Ho Chi Minh City formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam. It was once known as Prey Nokor, an important Khmer sea port prior to annexation by the Vietnamese in the 17th century. Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. However the old Saigon moniker is still used by both Vietnamese and foreigners, especially when referring to the most central part of the city, to which most tourists flock.
The city center is situated on the banks of the Saigon River, 60 kilometers (37 mi) from the South China Sea and 1,760 kilometers (1,094 mi) south of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It’s also ranked 132 on the list of world’s most expensive cities.
History
One of the earliest known records of the area now known as Ho Chi Minh City says that it was a small fishing village called Prey Nokor, inhabited by Khmer people. In the year 1623 Vietnamese refugees fled from the civil war in Vietnam and settled in Prey Nokor (which was a part of Cambodia then) with the permission of the king of Cambodia. Gradually more Vietnamese refugees migrated to this area and this place came to be known as Saigon.
With the colonization of Vietnam by France in 1858 the city officially ceded to the French in 1859.The colonization influence this city heavily, so much so, that it was called “Paris in the Orient”. Many of the old colonial buildings and villas still stand today and hark of those times. In 1954, Communist Viet Minh defeated the French in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, and the French withdrew from Vietnam. However the Communists were not recognized as the new government. The Emperor Bao D?i became the head of state and set up Saigon as his capital. During this time Saigon and the area of Cholon were combined into one city. Vietnam was partitioned into the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Vietnam. The latter, led by President Ngo Dinh Diem, made Saigon its capital. When the Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975, the city came under the jurisdiction of the Vietnam People's Army. This event is referred to as the "Liberation of Saigon."
In 1976, unified communist Socialist Republic of Vietnam came into being, the city of Saigon, the province of Gia Dinh and other districts merged to create Ho Chi Minh City to commemorate the late communist leader Ho Chi Minh. Today, the city centre boasts of broad elegant boulevards and historic French colonial buildings, war and history museums and ancient pagodas.
Weather
The city has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical wet and dry climate, with an average humidity of 75%. The year is divided into two distinct seasons. The rainy season, with an average rainfall of about 1,800 millimeters (71 in) annually (about 150 rainy days per year), usually begins in May and ends in late November. The dry season lasts from December to April. The average temperature is 28 °C (82 °F), the highest temperature sometimes reaches 39 °C (102 °F) around noon in late April, while the lowest may fall below 16 °C (61 °F) in the early mornings of late December.
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• Do city tour to visit famous sites in Ho Chi Minh: Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ben Thanh Market, Giac Lam Pagoda...
• Go to the Cholon market and buy pretty Vietnamese handicrafts, watch the grisly after effects of war in the War Remnants Museum or soak in the spiritual atmosphere in the incense filled Jade Emperor Pagoda.
• Let’s try exploring the city on motor bikes all night long. You will feel the difference from the bustling of daytime.
• A great place to cool off after an exhausting day of sightseeing would be the numerous water parks in Ho Chi Minh City. The Dam Sen Water Park and the Saigon Water Park are popular haunts. Water World and Ocean Water Park are also quite well-known.
• If you want to catch up with the movies then a nice multiplex is Galaxy cinema at 116, Nguyen Du, District 1 which boasts of four screens.
• You cannot but be in Vietnam and not pamper yourself with a nice manicure and pedicure and a relaxing massage. The Vietnamese manicure and pedicure is supposed to be the best kind ever. Visiting a salon comes cheap as a hair wash pedicure and manicure will set you back only by 10 USD.
• Places that you could get out Ho Chi Minh City are Cu Chi tunnel, Can Gio, Dalat, Mekong Delta, Tay Ninh, Mui ne, and Vung Tau.
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The ecological forest of Can Gio is situated 50km away from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. With an area of over 70,000 ha, of which 35,000 ha is salt-watered forest, Can Gio has been recognized as a biosphere reserve of the world by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The ecological forest of Can Gio
It seems to be in the watery areas of Ca Mau and Kien Giang, the southernmost area in Vietnam with vast mangrove and cajuput forests. The roots of the mangrove trees on the sides of the river twist with one another then spread out and root deep into the earth. It is these roots that make Can Gio a protective forest safeguarding millions of city dwellers, and an ideal ecological tourist site as well.
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Air
Ho Chi Minh City is served by Tan Son Nhat International Airport, located in Tan Binh District. Tan Son Nhat Airport is currently the largest airport in Vietnam in terms of passengers handled (with an estimated number of over 15.5 million passengers per year in 2010, accounting for more than half of Vietnam's air passenger traffic); it will soon be superseded by Long Thanh International Airport, scheduled to begin operation in 2025. Based in Long Thanh, Dong Nai Province, about 40 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thanh Airport will serve international flights, with a maximum traffic capacity of 100 million passengers per year when fully completed; Tan Son Nhat Airport will serve domestic flights.
Rail
Ho Chi Minh City is also a terminal for many Vietnam Railways train routes in the country. The Reunification Express runs from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi from Saigon Railway Station in District 3, with stops at cities and provinces along the line.
