Saigon(also officially known as Ho Chi Minh City or in Vietnamese as Sài Gòn) is the most booming city in Vietnam. In this post, I will tell you about the 22 best attractions that you can see in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City. Prepare to dodge motorcycles, navigate market alleys, inhale incense at temples, and squat on the sidewalk with a bowl of hot noodles. But first, let's start with some useful information. Firstly, where is the best place to stay when you are in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam?

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City: Where to Stay in Saigon

While I was in Saigon, Vietnam, I walked around several of the most popular areas to live.

Dong Khoi: a good choice

Many large 5 star hotels are located in the Dong Hoi area of ​​the city Saigon Ho Chi Minh City. It is known as one of the most prestigious areas of the city. Here you will find famous chains such as the famous hotel. If you want to stay in an expensive 5-star hotel surrounded by French colonial architecture and pretentious cafes, Dong Hoi is the best choice for accommodation.

Saigon photo.

Pham Ngu Lao (District 1)

On foot

Due to the endless stream of motorcycles that take up the streets and even the sidewalks, Saigon is not exactly convenient or pleasant for walking. Walking in the city of Saigon is like an obstacle course: you have to dodge oncoming objects, jump over fences, and go around pitched tents. No matter what, walking is one of the best ways to explore any city, when you can stop at any time and anywhere, go to a cafe or relax.

The most popular means of transport for Ho Chi Minh City residents is the motorbike (also known as a scooter). By number of scooters Saigon Ho Chi Minh City can easily be called the “scooter capital of the world.” The number of scooters in the city is amazing.

There are two ways to join the army of motorcyclists:

• Rent a motorcycle - if you are confident that you are ready to become part of this crazy traffic. There are many motorcycle rental shops, especially in the Pham Ngu Lao area. Average cost is $10 per day. However, be careful, motorcycles are also stolen in Ho Chi Minh City.
• Motorcycle Taxi - On every corner of every street in Saigon, you can see men lying on motorcycles, sometimes sleeping, sometimes just looking at the road. These are motorcycle taxi drivers. The cost of the trip starts from 20-40,000 dong.

Local bus

The bus system in Saigon city is good but quite confusing. However, it is a very cheap and safe way to get around the city. The biggest challenge of using the buses in Saigon is figuring out that all the streets are one-way, but you can study a map of a couple of bus routes and at least navigate up and down the main streets.

Taxi

Before you head to Ho Chi Minh City, it's worth reading up on taxis in this city so you know what to prepare for.

Saigon photo.

There can be "fake" taxis in Ho Chi Minh City, and drivers sometimes drive in circles to beat the meter. But overall, taxis are a pretty reliable way to get around, and even some of the drivers are quite friendly (not all).

Sights of Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Binh Tay Market

Binh Thai Market is one of the main official markets and has lower prices than Ben Thanh. It is located in the Cho Long district of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as China Town. The market itself is very similar to Ben Thanh, and even many of the things that are sold are similar. However, Binh Thai market is visited by a large number of local Vietnamese, so prices are lower and there are fewer tourists there. If you come in the morning between about 6 and 8 am, you will see an incredible market full of food and fresh Vietnamese products. At Binh Thai market you will find literally everything made or produced in Vietnam, from clothes to food. There is a huge section for preparing Vietnamese dishes, dishes, nuts, spices and tools. Here, too, like in Ben Thanh, there is a kind of small food court where you can try delicious, simple and affordable Vietnamese cuisine.

Address: Bình Tây Market, 57 Tháp Mười, 2, Quận 6, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 6am – 7pm daily (main indoor market), 5am – 9am (outdoor morning market)

How to get there: The market is located in District 5 and the easiest way to get there is by taxi. The fare from Ben Thanh market is about 110,000 VND, travel time is 15 minutes.

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Thien Hau Temple

Thien Hau Temple is dedicated to Thien Hau, the mistress of the sea. Located in Chinatown (District 5). When visiting Thien Hau Pagoda, you will feel like you are in China.
The pagoda doesn't look very impressive from the outside. However, once you take a step inside the temple, you will see its beauty which is revealed through the intricate details and carvings, incredible sculptures, reliefs carved on the upper section of the temple roof depicting scenes from everyday life. Once all this was colorful, but over time it has faded, and the incense smoke makes the sculptures look ancient. What is surprising in the temple are the giant coils of incense that burn slowly, filling the temple and the air around with smoke.
Address: Thiên Hậu Temple, 710 Nguyễn Trãi, Phường 11, Quận 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening Hours: 8am – 4:30pm daily

The entrance is free

How to get there: the temple is located in Cholon, District 5. The easiest way to get there is by taxi.

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Ho Chi Minh Museum

When visiting the museum on a weekday morning, it is not crowded (unlike the War Victims Museum, which was packed to capacity). Here you can calmly walk and enjoy the exhibition. Most of the exhibits show the history of the city Saigon — Ho Chi Minh City, and there are also a number of exhibits of Vietnamese culture. The Ho Chi Minh City Museum is an amazing mansion built in 1885 in a neoclassical style, with large columns and wooden stairs.

Saigon photo.
Address: Hồ Chí Minh City Museum, 65 Lý Tự, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm daily

Entrance: 15,000 VND

How to get there: The Ho Chi Minh Museum is located near the Dong Hoi district, a short walk from the Notre-Dame de Cathedral Saigon.

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Bitexco Financial Tower

Bitexco Financial Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This is one of the most recognizable buildings in Ho Chi Minh City.

The most popular attraction is the Bitexco Financial Tower, thanks to the stunning views of Ho Chi Minh City from the upper floors. On the ground floor of the tower there is a small shopping center with several cafes. Most of the building is occupied by offices.

There are two ways to visit the Bitexco Finance Tower and get a chance to see the city from above:

• Saigon Skydeck (Saigon Skydeck). An observation deck located on the 49th floor, which offers panoramic views of the city.
• Eon Cafe is located on the 50th floor. In order not to pay for the entrance to the observation deck, you can visit the Eon cafe and bar, although its prices are inflated. Here you can enjoy a wonderful view of the city of Saigon with a cup of coffee or something stronger.

