Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Answer 1

Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam with a population of over 6 million. A vibrant destination that is still very affordable, Ho Chi Minh offers visitors an endless array of things to do.

There several museums that are worth visiting including the War Remnants Museum and the Museum of Vietnamese History, the latter with a world class collection of antiques and fine art. For families there is the Binh Quoi Tourist Village, a purpose built resort that has tennis courts, water puppet shows and a boat rides along the canal. For more water based fun there is the Dam Sen Water Park which has water slides, man made rapids and rope swing above the water.

A densely packed city crammed with hundreds of places to visit and close to the much of Vietnam’s lush green countryside, Ho Chi Minh City is a place you must see.

Answer 2

Overview: All-Inclusive

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is a city that’s reinventing itself after years of war and a painful reunification. It’s even renamed itself: For centuries the former French colonial outpost was called Saigon,and even before that, when it was still a Khmer seaport, Prey Nokor. The city’s bustling central district is still called Saigon by the locals.

In contrast to the stately elegance and more leisurely pace of sister city Hanoi in the south, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is brasher, cruder, downright pushy much of the time. The smog from a million motor bikes clouds its morning skies; aggressive vendors hawk Ho Chi Minh T-shirts and fake Rolex watches two inches from your nose. The best thing to do is sleep late, seek refuge in your hotel by day, and begin your exploring as the sun sets when the city comes alive in a more magical way. If you’re really jonesing for the seaside, Can Gio Island – a delightful beach and mangrove area more popular with locals than with tourists -- is an hour and a half away by motorbike taxi.

Arts and Entertainment

There are many museums in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, all of them interesting in one way or another. The Museum of Vietnamese History, next to the botanical gardens and zoo, covers the history of the nation from earliest prehistoric times to the Nguyen Dynasty that ended in 1945. Standout exhibits include archaeological artifacts from Bronze Age Saigon and a collection of ancient Vietnamese ceramics (some of them held together by scotch tape.) The most interesting things about the Ho Chi Minh City Museum may be the series of tunnels – now closed to the public -- used by former president Ngo Dinh Diem as a hideout, and the profusion of Vietnamese newlyweds posing for photographs on the edifice’s front steps. The War Remnants Museum was called the War Crimes Museum before tourism became an important part of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s economy. Exhibits document Vietnam’s wars with the both the French and Americans; though grim, they serve as a necessary reminder of the horrors of war and visitors are asked to sign a petition against aerial carpet-bombing as they enter the building.

Without a doubt, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s most famous tourist destination is the Cu Chi Tunnels, which lie some 40 miles west of the city at the end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. This was the base used by Communist guerillas and stretched as far as the Cambodian border. Oddly enough, when you get tired of remembering the ravages of war, you can try your hand at a shooting gallery where every type of weapon, from shotguns to AK-47s, are available for a buck a bullet.

Food and Drink

The streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam are a foodie’s delight with open-air stalls vending everything from local Vietnamese delicacies like chao (a rice porridge with pig’s blood – not for the faint of heart) and bun dishes of vermicelli noodles to ice cream and sweets. For a sit down meal, try Com Nieu Sai Gon in District 3 – a restaurant made famous by Anthony Bourdain’s travel show “No Reservations” – and order the caramelized fish hatchlings and lotus root salad.

Answer 3

Saigon