Top 10 Hidden Tourist Attraction In Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam’s largest and most vibrant city is former Saigon also known as Ho Chi Minh City. There are pretty famous attractions in Ho Chi Minh City such as Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Ben Thanh Market but there are many other lesser-known places that are equally interesting to visit. Below, we present you with the ten best-hidden tourist attractions that one can visit in Ho Chi Minh City.

1. Giac Lam Pagoda

Located in a quiet residential area, Giac Lam Pagoda is a historic temple that is one of the most tranquil places in this bustling city. The small pagoda has good examples of well-decorated Buddhist images, wooden carvings, and beautiful sites of gardens. People go here to pray and burn incense at the tables in their home state. It is a somewhat peaceful oasis from the city with its noise.

2. Binh Tay Market

Visit Binh Tay Market which is located in the Chinatown area of Ho Chi Minh City and get to see how the locals conduct their business. It is a large wholesale market that deals in everything ranging from garments, food items, and other household items. Strolling along the meandering paths, you would hear like sellers haggling and transactions made as goods are transported on hammocks. A good inside view of the trades within Vietnamese neighborhoods.

3. Phu My Hung

Phu My Hung is a contemporary community-centered urban area that comes with chic tall buildings, cafes, and restaurants that offer international foods, a playground, and what is called Phu My Hung artificial lake. Stroll down the beautiful marina and dine at a Vietnamese, Indian, or Japanese fusion restaurant, or get a cocktail at an upscale bar on a Friday evening when Ho Chi Minh City people party.

4. Van Thanh Park

Also located near the city zoo and botanical gardens, Van Thanh Park is another strip of green land that is almost unknown in the city. If you are an early bird, you can see people doing Tai Chi, playing badminton, or even exercising in the park early morning joggers. Some people also go there on the weekends for relaxation and to have a picnic with their families.

5. FITO Museum

One could not imagine that there is a museum in Vietnam dedicated to the subject of traditional herbal medicine; however, the FITO Museum showcases the development of herbs and traditional medicine in Vietnam. Know more about the indigenous medical plants in Vietnam and check the implements used by the previous folk doctors. Good for those who are keen on Vietnamese culture and seek complementary and non-mainstream healing.

6. Dam Sen Water Park

This park is popular with people living in the area because they can go there for respite when the heat is too high. This is a water park for family entertainment with exciting water slides, a splash zone, wave pools, and much more. It has fun features such as Space Hole and Free Fall waterslides when one fancy a day having a thrilling time or simply floating in a tube around Adventure River.

7. Suoi Tien Amusement Park

A half-day trip to visit Suoi Tien which is both an amusement park and a Buddhist theme park. Here, visitors may enjoy such attractions as the SlingShot, a rollercoaster, a Thai pavilion, water slides, and many more, as well as observe endangered primates like sun bears and gibbons. To be both a zoo and an amusement park with various rides, a wooded zoo enclosure, and religious temples looks somewhat strange but is fun for the day. Again, one should not afford to miss the spectacular and majestic 33-meter-long statue of the Buddha.

8. Traditional medicine of Vietnam museum

Situated close to the FITO Museum, this is a valuable gem, that provides information about the history and the modern usage of Vietnamese folk medicine and the use of herbs in the process of healing. In the small museum found in the city, there are more than 3000 objects connected with Vietnamese medical practices like Vietnamese herbs, animal parts, and Vietnamese medical books. Ideal for those who like understanding the Vietnamese culture, and the use of healing techniques and natural cures.

9. Le Van Tam Park

For bird lovers or for those who want to peek at how the locals set much emphasis on exotic birds, Le Van Tam Park is worth visiting. Here you will see middle-aged or elder men balancing different lavish bird cages with beautiful birds inside. Encouraging their birds to sing by using small flutes and other toys. If you are in the park in the morning, have breakfast at one of the open-air cafes to watch this rather peculiar local leisure activity.

10. Da Kao Ward

Take a leisurely walk around District 1, the Da Kao Ward in particular, to visit old French colonial architecture that became home to traditional shops selling Chinese herbs, medicine, prayers, etc. The place has a very old-world aspect to it with people doing their daily chores under buildings that are now painted in old pastel colors in this colonial district.

As you can see, exciting attractions in Ho Chi Minh City are not only huge museums and other sights but also quieter places that allow a glimpse of the Vietnamese way of life in the past and present. Be sure to plan a visit to these secret attractions that are not very popular among tourists but are worth the visit. The city is filled with so much untapped potential and for the traveler willing to do a little more exploring, great treasures are waiting to be discovered. So, I ask you, what are you waiting for? It is time to dive into the hidden gems of the Vietnamese metropolis.

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