If you are in Ho Chi Minh City this month why not take a city walking tour and experience the Saigonese celebration of Christmas as well as learning about the history of the city through the colonial period French architecture.

The tour begins at Ben Thanh Market, the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City. This bustling market, where shopkeepers sell a wide variety of local and imported products ranging from garments and textiles to handicrafts, flowers and vegetables, is housed in a French building dating from 1913. Just a few minutes walk from the market near the Opera House is the 120 year-old Hotel Continental, the oldest in Vietnam and the Notre Dame Cathedral which is where Saigonese gather to celebrate on Christmas Eve. Built between 1877 and 1883, this neo-Romanesque cathedral has two 40m high towers topped with iron spires, red bricks and elaborate stained glass windows. As the Christmas season gains pace, the streets surrounding the cathedral, including Han Thuyen and Nguyen Du, become crowded with vendors selling festive greeting cards and colourful ornaments.

Leading from the cathedral to the river is the famous street of Dong Khoi which is lined with restaurants, cafes, art galleries, silk and handicraft shops and at night is lit up with hundreds of lights sparkling from the trees. The lights bring a festive shine to the shops which are now stocked with Christmas goodies.

The City Tour takes just a few hours and is the perfect chance to see Ho Chi Minh City in the lead up to Christmas as well as to purchase some last minute gifts. It is recommended that you start in the late afternoon so that you can see Ho Chi Minh City by night. Enjoy the stroll by yourself or take part in an organised tour which can be tailored to the interests of the participants.

      Vidotour Indochina Travel
             (Source: Vietnam Discovery)