Pandoni Travels
  • About
  • Destinations
    • Mexico
    • Japan
    • Bali
    • Thailand
    • Cambodia
    • Vietnam
    • Malaysia
    • Turkey
    • Romania
    • Prague
    • Berlin
    • Holland
    • Paris
  • Dance
  • Photography
  • Food

Ho Chi Minh City

By Onisha • July 12, 2014 • Photography, Vietnam
Oni and Zealous Crew

Hello Everyone!

We unfortunately didn’t do anything too interesting in the south of Vietnam due to rainy weather and lack of motivation! There is lots to see in this city, but being on the road for three months has affected us somewhat mentally (physically too). I believe also we were a bit stressed out where to go after Vietnam as it had not been planned out. We are doing well now though and having spent several days with dancers our morale has elevated and are excitedly planning our new adventure…

Now back to Saigon. It is a very interesting city not in the least lacking of yummy street food, French inspired bakeries and interesting architecture. The food here is delicious, and although we have not been too adventurous eating street food, there is so much that Vietnamese cuisine has to offer. What I particularly enjoy about Vietnamese food is the freshness of ingredients and the balance of sweet, salty, pungent, fragrant and spicy. It is so much different than the other cuisines of Southeast Asia. If you are vegetarian you might have a harder time finding meals because they use fish sauce and fish paste in many dishes, but still doable (I like to eat mostly vegetarian).

In Ho Chi Minh City we visited the Reunification Palace or also called Independence Palace. This large building looks like it has been stuck in the 60s and has not changed since the fall of Saigon (or liberation of Saigon – depending on which side you are on). It is where the South Vietnam president Nguyen Van Thieu lived and worked until that fateful day of April 30, 1975 when Ho Chi Minh’s tanks crashed thru the palace gates. We explored the underground bunkers that still had the maps of Vietnam on the walls, rooms just for officers deciphering code, radio rooms, the presidents sleeping quarter, etc. The ground floor has large rooms for government conferences, dignitary receiving rooms and a large kitchen. As you go up in the floors, the rooms get more personal like game rooms, a movie theater, guest apartments, even a nightclub and helicopter pad.

IMG_8120
Tanks that went through the front gates
Tanks that went through the front gates
IMG_8126

Dining Hall
Dining Hall
Meeting Room
Meeting Room
Original Maps
Original Maps

IMG_8142
IMG_8147
IMG_8157

IMG_8158
IMG_8161
Communications
Communications

IMG_8167
Kitchen
Kitchen
IMG_8174

IMG_8179
IMG_8182
IMG_8202

IMG_8207
IMG_8211
Japanese Ambassador Room
Japanese Ambassador Room

IMG_8227
Library
Library
Theater
Theater

Game Room
Game Room
IMG_8250

That same day we also visited the famed Saigon Post Office built around 1890, a nice place to go if your into architecture. It is across the street from the Notre Dame Basilica that was constructed before the post office. Both sites are pleasant yet quick tourist destinations walking distance from other sights that are in Ho Chi Minh City.

Post Office
Post Office
Old Map
Old Map
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh

Notre Dame
Notre Dame
IMG_8070
IMG_8075

Probably the best part of our week visit in Saigon was meeting Vietnamese b-boy FreezeB though mutual friends in the states. He was kind enough to meet us for Pho and talk about the local dance scene. We also attended a b-boy session with his crew – Zealous Crew – and just practiced with everyone. They were very welcoming to us and it was inspiring watching them teach young kids how to breakdance.  It just reminded us that no matter what, we have each other and our dancing. And when we are feeling a bit out of our environment, finding local dancers is not only necessary but important for us to feel at home.

Freezeb
Freezeb
Oni and Zealous Crew
Oni and Zealous Crew
IMG_8042

Freezb
Freezb
IMG_8039

BboysHo Chi MinhNotre DamePost OfficeSaigonZealous Crew
Tweet
2
Kun Khmer - Cambodian Kickboxing
Tiny Toones - Cambodia

About the Author

Onisha

You Might Also Like

  • Pandonitravels-ChitzenItza-2

    Yucatan

  • Pandonitravels-Museum-13

    Mexico City

  • IMG_3708

    NYC

  • IMG_3566

    Musee Rodin and The Louvre

2 Comments

  • Log in to Reply Lollie July 12, 2014 at 3:26 pm

    Thanks so much for the info on Vietnam. Somewhere I’d like to visit some day. You have been traveling a lot and it is physically and mentally draining. Give yourself a break. Or two… Then you’ll feel motivated again. Can’t wait for your next post!

    • Log in to Reply Onisha July 14, 2014 at 6:17 am

      Hi Lollie! So happy to hear from you!! I think you would really enjoy Vietnam, there is so much to see and the food is great. Hope everything’s well with ballet! I sure do miss you all and taking ballet too. We are in Malaysia now, but maybe by the end of summer will get to Turkey and North Africa, you have inspired me with your travels! Please tell everyone
      I said hello :))

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Bonjour & Welcome

Bonjour & Welcome

Hello and welcome to the travel blog of Onisha and Angelo. Here you will find information on where we are in the world as well as stories and experiences we have along the way. Please bookmark or subscribe to pandonitravels.com below to keep updated on the latest adventure.

Love,
Angelo and Onisha

Subscribe

Subscribe to our blog to keep updated with the latest news and travel adventures. Thank you.


Donations

Advertisment

Facebook Instagram RSS

© 2016 Pandoni Travels. All rights reserved. | All photography is © of Pandonitravels.com.
Do not copy, distribute or publish without permission thank you. Legal