Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the largest city in Vietnam. It is located in the south of the country, around 60km from the Cambodian border.
First off, traffic here is very similar to that of Hanoi, although there is actually space to walk on the pavement here so you don’t have to spend as much time avoiding getting hit by bikes and cars.
For our first full day in Saigon, we decided to book a tour to visit the Củ Chi Tunnels. These are a network of underground tunnels which were used by the Việt Cộng during the Vietnam War. The tour lasted about 2 hours and was really interesting. Our tour guide was particularly knowledgeable about the area which I feel made a big difference.
The first thing we were shown was a small hiding hole in the ground which we were able to try for ourselves. This was used by soldiers to pop-up, shoot at the enemy and then disappear quickly without a trace.
Afterwards, we were shown some old entrances to the cave network but these were blocked off so we couldn’t go in.
Then, we learned about some of the traps which were built by the Việt Cộng soldiers. The materials used to build these traps were either taken from natural sources (e.g. bamboo) or salvaged from unexploded bombs. They looked like a collection of props taken from a Saw movie... disturbing but fascinating at the same time.
Next, we headed on over to the shooting range. I had never fired a gun before and so I used this as my opportunity to have a go. I chose to the AK-47, the same weapon used by the Việt Cộng. It cost me 600,000 VND (£20) to have a go which is pretty steep for the amount of time I spent shooting. Still, it was something I wanted to experience and so I went for it. Siwan came along to take some pictures and even ended up in some herself!
To finish off the tour, we were allowed to essentially crawl through 150m of the tunnel system. It was stuffy down there and pretty confined; it wasn’t the sort of place you go if you easily feel claustrophobic. After we emerged at the other end, we were invited to try a narrower 100m tunnel (lots of people opted out of this one). It was good fun!
I would 100% recommend going on this tour or at least visiting the tunnels on your own, especially if you are interested in the history of Vietnam and the Vietnam War.
That night, we had some drinks at a small cafe/bar with a few of our travel buddies we’d met in Quy Nhon. It was good seeing these guys again :)
The next day, we visited the War Remnants Museum in the city centre. Again, this was an incredibly interesting, although sobering experience.
After dinner, we went to a sky bar for some drinks with our travelling friends and fellow Brits: Dan and Charlotte. It was really nice chatting to these guys! The drinks at the bar were a bit pricey but the happy hour deal made it worth while ;D
Next day, while exploring the city, we came across some bustling markets and malls. We spent almost an entire day just strolling around.
In the evening, we went to visit the Notre Dame cathedral (built by French Colonists in 1880s) before heading to a restaurant for our last dinner in Vietnam.
We have had an absolutely incredible time in this beautiful country; the days seem to have flown by so quickly. There was so much to see and do here, and the people we met along the way have been so kind and helpful. We’re sad to say goodbye to Vietnam but we’re looking forward to the next stage of our adventure: Cambodia!
