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Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thanh Phố Hồ Chi Minh) is a city in the south of Vietnam. It is the largest city in the country. The name it gives as the capital of South Vietnam had, Saigon (Vietnamese: Sai Gòn), is still widely used. The city is also abbreviated as T.P HCM or HCMC.
Info
Ho Chi Minh City is an energetic metropolis with about 6 million inhabitants in the south of Vietnam. It is the largest, but not the capital of Vietnam. It is the economic center of Vietnam. The city has changed a lot since 1986 due to economic reforms. This also has major drawbacks, such as the demolition of old neighborhoods, the urbanization, the busier traffic and air pollution.
History
Ho Chi Minh City was probably founded between the 1st and 6th century AD by the Khmer, an Asian people, as a fishing village. It was surrounded by dense forests, so it was called Prei Nokor (village in the forest). Until the 17th century, the city was the domain of Indian and Malay merchants. In 1859, the French took it and turned it into a major commercial metropolis. After independence, Vietnam was divided into communist north and capitalist south. However, the North Vietnamese attacked the south and they took the city on April 30, 1975. Saigon, as it was called among the South Vietnamese, was renamed Thàn Phõ Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh City, on July 2, 1976. Until 1985, the city was hermetically sealed off from the outside world. Economic reforms were implemented after 1985, and since then the city has grown unstoppably.
Arrive
By plane
The airport of Ho Chi Minh City is called Tan Son Nhat (Tân Sơn Nhất) (IATA: SGN | ICAO: VVTS). It is the largest airport in the country. From Paris and Frankfurt there are two direct connections to Ho Chi Minh City.
By train
The coastal railway connects Ho Chi Minh City with Ha Noi. Be on the go Da Nang, Nha Trang and Hue affected.
By car
The Mekong can be reached in a southwesterly direction via Highway 1 and along the coast is Ha Noi accessible via the cities on the railway.
By bus
Where the car is less popular for long journeys, the bus is often used for domestic holidays. The whole country is accessible, Cambodia is also accessible.
By boat
A number of coastal towns can be reached by speed ferry via the Saigon river.
By motorcycle
The whole of Vietnam can be reached by rental bike via the Highways and by-ways.
Travel around
Ho Chi Minh City is the base for traveling through South Vietnam and the Central Highlands.
It is also often the starting point for a tour throughout Vietnam or Vietnam and neighboring countries.
By scooter
For the experience you can let yourself be driven around with the scooter. Scooter drivers often stand in groups along the road and will try to address you in their best English. The scooter used to be pretty much the only mode of transportation before the taxis, so sometimes they will have more experience than some new taxi companies. It is obviously less safe than a taxi. The prices are not fixed. Therefore, clearly agree on your destination and amount, because as a tourist you can sometimes be scammed.
By taxi
There are many taxis in the city. You can get from one side of the city to the other for around 200,000Đ. There are also regularly corrupt taxi drivers around who drive you to the wrong place or ask for more money. So always drive with a taxi connected to a company. Reliable and decent taxi companies are MaiLinh and VinaSun. Tip: if you are staying in a hotel, ask the reception to call a taxi for you.
To look at
To do
Take the regular bus and enjoy the people who are very friendly. Many speak American English or very occasionally French. Get out if you see something interesting.
To learn
The language, this does not have to be a problem as this is the "second" university city in the country. There are many language schools in and around the city.
The universities and the open university provide many training courses.
Before embarking on a study trip, be advised by the local Vietnamese embassy or the local Vietnamese consulate-general.
To work
Many Taiwanese and Korean companies have offices in the new office and industrial parks around the city. There are also a number of Dutch companies that carry out assignments for the Vietnamese government.
Take into account the visa and work permit requirements. Ask advice from the Vietnamese embassy in your own country.
To buy
Food
Budget
Street stalls or covered markets are of good quality. Sometimes street vendors are unlicensed and you may have to hand in the soup bowl before you're done. If you do not want that risk, the covered markets are the alternative, here everyone has a permit.
Furthermore, around the shopping streets in the central districts there are a number of streets with small eateries.
N.B. Ice cream on the street is not recommended
Shaved ice can also be melted and refrozen.
Average
The more expensive eateries
Small restaurants.
Expensive
The fancy restaurants.
Going out
stay overnight
Budget
In every neighborhood there is something nice and good to find.
Booking at home via the internet is also a good option.
Average
Also a lot to find.
Also via the internet.
Expensive
Up to the most expensive segment.
Safety
Beware of pickpockets, after all, it is the largest city in the country and fortune seekers don't always find a job right away.
Contact
84 is the country code for the phone. In general, the Netherlands is easy to reach, but the city and suburbs have a slight tendency to overconsumption of electricity. The mobile network is therefore sometimes more reliable.
You can buy a local sim for next to nothing. Do this if you are with several friends or relatives, because calling your "lost" friend or relative via the Netherlands is quite expensive.
An internet cafe can be found fairly quickly, but chatting or emailing with the home front is not always easy because the local youth often uses up the bandwidth due to online games. A PC in the hotel or guesthouse is often a better alternative. ADSL1 is fairly common in Vietnam.
all around