Address: 36 Hồ Tùng Mậu, Bến Nghé, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 9:30 – 21:30 daily (observation deck), 11:30 am – 23:00 daily (cafe)

Entrance: Saigon Skydeck - 200,000 VND. In a cafe, a small cup of ristretto will cost 130,000 VND

How to get there: walk from Ben Thanh market, the tower can be seen from afar

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Palace of Independence (Reunification Palace)

This museum is still used for official government meetings and events, and the Independence Palace was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. After purchasing your ticket, you can go inside and walk around several floors and see all kinds of rooms, including meeting rooms, dining rooms and rooms for the royal family. Each room inside the Palace of Independence is furnished with original chairs and tables. After exploring several floors and the helipad, you can go to the basement, where the scary offices, control rooms and bunkers are located.

It was very interesting to visit the Palace of Independence in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, especially taking a walk in a dark and creepy basement. And also into the palace kitchen, where the old computers still stand. The Independence Palace is one of the main attractions of Ho Chi Minh City.

Address: 135 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Bến Thành, Quận 1

Opening hours: 7:30 – 11:00 and 13:00-16:00 daily. However, the Palace may be closed on official occasions.

Entrance: 30,000 VND

How to get there: It's about a 10-minute walk from Ben Thanh Market and is located right in the center of Saigon in District 1.

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral

Welcome to Paris. An important cathedral and famous landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, the North Dame Cathedral is the center of French colonial heritage in Saigon, Vietnam. The cathedral is beautiful, with two 40-meter towers and a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of it. Here you get great photos with the Virgin Mary against the backdrop of the cathedral. Inside you'll find stunning stained glass windows, wooden benches and classic floor tiles. The Cathedral of North Dame de Saigon often hosts weddings.

Saigon photo.

The cathedral still holds services on Sundays. When I first arrived, it was lunch time and the gates were locked. I had to return another day.

Address: Bến Nghé, tp. Hồ Chí Minh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 8:00–11:00 and 15:00–18:00 on weekdays (on Sunday the service starts at 9:30 am)

Entry: free

How to get there: from the Palace of Independence, go northeast through the park. The North Dame de Saigon Cathedral is located on the northwest side of Dong Hoi Street, next to the old post office.

Central Post Office

Saigon photo.

Directly across the street from Saigon's Notre Dame Cathedral, in the same city square, there is also a famous monument - the Central Post Office building, built back in 1886. Like many other buildings in Saigon, it is designed in the French colonial style. One of the main reasons why the post office is one of the best attractions Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City- this is because it was designed by Gustave Eiffel (the man who also designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris). The Central Post Office is not only a tourist attraction, it is also fully used and functional. The post office is popular among tourists for those who like to send postcards to friends from different parts of the world (especially popular among the French and Italians).

At the Saigon Post Office, I really liked the tiled floors and the huge mural map on the walls.

Address: 2 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 7:00 – 19:00 pm on weekdays, 7:00 – 18:00 on Saturdays, 8:00 – 18:00 on Sundays.

The entrance is free

How to get there: across the street from Notre Dame de Saigon Cathedral

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City attractions. War Victims Museum

The War Remnants Museum is not an entertainment venue in the city

Ho Chi Minh City, visiting it can be quite difficult and leaves a sad impression. It is a place where one can remember the brutal and terrible consequences of war. Much of the War Casualty Museum consists of photographs and exhibits of various events from the Vietnam War. There is a life-size model of the prison with rooms for prisoners and torture devices for prisoners of war. Military weapons, tanks and aircraft are located on the territory of the museum complex.

For visitors with children there is a playground where they can be left. I don't recommend taking children here.

Address: 28 Võ Văn Tần, Phường 6, Quận 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 7:30 – 12:00 and 13:30 – 17:00 daily

Entrance: 15,000 VND

How to get there: The War Victims Museum is located northwest of the Independence Palace, can be reached on foot in 10 minutes.

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Opera

The Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City was built in 1897 and is considered one of the best buildings in the French colonial style, which has been perfectly preserved to this day.

Address: 7 Công trường Lam Sơn, Bến Nghé, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Entrance: Prices range from 504,000 – 1,176,000 VND

How to get there: The Opera House is located on Dong Hoi Street

Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Dong Hoi

Dong Hoi Street and Saigon Square is an upscale area of ​​Saigon. Exclusive boutiques and designer shops line Dong Hoi Street. It is also home to several modern shopping malls such as Vincon, many international and specialty stores and 5-star hotels such as Hotel Majestic Saigon.

But along with upscale shopping and hotels, Dong Hoi Street is also just a pleasant place to stroll. Walking around Dong Hoi, you can feel like you are somewhere between France and Vietnam. In addition to this, Dong Hoi Street is a huge contrast of old and new, modern and traditional in Saigon, Vietnam.

Address: Dong Hoi Street

Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden are located in the same

place, and the entrance fee is charged for visiting both attractions. In my opinion the zoo is not very big and the animals don't seem to be doing well here and the cages aren't in the best condition. Looks like the place is missing a major overhaul. However, at the Saigon Zoo you can see tigers and elephants (which seem to want to escape...). As for the botanical garden, I liked it. Beautiful vegetation, a lot of shade and coolness - a great place to relax from the crazy city. You can come here with children. There is even a restaurant to eat in case you get hungry while walking.

Address: 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Str., Ward Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 7:00 – 19:00 daily

Entrance: 20,000 VND

How to get there: Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, take the bus down the street and get off in front of the bridge. Or you can take a taxi

Phyto Museum (Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine)

In the museum you will find a collection of over 3,000 Vietnamese medicinal
funds to a collection of manuscripts, teaching aids and manuals used in traditional Vietnamese medicine. After visiting the museum, you can enjoy a free cup of tea on the ground floor in the gift shop.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the phyto-museum and recommend it to broaden your horizons.

Address: 41 Hoang Du Khuong Str., Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 8:30 – 17:30 daily

Entrance: 50,000 VND

How to get there: District 10, easiest way to get there is by taxi

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Gallery Sun Art

This is a contemporary art gallery. Sun Art is a place where artists can learn and develop their
creative talents surrounded by other artists. On the ground floor you will find a small library with a collection of books on contemporary art. There are also a number of rotating exhibitions on the first and second floors.

Address: 48/7 Me Linh Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: from 10.30 to 18.30 Tuesday - Saturday, closed on Sunday and Monday

The entrance is free

How to get there: The art gallery is located in the area just across the river from the Saigon Zoo.

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Turtle Lake

What to do at night in Saigon? Visit North Dame Cathedral or Turtle Lake. Moreover, the turtle lake is not a real lake with turtles, it’s just a fountain with sculptures of turtles. However, this place is called Turtle Lake in English.

