Activities & Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City

The largest city in Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City which is also the country’s biggest industrial and commercial center having been renamed in honor of the first president of the nation. Its population is about 8 million people. Currently, more than 300000 enterprises are settled here. The city received its current name in 1976 when it was no longer called Saigon In fact, it should be noted that this new name is only used for official purposes while residents still refer to it as Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City remains attractive to tourists despite being a major industrial area. The tourism industry has already been well-developed there. The foreign visitors will surely be attracted by the cultural life and various trade and entertainment zones in town. The most outstanding feature of Ho Chi Minh City is its lively, varying way of life. It will be hard to find quiet remote streets here. Each road has a bustling market, a chain of vivid shopping stalls or comfortable patios alongside modern hotels.

Active vacationers and fans-of-event-tourism will definitely enjoy staying here. Once you step out onto the street from your hotel room, you sink into the unique atmosphere of this metropolis right away. Ben Thanh Market is one of those locations that are popular with locals and always full of people every day at any time. Residents come to this place to see their folks or loved ones, buy some traditional food or spend an evening with friends at one local café where national dishes are served exclusively.This site may seem truly exotic for tourists; there they can buy authentic things ranging from rare medicinal herbs with national costumes to handmade souvenirs and folk cuisines Besides it’s worth mentioning that there’s such a big hotel near Ben Thanh market Many experienced travelers prefer choosing this area for living

The city can boast literally hundreds of electronics shops at every corner One important piece of information for tourists who would like to buy state-of-the-art devices during their holiday is that Ho Chi Minh City is the best place in Vietnam for shopping like this

Studious tourists will notice peculiarities of local transport. Certainly, the national type of transportation may be described as mini-scooters. In the context of such a congested metropolis, it turns out to be an ideal mode of transport. Motor scooters are used by students, reputable companies and even elderly people However still there are many cars on roads.

Visitors who are going to bring their own car during vacations should remember that local drivers cannot be called disciplined. Numerous traffic rules are followed not completely Thus, those drivers who don’t have enough expertise should go by the public means of transport. Those choosing to rent a scooter should not look for special centers but just come into any local café or store. No doubt this service is available virtually everywhere and therefore a vehicle would be delivered to a customer within the shortest time possible as well. Apparently everything can be found here to lead an active lifestyle even in such a large bustling city. Surprisingly despite these problems Ho Chi Minh City has managed to preserve its ancient charm for many years now

Starting many journeys in Ho Chi Minh City is the Reunification Palace. Constructed by native settlers at the end of the 19th century, this attractive palace was badly damaged during bombing in 1963 though it could be restored later. Beautiful Paris Square is situated downtown, near the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. The latter building being a significant colonial period landmark as well. The construction of this cathedral finished in 1880 and it has been one of the most distinctive landmarks for over hundred years from architectural perspective.

In Ho Chi Minh City, tourists will come across lots of lovely temples and pagodas; one of them is Emperor Jade Pagoda that attracts people with its peculiarity. It was built to honor the Taoist deity Ngoc Hoang. This temple’s entrance is accessible to all visitors without any fee. Moreover, inside there is an enormous statue of a god as a centerpiece in terms of interior design. On the outskirts of town lies a historical site that dates back to wartime ‑ Cu Chi tunnels are underground passages created during that time when guerrillas waged war on their enemies. It is an actual underground metropolis which aggregate length constitutes more than two hundred kilometers long tunnel system. Some parts have already been restored thus enabling tourists to see warehouses, living quarters, kitchens and so forth required for daily use by occupants like hospital etc.