Esoteric
August is already here.
I am planning to fly over on 18th Aug and return on 21st Aug. Ho Chi Minh City... don't think a 4 day 3 night is good for venturing far.
ANyone has any suggestions on "must-sees" and "must-shoot" places?
Thanks!
Hey,
my hubby and I were in HCM in March for close to a week. Initially we planned to visit Mui Ne but decided that we'll spend more time in HCM itself. We rented a motorbike and it was really really fun being part of the millions of motorcyclists!
I think some of the famous icons would be:
the reunification palace (a bit boring actually - much of it about the rooms that were used by the leaders. The top floor has an open veranda offering some nice views. Anyway if I remember correcrtly, its about 1US or 2US to enter),
Norte Dame Cathedral (has a huge statue in front of the cathedral - probably will make for some architecture shots. At the time when we were there, it was closed, so we could not go in),
the Post Office located right next to the cathedral (I felt that it was nice place to shoot architecture as it is from the French period - bring wide lens),
the War Remanents Museum (I enjoyed it because I used to be History teacher before but it is non-A/C, so gets pretty hot)
and the Water Puppet Theatre (I highly recommend this, very funny and interesting to watch. We made the mistake of going for the show about 15 mins ahead and hence were made to sit on plastic chairs! It's free seating and heavily booked by tour agents, so get the tickets early - even a day ahead)
Ben Thanh Market - It's THE market to get wet produce, coffee, souveniors, etc in HCM. However, be prepared to bargain like there is no tomorrow. The prices are inflated 100% or even more!
HCM also offers a lot of opportunities for street photography as there are many vendors hawking their products and its bustling with activity.
Out of HCM, some of the recommended place for day trips would be:
Mekong Delta (Lots of scenic photographic options available)
Cai Dao Temple (It's a made-in-Vietnam cult/religion that mixes up all the religions in the world but predominantly has a buddhist, taoist influence. The temples are colourful and makes for good photography as well. Wide angle lens help in capturing the entire temple.)
Cu Chi Tunnels (Famous, historical legacy of the Vietnam War. Underground tunnels built by the Vietnamese against the US soldiers. Worth a visit as you get to travel through one of the tunnels - its really narrow and pitch dark!)
For the day trips, we went with Sinh Travel Cafe. Highly recommended by other travellers as well. Be careful when approaching tour agencies. Many of them are not genuine. Also, we found that we got a better rate when we changed currency at goldsmith shops than in banks. HCM is generally safe, we did not face any problems, but I think Westerners get harassed more. Also, we didn't frequent the pubs and such, so I think we didn't invite trouble. We wore money belts as well, just in case we got pickpocketed.
There were other places we went as well, some pagodas, spa (its cheap!), etc. I'm sure you will come up with your own travel plans! Have fun!
