When there is a long weekend coming up and you are thinking where to go for a short getaway to clear your mind. You have been to places like Bangkok, Phuket, Bali, Genting, Kuala Lumpur and Penang too many times and looking for a new city to visit? We recommend a short trip to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is a buzzing modern city with great historical value to explore. It is pack with exotic about to explore that will excite you.
1. Ben Thanh Market (Day 1)
After arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport simply book yourself a GrabCar or Uber, which cost you around 90,000 VND (SGD $5.50~)
Check in to your hotel and rest. When you are ready to explore the city we recommend you to visit the popular Ben Thanh Market.
It features all the popular vietnamnese food like
Pho Noodles
This dish is recognise internationally. It is the staple food in Vietnam and you must not miss this. It is served in a flavourful soup with beef, sprouts and greens. It usually cost around VND 35,000 (SGD $2.00)
Com Tam With Pork Chop (Broken Rice)
Another popular dish in Vietnam. This is actually broken rice served with
Banh Mi
Find this almost everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City. it is a Vietnamese dish that you should never miss out on. This baguette sandwich is priced between VND 10,000 and VND 15,000, with pickled vegetables, pate, butter, soy sauce, cilantro, chillies, and hot peppers. You can also choose from a variety of meat fillings like roasted pork belly, fried fish, meatballs and Char Siew.
Address: Chợ, Lê Lợi, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
2. Mekong Delta River (Day 2)
You can book a tour to Mekong Delta from Klook. Mekong river is the 12thlongest river in the world and it runs through 6 country in total (Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and China)
Experience the local culture and
Ride down and explore the Mekong River on this wooden boat.
Remember to take some selfie to record down your experience.
Try their ginger tea with honey that is harvest fresh. If you book the half day tour package from KLOOK.com lunch will be included BUT we are not impressed by the food probably it does not suit our Singaporean taste bud
Book your tour at KLOOK for the cheapest price HERE
3. Traditional Water Puppet Show (Day 2)
End your night with the traditional water puppet show. Enchant by the authentic Vietnamese operatic songs accompanying a skilful puppet play by The Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater.
Enjoy the 45mins show that depicts the life of Vietnamese rice paddle field farmers and folk tales. The ticket is often sold out so we recommend you to purchase it in advance.
The performance is entirely in Vietnamese but the storyline is simple to understand. You will not be disappointed
Book your tour at KLOOK for the cheapest price HERE
Address: 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
4. Cu Chi Tunnel (Day 3)
The Củ Chi tunnel is an immense network of connecting underground tunnels built by the Viet Cong using simple tools during the Vietnam War.
Viet Cong also was known as the National Liberation Front, was a mass political organization in South Vietnam with its own army form mostly by farmers and ordinary citizen with no military knowledge.
The Viet Cong built this complex tunnels to save themselves from all the bombardment by the American army.
The tunnels
Explore and crawl into the tunnels. If you are claustrophobic than this is not the activities for you as the tunnels are so tight and some part can be challenging.
You would probably see photos like this all over Instagram if you search for Cu Chi Tunnel. This is probably the smallest entrance to the Cu Chi Tunnel.
Book your tour at KLOOK for the cheapest price HERE
5. Independence Palace (Reunification Palace) (Day 3)
This is probably the landmark of Ho Chi Minh City that you do not want to miss. The palace used to be home to former President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Address: 135 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
6. Saigon Central Post Office (Day 4)
This Central Post Office was constructed between 1886 and 1891. Once inside you will find yourself travelling back in time with it’s intricately designed marble floors, looping arches and antiquated telephone boxes.
Experience the fascinating glimpse into history and since the post office is still functioning we encourage you to send a postcard out to your friends and family to make the trip more memorable.
Address: Số 125 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 710009, Vietnam
7. Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica (Day 4)
This church is located just beside the Saigon Central Post Office. It is currently going through a renovation when we were there.
The Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral was established between 1863 and 1880 by French Colonists. It is also one of the landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City due to its architecture, history and also located in the most crowded district of Saigon.
Address: 01 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Quận 1 Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
