Go Green- Go Green Saigon Highlights

Admire the historical landmarks throughout Saigon and the way that the city has cleaned up a downtown canal that was once heavily polluted. As an introduction to the city, you will visit must-see highlights such as the 19th-century French-built Notre Dame cathedral and Independence Palace, a modernistic building that was home to the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. For a clearer understanding of how Saigon, also commonly known as Ho Chi Minh City, evolved over the centuries, you will browse the Museum of Vietnamese History. Still, nothing compares to seeing a transformation firsthand, an opportunity that cruising the Thi Nghe Canal will present. Once little more than a garbage-filled, hyacinth-choked ditch, the canal is now ecologically sound and a symbol of pride for the city. Watching local residents enjoying the canal will offer an authentic slice of life, as will browsing Binh Tay Market in the heart of Cholon, Vietnam’s largest Chinatown district.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise a canal that was once polluted but is now cleaned up and eco-friendly.
• See French colonial landmarks such as Notre Dame cathedral and Independence Palace.
• Gain insight into the past by browsing the Museum of Vietnamese History.
• Get a genuine look at local life at a market in Chinatown.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.