Vietcom Bank for changing TC's and Visa/Mastercard advances, is at the corner of Ben Chuong St. and Pasteur St (7-11:30am and 1:30-3:30pm, closed Sat afternoon) and a branch at 175 Dong Khoi St, near the Continental Hotel.
Sacombank at 211 Nguyen Hai Thoc , corner of Pham Ngu Lao St., for changing Travellers Cheques and getting Credit Card advances (Visa & Mastercard).
ATM machines. ANZ Bank, 11 Me Linh Square. Hong Kong Bank, New World Hotel Annexe, 75 Pham Hong Thai St. Withdrawls are only in Dong (max is 2 million a day !)

Giac Vien Pagoda. next to the Dam Sen lake in a more rural setting. Built about 200 years ago, open 7am-7pm daily.

Emperor of Jade Pagoda (Phuoc Hai Tu) built in 1909 in chinese style, filled with statues of divine beings and frightening heroes drawn from Buddhist and taoist traditions. Its at 73 Mai Thi Luu St.
War Remnants Museum in the former US Information Service building. At the corner of Le Qui Don St. and Vo Van Tan St. in the central area. 80 cents admission.
Museum of Ho Chi Minh City. 65 Ly Tu trong St. Displays of stuff from the various wars with foreign powers. Open 8-11:30am and 2-4:30pm Tuesday to Sunday. Admission is 80 cents.

Reunification Palace. 106 Nguyen Du St. Open 7:30-11am and 1-4pm daily. US$1 admission.This is one of the most fascinating sights in HCMC, because of its striking modern architecture and the eerie feeling you get as you walk through the deserted halls. The building is preserved almost as it was on the last day of the Republic of Vietnam in 1975. A statue of Ho Chi Minh and a viewing room are the latest additions.

On the morning of 30 April 1975, the 43-hour-old government of South Vietnam sat quietly on the second floor of this grand building - then called the Independence Palace - waiting to transfer power to the Northern forces who were crashing through the wrought iron gates below. 'There is no question of you transferring power,' they were told by a Viet Cong officer. 'You cannot give up what you do not have.'

It is partly because of the rich history of this building - and partly because of the striking modern architecture - that this building is one of the most fascinating sights in the city. The building took its current form in 1966 after it had been partially destroyed in an attack by South Vietnam leader Diem's own air force (they really hated him, it seems). Now, the building is a magnificent example of 60s architecture - airy and open, with spacious chambers and tasteful modern decorations. The building is still used for official functions.

The most interesting section of the Reunification Palace is the basement - a network of tunnels and rooms, including a war room and a telecommunications room. One of the tunnels stretches all the way to Gia Long Palace, now known as the Revolutionary Museum.
Zoo, Botanical Gardens and History Museum. Founded in 1864 by the French. Delightful trees and space to stroll. The Museum is inside the gate, it has displays of artefacts going back 3000 years.

Saigon Water Park. A large fun park with pools, rides etc for all the family. Kha Van Can St. There are several other water parks also.
Massage. The Vietnam traditional Medicine Institute, 185 Cong Quyen St. US$2 per hour for straigh forward massage. Also Sauna available. 9am-8pm daily. Upmarket Hotels usually offer legitimate massage as well.

Ben Thanh Market. Here, you will find practically every staple commodity imaginable. If consumerism offers intimate glimpses of how people live, wandering among the tiny, packed stalls here will give you some unique insights into modern Vietnamese life. The food court here has delicious and very tasty local specialties. Produce, flowers, and meats are sold on the sidewalks surrounding the building.

HCMC's tailors are reminiscent of Hong Kong's before the seventies. Custom made shirts usually take three to four days and cost seven to ten dollars, not including the fabric. While there are dozens of good tailors in District 1, one recommended is Nha May Cuong, who has shops at 59 Ly Tu Truong and at 247 Le Thanh Ton. Mr. Cuong will escort you to Ben Thanh Market to help you select the fabric first. Another good choice is Albert Thanh, whose shop is at 22 Vo Van Tan Street District 3.

If you are a Coffee lover, buy enough to fill those empty corner of your luggage. Vietnamese coffees are among the best in the world, and very inexpensive. Because Saigonites drink so much of it, the beans on display in scores of shops around District 1 are always quite fresh.

Tay Ninh
Not far from HCMC, Tay Ninh is home to one of the most colourful and eclectic religions in the world. Cao Daism, formed in 1919, is made up of influences from Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, native Vietnamese spirituality, Christianity and Islam, with a formal structure based on the Catholic Church.

Most travellers to the area visit the nine-level Cao Dai Holy See complex , 4km (2.5mi) east of the main town, to get an idea of the ins-and-outs of this chimeric ism. Tay Ninh is easily reached by bus, though many visitors arrive by taxi on a day trip that includes the Cu Chi tunnels.

Vung Tau
A beach resort on the South China Sea coast, has been a favourite getaway destination for Ho Chi Minh city residents for over 100 years. Site of the final major evacuation of US troops during the war, Vung Tau was also the berth for would-be refugees fleeing the communists in the mid-1970s.

The beaches are far from beautiful and the water is polluted so most of the party action goes down offshore. Although increasingly commercialised and prone to petty theft, the town still boasts enough natural attractions to cycle on and climb up, and it still lures travellers in generous numbers.