When you look at a world map, Vietnam is an S-shaped land mass next to the South China Sea, bordered by China to the north and Cambodia and Laos to the west.
We flew from Denpasar in Bali (see go! #172) to Ho Chi Minh City. The humidity smacked us in the face when we stepped out of the air-conditioned Tan Son Nhat International Airport – it felt like walking into a sauna. It was late September, the wettest month in Ho Chi Minh.
We took a bus from the airport to the city centre and the first thing we noticed was how many motorbikes and scooters there were – apparently, upward of eight million on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City alone. You can imagine the chaos! Motorbikes are the most common mode of transport. It’s funny and impressive to see what people manage to transport on two wheels: dogs, chickens, vegetables, fruit, children – up to five at a time!
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the biggest city in Vietnam and situated in the south of the country. (Smaller Hanoi in the north is the capital city.) In 1975, after the Vietnam war had ended, Saigon was renamed after the Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh. Now the city is a busy metropole and the economic heartbeat of the country, where modern skyscrapers stand side by side with historical French colonial buildings like the pink Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral and the Museum of Fine Arts.
We dropped our backpacks off at our Airbnb apartment, had a quick shower and hit the streets. Many of the tourist attractions are close together and we explored a big part of the city on foot.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2020/January 2021-Ausgabe von go! - South Africa.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2020/January 2021-Ausgabe von go! - South Africa.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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The wilder shore
The final leg of a 30-day trek across East Africa sees lan Tyrer and the Africa - Wild & Untamed crew explore both shores of Lake Malawi. Get ready for an overloaded ferry, a croc attack and being surrounded by elephants...
A river runs through it
Sabie is onthe Drakensberg escaromentialongMpumalanga’s famous Panorama Route. Want a weekend away surrounded by forests and waterfalls? Here's wnat you need to know.
TAKE A HIKE
Harkerville's mini Otter
Sweet & juicy!
This issue's recipes all include lush seasonal fruit like nectarines, plums and apricots. Enjoy!
Big mountain magic
On a clear day, as you approach the Cathedral Peak Hotel, it happens involuntarily: You start to grin. You'll be standing up there soon, gazing over this valley, and the scuttling of ground-level life will seem irrelevant. Join us on a five-day adventure into the heart of the high Drakensberg
Your next weekend away
A self-catering house in the Tankwa, a campsite next to the Orange River, a guest farm near the Drakensberg... Toast Coetzer travelled a lot last year: Here are six of his favourite places to stay if you're planning a road trip or weekend escape.
A life through binoculars
If the name Hugh Chittenden sounds familiar, it's probably because you see it every time you use your Roberts Bird Guide he's one of the co-authors. He lives in Mtunzini on the KZN coast and birding is as much part of his day as a cup of coffee.
Wanderlust in the park
All great cities have great parks, writes Dara Kell: spaces where you can exhale and slough off the stress and grime of urban life.
The Kalahari remembers
The Kalahari is a place of magic and heartache, where drought is an ever-present threat. Drive a loop from Upington to the Kuruman River and discover soulful landscapes, brilliant skies and resilient people who never give up.
Take a Hike
Hug a baobab in the Bushveld