The is the Vietcombank tower — at 206 metres tall, it’s the 7th tallest building in Vietnam
The walk is by Saigon River, which is the main river passing through the city
Saigon river is a crucial trade route for south Vietnam’s industrial belt and the main water source Ho Chi Minh City. It’s location and views also make it a prime land bank for real estate development.
The soaring tower over in the distance is Landmark 81. At 461.15 metres high, it is currently the tallest building in Vietnam.
Across the river is Empire City, a mega real estate project by Singapore’s Keppel Land
There’s another skyscraper proposed to be built at Empire city and its design is very interesting!
Yesterday was spent on a full day tour that included stops at the Cao Dai temple and then the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. I was done with the day tours I had planned from Ho Chi Minh City so today was just going to be dedicated to exploring the other sights of this bustling city.
I hired a Grab bike taxi to take me from my hotel to the Notre Dame Cathedral. The short ride would cost me 13,000 VND (₹41/$0.57/€0.47)
This is the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon
Unfortunately, the Notre-Dame Cathedral was under-going renovation works and was closed off to the public.
A statue of Mother Mary
The church was initially named the Church of Saigon at the time of its construction by French colonists between 1863 and 1880. It was renamed in 1959 as the church looked similar to the Notre-Dame in Paris.
The church has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters (190 feet)
Gates prevent people from entering the church
Which sucked, as I saw photos online that showed the church’s interiors and it did look quite nice. So it would have made for good photography.
There wasn’t much else to do here so I left after spending just 10 minutes
Close by the cathedral is the Saigon Central Post Office
Although it’s still called the Central Post Office, in today’s day and age, it’s mostly a tourist attraction
I stepped out later at night to visit Bui Vien Street, the popular nightlife zone in Ho Chi Minh City — for foreigners. I state that clearly because it’s not where Vietnamese locals frequent.
This is Nguyen Thi Nghia street, quite a busy and crowded stretch
Nearby is September 23 Park, a fairly large public park
Locals were out and about doing various activities like play badminton, exercise, walk, etc.
Central Market Taka Plaza is an underground shopping center near the park
I walked towards Bui Vien street
Bui Vien street and the neighbouring bylanes are chock-full of restaurants, hotels, hostels, tour operators, and bus services. It’s a convenient place for foreign tourists and I initially booked to stay at a hotel here. But when I read multiple reviews of hotels and many complaining about the noise, I cancelled my booking and chose to stay a bit further away.
