Cu Chi Tunnels Half Day Tour By Luxury Speedboat
To move troops and supplies throughout Saigon’s northern districts without detection, the Viet Cong relied on a vast expanse of underground passageways known as the Cu Chi Tunnels. The network proved pivotal in their military successes. Trusted tour-partner, Les Rives, offers six informative tours by boat, bicycle, vintage Vespa or motorbike to the historic site an hour north of the southern metropolis..
The tours provide an insightful glimpse into Vietnamese persistence and ingenuity while allowing guests to marvel at the life and landscape in a more rural area.
Authentic Mekong Delta Tour By Luxury Speedboat
Thanks to its fertile soil and resource-rich waters the Mekong Delta has served as a source of prosperity in Vietnam for centuries. From fruit trees to fish farms to verdant rice paddies, the largely rural landscape provides a welcome contrast to frantic city.
Aboard a modern speedboat, you’ll witness first-hand a quickly disappearing way of life. Sample fresh coconuts, try homemade rice wine, and enjoy lesser-seen sights such as a Cao Dai temple, Buddhist pagoda and river market. Lunch served in a local home includes the region’s famous fried elephant ear fish.
Can Gio Mangrove Forest Tour By Luxury Speedboat
The 75,000+-hectare Can Gio forest teems with more than 150 species including monkeys, gibbon, crocodiles and exotic birds. Visiting the unique mangrove UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located 40 kilometer south of Saigon lets guests connect with Vietnam’s native, natural splendors.
The speedboat tour is suitable for all-ages and includes a stop at a local fishing hamlet that allows people to witness a lifestyle intertwined with the Mekong Delta’s abundant resources. You’ll have an opportunity to row through a placid bat-filled lagoon, visit a crocodile reserve and enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch
The Insider’s Saigon By Vespa
Any proper tour of Saigon should include visits to all the major landmarks as well as some lesser-known locales that reveal the city’s authentic culture. A tour taken on the back of a Vespa achieves both by bringing you to a colorful flower market, the city’s Chinese district, a Buddhist pagoda and recognizable sights such as the Saigon Cathedral, Reunification Palace and the Central Post Office.
The tour includes historical information, plenty of photo opportunities, and a lunch at Café Zoom.
A Glimpse Of The Mekong By Vespa
Racing away from Saigon’s clamor-filled street, cruising across dozens of bridges, and zooming through rice paddies, markets and fields presents a different view of Vietnam. Whether driving your own or on the back of a Vespa piloted by a skilled driver you’ll encounter opportunities impossible in the modern metropolis.
The tour, which bypasses well-worn stops, will take you to local small-scale businesses producing everything from incense to rice wine and a variety of fresh foods and drinks. The day ends with lunch at a restaurant where you can drop a fishing line into the water or simply lounge in the shade with a cool beer.
Saigon Craft Beer Tour – Best Beer And Venues In Town
Like many cities in the world, Saigon has gotten in on the craft beer boom. Numerous breweries here combine time-honored techniques and styles with local ingredients and preferences for some brews bursting with flavor and Vietnamese character.
This tour takes you on the back of a classic Vespa to 4 of Saigon’s best craft breweries. At each stop, sample beers specifically selected for the tour by each master brewer while learning about the operations’ histories and methods. A variety of delicious food pairings are available including gourmet tapas and some Vietnamese-inspired snacks.
Concierge’s Recommendations
Xuan Thuy was the pen name of poet Nguyen Trong Nham He served as the Foreign Minister of North Vietnam in the early 1960s and chief negotiator at the Paris Peace Accords in the 1970s.
Today, Xuan Thuy street lies between Nguyen Van Huong and Thao Dien street in District 2. Amongst the villas, spas, restaurants and boutiques you can find amazing local products. From a little garden café to authentic ceramic stores it is a great street for shopping or a relax place for reading over ca phe sua đa (traditional Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk)
41 Hoang Du Khuong Street, Ward 12, District 10
Housed in a unique building that blends traditional and modern architecture, the six-story museum features 18 exhibition rooms.
Guests can learn more about the types and history of traditional medicine thanks to English-language descriptions and regular screenings of the documentary film, “A Century of Health Care Experiences.”
The name ‘A O’ comes from ‘Lang Pho’, which means ‘village and city’. The show depicts the humble charm and rich culture of countryside life that juxtaposes the nation’s rapid urbanization. The performance features a unique mix of bamboo cirque, acrobatics, contemporary dance, and visual art accompanied by music that contains echoes of southern Vietnamese work songs.
81 Nguyen Xien Street, Long Binh Ward, District 9
The unique modern design of this Buddhist temple attracts plenty of local visitors. Built in 1942 on a hill near the Dong Nai River, the pagoda was restored in 2007 and reflects a combination of styles including those from India, Myanmar, and Thailand.
A Vespa tour of Saigon will give you a view of the city unlike any other package tour with discovers you could never make on your own. The experienced tour provider knows the city and provides the perfect mix of must-see landmarks alongside more obscure spots.
15 Nguyen U Di Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2
The Factory is the first museum in all of Saigon built exclusively for contemporary art. It strives to preserve and promote contemporary art and displays different exhibitions every month that feature local and international artists representing a wide range of styles and themes.
86-102 Xuân Thủy, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Demailly Vincent, commonly known as Vincent, is a painter from France who, after your years working in Saigon, decided to start his own business with a unique self-constructed tricycle. His passion stems from his deep love of Saigon coffee. At Spin Coffee you can enjoy a cup of Ca Phe Sua Da (coffee with sweetened condensed milk) made with “Cau Dat” – one of the highest quality coffees in all of Vietnam.
63 Xuan Thuy Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2
Mekong River offers a variety of traditional handmade products created by local artisans who adhere to techniques passed down generation to generation. Whether acquired from villages in the Mekong Delta, or produced in the city as influenced by sleek contemporary styles, each handicraft item for sale embodies important elements of Vietnamese culture.
206/19/30 Long Thuan, Long Phuoc Ward, District 9
An Ao Dai reflects the character of Vietnamese women: gentleness, discretion, delicacy, and a rich inner mind.. Artist and designer Si Hoang built this 20,000 sqm. museum on the island in District 9 over the course of 12 years. It features a vast collection of the nation’s iconic dresses dating back to the 1700s. The gorgeous and peaceful grounds are as much a reason to visit as to learn about the history of the Ao Dai.
Spots
- Minh Dang Quang Pagoda
- Ben Thanh Market
- Notre Dame Cathedral
- Saigon Opera House
- Dragon House Wharf
- Independence Palace
- War Remnants Museum
- Ho Chi Minh City Fine Art Museum
- Saigon Post Office
- Saigon Waterbus
- Vincom Mega Mall Thao Dien
- Parkson Cantavil
- Estella Place
- Sadec District Two
- Amai
- DANS la PEAU
- Maison Man Do
- Quan Bui Garden
- Pho Bui Gia
- Villa Royale Antiques & Tea Room
- An Café
- Kokois
- American International Hospital
- Family Medical Practice
- International Polyclinics Perfect
- Westcoast International