Sharon Sparlin: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, formerly Saigon, is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 9.3 million in 2023.The city is situated in the Southeast region of Vietnam and surrounds the Saigon River.

Ho Chi Minh City became the capital of South Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975. The communist government renamed Saigon in honor of leader Ho Chi Minh shortly after the fall of Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh

DAY 1

October 28, 2023 marked the beginning of my Ho Chi Minh escapade. The morning kicked off bright and early with a buffet breakfast at 6am, followed by a timely 7am pickup at The Onra Hotel in Phnom Penh Cambodia. The majority of this day was spent completing a seven hour bus ride from Phnom Penh Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, including a border crossing.

The Giant Ibis Bus reached the Cambodia border crossing at 11:30am. On the drive to the border the tour guide on the bus collected my passport and took pictures of both my Cambodia and Vietnam eVisa’s. Just prior to arriving at the Cambodia border my passport was returned. To leave Cambodia required me to get off the bus, collect my luggage and walk into the Cambodia building to proceed through customs and immigrations. The process was straight-forward and fairly quick. My luggage was efficiently stored again and I was back on the bus within 10 minutes.

Before proceeding to the Vietnam border crossing the bus stopped for lunch at the Prestige Restaurant in “no man's land”, the area between the Cambodia border building and the Vietnam border building.

After lunch everyone climbed back on the bus and we made our way to the Vietnam border entry point. Once again everyone was required to get off of the bus, collect bags and make our way inside the Vietnam border building. I cleared Vietnam customs and immigration, emerged from the building, stowed my luggage and re-boarded the bus, again all within 10 minutes. From here it would be another 3.5 hours to Ho Chi Minh City.

By 4pm I had arrived at the Ho Chi Minh bus station. It was here I first met my local guide Quỳnh Như (“Quinnie”). A short 15-minute drive through traffic brought us to the Acnos Grand Hotel. A quick power nap, some noodle-chicken goodness, and a stroll across the street for some essentials rounded out my first day in Vietnam. Tomorrow promises more adventures. Quinnie scheduled my pickup time in the hotel lobby for 9am the following morning.

DAY 2

I found myself up and about at 5:30am for another exciting day! Breakfast was at 6:30am and provided just the fuel I needed for a city exploration with Quinnie. She arrived promptly at 9am and we were off!

Our first point of interest was a drive by Independence Palace, also known as Reunification Reunion Hall, the site of the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, when a North Vietamese Army tank crashed through the gates.

Next was a stop at the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica Saigon, currently undergoing a 5-year renovation.

Established by French colonists who initially named it the Church of Saigon, the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. The name Notre-Dame Cathedral has been used since 1959. It has two bell towers, reaching a height of 190 feet.

Next stop - the Saigon Central Post Office, located directly across the street from the Notre Dame Cathedral. The building was constructed when Vietnam was part of the French Indochina in the late 19th century.

Next - a drive to Chinatown with a stop to view the Thien Hau Temple, a fascinating Chinese-style temple dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea, Mazu.

My local guide "Quinnie"

Next we made our way to the underground secret weapon bunker where nearly three tons of weapons from the Vietnam War still remain in this small hidden museum.

In 1966 during the Vietnam War, Tran Van Lai, a politician, bought a house at 287/70 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Road in District 3 of what was then Saigon.

Over the next few months, he constructed a secret cellar without the knowledge of his family. He used the secret hideaway to store weapons that would be used in the 1968 attack on the Royal Palace. This event was better known as the Tet Offensive.

To avoid suspicion, he put all the dirt collected from digging the bunker into boxes and disposed of them using his car at night. The weapons were also brought in and out in a similar manner, hidden in bamboo cases or rugs. Weapons include TNT, C4 explosives, detonators, rocket launchers, guns, and hand grenades.

Today, the house is a tiny museum and a witness to an important part of Vietnamese history. It was classified as a historical, cultural relic in 1986 by the Ministry of Culture. The coffee shop next door, Cà Phê Đỗ Phủ, also contains secret passages and is owned by Tran Vu Binh, the son of Van Lai.

Last stop for the day was the vibrant Ben Thanh Market.

Ben Thanh Market welcomes more than 10,000 visitors per day to shop and visit. The market has nearly 1,500 booths with more than 6,000 small businesses selling wholesale and retail items from consumables to luxury goods. Currency exchanges are not required by some vendors but most prefer the Vietnam currency, Vietnamese đồng.

With sightseeing behind us it was time for lunch. Quinnie took me to the famous Pho Hoa Pasteur Restaurant. What a great experience.

It's safe to say that I truly experienced the heart of Ho Chi Minh today!

DAY 3

A leisurely start with an early morning buffet breakfast set the tone for the day.

Today was a free day to be on my own. My exploration would uncover some local gems, including a library, bonsai tree spot, and a refreshing break for lunch at a local sidewalk restaurant. It all made for a satisfying day of both leisure and exploration.

DAY 4

An early rise at 5am was followed by a buffet breakfast at 6:45am. A meeting with Quinnie at 8:30am paved the way for a two-hour drive to experience the emotion of the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Cu Chi Tunnels represent the largest underground tunnel network in Vietnam, stretching from Ho Chi Minh to the Cambodian border during the Vietnam War in the 1960’s.

Entrance to the Cu Chi Tunnels

Inside museum

Video

Walking the trail

The massive tunnel network was for guerrilla soldiers to house troops, transport communications and supplies, receive medical treatments, take shelters from aerial bombardment, and mount surprise attacks, after which they could disappear safely underneath the ground. The Cu Chi Tunnels grew to house entire underground villages with living quarters, kitchens, ordnance factories, hospitals and bomb shelters.