By Tri Dung
Once you arrive and visit Saigon there are three basic day tours that should not be missed, City tour, Cuchi excursion and Mekong Delta tour. The itineraries are similar from travel agent to agent; therefore, some tips as follow hopefully can help visitors touch the best of theirs. Apply these privately or conveniently in a group tour.
3/ Mekong Delta
This is the biggest rice granary of the country so a day tour to the land of the Nine Dragons ( Vietnamese name for Mekong river ) is for sure, a green tour. And whether it’s My Tho or Cai Be or Ben Tre as the destination, your enjoyment is a boat ride on the Front river, another ride on a man-made canal, visits to a farm house and family-run factories of handicrafts.
From Saigon, along National route 1A, a photo stop at rice paddies is a must. Velvet green fields under sunshine dotted with old tombs tell us two stories about the land and the people. People in this rice growing cradle were very elated in 1986 at the promulgation of doi moi open door policy and then, soon resumed the traditional fame of producing rice for Mekong Delta. It’s now 9 tons of rice per hecta, highest productivity in the country, and that makes up 40% of the total rice for Vietnam. The second story shows the difference between North and South in burying the deceased. In the North, when somebody dies, he or she will be buried in the first burial which will last for ten to fifteen years. Later, the family members will have excavation, burn the remains and send the ashes in a funeral urn to pagoda or church. Since then, family members will occasionally come and pay homage in memory of the deceased at that pagoda or church. The format is different in the South. Burial is to be done in the rice field and for good. People in here believe that doing that, the spirit of the deceased will stay and protect the farm land and the family as well. In another practical sense, farmers say, bypassing the field everyday and seeing their ancestors buried down there, the next generation’s kids will never “dare” enter any family conflict, asking for a share of family’s land or money, for example.
Located 110 km from Saigon, Cai Be is a good destination with a broad view of floating market. Boarding on a covered motor boat for every 6, visitors will be first amazed by the way local merchants ride, sell, buy, barter their farm produces on the water . Pay attention to how things done as what they hang is what they sell. Tens of boats on the river and in a distance, a church is highly rising up against the blue sky over thousands of TV antennas from houses and cottages clinging to the bank, that’s one of best pictures from touring Vietnam. Getting on land, visitors will take a short walk into family run factories of handicrafts, popcorn, candied fruits and along the river bank. The stroll along the bank is great since you are to view real life of the local inhabitants. If you can buy the handicrafts and candied fruits because you are happy to buy, the small shrine to God of Land, the cycling pupils on the way back home, the country lad selling sugar cane juice are all worth photographing.
Back to your boat, you are to find your way in a very narrow canal. Local life is once again very real and close through the camera’s view finder. An old house from the end of the 19th century is to end up your visit. The main altar tells about the debut of the house when the French first came with oil lamps shining the furniture and the divan in front . From the guide’s briefing that past times return with its glory. Nam ta, nu huu ( Men to the left, women to the right ), the principle was highlighted from the array of portraits of the deceased on the ancestors’ shrine down to seating order in such peaceful evenings when children playing about in the yard and adults taking sips of tea, gossiping on what to grow next crop. Through the kitchen visitors are out in the garden and this is terrific. You can have some fruits, walk around and go back to the boat for lunch at a local restaurant but the option is to have lunch right in that old house and after lunch, on a pre-arranged basis, you can lie down on a hammock and take a short nap in the garden. The quietness of the country afternoon is immense as you close your eyes, getting away from city life’s turmoils and worries. The sound from the so-called shrimp tail motor boat near and far from the river even indulges you with relaxation.
Back to Saigon, another work day is over. Looking at thousands of motocyclists at traffic jams, more distinct than ever, the difference between country and town is at sight. Tired but you know you are happy and enjoying.

2/ Cu Chi tunnel excursion
The trip to visit the tunnels begins even when you are still in Saigon and first of all it should be the definition of Saigon. Depending on where we stand, Saigon means one of the following three: Ho Chi Minh City ( 2,030 square km), inner city of HCMC ( 1,000 square km ), or downtown Saigon ( just 5-6 square km ). Cu Chi now belongs to HCMC or Saigon in the first meaning as one of outlying districts but during the war time, Saigon, capital of South Vietnam, did not stretch out that far. Driving on the way out; secondly, you can realize that you will be bypassing ether on the way out or in, the quarters of PX market and the field hospital. Former PX market is the ending part of Le Van Sy street now. It was an open market where the GIs from inside Tan Son Nhut airport and buildings around brought out and sold a lot of office tools from a typewriter, camera to soldier’s survival kits like a compass… and thousands of other things. The US Army field hospital is now the location of a small army museum on Hoang Van Thu street across from Chien Thang ( victory ) park. At that time, it wrote a sad page in the American involvement in Vietnam. US troops’ dead bodies were put thru sanitary work before coffins being nailed ready for airport pickup.
At leaving National route 22 you know you are cutting through the country and the conceipt here is, at that time, the area 15 – 20 km off the road was confrontation area. And, further more, no man’s land or free bombing zone. Controlled by the ARVN and the allied forces in the daytime , that vast region saw , by night time, intruding units of NVA and NLF troops penetrating for the purpose of receiving supplies from the local civilians and recruiting new members. The small town of Phu Hoa Dong, in this sense, should be a stop for the depth of the tour. Chatting with any old man, foreign tourists will be refreshed by his memory on those years when in the day, tanks and infantrymen of the ARVN attacked Cu Chi tunnels but before sunset, they retreated to the base in Phu Hoa Dong and the night covered units of the opposite sides finding way across Rach Son bridge approaching the town. Light coming from rocket flare and gunfire during the fathom of the night were just to magnify sleepless nights and destinies of people living between two fighting lines.
