This was my second time in Vietnam. I had been in the north of the country a few years ago and now it was time to visit the capital which is located in the south : Ho Chi Minh (aka Saigon).
Do I need a Visa to enter Vietnam?
Last time I had to apply online to get the Vietnam visa on arrival which was pretty straightforward. This time I would be luckier as some countries got a visa exemption until 2018. Do you need a visa to enter Vietnam? Check it out before flying as there is so many changes on this matter in Vietnam.
Bitexco Financial Tower
It was a long weekend in Ho Chi Minh to meet some friends. I was arriving earlier than them so my plan was to get up to the highest building in the city. I prefer the nature tourism than the city one but when I am visiting a city I always try to get to the highest point. This way you can get pretty interesting views of the city. Don’t forget your zoom lens! Here there were no doubts as there are no many high buildings. The Bitexco Financial Tower can be easily spotted out if you are not far from the center. This gives you pretty nice views of the city center.
City Walk
After meeting my friends it was time to do the mandatory city walk under a terrible sun. Some kilograms were lost that day.
War Remnants Museum
Looking for the must see of Ho Chi Minh? The War Remnants Museum is one of them. Some parts (as the agent orange section) can bee very strong for some people but I would definitely recommend to visit it if you have the chance. I found it quite interesting and shocking.
Mekong river
What do you do when you meet a bunch of friends who are living in different countries and you haven’t see them for a while? Yes, that night we had to go out… but we decided to stop it before it was too late as we had to wake up early the next day. Our objective: pay a visit to the Mekong. I have to say that it was the typical tour where you don’t see much but you are asked to pay for every single thing. In any case the tour guide was good so there were some interesting points and anyway…leave the hot city for some hours sounded like a perfect plan.
Hidden gems
Once back in the city, my friends had to continue their trip to Camboya while I still had the rest of the day free before I had to catch my fly back to Taiwan. I still would had time to meet my ‘local’ friend one more time after doing a night walk. Ho Chi Ming has many hidden gems at night, you just need to get lost to find them.
Ho Chi Minh at night
I guess it was in part because the high temperatures but I definitely enjoyed more the city at night. From the photography point of view, nights always gave me more possibilities to play with the city lights.
The very center that during the day didn’t look so fancy for pictures , suddenly appear much better at night. Even the statue of Ho Chi Minh looks more attractive!
One last advice, rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh are insanely cheap (around 1$ for a beer in one of the highest buildings in the city with live music!) If you are not a drinker you might still want to vidit them for the views.
See you next time Saigon!
All pics here.
