Kids: Big Sister 5y10m, twins 3y4m
Flights: In March 2010 our trip was part of a individual package to Siem Reap (on Vietnam Airlines), both other times I booked a package through CX Holidays and Sunpac here in Hong Kong (both on Cathay Pacific Airways).
Booked through: travel agents (Lastminute, CX Holidays and Sunpac).
Over the past couple of years I visited Saigon 3 times, once with my entire family and twice without kids (once with friends and the other time with my mom). The first time I was there was early 2010 when we visited Siem Reap & Angkor What. Recently, mid-November I went back with my mom as my birthday gift to her. Things have changed a lot over the past 2 years. It's still the same chaotic Vietnamese city most people who've been there will remember, however, it's clearly getting more luxurious. Old buildings are being torn down and luxury shopping mall with all the "usual suspect luxury brands" are popping up. Luckily the city still has the same charm but obviously certain trends are not going unnoticed in Vietnam either.
Hotels:
- Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon (Marriott)
- Asiana Saigon (Intercontinental)
I definitely prefer the latter of the first as it's much newer. Both locations are good, well situated in District 1. You can check my more detailed Tripadvisor Reviews by going to My Tripadvisor (contributions).
Restaurants:
- Temple Club
- Hoa Tuc (one of my favorites)
- Cuc Gach Quan
- L'Usine (for a quick lunch or a cup of coffee)
- Hoi An, quite a traditional set up but brought the children as I found out later about Hoa Tuc which would have been more suitable with them. Although the kids love soft shell crab and lots of other Vietnamese food.
- K Cafe (Japanese); we had lunch here with the girls upstairs on tatami, very affordable and good quality lunch sets though lots of smoking going on, so not very suitable with kids.
- Jaspas is always easy with kids (including crayons) if you need a break from Vietnamese food.
What to see & do:
- Ben Thanh Market, lots of fun and many things to see, not very stroller friendly as it gets very busy.
- General Post Office, worth a look inside
- Note Dame Cathedral, didn't find it very special as a European, but it's a nice area and worth a quick look inside
- Reunification Palace, worth a look around, brings you back to the 60s and 70s.
- Saigon Opera House, nice location on a "square" close to several hotels.
- War Remnants Museum, very sad place (with a slight biased view but nonetheless), went with my mom, wouldn't recommend with small children unless you take turns (few military vehicles, planes to see outside). Especially the Agent Orange pictures are very graphic.
- Dong Khoi Street is the city's premier shopping street with lots of colonial buildings though things are changing. Lots of galleries, silk stores and other selections of souvenirs, etc.
Since mid-2010 you can also visit the Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck (68 floors). Prices are about US$10 per adult. Would be a fun thing to do with kids, although still fairly pricey and quite depending on weather conditions. You may want to check the reviews in Tripadvisor for more details.
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