Vietnam Voyage

What I will remember most about Vietnam are the people. The country has been through horrors that I cannot come close to imagining; however, all the Vietnamese we came in contact with were gracious, kind, helpful, extremely ingenious, forgiving, and forward thinking. Hung, our guide for the trips from Saigon, explained that Americans are very much welcomed in Vietnam, and that what happened is history, with the large majority of the country wishing to move forward. Hung was 10 years old when a bomb was dropped on his school, killing most of his friends, resulting in him fighting with his family for the Viet Cong. It cannot be easy to move forward from memories such as this to welcoming American tourists, but their desire to put their past behind them, coupled with their beliefs, show an amazing quality.

Ho Chi Minh City is a magical, wonderful place. We had the exciting prospect of learning to dive in Nha Trang, but I found myself really not wanting to leave this noisy, smelly, busy, chaotic, dirty, and dusty city.

Quick Tips:

Don’t be shy about using cyclos- they are cheap and an amazing way to see Saigon. They look and feel a bit scary to be begin with, but the drivers have been doing it for years, and after a while, it becomes a very enjoyable experience. We discovered that reading Vietnamese is not easy. Our guide’s name in Saigon, Hung, is pronounced Hom. A guide in Nha Trang is called Thy, pronounced Tu. I rest my case.

There were plenty of hawkers in Saigon, especially around areas that are visited by tourists. Instead of getting annoyed, trying saying com if no does not work. It seemed to make them understand that we really did have enough postcards, books, and chewing gum.

The effect of the war on the general population can still be seen, as many beggars have a deformity and are a heart-rendering sight. If you do not wish to encourage begging on the streets, there are charities that support these victims; details can usually be found in guidebooks and via tour operators and major hotels.

Best Way To Get Around:

All forms of transport seem to be very cheap in Vietnam. A taxi in Nha Trang to see the sites with the meter running for 3 hours only came to £4. Agree on a price for cyclos beforehand-an arguement over payment at the end of a great day out could be a spoiler. If you do find a good taxi driver, they often have business cards so you can call for them again.

We had read that the new wing is modern, able to be located anywhere in the world, while the old wing was reported to have more character. We found ourselves in the new wing, which was roomy and comfortable with high ceilings and dual-aspect windows. The noise from the city ensured that we were not confused with where we were!

There are no kettles or irons in the rooms, as the Vietnamese do seem very clued into fire risks, although a laundry service is available.

The breakfasts covered every dish that you would wish for-cheeses, meats, breads, toasters, fruit, cooked noodles and rice dishes, bacon, beans, vegetables, cereals, juices, cakes, and a stand where the chef would prepare an omelet or pancake or something.

The staff was friendly, courteous, and willing to help with pronunciation. The location on Dong Khoi Street is ideal, as the main shopping area is a stone’s throw from the river; although, the hotel only had views from the rooftop restaurant. The hotel is also within walking distance of some sights.

The rooftop restaurant has a terrace in addition to indoor dining. When we dined there, we were able to sit outside both times. It did not seem busy at all, which is a shame because the food was perfectly good and the view was excellent. There is also a bar overlooking the outdoor swimming pool in the centre of the courtyard of the old wing.

We had read about the Rex Hotel and decided to have dinner there at their rooftop restaurant. The food was excellent, but the waiters a little inattentive compared with the service at the Grand Hotel and La Forchette (9 D Ngo Duc Ke-also recommended). However, the trio of male singers did an excellent version of Abba’s Waterloo (only in Vietnam!). The view from the rooftop was stunning, especially of the Hotel de Ville, which now houses the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and is not open to the public.

We were lucky enough to see a lightening storm whilst eating dinner; thankfully, though, the rain held off.

This is one of the main tourist attractions from Saigon, but is well worth it.

We booked our trip via our hotel and were delighted to find that we had a guide (Hung), driver, and an air-conditioned car all to ourselves.

