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About Ho Chi Minh - Saigon

About Ho Chi Minh - Saigon
Washed ashore above the Mekong Delta, some 40km north of the South China Sea, Ho Chi Minh is a city on the march, a boomtown where the rule of the dollar is absolute. Fuelled by the sweeping economic changes wrought by Doi moi, this effervescent city, perched on the west bank of the Saigon River, now boasts fine restaurants, immaculate hotels in Ho Chi Minh, and glitzy bars among its colonial villas, venerable pagodas and austere, Soviet-style housing-blocks. Sadly, Ho Chi Minh City is also full to bursting with people for whom progress hasn't yet translated into food, lodgings and employment, so begging, stealing and prostitution are all facts of life here. Petty crime has increased dramatically in the last few years, particularly bag snatching, and care should be taken at all times with personal belongings whilst walking the streets, or travelling on cyclos and motorbikes – especially after dark and around tourist nightspots.

Ho Chi Minh City started life as a fishing village known as Prei Nokor and, during the Angkor period (until the fifteenth century), it flourished as an entrepôt for Cambodian boats pushing down the Mekong River. By the seventeenth century it boasted a Khmer garrison and a community of Malay, Indian and Chinese traders. During the eighteenth century, Hué's Nguyen dynasty ousted the Khmers, renamed Prei Nokor Saigon, and established a temporary capital here between 1772 and 1802, after which the Emperor Gia Long used it as his regional administrative centre. The French seized Saigon in 1861, and a year later the Treaty of Saigon declared the city the capital of French Cochinchina. They set about a huge public works programme, building roads and draining marshlands, but ruled harshly. After a thirty-year war against the French, Saigon was finally designated the capital of the Republic of South Vietnam by President Diem in 1955, soon becoming both the nerve-centre of the American war effort, and its R&R capital, with a slough of sleazy bars catering to GIs on leave of duty. The American troops withdrew in 1973, and two years later the Ho Chi Minh Campaign rolled through the gates of the presidential palace and the communists were in control. Within a year, Saigon had been renamed Ho Chi Minh City.

Recommended things to do with your Vietnam visa in Saigon
Cu Chi Tunels
A two-hour drive northwest out of Ho Chi Minh City brings you to the area of Cu Chi, famous for its maze of tunnels used by the Viet Cong in the war against the United States. Often little more than one meter high and 80 centimeters across, these tunnels were supply routes, kitchens, hospitals and training facilities. Crawl down a tunnel yourself (if you can fit) or try an AK47 rifle!

Ben Thanh Market
Impossible to miss at one of the key intersections in the city center, Ben Thanh is the city's main market. Inside is a tightly organized grid of aisles, arranged according to product. Clothes, shoes and fabric dominate the front, before giving over to kitchenware, cooked food, fresh vegetables and a somewhat alarming display of seafood and meat (some of it still alive). There is plenty for the visitor to buy, but the main attraction is the way in which the bustling market is still very much part of the city's life and economy.

Reunification Palace
On April 30, 1975, Communist tanks smashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace, symbol of the South Vietnamese government. Guides at the renamed Reunification Palace now offer daily tours to visitors. The Palace is also noted for its striking 1960s architecture, the creation of Paris-trained Vietnamese architect Ngo Viet Thu. Included on the tour are visits to conference rooms, the Presidential Receiving Room, basement tunnels and war room, telecommunications center and the residential.quarters, as well as a back terrace complete with heliport. A video presentation of Vietnamese history is available in several languages

Notre Dame Cathedral
This is one of the landmarks among the impressive avenues and open spaces north of Dong Khoi. The huge red-brick edifice with twin spires is placed between two streams of traffic and is a clear reminder that the French once ruled this city. Inside, the decor is relatively austere, but the church gets very full and very lively during services. This peaceful place is perfect for quiet contemplation. Sunday Mass is held at 9.30am.

War Crimes Museum
Housed in a former United States administration building, this is one of the most popular and sobering museums in the city. It highlights the suffering of the Vietnamese people at the hands of the French and American forces up to 1975. The photographs of the injured and dead are both haunting and sickening. This is not a politically balanced exhibition, but when you consider the statistics of American versus Vietnamese casualties, that is hardly surprising. This museum is probably too disturbing for children to view.

Water Puppet Theater
Just inside the grounds of the War Crimes Museum is a water puppet theatre. Despite recorded music this 20-minute show is a rare chance to see this traditional Vietnamese art form. Fighting and footballing dragons and dogs as well as life-like people puppets are brought to life with grace, precision and power on the surface of the water. This professional production by highly skilled artists is well worth the USD2 ticket price.