Both places are a hub for late-night street food vendors, snacks and more. Also, a huge number of Vietnamese people come here at night to hang out and socialize. If you want to catch this whole celebration of life, come here from 20:00 to 22:00.

How to get there: Turtle Lake is located northwest of Notre Dame Cathedral, at the intersection of Vo Van Tan and Pham Ngoc Thach streets.

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Ben Thanh Market

This is probably the most important and central attraction of Ho Chi Minh City.
This is a bustling market, crowded with tourists, and has a huge number of shopping stalls.
Here you can easily get lost for several hours among the shops of clothes, souvenirs, and Vietnamese dishes. Since this market is in a tourist area Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the prices here are also for tourists.

On the nearby streets from the Ben Thanh market there is a main transport hub and a large business district, where life is always in full swing. In the evening, very close to Ben Thanh, the roads are closed to traffic and a night market is opened with several restaurants and tourist shops.

Address: ê Lợi, Bến Thành, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: from 6:00 am – 18:00, night market from 18:00 – 00:00

The entrance is free

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Phu Mai Hung and the Star Bridge

Phu Mai Hung is an upscale development area in District 7 Saigon, located 6 km south of Ben Thanh Central Market. This area is calmer, there is less traffic, there are shopping centers and cafes, and wide, spacious, uncluttered sidewalks.
Phu Mai Hung has many nice restaurants serving Vietnamese and international cuisine, fast food joints ranging from Lotteria to Dominoe, and many Korean restaurants.

Apart from the restaurants, modern shopping malls and shops that fill Phu Mai Hung, one of the main attractions in the area is the Star Bridge. This bridge spans the lake and is illuminated by flashing lights of all the colors of the rainbow.

Address: Tôn Dật Tiên, Tân Phú, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

How to get there: taxi

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Water Puppet Theater

Water puppet theater originated in the northern part of Vietnam (Halong Bay area), but its performances can also be seen in the city of Saigon. Most of the performances depict scenes of Vietnamese culture, rural life, folklore and history.

One of the most famous and touristy places where you can see Vietnamese water puppet theater in Ho Chi Minh City is the Golden Dragon.

Address: 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 17:00 and 18:30 daily, ticket sales from 8:30 – 11:30 and from 13:30 – 19:30

Entrance: 160,000 VND

How to get there: The theater is located at the back side of Tao Dan Park on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Road, just a few minutes' walk from Independence Palace.

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Museum of Vietnamese History

Ho Chi Minh City is home to dozens of museums, but the Vietnamese History Museum is one of the most important. Inside you will find sculptures, ceramics and porcelain showing the history of Vietnam. The exhibits date back to about 2000 BC. There are also well-preserved mummies that were discovered in District 5, in the heart of Saigon.

The Vietnam History Museum is located right next to the Saigon Zoo and is very popular among Vietnamese students.

Address: Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, Bến Nghé, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 8:00 – 12:00 and 13:30 – 17:00, closed on the first Monday of every month

Entrance: 15,000 VND for entry, 40,000 VND for photography, water puppet theater - 35,000 VND

How to get there: The Vietnam History Museum is located right next to the zoo. Saigon

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Rooftop bars

Shri Restaurant and Lounge is one of the most popular rooftop bars. Other bars where you can enjoy drinks with city views are the Hotel Continental and Hotel Majestic. Every year, new skyscrapers are built and rooftop bars are opened in Ho Chi Minh City.

Address: Shri, 72 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, 6, 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: Shri Restaurant and Lounge - 10:00 - 00:00 am from Monday to Saturday and 16:30 - 00:00 on Sundays and public holidays.

Cost: rooftop bars are overpriced, lunch for two costs VND 850,000

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Art Museum

The Museum of Fine Arts is one of the best-preserved architectural monuments in the entire city, located opposite the giant carousel at Ben Thanh market. Inside the museum you will discover a large collection of art, paintings and sculptures. You can spend an hour or two browsing the art exhibits at this museum. If you are tired, there is a beautiful courtyard in the middle of the building where you can relax on a bench and just enjoy the silence.

The Museum of Fine Arts is one of the best attractions in Ho Chi Minh City.

Address: 97 Phó Đức Chính, Nguyễn Thái Bình, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 9:00 - 17:00 Tuesday to Sunday

Entrance price: 10,000 VND

How to get there: The museum is located directly opposite the carousel at Ben Thanh market.

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Jade Emperor Pagoda

The Jade Emperor Pagoda is one of the most important Taoist temples in Saigon, Vietnam. Inside the temple is a statue of the Jade Emperor seated surrounded by other deities and statues.

Address: 73 Mai Thị Lựu, Đa Kao, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Opening hours: 7:00 – 18:00 daily

The entrance is free

How to get there: The Jade Emperor Pagoda is located just off the Dien Bien Phu Highway, north of Ben Thanh and close to the river.

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City attractions. Vietnamese street food

Saigon is a foodie's paradise thanks to its delicious aromas, abundance, quantity and variety of foods.

Because Saigon Ho Chi Minh City- the largest city in Vietnam, there are a huge number of people who came from other regions of the country and brought their own to Vietnamese cuisine
and national characteristics. Street food is a core part of Vietnamese culture. Thanks to its affordable price, food has become a way for Vietnamese people to spend time with friends. You will find a huge number of eateries in every district, along every street and on every corner of Ho Chi Minh City.

Hot bowls of soup and banh mi sandwiches are common and remain very popular, but there are dozens of other delicious Vietnamese dishes here too. For example, bun rieu, com tam suon, banh khot and bo la lot.

This was a list of the 22 best attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. As soon as you arrive in town Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, you'll be surrounded by a sea of ​​motorbikes, delicious street food and interesting places to see. If you decide to plan your trip to Saigon, I recommend reading other articles.

Read the latest articles on my blog .

Ho Chi Minh City became the transit point for our journey from Samui to Nha Trang. In this post I will tell you about the sights of Ho Chi Minh City that we managed to visit in 2.5 days. I will also talk about my impressions of this city.

Ho Chi Minh City became the second point of our trip from Samui to Nha Trang. Check out our story about how we got from Koh Samui to Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City greeted us with primordial chaos on the road. This is a city where streams of bikes and cars merge into a living river, in which you can only stay afloat by feeling the energy of this place.

The city has a very tough atmosphere. Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, is a modern anthill. Its air is saturated with exhaust fumes, bustle and fatigue.