Upon arrival at the destination, visitors should have briefing and watch the documentary film before proceeding with visiting walk. Add the tip that the tactical and strategic importance of Cu Chi tunnel system was terrific. NLF could proudly say they were very close to capital of Saigon within a distance of 35 km as the crows fly. And, every military move from Saigon to Tay Ninh and Campuchia could be watched by Cu Chi guerillas and thus, the alarm would be sent in time to the R base inside Campuchia where ammunitions downed from North to South along Ho Chi Minh trails were stored before flowing into South VN. Many may miss the meaning of NLF’s emblem on top of their caps and helmets. It shows a round with half red and half green and a yellow star at the center. That a representation of North VN ( red ) in backup of South VN ( green ) under the leadership of the Vietnam Labour party ( now, Vietnam Communist party ).
Next, the American tank is a good group photo stop but if you wonder why delay mine was used to knock down it, refer to this. At that time, all American tanks were equipped with a simple device which would ignite any possible mine ahead. The guerillas were smart enough to “invent” the delay mine with ten to fifteen seconds delayed after being ignited. It would go off certainly while the tank was running over.
The most interesting moment is the duck’s walk for 30 – 40 meters underground. Remember to have one photo shot when stepping up from underground as “heroe” and do not miss another one with the local guide in guerilla uniform who just guided you through. The name of Dong Du will be mentioned as the biggest US base from which US military force started their attacks over Cu Chi tunnels. So, on the way back, kindly ask your chauffeur to drive by the place.
A good way to end up your visit to Cu Chi is a stop at Ben Nay restaurant for lunch and a view of really peaceful country. The other option is to take a canoe ride from Ben Duoc site down along Saigon river back to downtown. Many more photos you will certainly take and unintentionally, you are showing, with war memory left behind, a country at peace and a society with dynamic people.

1/ City tour: A city tour consists of such places in HCMC: Notre Dame de Saigon, Post Office – War remnants museum and/or History museum – Reunification Palace – Binh Tay market – Thien Hau temple. You should first visit the complex of Notre Dame de Saigon and Saigon central Post Office at 8 – 10 am for two things. The sun then is brightly shining the church giving best time for its photos. Secondly, it’s visiting time to the church ( alternatively, 3-4 pm ). After that, in the admiration on the architectural style inside the Post Office, you can spend some minutes chatting with the old clerk working at the bench ending your walk in this French-built house. Many foreign journalists wrote about his honesty as being there for two decades always with a reminder, money is not everything.
The visit to Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum should be worthy if you are interested in recent history of Vietnam. Make it clear at the beginning of the tour so you are provided a good guide who can brief you on mile stones from 1859 when the French occupied Saigon to 1954 when they were defeated and the changes of power in the South after that. In that period , 1963, 1965, 1968, 1973 saw key events which from the guide are to be presented.
Leaving the memory of gun smoke behind, be driven along Dong Khoi street, the busiest tourists’ street in Saigon. The drive on former rue de Catinat is down to Saigon river front and up again on Nguyen Hue Avenue to the City Hall. From the silk boutiques to the oldest hotel in Vietnam, Continental; from the Opera House to the City Hall with cafés, camera shops in between or Rex hotel with the Rooftop Bar, those charming venues serve you right then a good look and you know, you’ll be back . From the Rex, kindly ask your chauffeur to drive along Le Loi Avenue to Ben Thanh central market. This 700m-long distance is now full of souvenir shops and you’ll find it more interesting if you know it had been known as living proof of privatization before 1986, the epoch-making year of promulgating open-door policy in Vietnam.
On a visit to Ben Thanh market, do not miss the back side which shows fruits and flowers in a very good presentation. And, whilst the ladies are busy inside , the gentlemen might happily shelter across in cafés for a Vietnam’s genuine taste. Note that from this market, you can cast your eyes to the Opera House and it is one of the two cardinal directions the French based on when building up Saigon in 1880-1930s period. Of course, the other direction is from Notre Dame to Saigon river front, la rue de Catinat.
From downtown Saigon to China town, the 6 km long avenue Tran Hung Dao directs visitors to the hub of 500,000 Chinese in HCMC. Like else where in the world, Chinese here are best in doing business. They are very sensitive to the market needs; they possess very good relations with their partners regionally and globally. After your visit to Lady Thien Hau temple, do not rush back to car or bus but take a leisure stroll through its neighborhood. Chinese are very good also in preserving their national identities and traditional careers. Making scissors, making Dragon heads and dancers costumes especially processing and selling Chinese medical herbs certainly add to your photo albums many favorite views.
The city tour if on a day basis can reveal many more of Vietnamese activities at the incense-making hamlet near roasted duck quarters Ta Uyen in Dist 11 before advancing to Giac Lam pagoda, the oldest pagoda in town. On the way, French-built Phu Tho horse race track may be a happy photo stop.
A city life and history is not to be seen just in one day. Use your connection with your guide or chauffeur. Or, spend sometime with a hotel-recommended xe om motocycle taxi driver.