City of history in eco-friendly setting
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LAST month’s Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival, attracted more than 40 local and foreign agencies, including those from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, showcasing their latest tourism products and services.
Hermann Swiss, 55, from Switzerland, there with a friend from France, said that it was the third time they had visited Ho Chi Minh City.
“We love the peaceful and secure environment here, especially the city’s beauty spots and delicious food,” said Herman, adding that he would re-visit the city and invite friends.
Ho Chi Minh City — also known as Saigon — is Vietnam’s largest city with a population of 9.95 million and the country’s economic, cultural and education hub.
It is among the most popular destinations for local and foreign tourists, a “must” stop in the country’s south.
Bearing nicknames as Paris of the Orient and Pearl of the Far East, HCM City has retained all the views of its ancient images, along with its modern architecture.
They include the French-styled Notre-Dame Basilica, the City Post Office, the Municipal Theatre, the City Hall and the Reunification Palace.
Many hotels of historical significance have been well preserved, such as Majestic Hotel, dating from the French colonial time, or the Rex and Caravelle Hotels, which were famous hangouts for US military officers and war correspondents in the 1960s and 1970s.
Those sights became famous tourist spots of the city, along with dozens of specific museums in the downtown, including the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the Vietnam Museum of History, the War Remnants Museum, the Vietnamese Southern Women’s Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Nha Rong Memorial House.
For those who are keen to know more about the Vietnam War, Cu Chi tunnels are not to be missed. The tunnels are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in Cu Chi district, the location of several military campaigns during the war.
For those who love eco-tourism, the Can Gio reserve will satisfy them to their most. It is a wetland located about 40 kilometers southeast of the city and listed by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.
The site is an important wildlife sanctuary in Vietnam as it is characterized by a wetland biological system dominated by mangrove and many rare species.
The forest covers an area of 75,740 hectares, with over 150 botanical species in existence.
The city has attracted an increasing number of visitors in recent years due to its fast, dynamic development.
Its modern face impresses visitors by the 262.5-meter skyscraper, Bitexco Financial Tower, with 68 floors above ground and three basements, making it the 124th tallest building in the world.
Visitors say they feel comfortable with the local tourist infrastructure and services.
Currently, the city has a total of 641 hotels with 17,646 rooms, of which 11 are 5-star hotels carrying famous brands such as Caravelle, Sheraton, Movenpick, New World, Equatorial, Legend, Renaissance Riverside, Windsor Plaza, Sofitel Plaza, Park Hyatt and Majestic, providing over 3,600 rooms and locating mostly in the downtown District 1.
Ngoc Vy, a sale executive of the city’s Viet Media Travel Company, hat visitors often book tours to HCM City for two or three days stay, during which they take a city tour to historical and cultural sites, and to the city’s surrounding areas.
In 2014, over 4.4 million foreign visitors came to HCM City, an increase of 7 percent year on year and accounting for 56 percent of foreign arrivals to Vietnam.
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