Koh Samui and the land of smiles are left behind. Now a wave of a completely different life hit us as hard as against a wall.

Instead of palm trees, the sea and friendly faces, we were greeted by high-rise buildings, locals wrapped in masks and complete indifference to strangers.

To say that Ho Chi Minh City is an inhospitable city for tourists is an understatement.

It's difficult to communicate in the city. Local residents speak almost no English. We were lucky and found a Russian-speaking taxi driver, and most do not know any language other than Vietnamese. In such conditions, finding something in the city becomes a problem.

We managed to find a map of the city in a local magazine stall, and we used it to navigate.

Sights of Ho Chi Minh City.

During our 2.5 days in Ho Chi Minh City, we visited four attractions: the Military Museum, the Independence Museum, Notre Dame de Saigon Cathedral and the Central Post Office. I’ll tell you about them.

Waking up at the hotel, the first thing we did was look for what to eat in Ho Chi Minh City. The local hamburgers were a real discovery for us. They consist of a very tasty French bun, into which they put a little bit of everything: cucumbers, tomatoes, lard, sausage, pate, sauce, herbs, etc. The set varies from seller to seller, but we really liked the taste. After Samui we missed good bread.

Such a hamburger costs only 15,000 dong, which is approximately 25 Russian rubles. You can buy them in such mobile trays.

After this we refreshed ourselves, we went to see the first attraction in Ho Chi Minh City - the military museum.

We walked along the central streets. Unlike dirty Samui, where anything and everything is lying on the streets, it was very nice to get into cleanliness, and I was also surrounded by symbols from my childhood. Ho Chi Minh City for Russian people will always be a breath of air of nostalgia with pioneer ties, parades and red flags.

Finally, we found the War Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. It was previously called the US War Crimes Museum. In fact, it remained so in the understanding of local residents, but after the restoration of diplomatic relations with America, Vietnam decided to make a small nod towards the former enemy.

The War Museum in Ho Chi Minh City is open daily from 7:30 to 12:00. Then there is a break. The museum reopens from 13:30 to 17:00.

Entrance to the military museum is paid - 15,000 dong (about 30 rubles). Almost all attractions in Ho Chi Minh City are paid. Be prepared for this.

In front of the entrance to the museum there is equipment from the Vietnam War.

There are helicopters here.

Fighters.

Bombers.

Artillery.

Lots of technology.

And even a boat.

Air bombs that the Americans generously sprayed on the local soil.

To the left of the entrance is a small prison.

It has a guillotine.

Torture cages.

Sample cameras.

Instruments of torture.

The place is very difficult.

The museum itself includes an exhibition of photographs showing the consequences of American bombings.

Stands with posters of those times.

And this is the uniform of an American soldier who is sick with the “Vietnam syndrome”. Now many former US soldiers repent of their crimes.

Watch a walk through the War Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.

Coordinates of the Military Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.

28 Vo Van Tan Street

The next attraction was the Notre Dame de Saigon Cathedral.

This is a gift from the country's French past.

At one time, Vietnam was a colony of France. To prove the greatness of the Christian faith over Buddhism and influence the thoughts of their subjects, the colonial authorities decided to build a majestic cathedral.

The best specialists from Europe were invited for its construction. The stone was brought from overseas, but still the cathedral is inferior in color to the colorful temples of Asia.

Notre Dame de Saigon was built in 1880. It is still in good condition.

Notre Dame de Saigon Cathedral is not only a famous landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, but also a must-have photo shoot for local newlyweds.

It is full of tourists from all over the world.

Immediately in front of the cathedral there is a statue of the Virgin Mary. It also attracts many photography enthusiasts. In 2005, it was claimed that the statue was crying. Thousands of people gathered to watch this.

We didn’t get into the temple itself because... it is open until 16:00. Opening hours: 8-11:00. Then a break until 15:00 and then only another hour of work.

The entrance is free.

Take a walk around the area with us.

Coordinates of the Notre Dame de Saigon temple.

Next to the Notre Dame Cathedral there is another attraction - the Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City.

The central post office in Ho Chi Minh City is always full of people. Mostly these are tourists who came to see the cathedral, and one came here to take photographs and buy stamps and souvenirs.

The Central Post Office is an example of French colonial architecture.

On the sides of the entrance, along the walls, there are meeting booths with clocks showing the time in different cities of the world.

Above them hangs a map of Vietnam, and on the opposite wall, as I understand it, is an old map of Ho Chi Minh City.

There are souvenir shops and currency exchange here.

In the central part of the post office there is a work room.

A large portrait of Ho Chi Minh City looks out with a smile at the bustle around.

Take a walk through the Ho Chi Minh City Central Post Office with me.

If you stand with your right side towards the central post office, and with your left side towards Notre Dame Cathedral and go straight, then after 300 meters you will find yourself in another attraction of Ho Chi Minh City - the Independence Palace.

We went to the Independence Palace, also called the Reunification Palace, on the last day of our stay in Ho Chi Minh City in the morning.

It is open from 7:40 to 11:00. Then a break. Opens again at 13:00 and is open until 16:00.

Paid entrance. Cost – 30,000 dong.

The Independence (Reunification) Palace stands on the site of the previously demolished palace of the rulers of South Vietnam.

In 1962 it was demolished and rebuilt. The last president of South Vietnam lived on the third floor of the Independence Palace. In 1975, Viet Cong tanks moved in. Soon a red flag appeared over the palace building. The tanks are now parked nearby.

Soon, an act of reunification of all of Vietnam was signed at the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City. After this, the palace became known as the Reunification Palace.

There is a park around the palace. Here you can take a walk under the shade of trees.

Take pictures with equipment from the Vietnam War.

The palace itself has various halls for ceremonial meetings.

There is also a small garage. Look at this old executive Mercedes.

You can take a walk around the Palace of Independence in this video.

Reunification Palace coordinates.

Address: Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Bến Thành, Quận 1

After viewing the palace, we went home to pack our things.

A taxi driver came to pick us up and we went to the airport. In I wrote that we were taken from the airport to the hotel using a coupon for 200,000 dong. The return trip according to the meter via Vinasun taxi turned out to be not only cheaper (only 120,000 dong), but also three times faster. Maybe this was influenced by the fact that we had a Russian-speaking driver and we had a good chat with him on the way about life

During these days we did not have time to visit all the sights of Ho Chi Minh City. We planned to go to the zoo and historical museum. Next time we will add to this article.

