Overview
First off, I prefer to refer to the city by its historical name, Saigon, instead of the official name of Ho Chi Minh City that it was changed to after the North conquered the South in 1976 at the end of the war. For one thing, most residents of the area still refer to the city as Saigon, but primarily it is because I like the history and mystique associated with the name. Before it went through the degradations of the war and the subsequent reunification, it was referred to as the Pearl of the Far East or Paris of the Orient.
Saigon is the major area of the country that I know the least. I visited there on my third and fourth trips, but only for a total of about eight or nine days combined. It is much more modern and cosmopolitan than the other parts of the country and, as such, is my least favorite area given my preference for the traditional and more exotic regions. However, Saigon certainly has its charms and I liked it better than I expected. It is an interesting combination of French influences, particularly in the architecture, and American influences from the days when there was a large US presence there during the war.
The city is large and sprawling and a bit overwhelming. Given the relative short durations of my stays and the fact that, unlike the North, I don’t really have many contacts there to show me around (except for a few ex-students), I never really got far off from the beaten trails of the major tourists attractions. With that disclaimer, I do have a few recommendations:
Hotel Majestic
Generally when I travel in Vietnam I stay in the three-star boutique hotels that cater to western tourists. Aside from being great bargains, the service is inevitably fantastic and I enjoy the feeling of traveling “close to the ground” and interacting more directly with the city rather than being buffered from it by five-star hotel lobbies and the general feeling of being in an oasis. However, I made an exception when I visited Saigon the first time and I’m glad that I did.
Saigon is the major area of the country that I know the least. I visited there on my third and fourth trips, but only for a total of about eight or nine days combined. It is much more modern and cosmopolitan than the other parts of the country and, as such, is my least favorite area given my preference for the traditional and more exotic regions. However, Saigon certainly has its charms and I liked it better than I expected. It is an interesting combination of French influences, particularly in the architecture, and American influences from the days when there was a large US presence there during the war.
The city is large and sprawling and a bit overwhelming. Given the relative short durations of my stays and the fact that, unlike the North, I don’t really have many contacts there to show me around (except for a few ex-students), I never really got far off from the beaten trails of the major tourists attractions. With that disclaimer, I do have a few recommendations:
Hotel Majestic
Generally when I travel in Vietnam I stay in the three-star boutique hotels that cater to western tourists. Aside from being great bargains, the service is inevitably fantastic and I enjoy the feeling of traveling “close to the ground” and interacting more directly with the city rather than being buffered from it by five-star hotel lobbies and the general feeling of being in an oasis. However, I made an exception when I visited Saigon the first time and I’m glad that I did.
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