best stops in Ho Chi Minh city ?

[seapenarth]

Help. Tours and stops.:confused:

[greatam]

Help. Tours and stops.:confused:

 

What are your interests??? Shopping, War stuff, people watching (which is really interesting from the roof top bar at the Rex Hotel). Want to shoot a machine gun or fire a rocket launcher (can be done at Chu Chi)??? Want to go up the Mighty Mekong River???

 

How long in port??? Which port???

 

Doing it on your own or a tour company???? If a tour company, I highly recommend IndoChina Travel. They have NO standard tour. It is a totally customized tour depending on your interests. Certainly not the cheapest, but definitely, IMHO, the best in Vietnam.

 

http://www.indochinatravel.com/

 

If you don't want a tour, please post your interests. I am getting ready to leave for Vietnam/Cambodia for the millionth time in a couple of weeks. I can probably point you in the right direction.

[seapenarth]

What are your interests??? Shopping, War stuff, people watching (which is really interesting from the roof top bar at the Rex Hotel). Want to shoot a machine gun or fire a rocket launcher (can be done at Chu Chi)??? Want to go up the Mighty Mekong River???

 

How long in port??? Which port???

 

Doing it on your own or a tour company???? If a tour company, I highly recommend IndoChina Travel. They have NO standard tour. It is a totally customized tour depending on your interests. Certainly not the cheapest, but definitely, IMHO, the best in Vietnam.

 

http://www.indochinatravel.com/

 

If you don't want a tour, please post your interests. I am getting ready to leave for Vietnam/Cambodia for the millionth time in a couple of weeks. I can probably point you in the right direction.

 

Thank you Greatam. I too have been to Vietnam several times but not for 15 years. Small ship, so docked down town. May use ship`s tours. City highlights and history main interests. Will of course go to Rex hotel. :)

[greatam]

If you haven't been there for 15 years, are you in for changes. Just in the past few years since I have been going repeatedly to Vietnam/Cambodia for business, the changes are immense. It is soooo crowded now. EVERYONE has a scooter now.

 

Find a GOOD guide and have them take you to the Presidential palace. And don't miss all the CIA stuff in the basement. It often gets glossed over in a lot of tours. Of course, the War Remnants museum-Bldg 3 will p*** you off if you are American (nothing but Communist propaganda). And of course Bldg 5 has all the American anti-war pictures and posters. Just love the VERY prominent picture of SENATOR John Kerry with the North Vietnamese during the middle of the war. And of course, the Ben Thanh market. While a shoppers mecca, it is also a true slice of Vietnamese life.

 

Nothing more relaxing to me if you have the time than a trip up the Mekong. TuTrang out of Can Tho has some new boats that are VERY nice.

 

About $400 for the day for the entire boat (seats about 16). Could make it at least to Can Tho, most likely to Chau Doc in 8 hours. Here's their email

 

tutrangtravel@hcm.vnn.vn

 

Enjoy!!!

[camNaud]

I recommend Saigontourist.com for any tours in Vietnam.

 

We did a tour of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) and Da Nang / Marble Mountains and Hoi An with them when in Vietnam last year.

 

We were taken to a Fantastic Pagoda where monks were chanting etc We went aloso to the Ben Trang Market - a water puppet show - enjoyed a pedalocab ride - visited the post office - and more - it was one of the best tours we have done. Mr Fu our guide was superb - his humour was top notch as were his descriptions of time past and present.