At the end of our post about the sights of Ho Chi Minh City, I will give a short report on the budget for our 2.5 days stay in Ho Chi Minh City.

Food, groceries and nutrition for Alina – 2200 rubles. Here we couldn’t resist and sat in the Vietnamese cafe for a while :)

Entertainment – ​​400 rubles. There are museums here and we tried Vietnamese beer.

Taxi – 1100 rubles.

Hotel – 1020 rubles

Total – 4720 rubles. Compare our costs for our trip from Koh Samui.

Subscribe to the blog news to find out in the next post how much it cost us to move from Samui to Nha Trang.

At the end, general impressions of Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City is not suitable for long-term stays, especially with children. There is a terrible atmosphere and bustle here. This city literally sucks energy. Therefore, two or three days for a cursory examination of local attractions is enough to get a taste of this city and not greatly upset the harmony within.

After Ho Chi Minh City, we seriously thought about whether Vietnam was a place worth visiting. Koh Samui seemed like heaven on earth, which we left.

In the next post you will learn about how we got from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang and about our impressions of this city.

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What to see in Ho Chi Minh City in a few days, how to get around the city, which hotel to choose, and where to buy souvenirs and clothes. Sights, store addresses, a map with marks and many photos in today's post.

Most independent travelers who go to Vietnam usually begin their acquaintance with the country from Ho Chi Minh City. It is summer and warm here all year round, unlike Hanoi. In addition, the southern capital has many attractions and excellent shopping.

Time in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is three hours more than in Moscow and 4-5 hours more than in Kyiv. Below on the clock is the exact time in Ho Chi Minh City for this minute.

Ho Chi Minh City Airport

The airport in Ho Chi Minh City is called Tan Son Nhat Airport. It is small and its structure is easy to understand.

Russians who plan to stay in Vietnam for up to 15 days do not need a visa and can immediately go through border control. Ukrainians, Belarusians, as well as those citizens of the Russian Federation who plan to stay in the country for 16 days or more should worry about a visa to Vietnam in advance. Ordering online is easy and only takes 10 minutes. And already in Ho Chi Minh City, upon arrival at the border control, you need to look at the immigration office. It is located directly in front of the border guard posts on the left side.

I advise you to fill out the visa application form in advance and do not forget to take your photographs with you. .

How to get from Ho Chi Minh City Airport to the city center?

You won't have to spend much time getting from Tan Son Nhat Airport to the center of Ho Chi Minh City. The airport is located just 6 km from the central streets, right within the city. If you arrive at night, then the only option to get to the hotel is a taxi. The cost is 8-10 dollars, although arrogant Vietnamese taxi drivers may try to rip off all 20 from you, blatantly deceiving that there is a double tariff at night. It is not true. Look for a taxi driver who will agree to a normal flat rate or want to go by the meter.

If you arrive in Ho Chi Minh City between 7:00 and 18:00, you can get to the center by bus. There is a bus stop right outside the airport. You need bus number 152. It runs every half hour and costs 4,000 VND ($0.20).

No matter how you get to the center, by bus or taxi, exchange some currency for Vietnamese dong in advance.

Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City?

We have stayed in Ho Chi Minh City 4 times. Once, when Arina was just a baby, we even rented a studio for daily rent with a real kitchen, stove and refrigerator, which cost us $25 a day.

Whatever type of housing you choose, it is better to stay in the city center near the Ben Thanh Market or on the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker street. Another interesting place that we liked so much is Hoang Lien Hotel. The hotel is near Central Park. A double room with a window, air conditioning, bathroom and breakfast (decent buffet) costs $20. Nearby there is a gorgeous park, many budget cafes, as well as all the attractions of the center. It's better to pay a couple of dollars more and book a room with a window.

Free WiFi is available in almost every Vietnamese budget hotel. But if you stay in a hotel with stars, then most likely you will have to pay separately for the Internet.

What to see in Ho Chi Minh City: attractions

The main attractions of Ho Chi Minh City are located in the city center and can be explored in a few hours. In any hotel you will be given a free map of the city, using which you will go to see the local attractions.

Notre Dame Cathedral (Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral)

The current temple was built at the end of the 19th century. Interesting building in French colonial style.

The entrance is free. The temple is open on weekdays from morning until sunset.

Reunification Palace

Former residence of the King of South Vietnam. You can go inside, see the decoration of the palace, and stroll around the surrounding area.

Entrance fee 15 thousand dong ($0.75).

The palace is open to visitors daily from 07:30 to 11:30, from 13:00 to 16:00.

City Hall

Another attraction is the Palace of Culture. There is a beautiful square next to it, and in the surrounding blocks there are several shopping centers, many small shops and cafes. They are not allowed inside the building, but tourists take pictures in front of it. It's better to come here close to sunset to take great photos. By the way, the building is beautifully illuminated even in the dark.

Along the way you will come across several more military museums where you can look at Vietnamese tanks and planes.

If you fly to Ho Chi Minh City with children, then try to add two almost obligatory points to this cultural program:

Ho Chi Minh City Zoo and Botanical Garden

An amazing place that we visit every time we come to the southern capital of Vietnam. You can wander around the zoo all day, feeding different animals from your hands. Take some cabbage or carrots with you to feed the kids and lambs in a special pen for young animals. We also hand-fed giraffes there. They eat pods from a tree that grows near the cafe opposite.

The zoo will be interesting not only for children, but also for adults. Here you can hide from the midday heat, take a walk among exotic flowers and trees, and sit on the shores of lakes.

From the city center, a taxi to the zoo usually costs no more than 60 thousand dong ($3).

Entrance to the zoo costs a little more than $0.5. The zoo is open until 6 pm.

Dam Sen Park

Large amusement park with a mini-zoo and a large water park. We call it Vietnamese Disneyland because they hold Disney-like parades of cartoon characters.

The park has a huge lake with lotuses and many interesting sculptures. Be sure to take a ride on the Ferris wheel to see Damsen from above.

On the territory of Dam Sen Park there are many cafes with inexpensive food, and there are also higher-class restaurants.

Dam Sen Park is located a little far from the center of Ho Chi Minh City and you can get there either by taxi for 130-150 thousand dong ($7-8) or by bus No. 11 from Ben Thanh market for 4 thousand dong ($0.2). Travel time is about 30-40 minutes, taking into account Saigon traffic jams.

