The Southern Highlights

The southern region of Vietnam is regarded as a rice basket of the country, fertile with agricultural plantations and nourished by the Mekong River. Ho Chi Minh City is the center in the south region with its high development in economy and commerce. The Southern Vietnam offers you the different flavors of experiences: the bustling commercial city like Ho Chi Minh; the white sandy beach with crystal clear water like Vung Tau; the fertile orchards around Mekong Delta like Tay Ninh and My Tho; and even historic trace of Cu Chi where the air of those struggle years still lingers.

  Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Ho Chi Minh City is the heart and soul of Vietnam. It is a bustling, dynamic and industrious center, the largest city in the country, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. The streets, where much of the city's life takes place, is a myriad of street markets, shops, pavement cafes, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks. The city churns, ferments, bubbles and fumes. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture. Sights include the Giac Lam Pagoda, Reunification Palace, the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral, the beautiful Museum of Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Thanh market and the harrowing War Remnants Museum.

Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon was captured by the French in 1859, becoming the capital of the French colony of Cochin China a few years later. The city served as the capital of the Republic of Vietnam from 1956 until 1975, when it fell to advancing North Vietnamese forces. Until today, the city is still unofficially called 'Saigon'. But officially Saigon refers only to a small district. Southerners certainly prefer the name Saigon, but for official occasions, it is best to use HCMC.

  Vung Tau (Chau Doc City)

Vung Tau, an old port and the first Vietnamese area to be visited by vacationers and people seeking health treatment, is a resort town in the province of Dong Nai. Vung Tau is located on a 110 km2 area, 125 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. The town is a long strip approximately 14 km long and 6 km wide. Where the southern tip of town meets the ocean stand two famous mountains Nui Lon (Truong Ky) and Nui Nho (Tao Phung) or Large Mountain and Small Mountain.

Historically, Vung Tau used to be part of Bien Hoa. The first settlements in this area occurred during the reign of King Gia Long. During this period, there were many Malay bandits in this region. They often enter the area through Song Be entrance from the ocean. This created a threat for merchants in the Gia Dinh area.

Vung Tau, with an average temperature of 28 Celsius, has 20 km of coastline with famous soft-sand beaches and calm waters. Vung Tau has five beaches scattered over the peninsula. Bai Truoc, also called Front Beach, is located on the northern side of Vung Tau and stands between Nho and Lon Mountains. Restaurants, kiosks, and hotels are close to the beach. Vong Nguyen, also called O Quan Beach, is a peaceful cove with good wind. Surfers particularly enjoy this area.

Bai Dua or Dua Beach is located approximately 2 km from the center of the city. People who do not like crowded beaches particularly enjoy this quiet beach. Bai Sau, also called Back Beach, is the longest stretch of sand on the peninsula. It is located approximately 2 km from town on the southeastern side of Vung Tau. It is exposed to South China Sea wind and surfing there is excellent. Finally, Bai Dau Beach is located at the foot of Lon Mountain. It is a small quiet beach, 3 km northwest of Vung Tau.

  Tay Ninh

Tay Ninh is situated in the southwest of Vietnam and 95 km north-west of Ho Chi Minh City, sharing a border with Cambodia at the west and the north, and is the original site of Caodaism, Vietnam's most curious indigenous religion. It is from here that Caodaism has spread its influence onto surrounding provokes. In time past, this sect ran its own army, as they had been ruthlessly oppressed by Diem and his regime. The Caodaism followers denied support to the Viet Cong, and after reunification, they were punished for this intransigence by the confiscation of their lands and temples which were not returned to them until 1985.

The eclecticism of the religion is reflected in the colorful Great Temple. Built between 1933 and 1955, it combines architectural elements of a church, a pagoda in an extravagant Rocco style. The cathedral is set within a large complex of schools and administrative buildings painted in pastel yellow. The twin-towered cathedral is of European design, but has distinctly Asian features. On the facade are high-relief figures of Caodai saints, like Victor Hugo, Albert Einstein, etc.

Every day at noon there is a great mass where the tourists are allowed to watch from the balcony.

  My Tho

My Tho, a capital of Tien Giang Province, is an inland port in the Mekong River Delta which is two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City. It is a transportation and commercial center for a rich agricultural region and has some manufacturing industries. It is also noted for its exuberant orchards and immense rice fields. My Tho was controlled by the Cambodians until it was annexed by the Annamese in the late 17th century. It was under French rule from 1862 to 1954.

Boat tour on the Mekong River is the amusing activity in My Tho. Attractions in My Tho are orchards and rice fields on Phoenix Island, Thoi Son Island, Vinh Trang Pagoda and Dong Tan Snake Farm.

  Con Dao Island

Looking at a map, Con Dao Island looks like a bear rising from the sea to east of the most southern point of the country. Originally a prison for patriots and revolutionists during the French and American resistance, Con Dao Island sheltered brave revolutionary spirits of the Vietnamese people. More than 22,000 prisoners who dedicated their lives to national independence were incarcerated on the isolated island of Con Dao.

Con Dao Island is also famous for its nice beaches shaded with evergreen trees, fresh air, clear blue waters, and primitive forests. Some of those beaches include Dam Trau Hang Duong and Phi Yen where visitors can relax and enjoy the warm temperature. The best time to visit Con Dao Island is from March to June, when the sea is calm.

  Phu Qoc Island

Tourism development on Phu Qoc is just starting to take off, with the island's many clean and safe beaches easily outdoing anything that Bali has to offer. The most accessible and one of the most attractive is Truong Beach, stretching for nearly 20 km from Dinh Cau to Khoe Tau Ru.

In the southeast, Bai Kem ('Ice Cream Beach') has superfine white sand. It is said that in bygone days this beach was the exclusive province of wealthy aristocrats. Phu Qoc Island, in Vietnam's Kien Giang province, is about the same size as Singapore, with a population of 75,000 that swells to around 120,000 in the dry season, when fishermen from Danang descend on the island to exploit the rich catch. Development is being held back fortunately, with nearly 70% of the island being declared a National Park. The tracks of Phu Qoc are mainly well-maintained dirt roads.

For a brief period in 1975, Phu Qoc's population swelled to 300,000, as forces still loyal to the South Vietnamese government took refuge on the island. The barracks in which they were housed can still be seen near the crossroads north of An Thoi. But it was not long before the victors of the war took control of Phu Qoc, with the refugees forced to flee once again or return to the mainland.

The An Troi Islands, off the southern tip of Phu Qoc, are popular for fishing and snorkeling day-trips. But sadly, the corals around the reefs have been nearly totaling destroyed by dynamite used in 'fishing'.

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