Ho Chi Minh City had been on the to-do list for some time, so with my Dad in town for his retirement trip, and me having just finished my old role it seemed like as good a time as any to head up for a visit. I now wish I'd been there sooner, as its a great spot that ticks a lot of boxes for the long weekend visit:
- Flight time Singapore to Ho Chi Minh is around one hour forty minutes, closer than Bangkok and Bali
- The Airport is around twenty minutes away from the city, traffic permitting
- There's a good selection of historic sights including those related to the Vietnman war, the food is outstanding and everywhere you look something's for sale, including the enormous historic market building
- There's a wide selection of hotels, many of them with rooftop bars which are a great way to enjoy the developing skyline, while still being close enough to ground level to hear the buzz of traffic below
Ho Chi Minh City was my second trip to Vietnam, after visiting Hanoi and Ha Long Bay a couple of years back. To my mind the energy and vibrancy of Ho Chi Minh City cannot be compared to up north. Drinking at the rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh, watching the endless traffic and admiring the fast-developing skyline, I couldn't help but think the city is going places fast. Get in now, as with the pace of change I got the feeling in ten or even five years large parts of the city will be unrecognisable.
Firstly, no visit would be complete without a visit to the War Remnants Museum. Hardware out the front, including several tanks, helecopters and jets. There's also a vivid display of methods used to torture PoW's, told from the Vietcong perspective. The upper two levels of the museum contain a great selection of other artifacts and photography, and detail the ongoing cost of the war on both sides:
Walking around town is easy as its very flat and nothing seemed too far away, it just helps to close your eyes when crossing the road. This is the City Hall Building along one of the main avenues:
Further around is the beautiful French Colonial Post Office Building, which in true Vietnam fashion still operates as a functioning Post Office
Walking around town and the skyline really beginning to take shape:
This is the Bitexo Financial Tower. Not sure who Bitexo are, but their building sure looks nice. The thing sticking out of it is a helicopter landing pad, must take a brave pilot to try and land on that thing:
And lastly from the viewing platform up the top (where the windows could use a good wash), the view to the south including the Saigon River and another massive building under construction:
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