Ben Thanh Market (ChoLon, Ben Thanh)

In the evening you can go to Ben Thanh market. There is a lot of exotic food and fruit, all kinds of souvenirs and clothes. You can take many interesting photos and try Vietnamese street delicacies.

I would not recommend buying anything there in the first days after your arrival. You still don’t know the prices at all and you will probably be deceived. So, on my first day in Vietnam, I bought a strange oversized dress at the Ben Thanh market for as much as 600 thousand dong ($30), although in a nearby store it was sold for only 100 thousand ($5). If you decide to buy something, bargain hard, do not hesitate to reduce the price several times.

If you stay in Ho Chi Minh City for another day, you can go on a tour along the Mekong River. By boat you will go through the jungle to the very colorful Vietnamese floating villages.

How to get around the city?

Even if you are a skilled scooter driver, I would not recommend driving a motorbike in Saigon. Traffic in this southern capital of Vietnam is dense and chaotic, making it very difficult to understand the local unspoken rules.

The Vietnamese are very careless and unpredictable drivers, so it is better to use buses or taxis in Saigon.

How to cross the road in Ho Chi Minh City during rush hour?

You can stand for half an hour near the crossing in the hope that the flow will stop in front of you. It is useless to hope for this. Begin to calmly move along the transition in small steps very slowly. Scooter drivers will pass you. The main thing is not to make sudden movements and be predictable. It's only scary the first time. If you think that you cannot cross the road yourself, ask a nearby hotel employee or police officer to transfer you. Or wait for the Vietnamese and go next to them.

Why do people wear face masks in Saigon?

Maxis are worn mainly by motorbike drivers to protect themselves from exhaust fumes. Women also cover their entire face, arms and legs during the day, for fear of losing their white skin. In Vietnam, tanned skin is a sign that you have to work hard in the fields and behind the sales counter. Real ladies have a creamy skin tone and never tan.

What are the must-see attractions in Ho Chi Minh City?

The former capital of French Indochina, the southern capital of Vietnam, the huge city of Ho Chi Minh City is still a center of attraction in Southeast Asia. People come here in search of work, adventure, educational recreation and simply for the Asian flavor that is present in abundance in this city full of contrasts. What is Ho Chi Minh City, or as it is commonly called, Saigon? Let's walk along its streets and plunge into the history, religion and simply beauty of this wonderful city.

Today's Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) has more than 9 million inhabitants. This number includes the population of the city itself and adjacent rural communes administratively belonging to Saigon. Its area is 2095 square meters. km, the population density is very high - about 3700 people/sq. km.

Saigon produces 17% of the national GDP and 40% of export products. Here are the headquarters of many multinational corporations, the largest banks in Vietnam and regional offices of foreign ones.

The city is in a constant state of construction. New office and industrial complexes, luxury hotels are being built, parks are being created and new areas are being developed.

Tourists do not ignore the legendary Asian metropolis. Everyone will find entertainment here to suit their taste - from cultural and educational tourism to nightlife.

Museums

There are more than a dozen museums in the city, each interesting in its own way. Which one to watch is up to you.

Palace of Independence

One of the first places where tourists are taken on an organized excursion is the Palace of Independence. Although the second name suits it better - Reunification Palace. It was here that the act of reunification of North and South Vietnam was signed. The history of this building is tightly woven into the historical events of the mid-twentieth century. Built by the French in a colonial style, it became the residence of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. Several attempts were made on his life. One of them is an air raid organized by two officers of the Republic Air Force in 1962. As a result, the building of the Palace of Independence was destroyed.

Its new appearance is very reminiscent of a building from the USSR era, so in appearance it does not look like a palace at all. In 1975, it again fell into the category of iconic places in Saigon. This is the year of the final withdrawal of American troops and the capture of Saigon by North Vietnamese troops. Thanks to an Australian photojournalist, the tank that broke through the gates of the Independence Palace becomes a symbol of the fall of Saigon. It is still located in the same place and is a historical landmark along with the Palace itself.

The museum's exposition includes furnishings from the late 60s, an office, antique telephones and other means of communication, military equipment on the territory of the Palace and a whole network of underground tunnels connecting the Palace of Independence and the Ho Chi Minh City Museum.

This museum is worth a visit for everyone, but especially for those interested in the culture and traditions of Vietnam. Its building has a long history, starting with the fact that it was once the residence of the French governor of the province of Cochin, then the office of the French High Commissioner in Saigon, then the Supreme Court and the revolutionary museum. It was later renamed the City Museum.

South Vietnamese Women's Museum

Vietnam History Museum

Vietnamese history is inextricably linked with the evolution of cultures throughout Southeast Asia. The most ancient valuable relics and artifacts date back to the Dong Son culture of the second millennium BC. e. The following presents the development of the early states of Bapnom and Champa, the Khmer and Vietnamese small nations. There are exhibits from Cambodia's Angkor Wat, Buddha statues, and the mummy of a Vietnamese woman who died in 1869. Many exhibits are related to China. Here you can watch traditional water puppet theater performances and buy souvenirs.

In terms of the richness of its exhibition, it is hardly inferior to the National Museum of Fine Arts in Hanoi. The museum building itself is noteworthy. This is a colonial mansion, pierced by many arches, with balconies opening onto cozy courtyards. There are 16 exhibition halls on 4 floors. Works of art include painting, ceramics, lacquer painting, sculpture, ancient Buddhist works, woodblock prints.

The first floor is dedicated to the exhibition and sale of works by Vietnamese and foreign artists. The second is dedicated to contemporary art, which largely reflects the events of the struggle against French colonialists and the American War. The third floor contains works dating from the 1st to the 20th century.

Ho Chi Minh Museum

Uncle Ho is the most legendary historical figure of the 20th century. And the most revered. It was under his leadership that the reunification of two irreconcilable republics on the territory of Vietnam took place. It is to him that the country owes its socialist system. His portraits are on all Vietnamese banknotes.

The museum is divided into two parts. The first floor is a collection of the leader's personal belongings. The second is a gallery where his photographs from different periods of his life are exhibited.

This is a remembrance of the war crimes committed against the Vietnamese people. The exhibits, full of tragedy, do not leave anyone indifferent. It used to be called the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes. The naturalism of the exhibition clearly demonstrates the cruelty with which they were committed. Here are presented the instruments of murder and torture to which the Vietnamese communists were subjected, documents, including photographs and videos.

