After a ride from the Ho Chi Minh Airport we wouldn’t soon forget, my son and I checked into the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers. This property offers 5-star accommodations and award-winning facilities with an enviable location in the heart of the city. Located on famous Dong Khoi Street, home to any number of French colonial buildings, this street has witnessed many changes over the years. During the French occupation, it was the center of glamour and was called Rue Catinat. It became To Do or Freedom Street during the Vietnam War and when the North Vietnamese took over Saigon in 1975, the name changed yet again to Dong Khoi Street which means Total Revolution.
The hotel’s 25 stories encompass 493 rooms and suites and we were pleased to learn our Main Tower Premiere Deluxe Twin-bedded Room came with Club access. The room was nearly 400 square feet in size and included complimentary Wi-Fi, a small sitting area with both sofa and chairs, a good-sized writing desk and an in-room safe. Robes and slippers were provided and the marble bathroom featured a soaking tub and separate shower. The private-access Club Lounge was located on the 5th Floor. Here, guests were treated to complimentary breakfast, midday snacks, afternoon tea, evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres along with dessert. Club guests were also given complimentary pressing of up to 3 garments per day. It proved to be the perfect place to start each morning and unwind later in the day after hours of sightseeing.
Saigon (as the city is still known by locals) has had more than its share of troubles. Its buildings reflect the various cultures that have intruded upon its borders over the centuries, including Chinese, Cambodian, Japanese, French and American. In fact, its history might read like a laundry list of wars. But its turbulent past does not detract from the optimism of its people, especially with its now-booming economy and its relatively young population (whose median age is only 30). The city’s residents are said to smile freely and be very welcoming. We found this to be true as we headed out from the Sheraton towards Nguyen Hue, a broad promenade flanked by French colonial buildings, bars, boutiques and galleries. The Notre Dame Cathedral was nearby so we stopped in for a tour. What a treat!. Built between1863 and 1880 by French colonialists, it’s the most important Catholic structure in the country. Modeled on the famous medieval Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and built from materials shipped directly from France, this cathedral is the religious center for Vietnam’s 6.2 million Roman Catholics.
Nearby the cathedral is the equally-famous Saigon Central Post Office. This building was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the late19th Century and exhibits strong elements of Gothic, Renaissance and French colonial influences. It was built between 1886 and 1891 and is now a much-visited tourist attraction. It was designed by Alfred Foulhoux who studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He left for Saigon in 1874 and five years later was appointed Architect-in-Chief, permitting him to focus exclusively on what he did best - designing civic buildings for the colony. The Central Post Office was his final project in the city and considered by many to be his crowning architectural achievement. It features a unique, bright yellow exterior framed with white trim. Its curved windows are elegantly framed with green shutters and a large clock is prominently featured at the building’s main entrance. While walking inside, we felt as though we’d been temporarily transported to a European train station. The only “landmark” inside the building that brought us back to Vietnam was the very large portrait of Ho Chi Minh that dominates one wall at the end of the central hallway.
As the hotel concierge suggested, we took lunch at the Indochine Restaurant located inside a rather grandiose 19th Century villa. The restaurant is divided into different sections from cozy dining spaces to elegant rooms with a look and feel harking back to old Saigon. We enjoyed some really good Hot & Sour Vietnamese soup and tried a seafood noodle dish and another with chicken. Neither one was a disappointment. For a change of pace in the afternoon, we visited the Ben Thanh Market where negotiating over price is expected and necessary. This is the city’s most well-known market and the epicenter for tourist shopping although locals squeeze in to experience it as well. It’s a place to enjoy street food, socialize and have a drink - all while people watching as more than 10,000 folks come here every day to shop and quibble over price among the myriad of booths selling everything from fruit to expensive SLR cameras.
Opposite the market is Le Cong Kieu Street, a short strip crammed with antique stalls and dimly-lighted shops. This is the place to find old coins, small Buddha statues, vases and all kinds of ceramics. Some of the wares on Le Cong Kieu Street make beautiful colonial-era souvenirs but don’t believe it when the proprietor tells you a particular piece is from the Ming Dynasty. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Soon it was time to head back to the Sheraton where we had dinner at the hotel’s Li Bai Chinese Restaurant. The unlimited Dim Sum specialties were varied and delicious as were the spare ribs steamed with garlic sauce.
The next day we traveled to the War Remnants Museum, a must-see for any tourist. On streets lined with restaurants, banks and government buildings in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, the last thing one expects to see are an American Huey helicopter positioned next to an M48 Patton tank! They looked oddly out of place in this busy urban neighborhood. But they’re part of the story this museum tells its 500,000 yearly visitors, a vivid and often graphic story about how war has shaped modern Vietnam. As the North Vietnamese troops pushed south towards the end of the American War (as it’s known here), the South Vietnamese Army fled in droves and left behind billions of dollars of American military equipment in their wake.
While these pieces are impressive, it’s the exhibits inside that leave very disturbing impressions, chronicling the most gruesome injuries resulting from the war. Several displays show the protests and popular support for ending the war which occurred around the world during that time. Others feature French and American war crimes as well as a documentary of the aftereffects of exposure to Agent Orange and similar chemical defoliant sprays. This museum is certainly not for the squeamish but its unnerving sights remind us of just how important it is that we continue to strive for peace. The War Remnants Museum is currently one of the most popular museums in the country and, according to the museum’s own estimates, about two-thirds of visitors are foreigners.
Our final stop in the city was the historic Reunification Palace. Although not used much anymore, it’s an important reminder of the war-torn era that ended over 45 years ago. It was from here that South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu directed his forces during the Vietnam War. From the outside, it’s hard to guess the building’s purpose, although simply by its size and the spacious lawns in an otherwise cramped city, you can guess it was important. The basement housed the war rooms with 1970s communications equipment still scattered about and the middle floors are the state rooms. They were clearly designed to impress visiting dignitaries and government officials with their show of style and opulence. The top floors were living quarters for the president’s family with surprisingly spartan bedrooms surrounding an open rooftop courtyard (with helipad). Also know as Independence Palace, these days the Reunification Palace is mostly a tourist attraction although it’s occasionally used for official government functions.
Returning to the Sheraton after dinner that evening, we packed up in preparation for the next day’s journey to Hong Kong. I’ll tell you all about that in a future post.
Until next time…stay safe.
Insightful and thought provoking as ever - you certainly know how to make the best of short visits. Cannot wait for the Hong Kong update...