Ho Chi Minh City Things to Do Tips by yukisanto

This is not really about Ben Thanh Market, but about the night market that sprungs up after the normal market closes. At night, on the streets beside Ben Thanh Market, there are stalls selling foodstuff, and stalls selling bags, souvenirs etc. you can take a look. Not many people though.

Leave a Comment

We went to Pham Ngu Lao St on Sat to look for a travel agency to book a day tour on Mon to Mekong River. The agency we chose was Phuong Trang Tourist (PTRATOUR). It has 2 branches, one in the side road, and the other one facing the main road across a park (where we booked). The buses are parked at the main office (the side road office).

The staff are friendly and speaks good English. The Mekong tour we booked had 15 ppl (Heard it's the average no of ppl going for the daily tour). The mini bus was clean and new, the trip consists of visiting the islands and their farms such as bee/honey farm, making of coconut candy etc. For USD 7, it includes the tour guide, bus, boat, and lunch. The only money we had to fork out in addition was the tip for the longboat ride we had (Paid about 5,000D per person) at one of the islands.

Would certainly go back to this agency should I visit HCM again. They prefer Dong rather than USD although the prices are stated in USD.

Leave a Comment

Phone: (84-8) 9204737 / 9077965
Address: 317 Pham Ngu Lao St, Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Website: www.ptratour.com
Other Contact: phuongtrangtourist@yahoo.com

It's a functioning church, so it opens only for mass. We went pass it about 3.42pm, and the gate was open, so we went in. Beautiful. Even though it was not really a tourist attraction, and never should be disturbed so by tourists.

Leave a Comment

Address: Dong Khoi, District 1
Directions: City center

We went to this market in the Cholon (Pronounced as Gou lon) area. This is where there's alot of Chinese stuff and even a supermarket.

This particular market we went to was in a building, and they sell mainly textiles, shoes, clothes and accessories. Not my taste though. Feels like the People Park centre in Chinatown SG.

Leave a Comment

Besides the usual history stuff, there's an old plane and heli on the grounds. I also love the history exhibits on the war period. There's also a section on past currencies used in Vietnam, from way back to when it was occupied by the french to the present notes. They have a section on foreign currencies - see if you can spot your country's currency. Chances are, you maynot even recognise that note, since it was the early days currency. I sure didn't recognise the first currency note of my country.

Entrance fee: 15,000D or USD1.

Leave a Comment

The reunification palace is really their government building, where the president or officials receive guests and hold meetings etc. You see banquet rooms, state meeting room, movie theatre, gambling room, president's office etc. On the top floor, you'll see a helipad, and then from there, you'll walk down to the basement where the underground tunnels and bunkers are. It is supposedly that the tunnels here should lead to the other parts of Vietnam in the case of evacuation.

Entrance fee: 15,000D or USD1

Leave a Comment

There are loads of pagodas and temples over town. We went to this really famous one (that's what my Vietnamese friend said), and it was really crowded. Vendors jostling just outside the temple grounds selling you joss sticks and flowers to offer to the Gods. Once you walk into the main hall, you'll see a huge urn with joss sticks, and 3 gold gilded statues of Buddha, goddess of mercy (they have a different name in Vietnamese though which I can't rem) and one more God whom I don't recognize. Walk further in past the statues, and you'll see a gold gilded statue of the monk who was famous for collecting scriptures from the west (From legend of Sun Wu Kong).

On the door, there's the gold image of the door gods. Seems every Asian culture has one, but with different names in Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese. Isn't there something about "a rose by any other name is still a rose"?

Leave a Comment