Ho Chi Minh City Things to Do Tips by MikeAtSea

Located about a 1.5-hour drive inland from Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu Chi Tunnels offer a unique and sombre experience. The drive out to the tunnels gives you a glimpse rural life in today’s Vietnam.
The busy roadway gets crowded with bicycles, motorbikes, heavily laden trucks and buses plus the occasional oxcart. Some houses en-route show the making of rice paper.
CU CHI WELCOME AREA
Upon arrival try and join a tour and begin with an orientation of the site, viewing a model that shows the tunnels’ layout. The welcome area includes toilet facilities and a few shops selling souvenir items and soft drinks.
THE TUNNELS
The ranger will show you through the forest to one of the tunnel entrances and discover this fascinating underground complex of the Viet Cong. Work on the tunnels began in 1948. Eventually, they extended 120 miles and were used for storage, refuge, sleeping quarters, hospitals and schools. Rooms on the first level have been opened to allow visitors to share this unique experience. Entering is via narrow openings and fairly deep steps. Some of the walkways require transiting in a stooped position.

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One of the tours I did was a trip to the Mekong Delta. This is a 2.5-hour journey outside of Ho Chi Minh along a well-paved road to the Mekong Delta area. The mighty Mekong River, originating in Tibet and flowing through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia before its 120-mile course through Vietnam, divides into nine river mouths, aptly called the 9-Dragon River or Mekong Delta. The flourishing delta area is inhabited by more than 25 million Vietnamese. Numerous natural and man-made canals serve the local traffic.
CAI BE FLOATING MARKET
Following your drive through villages and small towns, one arrives at a branch of the Cai Be River. Here plenty of options are available to board a local long boat for an interesting ride past villages and lush vegetation to the Cai Be floating market. Cruise among the many boats from which vendors offer all kinds of merchandise. Traditionally, families live on the boats, buying fruits, rice and flowers from local farmers, which are then sold in the floating market.
Rising above the river bank of the busy Cai Be village you can spot the bell tower of a Catholic church built in the 19th century when the French tried to spread Christianity in the delta region.
SCENIC CANAL CRUISING
Make sure you cruise along the Cai Be River to Tan Phong Island and the surrounding small canals, lined by gardens and farmers’ houses. Here you enjoy pictures of local sampans full of fruits and flowers being rowed to the market, or children on their way to school. The scene offers some great photo opportunities and a vivid view of life along the canals.
VISIT BINH HOA VILLAGE
After crossing the Mekong River, one can disembark at the Binh Hoa village and visit a local farmer’s home and garden. Meet the family and admire the home’s beautiful furnishings. Take a stroll in the garden and enjoy a look at the bonsai yard. Enjoy a taste of local fruits and some tea. Then cruise back toward Cai Be village.

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This sector of Saigon, populated by some 400,000 ethnic Chinese, boasts numerous beautiful pagodas and one of the most exciting markets in the city. A short stroll through the market offers a kaleidoscope of colours and a hive of activities.
Caution: Be aware of pickpockets known to loiter in the market area.

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Directions: Travelling within Saigon I make use of the taxi-motorbikes which are around every where in town. They are inexpensive and all know their way around.

This is an outstanding museum. It is the best place to get acquainted with Vietnam’s history. Housed in a building from the early 1900s, the museum displays artefacts from the Bronze Age to the early communist presence in Vietnam. Other exhibits feature Cham art, ceramics and traditional costumes.

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Directions: Travelling within Saigon I make use of the taxi-motorbikes which are around every where in town. They are inexpensive and all know their way around.

Very close to China Town you will find this 18th-century temple dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea and Protector of Sailors. Of special note is a scale model boat commemorating the first Chinese arriving from Canton, and a whimsical ceramic frieze lining the roofs above the inner courtyard.

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Directions: Travelling within Saigon I make use of the taxi-motorbikes which are around every where in town. They are inexpensive and all know their way around.

Formerly known as the Presidential Palace, the building is one of the most fascinating sights in the city, partly because of the rich history and partly because of its striking modern architecture. Preserved almost exactly as it was on the day Vietnam was reunified, the building is still used for official functions. Visitors are shown the lavish reception halls and the underground military operations rooms connected by a network of tunnels.

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Directions: Travelling within Saigon I make use of the taxi-motorbikes which are around every where in town. They are inexpensive and all know their way around.