The wide Saigon River, which takes a huge turn from the east of Saigon, links the city with the sea. Unlike Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, Saigon -Ho Chi Minh City may lack charm and elegance, but the city with its essential French colonial character has enough to draw your attention. The city\'s colonial villas, wide avenues and a lively cafe society remind you the days of French dominance.

Today Ho Chi Minh City has a cosmopolitan and energetic atmosphere, and having actively welcomed the new capitalist principle, the business-minded spirit of the people is much in evidence. Although relatively modern, it has still managed to hold onto its Asian character, and fine restaurants, smart hotels and chic bars line the sidewalks crammed with noodle stands, markets and shoeshine boys. The buzzing of motorbikes and scooters merges with the cries of street vendors and the urgent business of stall owners, selling barbecued dog and tropical fruits.

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  Reunification Palace

   The once residence of the Governor Generals of Indochina, the Reunification Palace in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, has a spacious complex with 100 rooms and total area exceeding 2,000 square meter. Its finest decorations and the rich collection of contemporary Vietnamese art and craft, make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city.   see full details

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  Ben Thanh market

   It is not merely a touristic shopping zone but a symbol of this animated city. The market’s name (“Ben” means port and “Thanh” means fort) is related to its original location on the bank of Ben Nghe River near the old fort Gia Dinh. Destroyed by war and fire, it was moved to the present spot at the intersection of Le Loi, Ham Nghi and Tran Hung Dao Avenue in the downtown area of Ho Chi Minh City. Out of the four gates of the square building, the main one is easily recognizable by a yellow tower with three clocks. Once wandering into the market, visitors can’t help gaping at tempting stalls clothes, shoes, souvenirs, cosmetics, jewellery, utensils, household appliances as well as seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit, coffee powder, flowers and so on. Generally, the quality of these products is quite good but do prepare to bargain hard and be careful when converting the price to US dollar. Food section with the availability of various dishes from many regions of the country is another appeal of this huge, covered market. see full details

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  Notre Dame Cathedral

    The famous church, which was constructed during 1877 and 1833 by the French, serves as the nation's Catholic center. The history of the church says that the materials used in its construction were imported from France- Notre Dame with Virgin Maria. The Archbishop of the Ho Chi Minh City is posted here. Catholic followers of the city attend the services offered in the morning and in the afternoon. The New Year and Christmas celebrations of the Notre Dame Cathedral draw a huge crowd. see full details

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  War Museum

   The weapons and information on the recent wars of Vietnam are kept in this museum. The museum displays the war crimes, which affected the Vietnamese. The models preserved in the museum can give you an idea of the most dreadful prisons and the most deadly weapons used by foreign forces in Vietnam. It also features a guillotine used during wartime. see full details

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  Historical Museum

   Located inside the renowned botanical garden of the city, this museum has a rich collection of data and objects belonging to some ancient civilizations in the Mekong Delta namely Oc Eo (Funan). The Botanical garden remains open to the visitors daily. However in order to collect the essential study materials for research work, from the huge library of the museum, researchers need to have special permits from the museum authority. The live puppet show held in the museum complex is a major source enjoyment to the tourists visiting the Historical Museum see full details

• Restaurant

    Vietnamese Restaurants see full details

• Entertainment

   Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon offers a lot of scape as far as entertainment is concerned. At this city you can entertain yourself by witnessing a musical show or a theater or a ballet. You can also go to watch a traditional Vietnamese dance that showcases or highlights the values that have been preserved by the majority of the inhabitants of this city. Music Conservatory of Music in Saigon Saigon Municipal Theater Lan Anh Music Stage in Saigon Saigon Puppet Band Hoa Binh Theaters in Saigon Water Puppet Show in Saigon Parks Van Hoa Park: Initially built as a recreational territory for the French, this is now a popular sports club for the locals in Saigon. It offers a wide range of facilities like tennis courts, swimming pool, table tennis court, Gym etc. at an affordable rate. Dam Sen Park: This park is very popular among teenagers. It offers a large number of exciting activities to choose from. If you are looking for bizarre fun in the midst of nature, Dam Sen Park can be your right choice. Amusement parks - Saigon Water Park: This western standard park is the first of its kind in Vietnam. This is a water theme park. Its major attractions like "twister" and "raft slide" attract huge crowd and are very popular among teenagers visiting the park. Gentler activities like floating down the "Lazy River" and swimming in the large pool are ideal for those who are not fond of too much excitement. . - Saigon Wonderland: Located in Saigon South Parkway, this amusement park offers a wide range of exciting rides. The 20-story high "Wonder Wheel" and scream machines like "Loop the Loop" are the major attractions of this park. Some other parks around the city that you can visit: Suoi Tien Water Theme Park Saigon Dam Sen Water Park Saigon see full details

Diamond Plaza

It is a 22 storey building mixed used as offices, serviced apartments, shopping centers as well as health and entertainment facilities. Diamond Plaza has fantastic views over well-known places including the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and April 30th Park.

Diamond Plaza can be a good place for visitors to take a rest. A Diamond Cinema with 3 wide screens of high quality sound, a KFC Restaurant, a gourmet Highlands Coffee, or a Bowling Center, billiards and video games are choices that guests can have in order to relax after hard days at works.

Sai Gon Tax Trade Center (Thuong xa Tax)

Situated conveniently at 135 Nguyen Hue Avenue, district 1 - on the corner of Le Loi street and Nguyen Hue Avenue - Tax Trade Center is becoming an attractive destination for foreign customers. Furthermore, this is a major commercial mall of the city and has been named in many tourist guide-books.

This four-floor building has unique architecture after several renovations but it still retains the French\'s colonized style from the early twentieth century. We can see it on the dome carved lots of patterns belong to old-century style.

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