Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide
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 (South Vietnam).
Understand
Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, Saigon was "officially" renamed Ho Chi Minh City. However the old Saigon name is still used by both Vietnamese and foreigners, especially when referring to the most central part of the city to which most tourists flock.
During the 40's, the U.S. had supported the Viet Minh against the Japanese. During the 50's, they supported the French against all rebels. During the 60's, the United States defended South Vietnam against incursions from the Communist North. On April 30th, 1975, however, the U.S. ended all involvement in Vietnam, and the Viet Minh took Saigon, renaming it Ho Chi Minh City in 1976.
After the "Fall of Saigon," which the victors called the "Liberation of Saigon," many Saigon residents fled to the U.S. and elsewhere, creating a Vietnamese diaspora. While in this sense the city shrank, it grew in that its borders were expanded to include its suburbs and its whole province. Today, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam, having eight million inhabitants, and is the nation's economic hub, accounting for 20% of national GDP. The city also attracts many tourists, especially to its French District, museums and its numerous cinemas. To explore Ho Chi Minh city, you can book a transfer service to go around. And Saigon Private Taxi is one of the reputable tranfer serices in Ho Chi Minh City.
People
In 2015, Ho Chi Minh City was estimated to contain 8.2 million residents, which was up from 7.4 million in 2010 and 5.3 million in 2000. Thus, the city is both large and growing, but in one respect, it is smaller than it seems — the official statistics include both registered residents and migrant workers. On the other hand, the city is actually larger than the official resident count in that its metropolitan area includes over 10 million people. Finally, we can add over three million tourists to the total number of people actually present in Ho Chi Minh City during any given year.
Ethnic Composition
The vast majority (nearly 94%) of "Saigonese" — the usual designation for the people of Ho Chi Minh City — are ethnically Vietnamese. The largest minority by far is the longstanding Chinese population (5.7%), which is concentrated in Cholon and a few other districts of the city. The Chinese are referred to as "Hoa," and more of them live in Ho Chi Minh than in any other part of Vietnam. There is also a small group of Cambodians, also known as Khmer, in the city (0.3%).
Languages Spoken
While nearly all Saigonese speak the Vietnamese language, the Hoa speak a variety of Chinese dialects, including Cantonese and Hainanese. Very few Hoa, however, speak Mandarin. Due to the prevalence of tourism and commerce in Ho Chi Minh City, there are also a good deal of people speaking English as a second language.
Major Religions
The three Eastern Religions of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are the most popular belief systems in Ho Chi Minh, and all three are frequently observed in the very same temples. Both ethnic Vietnamese and ethnic Chinese tend to practice these three dominant religions. There is also, however, a Roman Catholic community that constitutes about 10% of the population, besides smaller numbers of Protestants, Hindus, Muslims and Baha'i.
Economic Employment
The eight percent of the Vietnamese population who live in Ho Chi Minh City are responsible for 20% of national GDP, 28% of industrial production and a third of the nation's shipping tonnage. Per capita GDP was measured at $5,100 in 2014. which was much higher than the national average of $2,052. The industries engaged in are very diverse, including such areas as agriculture, mining, processing of seafood, construction, banking, commerce and tourism. The local economy is 51% service-based, 48% forestry and agriculture and one percent "everything else." Vietnam being a Communist country, it should not be surprising to learn that 33% of the Ho Chi Minh economy is state-owned and only five percent is in the private sector. However, the big surprise is that the remainder (62%) is fueled by foreign investments.
Climate
Ho Chi Minh City's climate is classified as tropical wet and dry, meaning that it is warm all year round and divided into two distinct seasons, the wet season and the dry season, rather than spring, summer, fall and winter. The rainy season lasts from May through October, and the dry season runs from December to April.
