Ben Thanh Market
This is the market of huge food and souvenir in the heart of Saigon. It used to be a place to buy and sell groceries and textiles, but nowadays it is a very touristy place. The market is open during the whole day, but the stalls selling meat, fish and fresh vegetable closes after 1PM. At night, the actions happens on the street besides the market, food restaurants and clothes shops take the whole lane and they will try to convince you to buy handcrafts or t-shirts. Don’t forget to bargain since all the goods are overpriced.
Notre Dame Cathedral
A huge church in the heart of a Buddhist city. Built in the 1880’s, the Notre Dame Cathedral was called Saigon Church, on 1959 after the installation of the statue “Peaceful Notre Dame” the name was changed. Nowadays it’s called Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, one of the religious and historical attraction in Ho Chi Minh City.
Central Post Office
Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office dates from 1891, it is said that Gustave Eiffel who designed it, but the fact has not been determined. Inside the building, you can admire the marble floor, the paintings and even the old telephone boxes are still there.
Saigon Opera House
Keep walking through Dong Khoi Street, you will reach the Opera House, it is another attraction in Ho Chi Minh City. You cannot get inside it for free, you need to buy tickets to be able to see its interior design.
There are other historical building around the Opera House such as the Hotel Caravelle and the Hotel Continental Saigon. These three building have a European sensation, a different view from the Southeast Asia trip.
War Remnants Museum
The Remnants Museum is a lesson of history. Although it is a pretty place, you have to visit it to know other sides of Vietnam War. Vietnamese don’t call it Vietnam War, they call it American War. The War museum is one of the top things to do in Saigon, it’s not pleasant, it’s not beautiful, but is important to understand the history and how our politicians keep making the same geopolitical mistakes.
Reunification Palace
The palace is one of the most important building in Vietnam. The place where the Americans planned the war strategies and where the conflict finished. In 1975 a North Vietnamese Army tank smashed the gates and they hung a flag on the balcony symbolizing the end of the war. Since that day the palace is frozen in time, everything inside is original, and the visitors can get a really close look on how was the life inside the palace during the war time.
Chinatown and Thien Hau Temple
One of the top attraction in Saigon is the Chinatown. Located on District 5, a bit far from the city center, it takes around 15 – 20 minutes to go there by taxi. The Chinese area called Cholon, dates back to 1778, and the community managed to keep their traditional architecture and way of living during the French colonial period and during the Vietnam War.
