Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Saigon at a glance | Look At Vietnam

Saigon at a glance

May 10, 2012

Okay, you are a visitor to Saigon and you only have 24 hours free time on your hands. What is the best way of spending that time in this historical and vibrant city?

Well, the options are endless but here are some pointers in the right direction. You have arrived with most tourists heading to hotels in District 1. Well the first port of call should be Saigon Notre-Dame.
Cathedral in Cong Xa Paris Square in downtown HCMC. It is a real landmark and it is a quick in and out trip. Short and sweet and of course free. Next up should be the Reunification Palace on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia. For a small fee of around three dollars you can visit the former home of the President of South Vietnam and one of the locations.
Not only is it a journey back in time but you get a wonderful view of the tree-lined street of Le Duan with its French design obvious.
A short five minute journey from there is the War Remnants Museum which is not for the fainthearted. The horrors of Agent Orange and U.S. bombing missions during the American War are evident and hard-hitting. A very sombre trip but one which I think all tourists to the city must make, if they have any interest at all in the country they are visiting.
From there you can head down to Cach Mang Thang Tam Street and the new statue of Buddhist Monk Thich Quang Duc who burned himself to death to make a political statement about the treatment of Buddhist Monks in the early 1960s in District 3.
If you want to see the Chinese part of town from there it is a short journey to Cholon in District 5 and 6. There is the former premises of the Le Grande Mondial which was the most profitable casino in the world during the 1950s and straight up the road from there is St Francis Xavier church (Father Tam church) in Hoc Lac Street where former President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem was captured during the military coup in November 1963 before his execution.
After all that history you will want to relax a little and heading to Saigon Pho 2000 which is ideally located next Ben Thanh Market in downtown for a bite to eat. Then you can do a spot of shopping and wheeling and dealing.
There is of course high end and low end shopping facilities located throughout Le Loi Street and cafes aplenty for your downtime.
The Rex Hotel is the most famous location in the city. It was a popular haunt of journalists and U.S. servicemen during the American War.
The top floor restaurant and bar is a must for any visitor to Saigon. There is live music among all your other necessities but it is more than that. You can feel the history as you sit there with a nice view of the city.
Of course you can be very bold and forget about the city tour and instead go to the popular Cu Chi Tunnels with buses running regularly or you can hire a motorbike and take the two hour journey there. Word of warning, though, it can be dangerous if you are inexperienced on a bike. The great thing about this part of the nation’s history is that it has been turned into a fun area with groups of Vietnamese and tourists alike taking in the historical aspect and having a picnic at the same time with a lot of green areas in the complex.
SGT

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.