A fine example of turn of the century French colonial architecture, the Saigon Opera House, also known as the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, makes for decent picture on a stop during a tour of the city, or for a cultural experience for those interested in seeing a show. Easy to find in … read the full post

Ben Thanh Market is one of Saigon’s icons and forms the heart of downtown District 1, bustling with activity from early morning until late at night. The market has existed for quite some time in one fashion or another. The current location, renovated in 1985, was the site of another relocated market, called Les Halles … read the full post

A quick walk through Saigon’s backpacker area of Pham Ngu Lao will lead you past several locations selling tours. While most feature longer tours to popular areas around the city, like tours of the Mekong Delta and the Cu Chi Tunnels, most also sell a generic five-hour day-tour of Ho Chi Minh City. If you … read the full post

If you find yourself shopping in Saigon, a walk through any market or mall will inevitably lead you, sooner or later, past a souvenir stand selling lacquer art. Lacquer can be very impressive to look at but the process of making it is also quite interesting. If you have time to spare while visiting the … read the full post

Just across the street from the Notre Dame Cathedral, and a short walk from the Reunification Palace, the Saigon Central Post Office is one of the most recognisable landmarks in HCMC. A leftover from the French occupation of the city, the Post Office is one of the better-preserved examples of the colonial period’s architecture. Finished … read the full post

Seeing a movie at a Saigon theatre is a cheap and easy way to spend a few hours and, since they play both Hollywood blockbusters and Vietnamese movies, you don’t have to understand Vietnamese to enjoy them. Movie theatres can be found in several easy-to-find locations, with two chains dominating Saigon. Galaxy Cinema, with several … read the full post

Just few blocks from the entrance to the Reunification Palace, Saigon’s War Remnants Museum offers an alternative narrative of the war. Opened in late 1975 and located on Vo Van Tan in District 3 in the former US Information Service Building, the museum was originally called The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism … read the full post

In the heart of downtown District 1, just a short walk away from some of Saigon’s other famous sights such as Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saigon Post Office, Reunification Palace sits as a time capsule of the city’s past surrounded by green lawns and iron fences. Formerly known as the Independence Palace, the Reunification … read the full post

Most travellers visiting Saigon stick only to the main points of interest in the city’s downtown District 1, but just a short taxi ride outside of District 1 lays one of HCMC’s most interesting areas: Cholon, or Chinatown. If you’re in Saigon, and have the time to spare, spending a day in Cholon is worthwhile. … read the full post

Just on the other side of the Troung Tran Nguyen Han roundabout from Ben Thanh market, behind the bus centre down Pho Duc Chinh, the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum sits in a flamboyantly yellow colonial building. Established in 1987, the Museum houses works of art on three floors, each representing its own … read the full post