Water
The city's location on the Saigon River makes it a bustling commercial and passenger port; besides a constant stream of cargo ships, passenger boats operate regularly between Ho Chi Minh City and various destinations in Southern Vietnam and Cambodia, including Vung Tau, Can Tho and the Mekong Delta, and Phnom Penh. Traffic between Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam's southern provinces has steadily increased over the years; the Doi and Te Canals, the main routes to the Mekong Delta, receive 100,000 waterway vehicles every year, representing around 13 million tons of cargo. A project to dredge these routes has been approved to facilitate transport, to be implemented in 2011–2014.
Inner city transportation
The main means of transport within the city are motorbikes, buses, taxis, and bicycles. Motorbikes remain the most common way to move around the city. Taxis are plentiful and usually have trip meters, although it is also common to agree on the trip price before taking a long trip, for example, from the airport to the city centre. Public buses run on many routes and fare can be purchased on the bus. For short trips, "xe ôm" (literally, "hug vehicle") motorcycle taxis are available where the passenger sits at the rear of a motorbike. A popular activity for tourists is a tour of the city on cyclos, which allow for longer trips at a more relaxed pace. For the last few years, cars have become more popular.
Light rail
The Ho Chi Minh City Metro, a light rail rapid transit network, is currently in the preparation stages, with the first line currently under construction, to be completed by 2014. This first line will connect Ben Thanh Market to Suoi Tien Park in District 9, with a depot in Long Binh. Planners expect the route to serve more than 160,000 passengers daily. A line between Ben Thanh and Tham Luong in District 12 has been approved by the government, and several more lines are currently the subject of feasibility studies.
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Ho Chi Minh is a great place to visit. However, there are many traveler have mixed feelings about their experience here. Hopefully we can share with you some tips for a great time in this amazing city. Here are some suggestions and recommendations:
• Eat: there are millions of bars and restaurants in HCMC, and we must explore day by day. The following is a few of typical names.
Underground Saigon: Great food, great atmosphere, and a great meeting place with the owner is Michael Keung
69, Dong Khoi St, Dist 1
Ancient Town Restaurant: Very good Vietnamese food.
211 Dien Bien Phu St, Dist.1
Mandarin Restaurant
11A Ngo Van Nam St, Dist.1
Lemongrass Restaurant: Try their Crab Spring Rolls!
4 Nguyen thiep St.Dist.1
Pho 24 Restaurant: Actually a chain, and it is everywhere, but it has very good traditional beef noodle soup.
5 Nguyen Thiep St, Dist.1
Amigo Steak House: A place to go if you start missing home, but its best to try the Vietnams restaurants first...
55-57 Nguyen Hue St, Dist.1
• Shopping: Ho Chi Minh City is a heaven for shoppers. Besides some most expensive shopping zones namely Dong Khoi and Le Thanh Ton, you can get simpler and cheaper goods at some shopping anh markets. But remember that except from the major tourist shops, which are fixed price shops, in all other shopping zones in Ho Chi Minh City, your bargaining skill will be of great help to you. Any item without a price label can be bargained down to at least two thirds of its initially quoted price. A good eye is also essential to find out the genuine item from the endless supply of goods
The major shopping zones in the city are listed below:
- Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City
- Dong Khoi Street, Ho Chi Minh City
- American Market, Ho Chi Minh City
- Binh Tay, Ho Chi Minh City
- Diamond Plaza, Ho Chi Minh City
- Saigon Square Shopping Center, Ho Chi Minh City
- Duc Minh Art Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City
- Wooden Toy Store, Ho Chi Minh City
- Thong Xa Tax Market, Ho Chi Minh City
• Safe: be careful of scam artists are operating in the streets of Ho Chi Minh. Usually, a person will strike up a friendly conservation claiming they’ve seen you at anywhere or they have relationship with any your family member. The conversation will be very naturally and when they find out you are cheated, they will invite you to their house for meal to help console a worried grandmother or to give advice to their family member. Of course, when you arrive, the family member is not there or suddenly fallen ill and had to go to the hospital. You'll be presented with various business opportunities, legal or not, or asked for financial support for the suddenly sick one.
Hotel scams are very common even in the mid-range price level US$~20-70. The hotel will remind you once that you should place your valuables in the room safe or the hotel safe. Be sure that hotel staff cleaning may steal it faster than you can think since they can get into your room any time, and they will use the chance. Lock up everything that is more or less valuable.
• Taxi: Unfortunately, taxi drivers in most third world countries tend to try and rip you off from time to time. Ho Chi Minh is not the worst place we have been for this, but you still got to be careful.
Here are a few suggestions for taxis:
- Never use a cab that does not have proper company name. The best and cheapest company we have found is Vina cab. They are all yellow.
- Make sure the driver agrees to turn on the meter.
- Carry a map of the city and follow (or pretend to follow) the rout to your destination. This will discourage the driver from taking you on a "scenic tour" of the city.
- Remember to write down the taxi number or take a rider’s name card. In case of forgetting something, you can get back easily.
• With beggars and street venders
The first time to Ho Chi Minh, travelers will be shock by approaching of beggars and street venders or a terrible handicap. If you are not the least bit interested in what they have to sell, just decide to ignore them from day one.
With beggars often belong to a syndicate; it will be better if you give money to some relief organization instead. But if you feel guilty every time some destitute soul approaches you for money, consider doing what we told you. You should decide a fix number of money will be given for them during the time stay there, for example 10$. Then change it into small VND and passed out a few coins to each beggar who approaches you. When it is all gone, just ignored the rest and enjoyed yourself.
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