Saigon - Vietnam

 

The Backpacker area of Saigon - Pham Ngu Lao!

My flight to Saigon flew over the South China Sea and in over Vung Tau on our approach to Tan Son Nhat. We were on the ground in Saigon by 3:00pm. On arrival the aircraft taxied passed old mortar-proof hangers and derelict ex-US military aircraft. Caught a taxi to the backpackers part of Saigon for US$6 and I got a small air-con room in new hotel called "Hotel 64" for US$9 per night. It had an ensuite, but I had to climb 4-5 flights of stairs to get to it.



Traffic in centre of Saigon

Saigon's General Post Office

  • The Reunification Palace (The old South Vietnamese Independence Palace)

  • This is were the Vietnam War ended on the 30th of April 1975.

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    The next day I hired a cyclo & driver/guide for the day forUSD$5. I went to the Cambodian Consulate and applied for my visa (US$30), the War Crimes Museum, the GPO, the former South Vietnamese Presidential Palace and a few other places. It only took 6 hours for my Cambodian Visa to be processed, so I picked it up before I headed back to Pham Ngu Lao for dinner. After having dinner I went into town by cyclo and did some shopping. I bought some T-shirts and lacquerware, then I had a couple of beers.

    The Cao Dai Temple near Tay Ninh

    An old Viet Cong Tunnel at Chu Chi

    Today I did a tour of the Cao Dai Temple and the Chu Chi Tunnels. The Chu Chi Tunnels are about 50km north-east of Saigon and were built/dug by the Viet Cong during the war. After seeing a propaganda video, the guide showed us the booby trips, the tunnels and I even fired five rounds thru a clapped out M16 rifle for US$1 per bullet.

    Overland by bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh via Moc Bai
    S.E. Asia'99 Index

    This web page was written by Ian Holdsworth on the 12th December'99, and may not be reproduced, copied etc., without the written consent of the author.
    Email: iholdsworth@optusnet.com.au