Travel Guide To Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam. It was once known as Prey Nokor, an important Khmer sea port prior to annexation by the Vietnamese in the 17th century.

The city center is situated on the banks of the Saigon River, 60 kilometers (37 mi) from the South China Sea and 1,760 kilometers (1,090 mi) south of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

The metropolitan area, which consists of the Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, Thu Dau Mot, Di An, Bien Hoa and surrounding towns, is populated by more than 9 million people making it the most populous metropolitan area in Vietnam and the countries of the former French Indochina. The Greater Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area, a metropolitan area covering most parts of ?ong Nam Bo plus Tien Giang and Long An provinces under planning will have an area of 30,000 square kilometers with a population of 20 million inhabitants by 2020. According to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Economist Intelligence Unit and ECA International, Ho Chi Minh City is ranked 132 on the list of world's most expensive cities.

The city has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical wet and dry climate, with an average humidity of 75%. The year is divided into two distinct seasons. The rainy season, with an average rainfall of about 1,800 millimetres (71 in) annually (about 150 rainy days per year), usually begins in May and ends in late November. The dry season lasts from December to April. The average temperature is 28 °C (82 °F), the highest temperature sometimes reaches 39 °C (102 °F) around noon in late April, while the lowest may fall below 16 °C (61 °F) in the early mornings of late December.

Getting there and getting around

Ho Chi Minh City can be reached in from around 28 locations in UK and Ireland with airlines such as Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Brunei, Turkish Airlines, KLM, Air France, Malaysia, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Asiana Airlines, China Airlines, China Eastern, EVA Air, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Thai Airways and United.

Tan Son Nhat (Tan S?n Nhat) is Vietnam's largest international airport. When you clear customs and are about to leave the international terminal, there is a very inconspicuous ATM on the right which probably offers the best exchange rate compared to all of the staffed conversion booths that tout for your business. The withdrawal fee is 20,000 VND.

Other modes of transport include train, bus, taxi, boat and car with various economical choices and packages.

Places to see

Some of the must-see places in / around Ho Chi Minh City are Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Le Quy Don, City Hall, Museum of Veitnamese History, Ho-Chi-Minh Museum, Central Mosque, Notre Dame Cathedral, Thien Hau Pagoda, Quan Am Pagoda, Phung Son Tu Pagoda, Xin Chao Performance, Dam Sen Water Park, Maga Star Cineplex, Galaxy Cinema, Xuan Spa, Dai Nam Tourist Park, Twenty-Three September Park, Phuong Mai Art Gallery, Saigon Square, Cho Binh Tay, Night market, War surplus Market, Co-op Mart Supermarkets, Diamond Plaza, Oil-Painting - Bui Vien Street, Contemporary Art, Sivananda Yoga Center, Golden dragon Water Puppet Theatre, La Maison de L'Apothiquaire, Glow Spa, Central post Office, Indochine Spa, Diner On Bonsai Cruise, Water Puppet Show at Thao Dien Village, Saigon River Express and Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck.

Food & Drink

The renowned eateries in / around Ho Chi Minh City include, but are not limited to, Milano Planet, Dong Ba, Pao Resturant & Caffe, Pho Bo Vien Quoc Ky, Doner kebab, Dream cones, Falafellim, Pho Quynh, Pho 2000, Pho 24, Thien Duyen Ben Thanh, Banh Mi Bistro, Cafe Lam, Cafe India, Tutti Frutti frozen Yougurt, The Khamer Viet Kitchen, Black Cat, Barbecue Garden, Lion City cafe & Resturant, Papaya by Chi Nghia, Hoa Mai Coffee, Huong Dong, La Sen Resturant, Lemongrass, Ngoc Suong Marina, Quan An Ngon, Sushi Bar, spice, Une Journee a Paris, Wrap and Roll, Au Lac do Brazil, Co Ngu, Hard Rock Cafe, Huy Long Vien, La Habana, La Hosteria, LEn tete, Pomodoro's, Tan Nam, Temple Club, ZanZBar Resturant & Bar, D'Nyonya Peneng restaurant, Four Season Resturant, Halal@Saigon, and Vn Halal.

When it comes to drinking Ho Chi Minh City has got even more to offer. E.g. cafe 5 sao, Bobby Brewery Coffee, La Fenetre Soleil, Gloria Jeans, Kem Cafe,Chot Nho Cafe, Cine Cafe, Givral cafe, Choa Ba Ca phe, Hide away Cafe, Highlands Coffee, M-Comic, Cafe Napoly, Poppy Cafe, Sozo, Trung Nguyen, Weasel Coffee, Regina Coffee, Window 4 Cafe, American Discotheque, VIBE Billiards & Lounge, 163 Cyclo Bar, Allez Boo, Apocalypse Now, Vasco's, Alibi, Catwalk, Eden, Fuse, Go2Bar, Rex Hotel Rooftop, Level 23, Le Pub, Oblivion, Saigon Saigon, Shadow Bar ,Sheridan's, Lush, America Disco, Q Bar Saigon, Xu Bar, Velvet, Bounce Club, Acoustic Cafe, Carmen, Ice Blue, Juice, Khong Ten, Lion's, Metallic Bar, Napoly, Peaches, Rio Saigon, Saigon Pho, Serenta and Soi Da and The Tavern.

Entry Requirements - Passports

Entry into Vietnam may be refused if your passport has less than one month validity from the date your Vietnamese visa expires. Other countries in Asia expect six months validity.

Neither the Embassy nor Consulate can issue passports. If you require a new passport, applications are processed by the Regional Passport Production Centre in Hong Kong. Straightforward applications can take approximately four weeks.

In the event of an emergency, the Embassy/Consulate can issue Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs). Please visit our website at:ukinvietnam.gov.uk for further information about how to apply, fees and what documentation is required.

Entry Requirements - Visas

A visa is required for Vietnam. Ensure that you obtain the correct visa for the purpose and destination of your travel. We are aware that some travel agencies are able to arrange legitimate visas-on-arrival. Vietnamese visas are usually valid for only one entry. If you plan to leave Vietnam and re-enter from another country make sure you obtain a visa allowing multiple entries. Overstaying without authority is a serious matter and you may be delayed from travel until a fine is paid. Check the visa validity and conditions carefully. The UK Embassy/Consulate cannot offer Vietnamese immigration advice.

For further information, check with your nearest Vietnamese Embassy.

If you have your passport lost/stolen you will need to apply for both a replacement passport and a replacement Vietnamese visa from the Immigration authorities in order to leave the country. This can only be done during normal working hours and usually takes three to five working days. Neither the Embassy nor the Consulate can expedite replacement Vietnamese visas.

Entry Requirements - Travelling with Children

Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.

Vietnam, Hanoi, British Embassy

Address:
Central Building
4th floor
31 Hai Ba Trung
Hanoi

Telephone:
(+84) (4) 3936 0500 - Switchboard

Fax:
(+84) (4) 3936 0561 - Embassy in general
(+84) (4) 3936 0561 - UK Trade and Investment section
(+84) (4) 3936 0562 - Visa and Consular sections
(+84) (4) 3936 0551 - Corporate Services team
(+84) (4) 3936 0506 - Political section, Migration and Organised Crime team

Office hours:
Monday-Thursday:
08:30-12:30 / 13:30-16:45 (Local time)
02:30-06:30 / 07:30-10:45 (GMT)
Friday:
08:30-12:30 / 13:00-15:00 (Local time)
02:30-06:30 / 07:00-09:00 (GMT)

Website: http://www.ukinvietnam.fco.gov.uk

Country	Vietnam
Time Zone	UTC/GMT +7 hours
Area Code	+84 (8)

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