef, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and greens such as basil, mint, cilantro, and onions with a side of chilli sauce for added spice. A basic bowl contains tai (beef slices), bo vien (beef meatballs) or nam (beef flank), but diners can also opt for more exotic ingredients such as gan (beef tendon), sach (thinly-sliced pig stomach), and ve don (flank with cartilage). 

 

Best enjoyed with cold beers, oc refers to platters of Vietnamese shellfish that are prepared in varying methods. Due to its popularity, there are plenty of roadside stalls and inexpensive restaurants with raw snails, blood cockles, clams, shrimps, and crabs displayed out front. After selecting those that strike your fancy, you can enjoy them grilled, sautéed, curried, or steamed. We highly recommend grilled mussels with scallion oil and peanuts (chem chep nuong), blood cockles sautéed in tamarind sauce (so huyet ran me), and clams steamed with lemongrass.

 

 

Com tam is actually ‘broken rice’ in Vietnamese, usually served with fried egg, diced green onions, and a variety of meats such as suon nuong (barbecued pork chop), bi (shredded pork skin), and cha trung (steamed pork and egg patty). Diners can also enjoy this dish with a side of pickled vegetables, cucumber slices, and nuoc cham Vietnamese dipping sauce. Com tam can be enjoyed any time of the day as it is relatively inexpensive, with street markets and roadside food stalls selling.

 

Goi cuon or Vietnamese spring rolls comprise vermicelli noodles, pork slices, shrimp, basil, and lettuce tightly wrapped in translucent banh trang (rice papers). Due to its very subtle flavour, you can dip it in a mix of freshly ground chilli and hoisin-based dipping sauce topped with crushed peanuts. This traditional appetiser is a healthier alternative to cha gio, which is a deep-fried egg roll made with a combination of mung bean noodles, minced pork, and various spices.

 

 

Ban xeo is a savoury pancake that’s made of rice flour, coconut milk, and turmeric, stuffed with ingredients such as pork slices, shrimps, sliced onions, bean sprouts, and button mushrooms. Unlike the ones you find in Nha Trang and Hanoi, ban xeo in Ho Chi Minh City is much smaller in portion as it is usually eaten as a snack or appetiser. The best way to enjoy ban xeo is by wrapping it in mustard leaf, lettuce leaves or rice wrappers, together with mint leaves, basil, herbs, and sweet fermented peanut butter sauce. Lastly, dip it in a sweet and sour fish sauce.

 

Hu tieu is a subtler version of pho noodles, featuring a clear pork-based broth, flat rice noodles, and an assortment of pork toppings. There are also countless variations available in Ho Chi Minh City, though the most popular one is hu tieu xuong, which is topped with pork ribs. Alternatively, you can enjoy hu tieu with shrimp, squid, or fish if you’re not a fan of pork. 

 

Served in numerous Vietnamese restaurants within Ho Chi Minh City, ca kho to refers to catfish braised in a clay pot. This dish is prepared by cutting a whole catfish into fillets before it’s braised in a thick gravy made with a combination of soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, shallots, garlic, and various spices and seasonings. Due to its intense sweet-salty flavour, ca kho to is always served with a plate of white rice.

 

Loosely wrapped in a steamed fermented rice sheet, banh cuon contains a mix of ground pork, minced wood ear mushroom, onions, Vietnamese ham (cha lua), steamed beansprouts, and cucumbers. You can easily spot vendors selling banh cuon in prominent marketplaces such as Cholon and Ben Thanh Market as well as local restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City. This traditional Vietnamese dish is sometimes topped with shrimp floss, coriander, and herbs, with a sweet-sour dipping sauce made with fish extract, lime, and chilli.

 

A hearty dish in Ho Chi Minh City, bun thit nuong features vermicelli rice noodles with freshly chopped lettuce, sliced cucumber, bean sprouts, pickled daikon and carrot, basil, chopped peanuts, and mint, topped with grilled yet tender pork shoulder. Diners can also opt for bun thit nuong cha gio, which comes with crunchy slices of cha gio (deep-fried eggrolls). As with most Vietnamese dishes, you also get a side of nuoc cham sauce to mix into the bun thit nuong for a flavourful ensemble.