Precipitation and Humidity
Over 1,800 mm (70 in) of rain falls during the wet season, and there are about 150 rain days per year. Wet-season months see between 200 and 300 mm (8.5 to 12.5 in) of rain on average, with the wettest month being September, which receives an average rainfall of 327.1 mm (12.9 in). Dry season months vary more in how much rainfall they see. The transitional month of November gets 117 mm (4.6 in), while the "semi-transitional" months of December and April get around 50 mm (2 in). The three driest months are: January, with 14 mm (0.5 in) of rain; February, with 4.1 mm (0.16 in); and March, with 10.5 mm (0.4 in).
Seventy percent of rain days include a thunderstorm, but rain showers usually only last for a couple hours. Most tourists visit between November and March to avoid the wet season, though it is not hard to "schedule around the raindrops" in most cases. From July to November is typhoon season, which also tends to shrink the tourist crowds.
The average humidity level averages from 78% to 82% throughout the year, but it is not uncommon for it to range from a comfortable 46% to a "very humid" 98%. Only rarely, however, does it reach 100% or drop below 36%.
Temperature, Sunshine, and Wind
The average daily mean is 28º C (82º F), and temperatures are relatively stable throughout the entire year. Average daily highs range from 31º C (87º F) in December to 34.5º C (94º F) in April. Average daily lows run from 21º C (70º F) in January to 26º C (78º F) in April. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Ho Chi Minh City is 40º C (104º F), and the lowest temperature on record is 14º C (57º F).
Ho Chi Minh City gets from 2,400 to 2,700 hours of sunlight every year. The median cloud cover ranges from 39% to 79%, and because of the city's relative nearness to the Equator, daytime hours vary little (always within 45 minutes of 12 hours). Rainy season months all get less than 200 hours of sunlight, the lowest being September, which has only 162 hours of sunshine. Dry season months all get above 200 hours of sun, the sunniest month being March, which has 272 hours.
Wind speeds, on average, range from zero to seven meters-per-second, and rarely exceed 11. This means that you typically see anything from calm to a moderate breeze but rarely a strong breeze. August is the windiest month, and both June and July are also relatively windy. Thus, summer is the best time for surfing, sailing, kite-surfing and wind-surfing.
Buy
Vietnamese arts and crafts, or mass-produced resin knock-offs thereof, are sold by dozens of shops around the central tourist district. The best, most expensive items can be mostly found on Dong Khoi or the immediate side streets. The goods tend to get progressively simpler and cheaper as you move west toward Ben Thanh Market (though the best wood-carving shop is a stall on the back side of Ben Thanh). A few shops have authentic woven silk textiles from Sapa and the north. Lacquered paintings, plates, bowls, etc. are quite striking and unique to Vietnam. Vietnamese propaganda posters can be very impressive and offer a taste of history.
When buying keep in mind that is very useful to have local currency - bargaining in dollars will likely make it more difficult to get the same price, and paying with US dollars instead of dong, while often possible, will leave you minus a few percent from rounding (as of 2013, US$1 is widely accepted as 20,000 dong, while in fact the exchange rate for the last few years has fluctuated around 21,000). Be advised that banks and formal exchange businesses will provide you with a decent rate, especially when compared with agencies like Statravel on the main Vui Ban street who will offer much lower rates. Goldsmith shops will also change money at decent rates, though as always it is better to know the going rate than to trust in luck.
Eat
You're spoiled for choice in Saigon, which offers the country's largest variety of Vietnamese and international food. Bargains are getting harder to find, however, and restaurant prices have been rising at up to 30% per year due to a combination of higher food prices, rising wages, and soaring real estate costs. Land in the city centre now sells for around US$16,000 per square meter, so even a modest-sized restaurant sits on real estate worth more than US$1 million. Authentic local food at bargain prices is one of the glories of Vietnam, but it's getting harder to find in Saigon as the city becomes ever more upscale and cosmopolitan.
The local food shows influences from French colonial times - bakeries have fresh and excellent baguettes, which they will fill with cheese (typically of the "la vache qui rit" or "laughing cow" brand), potted meat, ham, and onions, or any combination thereof, cheaply. Beef is used in various dishes - whether in any of the many variations of pho, or in a regional specialty such as "bun bo hue" or Hue beef soup. Be sure to try, aside from pho, dishes such as the above-mentioned Hue beef soup, or "banh xeo" aka. Vietnamese omelettes, consisting of a delicious filling of your choice (various options included bamboo shoots and enoki mushrooms, along with meat, prawns, or both) in a crispy outer crepe-like casing.
