Ho Chi Minh City is a major city in southern part of Vietnam, a country in South-East Asia. It is the most populated settlement of that country. It was formerly known as Saigon, named after the river that flows across the city. The name was changed to Ho Chi Minh in 1976, in honor of the great Vietnamese Revolutionary and Statesman, who fought for freedom and unification of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh is the Largest Financial Hub and the Busiest International Transport hub of the country. The city is well-known for its historic landmarks, narrow lanes and great nightlife.
One could start exploring the city by visiting the Independence Palace. It is officially known as Reunification Convention Hall. It was built in 1966. It was the very place where the Vietnam war ended, resulting in unification of the country in 1975. After the reunification of Vietnam, the building continued to serve as a government and presidential office until 1976, when the capital of South Vietnam was officially moved to Hanoi, and the government’s functions were relocated. The palace is now preserved as a convention hall for state events, and also a museum that is open to the public, and is a popular tourist attraction in the city.
Besides Independence Palace, there are several other tourist attractions. One of them is Saigon Central Post Office, built during the French colonial rule in the late 19th century. Architecture of this building seems to have Gothic, Renaissance and French influences. On the outside wall of the post office there are several plaques commemorating important scientists and engineers, who contributed to the development of the communication technologies of the time. Inside the Saigon Central Post office are two painted maps that were created just after the post office was built, the first one located on the left side of the building is a map of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia (when it formerly was part of Vietnam). The second map is of greater Saigon of that period.
Saigon Skydeck building offers a birds' eye view of Ho Chi Minh city. From the 49th Floor, the building offers a magnificient view of the entire city, through a glass-enclosed observation deck. The building is officially named as Bitexco Financial Tower. Through the observation deck, one can get 360 degree views of the City's streets, Saigon river, Ben Thanh market and Notredame cathedral, along with access to high-tech binoculars and Ao Dai Museum that displays Vietnam’s traditional dress.
About 44 KM (1.5 Hours drive) from Ho Chi Minh, are located Cu Chi Tunnels. They are an immense network of connecting tunnels located in Cu Chi District of Vietnam and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie in much of the country. These Tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during the Vietnam War and also serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for North Vietnamese fighters. The tunnels were highly effective while fighting against the American forces and South Vietnamese military. Various types of Booby Traps are visible in many of these Tunnels, that were setup to trap and kill Enemy forces who dared to intrude into Viet Cong's territory.
Vietnam offers 90 Day E-Visa to Indian passport holders. Ho Chi Minh is serviced by Tan Son Nhat International Airport, located within the city's boundaries. VietJet Air and Vietnam Airlines offers connections from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru (Bangalore) and Hyderabad to Ho Chi Minh. Air India and Indigo fly from Delhi and Kolkata respectively to the city.
