Ho Chi Minh 2011- a revisit

Kannan outside the Notre Dame Basillica, District 1 

Statues from a victorious regime 

Inside the General Post Office 

I am at the tail end of a 3 day business trip to Ho Chi Minh city,the first since my earlier trip in 2009. The memories and impressions then and now are quite distinct. I find in 2011, the city is still full of motocycles what with the upward mobility and wealth of the Vietnamese people in general, but in addition, where we are staying, in District 1, there are lot of high end luxury sedans and SUV cars. This is far more apparent now than in 2009.

The communist party is still firmly in power, and the people here are thriving and entrepreneurial. However, there is none of the sleaze you will find in  many of the other developing countries. It makes the visit to HCM as a family destination more appealing. On the other hand, the traffic and air conditions are not good even for a decent stay of say 4 to 5 days. I bought a mask when I took a walk out in the city as many Vietnamese are also aware of the impact the polluted air can cause to their bodies. There are literally thousands of masked people in the streets, from motorbike riders, to street vendors to ordinary citizens out and about. The pollution levels here make KL and even Bangkok levels seem quite liveable.

There are literally hundreds of clean and decent looking small hotels to choose from in District 1 alone, so my guess is that, for a walk-in visitor, the rate may drop to perhaps S$50 during the low season. It is preferrable to book online, like I did and paid $ 72 per room per night for a clean, large room and free wi-fi.

There are several interesting places one must visit, and these are (in no order of preference) :

Rex Hotel

Notre Dame Basillica

Reunification Palace

War Remnants Museum

The roof top 5th floor of the Rex Hotel is a must visit. You can view the of whole of Saigon (old HCM name) and take in the sights and sounds of the city without the smog. A must visit. We had a starter, 2 main courses and a bottle of Australian shiraz for a total of U$ 72 or about S$ 95. Unbelieveably inexpensive for dining for 2 at the equivalent to the Raffles (or E & O in Penang) Hotel.

The best times to visit I guess would be in March, April, or October to December as it it considered Spring or Autumn time respectively. June and July would be the swelteringly hot months.

The Vietnamese coffee is also very good, you can choose from the normal, medium to strong. The weasel is one well known brand, and I have just taken a liking to the Moka blend, selling at VND 44,000 per 100 g or U$ 2 per 100 g. Certainly not cheap but very robust, good aroma and flavourful.

It is a great short visit combination of business and some relaxation, in my opinion.