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Tây Ninh

Tay Ninh is the capital city of Tay Ninh Province, in Southern Vietnam.

86km

11.3106.1

Phnom Penh

capital of Cambodia

214km

11.56522104.92124

Dalat

city of Vietnam

233km

11.941667108.438333

Phu Quoc

Phú Quốc (pronounced fú-wóg) is a large tropical Vietnamese island off the coast of Cambodia. It is only accessible from Vietnam.

307km

10.2167103.9667

Nha Trang

city of Vietnam

321km

12.25109.1833
Sights (7)

War Remnants Museum

The museum was opened in a hurry, less than five months after the fall of the South Vietnamese regime. It has moved to new premises with 3 storeys of exhibits and various US military hardware (tanks, jets, helicopters, howitzers) on display outside the building. This disturbing display of man's cruelty during the Vietnam (American) War includes halls full of gruesome photographs, a simulated "tiger cage" prison and jars of deformed foetuses attributed to contamination by Agent Orange. An exhibit on the 3rd floor tells the story of the war journalists from all over the world who documented, and often disappeared or died in the war. Watch out for the amputees who will try and sell you their wares. It's a short walk from Reunification Palace — see the museum pamphlet for a map.

1.6km

10.779475106.692132

Independence Palace

This is a restored 4-floor time warp to the 1960s left largely untouched from the day Saigon fell to the North; construction started in 1962 and finished in 1966. Formerly South Vietnam's presidential palace, the war ended on 30 Apr 1975 when Tank 843 crashed through the gate. A replica of that tank is now parked on the lawn outside. Be sure to check out the impressively kitschy recreation room, featuring a circular sofa, and the eerie basement, full of vintage 1960s phones, radios and office equipment, supposedly left exactly as it was found when the North took over. There is also a photo gallery and a propaganda film recounting how the South Vietnamese supporters and American imperialists succumbed to Ho Chi Minh's indomitable revolutionary forces, at which point the South Vietnamese supporters were forgiven and everyone lived happily ever after. Tours are available and are free, but not necessary. There is a nice outdoor café on the grounds outside the palace.

1.7km

10.77694444106.69527778

Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts

2.0km

10.76944444106.7

Gia Long Palace

The museum, housed in a French colonial-era building, relates the life of the modern day father of Vietnam. The exhibits include various personal possessions of Ho Chi Minh, but are mainly photographs. It's not overly informative, the interior is shabby and the staff are disinterested. While some may find the theme a little jingoistic, like most things it depends upon your point of view. The onsite shop stocks the usual souvenirs along with some books related to Ho Chi Minh.

2.1km

10.77611111106.69972222

Quan Âm Pagoda (Ho Chi Minh City)

The oldest pagoda in town, home of a lot of incense and a cheerful puppy.

3.0km

10.7541106.6596

Chợ Lớn, Ho Chi Minh City

quarter of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, known as Chinatown

4.2km

10.749106.65

Mekong Delta

region in southwestern Vietnam

126km

10.009105.824
Nature

we will see

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam
Get to know Ho Chi Minh City and make your own plans for someday by reading our blogs.

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known as Saigon or by the abbreviations HCMC or HCM, is the largest city in Vietnam and the former capital of the Republic of Vietnam.

Tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City are mainly related to periods of French colonization and the Vietnam War. The city's center has some wide American-style boulevards and a few French colonial buildings. The majority of these tourist spots are located in District 1 and are a short distance from each other. The most prominent structures in the city centre are the Reunification Palace (Dinh Thống Nhất), City Hall (Ủy ban nhân dân Thành phố), Municipal Theatre (Nhà hát thành phố, also known as the Opera House), City Post Office (Bưu điện thành phố), State Bank Office (Ngân hàng nhà nước), City People's Court (Tòa án nhân dân thành phố) and Notre-Dame Cathedral (Nhà thờ Đức Bà) the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880. Some of the historic hotels are the Hotel Majestic, dating from the French colonial era, and the Rex and Caravelle hotels are former hangouts for American officers and war correspondents in the 1960s & '70s.

Ho Chi Minh City is located in the south-eastern region of Vietnam, 1,760 km (1,090 mi) south of Hanoi. The average elevation is 19 metres (62 ft) above sea level. It borders Tây Ninh Province and Bình Dương Province to the north, Đồng Nai Province and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province to the east, Long An Province to the west and the East Sea to the south with a coast 15 km (9 mi) long. The city covers an area of 2,095 km (809 sq mi or 0.63% of the surface of Vietnam), extending up to Củ Chi District (12 mi or 19 km from the Cambodian border) and down to Cần Giờ on the Eastern Sea. The distance from the northernmost point (Phú Mỹ Hưng Commune, Củ Chi District) to the southernmost one (Long Hòa Commune, Cần Giờ District) is 102 km (63 mi), and from the easternmost point (Long Bình ward, District Nine) to the westernmost one (Bình Chánh Commune, Bình Chánh District) is 47 km (29 mi).

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Our travel journal

The buildings of Ho Chi Minh City

We were highly intoxicated bythe juxtapositions of different cultures, the textured and weathered surfaces,the untold stories of unexpected spacesand the never-ending randomness… At the end of our trip, we were so energised – mostly powered by our own imaginations – and even when our flight got delayed, we found some last-minute amusement at the airport.

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When someday comes you'll need to get in.

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

32°C21
Precipitation: 14 mm

Feb

33°C23
Precipitation: 4.1 mm

Mar

34°C24
Precipitation: 11 mm

Apr

35°C26
Precipitation: 50 mm

May

34°C25
Precipitation: 218 mm

Jun

32°C25
Precipitation: 312 mm

Jul

32°C24
Precipitation: 294 mm

Aug

32°C24
Precipitation: 270 mm

Sep

31°C24
Precipitation: 327 mm

Oct

31°C24
Precipitation: 267 mm

Nov

31°C23
Precipitation: 117 mm

Dec

31°C21
Precipitation: 48 mm