Diamond Superbowl
The city's newest and most central bowling centre, with 24 lanes and computerised scoring, is on the fourth floor of a shopping centre. Games cost from USD1.50 in the daytime to USD3 in the evenings and weekends. Hourly lane rates range from USD7 to USD14. Shoe rental costs USD0.40 and socks are USD0.60 a pair. There is also a range of arcade games plus eight pool/snooker tables for hire from USD2 to USD4.50 an hour. And there is a Kentucky Fried Chicken if you get peckish between bowls.

Ho Chi Minh Museum
It was from this old customs house, known as the “dragon house,” in 1911 that Ho Chi Minh set sail for 30 years in exile. Now a museum, the eclectic collection features many of the leader's possessions including the Uncle's sandals and his beloved Zenith radio (ironically made in the United States). Most of the signs are in Vietnamese. The museum can be reached by taking a ferry across the Saigon River from the pier at the end of Ham Nghi Avenue or using the bridge on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street.

most common holiday arguments couples have

10 most common holiday arguments couples have
You’ve been saving up and counting down the days. The dream holiday in Vietnam is finally here, but it could soon turn into a nightmare. From misplaced passports and visa for Vietnam to flirting with waiters, here are 10 of the most common holiday arguments. Let the bickering begin…
  1. When to leave for the airport
    Punctuality is key when catching a flight – or is it? The sensible one in the relationship will insist on getting there at least three hours early in case there are any hold-ups on the road. The laid-back one on the other hand hates wasting time queuing. He/she will hit the snooze button and try to delay matters to ensure you leave the house as late as possible.
  2. Packing too much
    “This is way over the limit, it must weigh at least 30 kg!” Packing can be problematic. Guys, before you ask, yes we do need all eight pairs of shoes (no you don’t! – Ed). The holiday may only be a week long, but we have to look our best. Stop complaining and leave your other half to it (apart from when she needs your help kneeling on the suitcase to shut it).
  3. Navigating
    If the Sat Nav fails be warned; 95%* of men would rather trust his own ‘gut feeling’ instead of listening to his partner. He’s sure he ‘knows the way’, but the reality is, he’s programmed to drive in a straight line. When he does admit that he’s lost, it’s always someone else’s fault. What a wally!
  4. Who has the passports?
    You’ve made it to the airport in plenty of time, but there’s one problem – the passports. Nothing causes a short sharp squabble quite as quickly as the thought of someone accidentally leaving them at home. You bicker over who had them last – shouting out “you had them!” while frantically searching your pockets and bags. When one of you inevitably finds them in your coat pocket, there’s a sheepish silence followed by: “I told you so.”
  5. Staring at other women on the beach
    Guys, even if you’ve got your sunglasses on, we can still tell when you’re looking at that topless girl by the funny look on your face. If there’s one thing that’s going to cause trouble in paradise, it’s the guy who can’t stop ogling other women on the beach.
  6. Macho man refusing to wear suncream
    Do you think we enjoy spending part of our holiday nursing you while you’ve got sunstroke? We know you want to get as brown as possible but it’s not big and it’s not clever to skip the suncream. It’ll ruin both of our holidays when you have to spend the next two days in bed doing the distressed red lobster routine; slapping on the aloe vera and avoiding the sun.
  7. Man wants to stay up drinking and sleep it off the next day
    A couple of casual cocktails is fine, but when it’s an all-inclusive holiday and you’re the guy who wants to stay up until 3 am lining up the shots and necking anything the barman concocts, your lady isn’t going to be impressed. The next day you’ll probably want to sleep off your hangover and if your other half wants to get up early to have an active/cultural day – this could cause some serious friction.
  8. Girl flirting with the waiter
    You were hoping to enjoy a romantic meal with the girl of your dreams, but there’s one issue – the sleazy waiter. He’s paying her far too much attention, calling her beautiful, kissing her hand and you haven’t even had the starter yet. You expect her to ignore him but instead she’s lapping it up and loving every moment. Tell Pablo to take a hike, or you could be renewing that eHarmony subscription when you get home.
  9. Eating risky foods and suffering the consequences
    Picture the scene – there’s an all-you-can-eat buffet, it’s been out all day and the food isn’t exactly looking fresh. That old sardine looks familiar – he was in exactly the same place yesterday! When the woman is sensible about it, but the man ignores her advice and tucks in, problems could soon arise. When he’s struck down with terrible food poisoning the next day, he’ll be looking for sympathy, but all she’ll be saying is she can’t believe how stupid he is.
  10. Parking at the airport
    Congratulations, you’ve survived your holiday, you’ve got all your luggage and it’s time to head home. One problem – the car! Where is it? B1? C1? E1? You remember it was row 22 but seem to have forgotten the other details. At the time it was crystal clear and you remember telling your other half to make a note of it. When one of you finally finds the note on their phone, you take a sigh of relief. Hold on – who’s got the car keys?

