Ho Chi Minh City Resources
HOTELS
Liberty Central Saigon Citypoint Hotel, 59 – 61 Pasteur Street, Ho Chi Minh. A stylish and modern four-star hotel with 171 guestrooms, cinema, fitness centre, and spa, plus rooftop swimming pool and sky bar. Price range: $102-$181. www.odysseahotels.com/saigon-city-point-hotel
Pink Tulip Hotel, 40/11 Bui Vien, Ho Chi Minh. A small, recently refurbished gay-run hotel with 14 guestrooms located in a quiet alleyway in the Backpacker District. Price range: $19$29. www.pinktuliphotel.com
The Reverie Saigon, 22-36 Nguyen Hue, Ho Chi Minh. A lavish five-star hotel with 286 opulent suites, haute Italian design and impeccable service. It is the only member property of The Leading Hotels of The World in HCMC. Price range: $252$418. www.thereveriesaigon.com
Rex Hotel, 141, Nguyen Hue, Ho Chi Minh. An historic five-star hotel with 286 guest rooms. Facilities include a rooftop swimming pool and tennis court. Its rooftop bar was a favourite spot for war correspondents during the Vietnam War. Price range: $116-$222. www.rexhotelvietnam.com
COCKTAILS & DINING
EON51 Heli Bar, Bitexco Financial Tower, HCMC. The highest bar in HCMC, EON51 is located on the 51st floor of the city’s tallest building. A place to enjoy cocktails as well as 360-degree city views. www.eon51.com
L’Usine, 19 Le Thanh Ton, HCMC. Hip lifestyle store plus eatery serving European café classics in a trendy environment. Branches on Le Loi and on Dong Khoi. www.lusinespace.com
Pasteur Street Brewing Co., 144 Pasteur Street, HCMC. The original tap room of this local Vietnamese craft brewery is tucked away down an alley off Pasteur Street. It also serves classic American food. www.pasteurstreet.com
Pizza 4P’s Ben Thanh Market, 8 Thu Khoa Huan. Trendy gourmet pizza restaurant, with classic Italian toppings as well as more unusual Asian flavor combinations. Five locations in HCMC, plus branches in Hanoi and Da Nang. www.pizza4ps.com
The Refinery, 74 Hai Ba Trung, HCMC. A French-style bistro in a heritage building that was once an opium factory. Open 11 A.M. till late, it’s a popular spot for weekend www.brunch.therefinerysaigon.com
GAY VENUES
Full Disclosure. Producers of occasional LGBT parties in HCMC, featuring gender-fluid shows with drag queens and cute dancing boys. www.facebook.com/fulldisclosurevn
Hero Spa, 149/1 Le Thj Rieng, Ben Thanh, HCMC. Men only spa close to Ben Thanh Market offering massage service. Facilities include Jacuzzi and relaxing cabins. www.facebook.com/hero-spa-585860364842605
Nadam Spa, 12/29/1 Highway 13, Hiep Binh Chanh, Thu Duc District, HCMC. Luxurious men only spa in a suburb of HCMC, 30 mins by taxi from the center of the city. As well as massage service, facilities include a dry sauna, steam room, and large Jacuzzi. www.nadamspa.com.vn
Thi Bar, 224 De Tham, Pham Ngu Lao, HCMC. Small gay-friendly bar with live music in the lively Backpacker District. www.facebook.com/thibarsaigon
ATTRACTIONS
Les Rives Tour / Sampan In The Mekong Delta
Cu Chi Tunnels. Preserved in two locations, this network of underground tunnels outside of HCMC is a fascinating relic of the Vietnam War. Using these tunnels as a virtually invisible base, the Vietcong managed to evade (and to kill) many American GIs. www.en.diadaocuchi.com.vn
Les Rives Experience. Explore this part of Vietnam by speedboat with Les Rives. Options include one- and two-day speedboat tours of the Mekong Delta, speedboat tours to the Cu Chi Tunnels, and Saigon River sunset cruises. www.lesrivesexperience.com
Reunification Palace, 106 Nguyen Du, HCMC. This striking 1960s building is most notable for its symbolic role in the fall of Saigon in April 1975, when North Vietnamese tanks and troops breached its gates. The building interior has remained virtually unchanged ever since.
War Remnants Museum, 28 Vo Van Tan, HCMC. Once known as the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, this museum chillingly depicts the effects of the Vietnam War on its civilian victims. www.warremnantsmuseum.com
