Traveling to Vietnam for either a Mekong River Cruise or just to visit the exotic and charming country, Ho Chi Minh City should be your starting point. “The Paris of the Orient” is now the economic capital of Vietnam and offers a lot to do and see.
There are many museums, cultural sites, and architectural heritage. Vietnam & Angkor Wat [DK Eyewitness Travel], Exploring Ho Chi Minh City [by Tim Doling] and Insight Guides provide extensive tour and excursion information for tourist. You’ll find information on pagodas, temples, markets, communal houses and other destinations of interest. I have learned thru numerous trips to Vietnam that the two most important things to be aware of are motorbikes/scooters and depending on the time of year the heat.
The traditional well-known spots: General Post Office Building, Norte Dame, Opera House, People’s Committee Building, Reunification Palace, and War Remnants Museum are the usual sightseeing sights. There are many significant pagodas, temples and churches to see – a tour is easy the way to see the major ones. Brennan Lagman’s article; “Saigon in 3 days if you’re a culture snob” presents an itinerary to see the best of the city’s exquisite culture and history.
Clients and friends wonder what I do in Ho Chi Minh City; each visit I try for new experience or destination to visit in Ho Chi Minh City. One of my most rewarding experiences was taking the “The Quiet American Tour” as outlined in Insight Guides’ Explore Vietnam. This tour provides a fantastic opportunity for you to experience Thomas Fowler haunts as described in Graham Greene’s 1950 novel. The tour is about 3.5 miles in length and takes the better part of the day. You start at Hotel Majestic and end at the former American Legation. You should read the novel before taking the tour. For a unique experience try urban shrimping [https://www.sumactravelservices.com/pages/shrimping-in-ho-chi-minh-city--a-highlight-not-to-be-missed-in-ho-choi-minh-city-24478] I have been there a number of times and it’s a great experience.
Ho Chi Minh City has a wealth of local markets and alleyway shops offering quality, handcrafted products. Of the numerous markets, I go to two frequently: Bến Thành and Bình Tây. When visiting Bình Tây take time to explore Cholon (Chinatown), you can find everything from medicinal herbs, clothes, silk, jewelry and live birds. Bến Thành [https://www.sumactravelservices.com/pages/ben-thanb-market-24620] is my one stop spot for food, gifts (coffee, tea, cinnamon & black pepper) groceries and clothes. Both markets have exceptional food courts.
Ho Chi Minh City has plenty of options for lodging. While, I have stayed at a number of places in Ho Chi Minh City, my favorite is the Rex Hotel. The location, accommodations, spa, fitness center, dining, everyday service, and staff make the Rex an outstanding experience. Every visit I go to the Rooftop Garden Restaurant and Bar (famous for Vietnam War Five O’clock Follies locale) and enjoy cigars and Irish Whiskey in the Havana Cigar Bar’s club atmosphere. You feel like you're home with luxury accommodations.
Ho Chi Minh City has thousands of exciting food offering from luxury dining, sushi houses to street food it has it all. There is no better way to an inkling of the food scene in Ho Chi Minh City than street food. Street food varies by district and time of day; there are a number of foodie tour available to book – the concierge at the Rex Hotel is invaluable for that service alone. My friends and family serve as my local guides for street food; for breakfast I have tried bánh cuốn; bánh mì for lunch and dinner; and phở and bánh tằm bì for dinner. The real treat was the 8 or so bánh bèo I had, which are lily flower shaped rice flour disc with different topping.
For burgers I go to either Soul Burger by Bến Thành Market or one of Chuck’s Burgers locations. Chuck’s Burger is my favorite with the best onion rings in Southeast Asia, great burgers and cold tap beer.
I enjoy going to O’Briens Factory or Chuck’s Burgers for day drinking/lunch and stopping at night at the Havana Club for a cigar and Irish Whiskey before heading to Saigon Cocktails. To learn about Vietnam, follow Pappa Hemmingway advice; “if you want to know about culture, spend a night in its bars”; Saigon Cocktails is one such bar; - good music, great service, drinks and bar food. Live music as well background music makes for an enjoyable evening out. The bar in addition to having highly skilled bartenders (mixologists) it has an extensive collection of bourbons to choose from.
If you’re interested in traveling to Ho Chi Minh City for a pre or post Mekong River cruise or just to see Vietnam please contact Sumac Travel Services [https://www.sumactravelservices.com/], call 219-706-5137 or Email: tom.davenport@cruiseplanners.com today and let me help you plan your perfect vacation experience.