Source: Get Vietnam Visa

Nha Trang Beach relax

Nha Trang Beach relax - Nha Trang Island Tour
Area: 251 sq. km
Population: 362 thousand people
Administrative division:
  • Wards: Vinh Hoa, Vinh Hai, Vinh Phuoc, Vinh Tho, Ngoc Hiep, Van Thang, Phuong Son, Xuong Huan, Van Thanh, Phuong Sai, Phuoc Tan, Phuoc Tien, Phuoc Hai, Phuoc Long, Loc Tho, Phuoc Hoa, Tan Lap, Vinh Nguyen, Vinh Truong.
  • Communes: Vinh Luong, Vinh Phuong, Vinh Ngoc, Vinh Thanh, Vinh Hiep, Vinh Trung, Vinh Thai, Phuoc Dong.
Ethnic groups: Mainly the Viet (or Kinh).
 
The coastal city of Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa province, Central Vietnam, lies on the trans-Vietnam highway, 1,278 km from Hanoi, and 448 km from Ho Chi Minh City where foreign tourists can get Vietnam visa on arrial at the airport. Nha Trang is endowed by nature with deep, quiet and warm waters all the year round, surrounded by archipelagoes, islands, mountains and white sand beaches - a wonderful and attractive tourist resort. To the north of Nha Trang stands the Chong mount which looks like a wide open hand over the sea. Far offshore, the Yen (Swallow) Island appears with lush green colours where salangane nests have been harvested for years to make the traditional "bird's nest" tonic and food.
 
The 7 km white sand beach of Nha Trang is often called Vietnam's Mediterranean Area, considered one of the jewel along Vietnam's long stretching coast line. Nha Trang is sunny all year round, with an average temperature of 23°C due to northern winds. The rainfall is less than anywhere else in the country and the area is not threatened by storms since it is protected by the Truong Son Mountains and Ca Pass. From Ca Pass, one can see Ro Bay (Vung Ro), Hon Do...
Hon Tre Island is 36 km and belongs to a group of islands located southwest of Nha Trang. It takes two hours to reach Hon Tre Island by rowboat and only 20 minutes by ferry.
 
Nha Trang benefits from topographical advantages of the sea, islands, mountains, and deltas. West of Nha Trang, there are endless mountain ranges where a wide variety of animals and birds live. Nha Trang has many specialties. Especially, bird's nest soup, or swallow's nest soup is very famous in Nha Trang and round Vietnam. The magnificent coral seabed in Nha Trang makes it ideal for scubadiving and snorkeling. Nha Trang Bay is recognised as one of 29 most beautiful bays in the world.
 
Nha Trang, capital of Khanh Hoa province, is Vietnam’s most famous seaside resort-town and its most prominent scuba diving destination. Nha Trang is also known for the best weather in Vietnam... Nha Trang has a long stretch of beautiful coastline; miles of white, sandy beaches with mountains at each end, framed by the dramatic backdrop of mountain ranges, as well as several other good beaches close by (Doc Let Beach, Dai Lanh Beach and Bai Tru Beach) and more than 19 islands (of which serene Bamboo Island is possibly the best-known). 
Scuba diving and snorkeling are two very popular pastimes, thanks to clear aqua waters, an abundant underwater life and colourful coral reefs. Beaches here are any beach lover’s dream with their white sand, and many types of boat trips are available to explore the surrounding islands. A smattering of seafood eateries in the road that runs alongside the beach serve up a wide selection of seafood and shell fish, and the many cafés, bars and hotels in Nha Trang are favourite hang-outs for tourists to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and picturesque scenery. Bicycle tours are also very popular, or you can rent a cyclo for a tour of the Cham ruins, local market and Buddhist shrines.
 
The city is bordered by beautiful mountains and an amazing, long beach along a bay impressively dotted with many scenic islands. It offers plenty to tourists – from island-hopping boat trips, scuba diving and many other water sports, trekking, mudbaths, historic sites to golf.
 
Wikipedia, the world’s largest internet encyclopedia has described it as follows: “Nha Trang is well known for its pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving and is fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers as well as more affluent travelers on the Southeast Asia circuit. It is already very popular with Vietnamese tourists. Nha Trang Bay is widely considered as amongst the world's most beautiful bays. Tourists are welcome to participate in the Sea Festival, held biennially. Nha Trang was the site of the Miss Universe 2008 Pageant on July 14, 2008 and it will also host Miss Earth 2010.” Participants at boat races starting in Hong Kong as well as large luxury ships cruising Asia make stopovers in Nha Trang.
 
Before becoming Vietnamese, Nha Trang was part of the Cham Empire. It was a small fishing village until the 19th century when it was recognized that its beauty would make it an ideal bathing spot. This triggered then its transformation into a leading resort town in Vietnam. Its rapid development in the years to come should turn it into one of East Asia’s best beach resorts.

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