GETTING THERE
& AWAY
Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport hosts
flights from many major international airports, as well as domestic
flights from eleven centers. If you can't travel directly to Ho Chi
Mihn, the next best route is via Bangkok or Hong Kong. Buses run to the city from Cambodia and Laos, while buses and trains
also link Ho Chi Minh City to most major towns in the country.
GETTING AROUND
The streets of Ho Chi Mihn are not a place for the faint-hearted,
so you'd be well-advised to put yourself in the hands of an expert.
Metered taxis, cyclos (pedicabs) and motorbike-taxis run the route
from the airport to town, with official taxi meters in $US. Unless
you're happy about paying four times the going rate, avoid the
airport Taxi Booking Desk. Cyclos are the most popular and
hair-raising form of transport among travelers. They're cheap,
everywhere, and the usually helpful drivers are happy to steer you
around all day for a small fee. Taxi rental is also a good deal if
you're headed further out of town. Probably because the routes and
timetables are a constant mystery, foreigners rarely make use of the
few buses in the city, with the hard-core adventure traveler
preferring to rent a moped or bicycle.
If you're more interested in the journey than the destination, Ho
Chi Minh is a good city for walking around, with one drawback - the
traffic. Learn to cross roads by observing locals: they don't sprint
towards the other side for a very, very good reason. Take it slowly;
avoiding any sudden movements or panic, and you'll probably survive
for a day or two. Because Ho Chi Minh stretches along the Saigon
River, many people enjoy seeing the sights from a boat. Small boats
are easily hired, and many destinations are located along the banks
of the river or one of several long canals.
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