Ho Chi Minh City
If I had to do my Vietnam trip over again, I’d like to have spent another night in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) firstly to enjoy the hospitality of the lovely Park Hyatt hotel Saigon but also to explore the less touristy trails of the city.
The new Emirates flight to Vietnam gets you into HCM at around 7.30 in the evening local time, splurge with the gorgeous chauffeur service offered by the Park Hyatt and enjoy your first impressions of the city.
It’s less than half an hour to the hotel, and in it’s in District 1 or the very centre of the city. While there are a clutch of other 5 star hotels in spitting distance, my advice is not to bother with any apart from the Hyatt, but maybe that’s because I’m a romantic at heart.
I loved the abundant and overflowing vases of huge white lilies flown in from Dalat in the lobby, the characterful wooden furniture in the rooms with old fashioned shutters on windows overlooking the historic Opera house and well the amazing fresh lemongrass martini meant I wouldn’t stay anywhere else. Did I mention the award winning Square 1 restaurant that’s also in the hotel ?
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
We explored the Chinese market with it’s mountains of sea cucumbers, dried mushrooms and sea horses! We also visited the famous Ben Thanh market from where it was almost impossible to extricate two teenage girls! Think bags, shoes etc and bargaining is de rigeur.
But do visit the imposing Reunification Palace and drive out to the Temple of the Goddess of the Sea and the pagoda near the zoo where tiny turtles can be bought and immersed into the Temple ponds for good luck.
Everyone eats Pho, a noodle broth soup with heaps of fresh herbs (prounounced Fur) for lunch in Vietnam, we just let our guide take us to where he was eating and we did the same, US dollars 10.00 for 3 of us.
But like Dubai, HCM has its fair share of New York type cafes and we loved Usine again in District 1, but be prepared to pay New York type prices for your Red Velvet cupcakes and lattes. Do wander round here Click and explore the art galleries and boutiques all over district 1. Crossing the roads isn’t for the faint hearted.
If you need advice on a tour guide or the details of the sensational old house we had dinner at the next night, simply ask your question in the comment box below and remember to like and share the post on facebook. Venture into Vietnam, it’s worth it….thanks Monica.
16 thoughts on “HO CHI MINH CITY VIETNAM short break from Dubai”
Hi Dawn, thanks for the comment, happy to help, have you subscribed to the blog as yet and liked us on Facebook? That would be great, let me know and I’ll put some relevant bits of info including visa information for you, thanks, you’ll have a lovely time,
Kindest regards, Monica.
Hi Monica! I really enjoyed reading your blog and am very interested in travelling from Dubai this coming easter break for 8 nights with my husband and 2 children aged 7and 9. I would like to spend a few days in Ho chi Ming and then maybe fly to a beach resort for a few nights and back to the airport for departure…I’m not sure which beach resort or even area to go to and I don’t fancy travelling by car for 3plus hours…I would appreciate some guidance with regards to how long we should stay in the city and where to fly to for a beach break with kids. I’ve been on every website going and I’m now even more confused..please help…regards Dawn
Hi Monica
Just read your account of HCM. My husband and daughter may be stopping there in May for a few days and I would really appreciate your tour guide details and also those of the ‘sensational old house’ you had dinner in?
Many thanks,
Denise
Pleasure, I’m sure you’ll have a good time, Monica
thanks for your help obtaining our visa’s. very easy procedure. susan
Hi Dana,
glad you’re enjoying the blog, I’ve just sent you a private email with the details you requested, hope you’ll find this helpful,
all the best for a great trip,
Monica.
Hi Monica! I am planning a trip for my family ovr Christmas break and loved reading about your experience with HCMC. We are looking to stay in HCMC for 3 days before heading to Ninh Van Bay. W would love to have a local tour guide to show us around, we also want to take day tours to Mekong Delta and the places you mentioned in your review. Can you please let me know who you usedas your guide? Appreciate it.
Dana
Many thanks for your help Monica. The lovely Jenny contacted us very quickly and we have now booked into this fabulous hotel for what will be a memorable stay. best susan
You’ll have a lovely time,
I’ll send you a private mail on who to contact at the Park Hyatt and the Nam Hai tomorrow,
thanks Monica.
we are going to book the Park Hyatt for Eid; should wew book direct with tho hotel ? and should we mention your name?
Hi there,
glad you enjoyed reading the blog, I’ll email you a couple of lovely places we ate in all 3 cities and tell you about the shopping as well places we enjoyed visiting, I’ll send to your email address tomorrow, you’re right to research it you may as well go to the best places otherwise it gets very tiring !
thanks, Monica.
Hi Monica. I enjoyed reading about your visit to Vietnam. I am planning on doing the same trip and staying in the same places as you (Metropole, Park Hyatt and Nam Hai). Any information that you could share regarding this trip would be greatly appreciated. I am especially interested in restaurants, sightseeing and shopping. I would also like to know how many days/nights would you recommend in each city.
Thank you
Hi there, thanks for the questions, don’t worry, I was recommended the tour company by a friend from Dubai so I knew it would be reliable, re where to fly to, well we flew to HCM city as it was a direct flight, Cambodia is just an hour or so away from HCM city, Hanoi is in the North of the country 2 hours by flight from HCM city. It really depends on your whole itinerary, I booked everything myself even the hotels and internal flights, but you could do it with Emirates if you didn’t want the hassle especially if it’s a complicated plan, but I found it all ok the hotels were fantastically reliable, I would choose Vietnam airlines for all the internal flights. Hope this helps, thanks again for the comment, Monica
Just some questions to make things clear: how did you get to know the tour company in Vietnam? Was it recommend by someone? Did you use Emirates Holidays to plan your trip or you did by yourself? How many days should I spend in HCMC and Hanoi? Which country should I fly after Vietnam Cambodia or Laos?
Hi Renata,
thank you so much, I’m glad you like the blog. I’ve just sent you details of the tour guide we used with some other helpful information. Please don’t hesitate to ask any more questions,
kindest regards Monica.
Hi Monica I love your blog…..like you I’m a Dubai fan since my first visit to that fantastic city. I was reading your blog and found a post about your last trip to Vietnam….would you mind sharing some tips with me? I’ve read on tripadvisor that Vietnam is dangerous for tourists like me who like to make reservations through local websites . Please let me know if you could recommend a private tour guide in Saigon or either in Hanoi. Best regards Renata