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I’m not too sure what to make of Ho Chi Minh City. I heard that it was crazy and action packed but I didn’t find it too different from Hanoi. The city was originally called Saigon but was renamed Ho Chi Minh City when the North vietnamese soldiers took over the south after the american war. It’s still called Saigon by the majority of the people in the country so I’m going to call it Saigon too – it’s easier to spell. Ho Chi Minh was the founder of communism in vietnam, he was educated in France and later came back to vietnam to free the colony from french rule and so the people see him as the father of the country. While in Saigon, we stayed in the Pham Ngu Lao area of District 1 which is backpacker central. We had accomodation at this little guest house which turned out to be great. Very clean, comfortable and the staff were excellent. All for $10 a night. Continue reading →