Everything.....! - Ho Chi Minh City - Things To Do Reviews

Woah.....no reviews of HCMC....?
Oh dear. Let's set it straight right now. HCMC has so many things to see and do.

Firstly, downtown. Try walking around Le Loi, Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue streets to get the atmosphere of the city center. The Hotel De Ville is at the end of Nguyen Hue Street, it used to be town hall under French rule, now it is the home of the HCMC People's Committee. Strictly no entry here but a great photo opportunity. Walk up Dong Khoi Street and you'll eventually come to the Notre Dame Cathedral. Again built by the French, it is a replica of the Notre Dame in Paris. Adjacent to this is the city post office, a tourist attraction in its own right due to its architecture.

Head around the back of ND and through the park, you'll see the famous gates of the Reunification Palace, the home of President Diem in the 60s and the scene of the end of the American War, where government forces retook the city in the 70s. The Palace still has wartime maps and communication rooms untouched in its basement, and regal state rooms preserved in all their glory.

From here walk down Nam Ky Khoi Nghai in the direction of traffic and you'll come to the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City on Ly Ty Trong. Lots of memorabilia in here relating to both French and Vietnamese rule.

Other museums worth going to are the War Remnants Museum (Vo Van Tan) and the Ho Chi Minh Museum (District 4).

Many famous pagodas are dotted all over the city, especially in District 5, also know as Cholon or Chinatown. Hence half day tours to this area are popular to visit the many pagodas. A bit further out in D11 is Giac Lam Pagoda, another one the buses frequently visit and the oldest in the city.

Market wise, Ben Thanh in the heart of the city is the tourists hotspot, however, there are many across the city.....

Other things to do:
Zoo and Botanical Gardens (D1, Nguyen Binh Kiem)
Horse Racing
Dam Sen Waterpark/park (D11)

Loads of companies do half day and full day city tours most with a standard itinerary, if you don't like the normal tourist thing you could try Connections (connectionsvietnam.com). Also check them out for interesting cooking classes!

Phew! Can't think of anything else right now but I'll be back with more later.