Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon - Vietnam): travel guide book from A to Z: Overview of Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon - Vietnam): travel guide book from A to Z: Overview of Ho Chi Minh City

We would like to introduce the best and most comprehensive Saigon travel guide, introducing destinations and good food when you have the opportunity to travel to "Pearl of the Far East".

Called the "Pearl of the Far East", Ho Chi Minh City is the cultural, economic and political center of Vietnam.

Traveling to Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City of more than 300 years old, you can meet the high-rise buildings located close to the sanctuary, amusement park, crowded shopping center, but also lots of ancient villas, traditional markets which have existed for hundreds of years. Saigon is large and has lot travel offers such as travel along the Saigon River by boat, visit Pham Ngu Lao street, shopping at Ben Thanh market or explore Can Gio beach ....

 

The beauty of Notre Dame Cathedral. Photo: Marty Windle

1. Climate

Ho Chi Minh City has two distinct seasons: the rainy season from May to November, the dry season from December to April. If you come there in the rainy season, you should bring umbrella or raincoat as Saigon is famous for the sudden rains. In addition, Ho Chi Minh City is also a place full of sunshine. It is estimated that there are 270 hours of sunshine per month with average temperature at 27°C, highest up to 40°C but not as harsh as other places.

2. Transportation when traveling to Saigon

The main transport for tourists in Saigon are motorbikes, cars, bicycles, buses, cyclos. The cheapest public transport is only 5,000 dong/way by bus, followed by xe om (motorbike driver) and taxi. At the present, traffic density in Ho Chi Minh City is quite crowded, many road sections in the city occurred traffic jam at the time: from 7:00 am to 8:00 am and 17:00 to 18:00 pm.

 

Cyclos are a favorite with many visitors. Photo: Baomoi


Consultez les circuits sur Ho Chi Minh Ville de l'agence Orient Skyline Travel pour une découverte profonde de cette ville animée !

3. Main areas of Saigon

With a long history of development, HCMC today is very large and crowded with more than 8 million people. To help you avoid being overwhelmed by the bustle of the city, we would like to highlight the main areas in Saigon that you can visit.

3.1. Along the Saigon River

The busiest area along the Saigon River is Ton Duc Thang Street, also in the center of Ho Chi Minh City. This street has high-class hotels and restaurants, from which you can admire the Saigon River in the afternoons. There is a pier for visitors to take a trip to the Saigon River or try to dine at floating restaurants.

 

The area along the banks of the Saigon River is a favorite place for many visitors. Photo: proview-land

3. 2. Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica

This is the center of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. The cathedral clearly shows the "personality" of the city of Saigon. Near the ancient cathedral is the opposite image of the modern reinforced concrete buildings. From Notre Dame Cathedral, you can visit Independence Palace, shopping at Diamond Plaza, Dong Khoi street, Ho Con Rua, drinking coffee in Han Thuyen street ...

 

Ancient beauty of the Notre Dame cathedral. Photo: kientrucxd

3. 3. Nguyen Hue Street - District 1

This is a street in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, the two sides of the road have many hotels, shopping mall, some have existed for hundreds of years, bearing the style of classical Europe. Go straight to Nguyen Hue Street in the direction of Southeast you will go to Ton Duc Thang Street on the Saigon River. Especially, every Lunar New Year, Nguyen Hue Street becomes extremely brilliant, where flowers gather together to bloom to welcome spring. Flower streets are displayed in about 7-10 days, usually from 28th to 5th of the Lunar New Year.

 

Nguyen Hue Flower Road full of joy and brilliant colors on Tet holiday.Vinh: bizlive

3. 4. Ben Thanh market

From the 19th century, Ben Thanh Market is a witness of the history. The market has four east-west-south-south ports turning to main streets in central Saigon. Here, visitors can buy a lot of souvenirs, fabrics, clothing, handicrafts.

 

The beauty of Ben Thanh market in the evening. Picture: ST

3. 5. Western Town

"Western Street" includes Pham Ngu Lao, De Tham and neighboring streets in the center of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. This place was voted by popular tourist magazine Lonely Planet as a must-see for visitors to Ho Chi Minh City. Western Street is very close to Ben Thanh Market, and the main bus station.

3. 6. Chinatown - District 5

Chinatown is the busiest shopping center in Saigon. It is also home to a large concentration of Chinese in the South. Here you can enjoy a very rich cuisine, there are dishes in Chinese style but also the dishes have been changed a bit to suit the Vietnamese. Around the Chinese neighborhood are the largest wholesale and retail markets such as Binh Tay Market, Kim Bien Market, Soai Binh Lam Market ...