Ho Chi Minh - Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh (in Vietnamese Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh) is Vietnam the biggest city. The city is also known by the names Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh is the economic center of Vietnam, with a highly congested metropolitan area home to more than seven million people. The city is built Mekongat the end of the estuary near the southern part of the country South China Sea. The city is located in a tropical zone, so the temperature in the area rarely drops below 20 plus degrees.

The city’s current name dates back to the Communist leader Ho Chi Minh City.

Come

By plane

Tan Son Nhatin the airport is located about eight kilometers from the city center. The airport is the largest in Vietnam. There are no direct flights from Finland to the station, but at least Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines fly from Europe to the city. Fast connections can also be found in Helsinki via Moscow, ridden by Aeroflot.

The airport is relatively modern. When leaving the country, the tourist should note that the prices of the shops increase up to tenfold in the stores after the security check.

Particular care should be taken when entering and moving into the city. At the station wildly taxis trying to attract Western-looking tourists aboard. Many of these taxis are drastically overpriced (see the names of reliable taxi companies in #Move). A reasonable price for a taxi to the city center is 150,000 dong.

The safest way to get to the city center is by bus number 152. The bus leaves the terminal on the right, in front of Burger King. Ignore any taxi drivers who try to claim that the bus line has stopped. The bus terminus is Ben Thanhin big square. On the way back, line 152 runs through the domestic terminal.

Whether you used a taxi or a bus, due to traffic congestion you should book at least an hour of travel time from the airport to the city center.

By road

By bus

By train

By boat

Move

Hồ Chí Minh’s traffic is chaotic, whether moving on foot, by car or other means of transportation. The most striking feature is the number of motorcycles. Millions of bicycles dominate the city streets night and day, and the sound of their constant work echoes far away. The number of motorcycles is difficult to describe, but becomes clear on the spot.

On a motorcycle ride you can often see 1-4 people or objects from air conditioners to the ladder. Motorcycles also tend to advance in front of the hose along sidewalks, so it’s not worth frightening an oncoming motorcyclist. Other vehicles also use the beeper extensively. The center is full of motorcycle parks and their guards. Restaurant staff may also leave the restaurant and return by motorcycle sledding in the middle of the tables.

Motorcycles can often be seen also driving upstream if the desired destination is a short drive away. Traffic often follows traffic lights when driving directly, but turning at red lights is apparently allowed if the trip is directed into a stream of traffic.

Crossing the road on foot seems impossible at first, but succeeds when you just start crossing the road. Walking must not be stopped because cars and motorcycles choose their driving line in anticipation of the pedestrian. The easiest way to cross is to walk across the road a little diagonally to the direction of traffic. Traffic speeds in the downtown area rarely exceed about 30 km / h, often being rather 5 km / h. Outside the city, traffic speeds rarely exceed 50 km / h due to the condition of the road, even if the road appears new.

Scooter rental

Scooters are also offered to tourists (motobike), but due to traffic congestion, a Western tourist can easily be involved in an accident. The level of scooters also varies wildly. There is a helmet on the ground, but helmets are often rather caps made of hard plastic, and children sitting between or in front of parents do not see helmets.

Taxi

The best way to get around is to take a taxi or moped ride. There are plenty of taxis everywhere and they are actively working to attract tourists aboard. Drivers almost invariably try to cheat too hard a price, so it’s worth bidding on at least half of what a driver has to offer right out of the box.

There are numerous different taxi companies in the city, some of which are reliable, some not. At least the largest companies, ie Mai Linh and Vinasun. These should not be confused with companies of almost the same name, such as VinasuM. You should also choose a taxi from the side, and not in front of tourist destinations or transport terminals, for example.

Bus

There is no metro in the city, but a well-functioning bus service. Trips cost around 2,000-7,000 VND no matter how many stops you travel. Each bus has a funder and tickets are not purchased in advance. Indicative maps of public transport can be found on the Internet. Buses can be picked up and dropped off virtually anywhere along the route. The buses are mainly air-conditioned, and in addition to passengers, other loads can also be picked up, which you have to get over while moving in the bus. Public transport often ends early in the evening, in the opinion of those accustomed to Western public transport, which is worth considering. The buses apparently have a flashing beep required by law, the beeping of which is heard almost constantly.

See

War Crime Museum War crimes committed by Americans and French are on display in the museum. Many different exhibitions, mainly photographs. Outdoors, the methods of torture used by soldiers against Vietnamese are presented. Price 15,000 VND. May not be suitable for sensitive or small children.

