TRAVEL TO AND LIVE IN HO CHI MINH CITY

 VIETNAM is a wonderful place for you to live and travel. Vietnam has many beautiful landscapes and the Vietnamese are friendly.  Everything here is cheaper than Western countries, so you can eat and drink, shop comfortably in Vietnam.

Now, let me introduce to you some attractive destinations in Vietnam.  There are many options, so you can get the enjoyable and memorable trip you want, such as  Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Vung Tau, Mui Ne, Nha Trang city, Mekong Delta, Hoi An (an ancient city), Da Nang, Hue City, Ha Long Bay, Phong Nha Ke Bang, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and SA PA. 

If the first place you come to Vietnam as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), I can speak briefly about this city as well as several places in Ho Chi Minh City that you can visit.

HO CHI MINH CITY

HO CHI MINH CITY is one of the biggest cities in Vietnam. The economy, education, science, as well as the tourism of Ho Chi Minh City flourishes, so it's an economic center of Vietnam. It's a young model city, often called the pearl of the Orient.

Ho Chi Minh City also is a big tourism center in Vietnam, attracting  many visitors to Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City has some attractions, such as the Ho Chi Minh Museum, formerly known as the Dragon House Wharf.  Also, there are the Cu Chi Tunnels, systems of Museums, Theatres, and cultural houses. Recently, tourist have been developed, such as Thanh Da , Binh Quoi Village, Dam Sen Park,  and Suoi Tien park.
 
 Now, I'll show you where in Ho Chi Minh City is the best place for you stay and eat, shop and relax. After you land here by plane you go by taxi to Pham Ngu Lao street, Bui Vien street, and De Tham street. Around there are many hotels for tourists, expats, and travelers.  A lot of foreigners stay there and there is everything you need from shopping to eating.  This place is located in the center of the city. The hotels have many prices. If you are rich, for example, you can stay in 5 star hotels such as

•  New World Hotel : http://saigon.newworldhotels.com/ # / en_US / welcome /

• Rex Hotel: http://www.rexhotelvietnam.com/en/Default.aspx

• Hotel CARAVELLE :http://www.caravellehotel.com/

If you have some money or want to save your money you come to the mini hotels in Bui Vien street or De Tham. The room rates here are usually $ 13 -18 $ for room with full facilities.  Room rates from $ 8 to 12$ for rooms with no air conditioning (on the October to March the rate is usually higher). 

Ben Thanh market is a very famous market in Ho Chi Minh City, selling many beautiful things, from clothes to shoes, crafts, bags, and gifts. Her you can find all the things you need but I advise you should just visit here not buy anything because prices here are very expensive.  The prices are double or triple compared to other places.  If you really want to buy something there you need to bargain . There is another market you can shop called CHO LON market (Binh Tay Market) in District 6. This is a big, cheap, and beautiful market.

Food and drink: 

When you come to Vietnam , you have to enjoy Pho.  If not, you haven't been to VietNam yet. Pho in Vietnam is a delicious food. The good Pho Restaurant in HO CHI MINH city is "PHO HUNG" at 241-243 Nguyen Trai Street, Nguyen Cu Trinh, District 1, HCMC. Ho Chi Minh. Pho here is very good. When you finished eating the noodles you feel very happy.

Another good Restaurant about vietnamese food is Ngon restaurant, Address: 160 Pasteur St. Ben Nghe Ward, District 1. Tel: 38277131 - Fax: 38277127. 

  SOME DESTINATIONS AND TOURISM IN HO CHI MINH CITY:

The tourist is walking underground road tunnels system.

• Cu Chi Tunnels: Cu Chi Tunnels is a defense system in the ground in Cu Chi District,  from Ho Chi Minh City about 70 km north-west. This system was the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam during the Indochina War and Vietnam War. The tunnel system, includes clinics, rooms, kitchens, storage, offices, and even a road system underground. The tunnel system is about 200 km long and even has a ventilation system among the bushes. The Cu Chi Tunnels are built on land known as the "land of steel", located at the end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. During the Tet Offensive in 1968, the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam  used the tunnel system to attack Saigon. When you come to the Cu chi tunnels you will see a village where, a long time ago, many revolutionaries lived there, fighting in the war. You can walk in the underground roads and tunnel systems and try to eat some food that these people ate. This is an interesting place.

 

• Dam Sen Cultural Park is a recreation area located at address 2003 Peace, Ward 3, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City [1]. The park has many interesting games and is beautiful.

• Binh Quoi Tourist Village. Location: Binh Quoi Tourist Village is located on the Thanh Da peninsula on the banks of the Saigon River, 8Km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City.  This is a beautiful place. It's similar to the countryside: there are many trees here. They also have hotels here, and you can go fishing here.  It's a good place for you to relax.

• War Remnants Museum: 28 Vo Van Tan, District 3, HCMC .

• Ho Chi Minh City Museum :  locate on 65 Ly Tu Trong st, Bến Nghé award, Ho Chi Minh, large of 2 ha square, bound by Ly Tu Trong, Pasture, Le Thanh Ton, and Nam Ki Khoi Nghia streets. tel: 08 3829 9741. http://hcmc-museum.edu.vn/news/default.aspx

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• Reunification Palace: Reunification Hall (formerly Independence Palace, the Reunification Palace or Norodom Palace) is a historical place of Ho Chi Minh City from the Southern insurrection period 

• Notre Dame Cathedral Church :  Notre Dame Cathedral or "the big church" has impressive architecture with two high bell towers. This Church was constructed  on 7/10/1877 and was inaugurated on 11/ 4/1880. The Church was designed in France, and engineered by Bourad.

• China town: in District 5.

• Suoi Tien park: it's a big and beautiful park.  There are many games and it's far away from the center of the city.  Many people come here for relaxing.

 HO CHI MINH CITY is also a good place for you live.  It has everything you need here and you can find a good job with good sarlary here. Most expats who come here do so as teachers. They teach for international schools or English centers. Their salary is about 2000 USD. 2000usd = 40 million VND. With 40 million VND you have a good life in here.

If you want to work in Vietnam for a long time, you have to have a work permit.


SOME EXPERIENCE FOR EXPATS WHO COME TO VIET NAM

• If you want to change currency, you go to the gold shops. The rate at the gold shops is higher than the bank.
• Be careful with your wallet when you walk on the street.
• If you want to have Vietnamese wife, don't love the girls at the park or at the bar :-). 

WHERE CAN YOU GET VISA IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Many travel agency in Ho Chi Minh have visa service but it's expensive, usually they take  about 30$-100$ for 3 months visa.
Let's come to the  Ho Chi Minh Immigration Management Office to make a visa, address: 161 Nguyen Du st, district 1, HCM city. This is an Office of the government, so the fee for the visa is a lot cheaper. your visa for 3 months will cost only 10$.

• I will stop the article here. My next article will introduce you to other tourist sites and offer some other advice for living here.