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Vietnam is one of the best countries to visit out of all the countries in South East Asia. The reason for this is mainly because, it has all the elements required for a good holiday trip. Cheap, Historic and Scenic places. Cheap food, cheap clothing, cheap commodities. The history of the Vietnam war is something everyone should know about. As well as having beautiful scenery. Here are our top 7 things to do in Ho Chin Minh city, which can be covered in one week.
1. Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh Market offers so many things at great prices. You can get all kinds of clothes, shoes, hats, fruits and various commodities. The quality of the products are really good as well. A lot of the products are rejected goods from the factory because of a few threads sticking out or other minor defects which are not visible to the eye. Be sure to bring on your bargaining game, to lower down the prices as humanely reasonable as possible.
2. Cuchi Tunnel tour
If you love history, this is the place you have to go to. The Cu Chi Tunnels are a network of underground tunnels where the Viet Cong Guerillas took refuge in during the Vietnam War. It was instrumental in their defense against aerial bomb threats and gas warfare. You also would get to walk around in the tunnels. You will definitely leave this place impressed with the genius of the construction and the way they fought.
You can easily find lots of tour groups within the city which offer the tour. The tour is really inexpensive, somewhere around $10 USD/pax (including entrance to the tunnels) and only requires half a day.
3. War Remnant Museum
The War Remnant Museum portrays what the Vietnam war was like for the locals. Here, they showcase the kind of conditions that the prisoners of war were tortured with, and the different militant weapons that were used during the war. They also touch on agent orange, and the effects it left on it. It is devastating to learn and see these pictures but it’s a good lesson to appreciate the little things in life that we have.
4. Mui Ne Sand Dunes, Phan Thiet
Just East of Ho Chin Minh City, lies an amazingly beautiful place called Mũi Né, in Phan Thiết. The bus ride takes a little over 4 hours. It’s best to book a sleeper bus where you can lie comfortably and sleep during the journey, and it only costs under $6 USD each way.
Once there, be sure to go on the Jeep Tour($20+ USD/pax), where they would bring you on jeeps and accelerate sharply on the dunes which is exhilarating. This tour also includes viewing the sunrise from the dunes. They also have ATV rides on the dunes as well which are pretty fun as well.
5. Mui Ne Fishing Village
While you’re still at Muine, be sure to check out the fishing village. The view of the boats and sunset are beautiful and unique sight to behold. The beach is a very nice area to walk about and enjoy the vibes from the place. I wouldn’t recommend buying any seafood as they do target tourists and jack up the price to exorbitant prices.
6. Massages
The city of Ho Chin Minh has lots of places where you can get a massage in. And what better way to relax during your holiday than getting a massage. The massages cost between $20-$40 USD based on the kind of packages you take. A head to toe 2 hour massage cost about $30 USD. That would be a good bench mark to look out for.
7. Coffee
Coffee is extremely popular in Vietnam, and they sell them fresh by grinding the coffee grounds right in front of you, and pack them in a vacuum sealed package for you to bring home. We highly recommend trying luwak coffee. Interestingly enough, they actually consist of coffee grounds which have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. If you can get past that thought, it’s definitely something every coffee lover should try.
And that’s our top 7 places to visit in Ho Chin Minh, Vietnam. Looking for more South East Asia travel ideas? Check out our top 5 places to see in Hong Kong right here. For any questions, you can email us at [email protected]