Ben Thanh market The market hall next to the city’s main square sells clothes, gifts and alcohol. The supermarket is divided into two parts, with the outer edge full fixed price stores. So in them, the product pays for what it says on the price tag. Here, sellers are also more moderate. The inner and narrower area is full of small shops where sellers trade aggressively and products have to be compromised. You can make good bargains here at a cheap price, but the branded products are pirates.

Củ Chi tunnels. Củ Chi is a network of tunnels about 50 kilometers northwest of the city that was used by Vietnamese guerrillas to hide from the occupiers. There are two destinations, Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh, of which Ben Duoc is almost in its original condition with tunnels and a quieter area, while Ben Dinh is more adapted for western tourists. Ben Dinh's tunnels have been enlarged to be more comfortable for Westerners, but even the original tunnels are not too small for many (a 185 cm / 80 kg man is suitable to walk in tunnels with and without a backpack at the entrance openings).

The modernized area features a wide range of war histories, and guests can walk through one underground corridor if they wish. In the tunnels of Ben Duoc, you can try to pull into the tunnels and move in a few tunnels of different sizes of your choice. The longest tunnel offered to tourists is about 30 meters. There is lighting in the tunnels, but with your own lamp you can explore the side branches of the tunnels and watch the bats nesting in the quieter corners of the tunnels. There is also tourist trenches and deactivated munitions collected from the area, such as cluster bombs and equipment used to spread them. At least near the Ben Duoc tunnels is a shooting range where you can try a few different assault and machine guns (AK 47, AR 15, M30, M60) for around 30,000 VND / cartridge.

Numerous travel agencies organize day trips to the tunnels. They can be purchased, for example Pham Ngu Laon from the region. However, the area can also be conveniently reached from the city center by bus number 13 (Ho Chi Minh-Cu Chi, about 1.5-2 h) which departs from the bus station at the west end of the park next to Ben Thanh Square (Le Lai and Nguyen Trai). at the intersection) and the final journey from Cu Chin Bus Station by car number 79 (Cu Chi-Ben Duoc, about 30-45 min). Line number 13 runs from the terminus to the terminus and line 79 continues to the vicinity of the tunnels. Ask the driver to stop near the Ben Duoc tunnels (at the junction of TL 6 and TL 15). The first cars leave around 8:00. Due to traffic, all transport options will probably take the same amount of time to reach your destination.

The starting point for the tunnel tour is about a mile walk along the road and about half a mile from the tunnels to the shooting range. Buses (air-conditioned) cost VND 5,000-7,000 per trip and tunnel entrance VND 90,000 (2014). You can hop on buses from almost anywhere along the way, but the cars fill up pretty quickly after the departure stations. Cars are estimated to run at least every 30 minutes. To return to the car (79), wait on the TL 15 and board the car while driving. The stop boards read the times of the first and last lines. Tickets for cars cannot be purchased in advance, but each bus has a funder. The guides speak varying levels of English, but the main points come to the fore.

Tea

Buy

Eat

Pho soup Vietnamese national food. Sold in every restaurant and stall. It costs about 0.5-2.5 euros for a bowl. Noodle soup with meat, chicken or tofu. Spring rolls are available at every eatery, but the contents vary somewhat. A spring roller plate outside the center costs about 2.5 euros and even a big man's belly gets full. It is worth favoring places where locals also dine.

Juo

Cafes

Bars & pubs

Acoustic Bar Live bands. Awesome little underground place. Drinks cost the same as in Finland, but spending is tangible. Hard to find, look for the exact address for the taxi driver.

Nightclubs

Sleep

The Pham Ngu Lao area is full of different levels of hotels and hostels. Located in District 1. It can be reached by walking about 500 meters southwest of Ben Thanh Square. Pham Ngu Lao is especially popular with backpackers. Lots of reasonably priced bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

Stay safe

In Ho Chi Minh City, it is unlikely to fall victim to serious crimes such as violence. In this respect, the city is safe. Instead, various scams, overpricing, and misleading are sadly commonplace. It is therefore advisable to research accommodation and itineraries in advance on the Internet.

The traffic is chaotic. There are hardly any protective roads and traffic lights for pedestrians. The road is crossed by jumping into traffic, yes, moped riders dodge. Keeping your eyes open will survive yes.

Bags and loose items should be taken care of. Thieves moving fast on scooters may grab your carry.

Stay healthy

Take contact

GSM Ho Chi Minh City works well. Public free Wi-Fi connections can be found in the city. Numerous hotels, restaurants and bars also offer Wi-Fi access.

Continue your journey

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