Tim Page is a legendary war photographer. He compiled a large selection of photographs of victims of the American-Vietnamese War on both sides. Here are adults and children mutilated by napalm and phosphorus bombs, the consequences of the use of poisons and toxic substances with a description of their effects.

Religious sites

Vietnam is a country of three religions and many beliefs. The metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City has absorbed them all and provides the opportunity for each of its residents to practice their faith in temples and pagodas, cathedrals and houses of worship.

Notre Dame de Saigon or Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon

The hallmark of old Saigon is the Notre Dame de Saigon Cathedral. It was built by the French according to the design of their architect J. Bourg. An exact copy of Notre Dame Cathedral was built in just 6 years - from 1877 to 1983. Every last stone and nail was delivered from Europe. The architectural style is neo-Romanesque with Gothic elements. The temple is decorated with traditional stained glass windows. The interior space is organized as in an ordinary Catholic cathedral. Stained glass windows and a marble altar with figures of angels give it extraordinary beauty. The bell tower has six bells, which ring simultaneously only on the feast of the Nativity of Christ.

It was built at the end of the 19th century on the ruins of an ancient temple discovered as a result of excavations. Its foundation dates back to the beginning of our era - the era of Funan, a state that was then in the territory later inhabited by the Vietnamese. The temple is active, services are held here three times a day. Many temples in Vietnam are associated with animal legends. This one is dedicated to the white elephant.

Legend has it that one day it was decided to move the temple to another location. And all the relics and treasures, including the bell, were loaded onto the back of a white elephant. After walking a few steps, the elephant stumbled, and the entire load scattered at the temple gate and into the lake. The superstitious monks took this as a sign that the temple should remain in its old location. All the relics were picked up, but only the bell could not be recovered from the bottom of the lake. And now local residents claim that bells can be heard from there every full moon.

Mariamman Temple

This is a Hindu temple, the only one functioning in the city. The Mariamman Temple is a place of pilgrimage for followers of Hinduism in Vietnam, where they come on major religious holidays from all over the country. Legend says that this place is endowed with magical powers - anyone who crosses its threshold is healed of illnesses.

The initiator of the construction of the temple dedicated to Mariamman, the goddess, mother of all living things, was the Tamil community living in the suburbs of Saigon. The temple was built with their donations at the end of the 19th century. The Tamils ​​are still a large part of his flock. The temple is small, but very cozy and beautiful. Built in traditional Indian style, it attracts not only tourists, but also local residents.

This pagoda is a symbol of the “Buddhist revival”. It was built in the 70s of the last century, when the persecution of the Buddhist faith ended. The temple was built jointly by the Japanese and Vietnamese, so its architecture exhibits the simplicity and harmony of traditional Japanese religious architecture. The multi-tiered 40-meter tower is a chapel. There is a bell with a diameter of 2 meters.

The adjacent squat structure is the main building, in the depths of which there is an altar with a statue of Buddha surrounded by disciples. The smaller tower is a kind of columbarium where urns with ashes are located. At the pagoda you can buy souvenirs and admire an exhibition of works by Vietnamese artists.

Ho Chi Minh City is a large Vietnamese city named after the first president of Vietnam. We were passing through Ho Chi Minh City, stayed for several days and managed to see the most popular attractions of the city. Ho Chi Minh City seemed to us a very dynamic city, it is very difficult to relax here: there is bustle, motorbikes, markets everywhere. But nevertheless, there is something to see in Ho Chi Minh City.

There are quite a lot of attractions in the city. Most of them are concentrated in the city center, so you can get around them on foot in 1 day. That's what we did. On the first day we went for a walk, picking up a city map from the hotel with the attractions marked on it.

Palace of Independence

The first attraction on our way was the Reunification Palace (or Independence Palace). It is located in the central part of the city, near the Notre Dame building and the post office.

This palace was built specifically for the first president of Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem. The building survived two wars: with the French colonialists and with the Americans. In 1962 it was severely destroyed. After which the palace was restored for a long time, but in 1975 it was again destroyed. Now the palace has been completely reconstructed.

The Reunification Palace is very large, you can walk around it and see the exhibitions. But, unfortunately, we were not able to do this. We arrived too late; at 18:00 the entrance to the palace territory closes. We were not even able to take a walk in the park adjacent to the palace, since the guards closed the gates to the park.

As we later found out, the palace is open from 7.30 to 11.00 and from 13.00 to 16.00. Entrance to the palace grounds costs VND 30,000 per person. Tours of the palace are held at certain hours.

Notre Dame de Saigon and post office building

Notre Dame is an active Catholic church, it is located on a Parisian square, not far from the Reunification Palace. The temple building was built in 1883 by craftsmen from France. The building design was created by the then famous French architect J. Bourat. This Catholic cathedral is an almost exact copy of Notre Dame Cathedral in France.

Notre Dame de Saigon is a popular place among tourists, who walk and take photos near the cathedral. You can also go inside the temple, but we were unlucky; at that time it was already closed. The cathedral is open to the public from 04:00 to 09:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00.

The cathedral has 6 large bells, each of which has a special sound. But on ordinary days, only one bell is rung; the sound of all six can only be heard on major Catholic holidays. But you can admire the tall bell towers, which are only slightly smaller than Notre Dame in Paris.

Next to the cathedral there is a statue of the Virgin Mary made of white marble. The statue was created in 1959 by master G. Siochetti.

The post office building is located opposite Notre Dame de Saigon. It is the current Main Post Office of Ho Chi Minh City. The building was built at the end of the 19th century and is still in use. From here you can send a postcard home with a Vietnamese postmark. The design of the post office building is Gustav Eiffel.

The building was built in a colonial style and is decorated with a large clock on the outside. Inside, the Post Office looks even more beautiful: vaulted ceilings, columns, sculptures - everything is designed in the same style.

The building also has telephone booths made of natural wood. Above them are clocks that show time in different parts of the world. It is noteworthy that telephone booths are not used at all for their intended purpose: instead of a wired telephone, they contain ATMs.

Ho Chi Minh City Post Office is a very popular place and there are always a lot of tourists inside. Especially for them, the post office set up several large stores with various Vietnamese souvenirs, jewelry and silk products. Photo 32

War Crimes Museum. It is very difficult to describe a visit to the museum in a few phrases; it evokes strong emotions. We heard about the famous museum in Ho Chi Minh City before arriving in Vietnam and planned to visit it.

