Fri 30 Sept 2022 - Hồ Chí Minh City

Fri 30 Sept. Day 9 – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Active walking day

Sunrise 5:42am Sunset 5:44pm

Our half day city tour departs from the historic Rex Hotel today, as we begin our walking discovery of some of Saigon’s most famous locations. Our first stop is the iconic Pittman Apartments, famously recognised for its part in the 1975 mass evacuation of refugees, at the fall of Saigon. We’ll then head to the Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office and US Consulate (former US Embassy), before hopping on our coach to finish our tour. Our final sights in the city centre, include the impressive Presidential Palace (Re-unification Palace) with its lush gardens and secret rooms and the War Remnants Museum, a sobering reminder of the brutal effects of war on civilian populations. We’ll view the monument to Thich Quang Duc, infamously known as the ‘Burning Monk’, before spending some time at the Do Phu Coffee Shop and museum, where you can try some traditional Vietnamese coffee and check out the remains of the Saigon Ranger Armory. 
Lunch will be enjoyed at the notable Pho Binh restaurant, recognised as the base of the former secret headquarters of the elite Viet Cong unit, the site where they planned the notorious Tet Offensive.
The rest of the day will be at your leisure.

Hotel: Hotel Equatorial Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon

Included Meals: Breakfast Lunch

I had a visitor peeping in through my 10th floor window first thing this morning.

We departed the hotel at 8:30.  First up was a visit to the War Remnants Museum, something that was set up by a group of people and organisations in the USA.  

Very confronting and I didn’t take any photos.  Departed there around 9:30.

Next, was a visit to the Presidents Palace, where we spent about an hour.

From the Presidents Palace, we then had a quick visit to the Post Office building.

And then a quick visit to the original 5 star hotel in Saigon, The Rex Hotel.

We then had lunch at a small Poh cafe.

After lunch, we then went to another cafe for coffee,

and after coffee, we then returned to the hotel.

My watch died a couple of days ago and I knew that I wouldn’t find a place that could just replace the battery, so ask someone at reception if they knew a jeweller locally and there is a Mall not to far away, so Marie and I went for a walk there, so I could buy an inexpensive watch, as having to check the phone to find out what the time is, is painful.  Success. A small Casio watch, which equates to about $60.00. Looking at the invoice, it must have been on sale. Marie and I had to use a bridge to cross the 8 or 20 rows of traffic, to get to the Mall.

The afternoon thunder storm threatened around 4pm but never eventuated today.

As I wanted to catch up with this blog, I opted to have room service this evening. Crispy Spring Rolls and a glass of wine. It’s just after 7:30pm, so I’ll have a nice relaxing bath, watch some tv and have an early night, as we are heading out again tomorrow morning at 8am.

Night all.