However, some good bargains can still be found. Banh Mi Thit (pork sandwiches) can be had for 13,000-15,000 dong. Com tam, a plate of rice with grilled pork (customizable with different types of meat) and a bit of vegetables is 18,000 dong. (May 2011). If you want a wide variety of street food you need to try another district than Sai Gon, district 5 is good or district 3 and up will get better and cheaper. As Hanoi, street food in Saigon becomes a culture cuisine of this city, you can go around by motos, see the local life and enjoy great street food.
Due to the variety of culture, cuisine in Saigon is quite diverse. This is a place where you do not need to go far to enjoy dishes. If you want to enjoy rice cake with forest leaves in Tay Ninh, you can go to Hoang Ty rice cake store on Cao Thang Street, Phan Dang Luu Street, etc. If you want to enjoy central dishes, you can visit a chain of Hue dish restaurants. For Mekong Delta dishes, you should taste sizzling cake Muoi Xiem, etc.
Drink
Microbreweries
There is two categories of beer places in Saigon. You have the regular local bottled beers and bia hoi which you can find easily. One unique phenomenon with Vietnam is all the local microbreweries that serves Czech or German styled beers. There are about 10 microbreweries in the city whereof several are located in the city center. A small glass of beer costs about 30 000 vnd and food prices are normally a bit higher than on the average local restaurants. Most of them import both hops and malt from Czech republic or Germany and the beers are more full bodied than the bottled local beers. The style is something between regular lagers and ipa/stout and the concistency is low, therefore the taste and quality of beer differ from month to month.
Coffee shops
Vietnam is the worlds second largest exporter of coffee behind Brazil, and coffe is very popular among the Vietnamese. It's a paradise for coffee-loving visitors. The local style is strong and sweet; key words to remember are: sua (sweetened condensed milk), da (ice), and nong (hot, pronounced "nowm"). “Ca phe da” is strong, sweet iced coffee; and ca phe sua da is the same with condensed milk. Ca phe (sua) nong is brewed fresh on your table brewed in a little metal apparatus placed over a cup; just lift it off when it has cooled enough to touch (and hence drink). Prices range from 10,000 to 20,000 dong for coffee in the local style.
Since ice might or might not be made with purified water, strictly cautious visitors should avoid it, though long-term residents consume ice from reputable cafes and restaurants all the time.
Espresso, cappuccino, and American-style filter coffee are now also widely available in the tourist district, usually at 2-8 times the price of the local style. You will be able to differentiate the better places if they use fresh UHT milk as opposed to condensed milk.
Contact
· Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) telephone code: 08. Please note that in late 2008 many (but not all) land line phone numbers in Vietnam were given the prefix 3.
Free wifi access is provided at many hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and cafés. You can find open access points that don't require a password throughout the area around Pham Ngu Lao/Bui Vien and Ben Thanh Market.
Immigration office
· Immigration department, 161 Nguyen Du, District 1 (~ 15-20min by walk from reunification palace, ~10min from Ben Thanh market following Le Lai street), ☎ 8299398.
Police station
If you need to fill a complaint (for example, a stolen object), you can go at a police station. For a stolen thing, you need to report to the station corresponding at the place where the theft is supposed to have happened. It can be tricky as small station will probably not have an officer with very good english. If possible, go with someone speaking vietnamese.
· Police station District 1, 24-26 duong pasteur, District 1 (10mn by walk from ben thanh bus station, near Fideco tower, crossing Ham Nghi & pasteur streets.), ☎ 0838297373. 7h30-11h30, 13h-17h.
· Police station Phu Nhuan, 181 Hoang Van Thu, Phu Nhuan. 7h30-11h30, 13h-17h.