At the Cu Chi tunnels, we watched a very biased film before Hung demonstrated how the Viet Cong lived underground on a cut-out model. It started to rain heavily, so after waiting for 10 minutes or so with no let up, Hung provided us with plastic rain items. During the process of donning this very embarrassing garb, three Australians asked if were going on the tour now. "No," says Paul, "we are going to a fancy dress party dressed as condoms."

The Cu Chi tunnels are original tunnels that were used during the war. The entrances are very small and have air holes nearby; otherwise, they would have suffocated. We went through a small part of tunnel, which had been widened slightly for tourists, although Hung did try to convince us that some were larger to accommodate supplies. The craters from the B52 bombers were huge. Hung said that the Americans could be quite useful, not only for weapons, but clothes, food, medicine, and other things. If the Viet Cong needed a new well, they created smoke on the ground and the Americans would drop a bomb, thinking it was an enemy camp, and bingo, one new well. The also did this with the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Americans placed movement mines when they flew over, and when movement registered, they would bomb the area, so the Viet Cong moved the mines (when there was no aircraft) to the area of the trail they wanted cleared and waited. This saved digging and clearing jungle themselves. An exhibition showed the type of traps that the Viet Cong used on the Americans-very painful and death or amputation would shortly follow.

We had a chance to shoot at their range for $1 per bullet. Paul shot an AK47 while I used an M16. We kept two bullets from each gun as a souvenir.

Hung explained that Buddhists (which is most of Vietnam) believe that they will go to hell if they eat cats or dogs, which was very reassuring. On the way back, we stopped at a place that helps disabled people off the street and teaches them the trade of lacquer-making. The guide spoke very fast, and he had a very strong accent, but we watched the lacquer pieces being made.

Today we were delighted to find our guide was Hung again. We stopped at a pagoda just outside Saigon that is famous for its mixture of religious beliefs. The temple was very colourful.

We drove to My Tho, which is on the Mekong Delta and where a boat was waiting for us. It must have been a least a 16-seater, but we had it to ourselves. We were served coconut milk as we toured the islands; the Mekong Delta is 3km wide at this point. Our first stop was the Honey Farm where Paul had an encounter with an Anaconda (boa constrictor). As Hung had explained in the car that they are only awake when they are hungry, I just took the photos. We were served peanut and honey sweets, honey with rice wine, and hot green tea and lime juice-it was quite nice. If you think about buying some of the sweets to bring home remember about weight-one of everything is quite heavy! Our next stop was for a fruit lunch while the locals sang traditional songs for us, which was nice. We went for a trip in a traditional boat paddled at the front and back, which was very wobbly, and were given conical hats to wear. Our next stop was the province of Ben Tre, where we tried warm coconut candy and bought beautiful hand-embroidered T-shirts for $3 each. Perfect for presents.

On the way back to Saigon, we stopped at a bonsai garden and met with a monkey that shakes hands and likes his head scratched. Hung said she was upset today- it must have been Koreans. Hung has not taken to the Koreans, although Americans are fine, which is strange for someone who fought for the Viet Cong. There was also a baby monkey, about 3 months old, that was happily climbing inside and outside the cage. We stopped at a marble factory and watched the work in progress, excitement added by the fact that the shade canopy fell towards us! We bought a small marble Happy Buddha here; he brings luck, which was just what we needed to avoid excess baggage charges on the way home!

The Reunification Palace is an imposing building at the end of a tree-lined boulevard. Architecturally, it won’t be to everyone’s taste, as the building was completed in the 1960s; however, the interior is the same as it was in 1975. The decor is fabulously 1970s, with an excellent war room telecommunications basement. The offices of the presidents and vice presidents, conference rooms, receiving rooms, and living quarters are available to see. The tour was done in very good English by a charming Vietnamese lady in a traditional ao dai. At the end of the tour, there was a video, which was very informative about the history of Ho Chi Minh City and the Reunification Palace.

The Palace is no longer used as a presidential palace, which is now in the capital, Hanoi; however, be aware that it is not open when there are official meetings taking place. If you find it closed to visitors, it is well worth making the trip back, especially as it was only 66p each for the entrance fee.