When we first visited Ho Chi Minh City, we did not get to the museum, since we arrived only at 17:00, and it was closing at that time. But we specifically allocated 2 days on the way back from Nha Trang to visit Ho Chi Minh City in order to have time to visit the military museum and get to the Palace of Independence.

The museum is open seven days a week from 7.30 to 17.00 with a lunch break. The entrance fee to the museum is small - 15,000 VND. There are always a lot of tourists from different countries here.

The museum is called “War Remnants Museum”, translated from English as “Museum of the Consequences of War”. But the original name of the museum was more appropriate: the museum was called “Exhibition House for US and Puppet Crimes” - “Museum of Crimes of the USA and its Puppets.” Exhibits, paintings, photographs, weapons - everything shows what terrible atrocities the Americans committed during the war against Vietnamese soldiers and civilians.

This military museum makes a huge impression on people. The museum consists of three floors, and each floor has a separate exhibition. The first contains photographs, most of which depict rallies that took place in different countries in support of Vietnam. It contains various archival materials, excerpts from documents, photographs, etc.

On the second floor there are photographs taken by war correspondents during the war, as well as samples of weapons.

I don’t want to describe all the exhibits, I don’t even want to remember what I saw. The photographs of people after the use of chemical weapons by the American army, as well as photographs of Vietnamese children born after this, are simply horrifying. This is the first museum in which I did not see a single visitor smiling or talking. Mostly everyone walks around the museum in silence. The Vietnamese themselves also visit the museum. Before our eyes, one woman became ill.

On the street there is another small room in which a torture room and the cells in which people were kept were recreated.

The museum exhibits a collection of military equipment of that time: tanks, planes, helicopters that were used in the war.

Bitexco Financial Tower. This building is one of the main attractions of Ho Chi Minh City. In Ho Chi Minh City we did not see any tall skyscrapers except this tower. It is visible from almost anywhere in the city.

The famous Saigon Skydeck is located on the 49th floor of Bitexo, but we had no desire to go up there. The entrance fee to Saigon Skydeck is VND 200,000 per person. There is a restaurant on the 50th floor of the tower, which offers a beautiful view of the entire city.

Pagodas of Ho Chi Minh City

In Ho Chi Minh City, as in Vietnam in general, there are a lot of temples and pagodas. Walking around the city, you can see a large number of Buddhist temples and Catholic cathedrals.

In the center of Ho Chi Minh City is the large Buddhist temple of Vinh Nghiem. It was built in 1971. There are several buildings located on the territory of the temple complex. The most majestic of them is a seven-story tower, made in the style of traditional Buddhist architecture. The height of the tower is forty meters.

I really liked the small temple somewhere in the back streets of Ho Chi Minh City. We stumbled upon it completely by accident; it is located deep in the courtyards. We were attracted by the unusual appearance of the temple. The monk kindly invited us to enter the territory.

After walking around the territory a little, we were about to leave, but the same monk invited us to walk around the temple itself and go up to the upper floors. This is an active Buddhist temple, it was interesting to see the interior decoration of the temple and the life of the monks. The youngest monks were cleaning up at this time.

Dam Sen Waterpark

In every city we visit for the first time, we always go to a water park. The water park in Ho Chi Minh City is not particularly impressive: a shabby appearance, a small number of slides. But overall, you can spend a couple of hours of fun here.

When going to this water park, it is better to wear a T-shirt, as the seams on the slides are quite noticeable. I preferred the slides that you need to slide down on a balloon. I especially liked the Open Fall water slide. But its downside is that only three people can roll together. We came together, so we had to ask the Vietnamese one by one to keep us company.

There are few tourists in the water park. A relaxation area has been created especially for them on the roof where they can sunbathe. The Vietnamese prefer to have white skin, so only tourists relax at the top. The water park is visited mainly by the Vietnamese themselves, who watch the tourists with interest, make acquaintances and ask to be photographed together. Next to the water park there is also the Dam Sen amusement park. But we didn’t have time to get there.

Ho Chi Minh City Zoo

Walking around the city center, you can see a large park. Later we found out that this is a huge city zoo. Its area is almost 20 hectares. The zoo houses more than 590 animals and a huge number of different plants.

The entrance fee is VND 50,000 per person. The park is open from 7:00 to 18:00. There were very few tourists in the zoo. The territory is really very large; it took about 3 hours to walk around.

The park has a huge territory. Not far from the entrance there are terrariums with snakes.

There are a lot of inhabitants in the zoo: hippos, giraffes, elephants, bears, tigers, lions and many others.

The white lion looked majestic and behaved very aggressively. It’s good that the transparent walls of the enclosure are strong - the lion periodically threw himself at the walls and growled at tourists.

I especially liked the monkeys at the zoo. The huge gorillas seemed very intelligent. Photo 26

Small gray monkeys live in large, tall cages. During our visit, one cub calmly climbed out between the bars of the cage, walked around the area and returned inside to its family.

The visit to the Saigon Zoo even upset me a little. I didn't like the conditions in which some of the animals were kept. I especially felt sorry for the elephants. They are kept in a small area, stand in the full sun, looking unhappy and exhausted.

Several times we saw huge rats running through the park. I can’t say that I’m afraid of them, but when they run past, it becomes unpleasant.

Overall, the zoo itself is worth visiting. It is really huge, in some places quite well maintained, you can have a pleasant time here.

Vietnamese National Water Puppet Theater (Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater)

In the center of Ho Chi Minh City, not far from the city zoo, there is another popular tourist spot - the water puppet theater. Water theater is Vietnamese national entertainment. The first water puppet shows were held in Vietnam about a thousand years ago. During the rainy season, peasants staged peculiar puppet shows in rice fields flooded with water. At first, garden scarecrows served as dolls, but with the growing popularity of performances, dolls began to be made from fig wood.

Water puppet theater is very popular in Vietnam today. We passed by the theater on a weekday; there were a lot of people wanting to see the performance. Performances take place every day at 17:00 and 18:30. We only had 1 free day in Ho Chi Minh City, so we preferred to visit other places.

A few days are enough to explore the sights of Ho Chi Minh City. In general, the city makes a pleasant impression. There are especially many cafes and restaurants here where you can have a tasty and inexpensive snack. But due to the bustle of the city, crazy traffic and brisk trade on the streets, there was no desire to stay here for a long time.

Hotel booking in Ho Chi Minh City