Somehow I managed to live in Saigon for a year without checking out nearby tourist attractions. So when my employer dangled the carrot of a free flight for an awayday and by coincidence my cousin Henry decided to drop into Vietnam, well, it was high time to rectify my lack of exploring. So, with the fresh tourist eyes for me to experience South Vietnam through, we set out for adventure.
Awayday
Ah, the typical work “awayday” – a blend of corporate obligations and organised “fun”. At least it included a reunion with an old pal, Jack, who in 2022 had swapped breezy Pleiku for the bustling streets of Saigon but helped me get my foot in the door at this company in 2023. Together with about 300 staff, we boarded coaches bound for a posh retreat near the coastal town of Vung Tau (I call it the Blackpool of South Vietnam). After a million corporate photo ops, Jack and I caught up over poolside beers – yes, there was a bar right in the water, talk about bougie!
Come evening, it was time for VUS’s grand spectacle, the Gala Dinner. Think company cheerleading mixed with some cringy team-building games but also a buffet spread fit for a king. Post-dinner antics saw Jack and I liberating all the remaining beers, which we enjoyed on the beach, before heading to someone’s room for an afterparty. Undeterred when the security shut the afterparty down, we went for a late night paddle in the sea then rode around on one of the resort’s child-sized bikes until our liquid supplies dwindled, leaving us no choice but to bid adieu to the night and surrender to sleep’s sweet embrace.
Cu Chi
Our Saturday morning adventure took me Henry and Grace to the small town of Cu Chi just beyond the reaches of Saigon, where the echoes of the war still linger in the air. Apparently Cu Chi was a strategic hotspot nestled between Saigon and the Cambodian border that had a large American presence and unknown to them, a huge network of Viet Cong tunnels right below them.
Our trip was no ordinary commute – we opted for a boat ride up the meandering Saigon River, a delightful jaunt down memory lane for yours truly as we passed familiar places like Thao Dien, where I once taught maths. As the cityscape faded into lush greenery, we disembarked just outside modern-day Cu Chi, our aquatic voyage clocking in at a cool hour.
We got to go inside the tunnels which were very cramped and winding. They were designed so even the small Vietnamese soldiers couldn’t walk upright – you can imagine how 6’6″ Henry felt! These tunnels are definitely not for the claustrophobic. Air ducts, flood protection, and a plethora of ingenious features also awaited our eager exploration. In addition to the tunnels, we saw a selection of Viet Cong booby traps. Trust me, if it’s featured on the Wikipedia page for “Booby trap,” you know it means business.
Next to the shooting range was a gift shop which sold a very tempting pith helmet. See if you can spot it in my photos below!
Mekong Delta
I had no idea where to start planning a trip to the Mekong Delta because I knew very little about the area. And so I booked us a guided tour and it turned out quite nice.
Our journey kicked off with an early morning pick-up from our Saigon hostel, whisking us away to the quaint charm of Can Tho. Our digs? None other than a slice of paradise itself – bungalows, pools, and all the trimmings of tropical indulgence.
Our trusty guide, Sunny met us at the accommodation and took us to a nature reserve with little boats, where we were punted off into little streams to sea lots of wildlife. Our guide even coaxing Henry into some fruit-picking antics with a comically long net!
Day two dawned with a boat pick-up straight from our doorstep, navigating the labyrinth of canals that crisscross the Mekong Delta like a watery highway network (apparently work on the network started nearly 2000 years ago!). First stop was a noodle factory, where we rolled up our sleeves to craft some colourful noodles. Then, onto the famous floating market. The floating market is a bustling hub of commerce, where boats of all shapes and sizes gather from all over the region to sell wholesale produce. Some enterprising locals were selling piping hot noodles and coffee to fuel the hungry market-goers. It would have been rude to not try it!
Next – Tra Su, a famous cajuput forest, beckoned with promises of avian spectacles and crocodile encounters (thankfully, on the observation side of the fence). And as if to cap off our odyssey, I dared to venture into uncharted territory and ordered us some barbecued rat. Henry and Grace, bless their adventurous souls, had their doubts, but hey, when in the Mekong Delta, right?
Prior to this trip, I was at a loss for what to explore in the Mekong Delta. But now, it’s crystal clear that birdwatching and navigating the vibrant floating market are absolute musts (and pith helmets encouraged!). Two days proved ample time to soak up the essence of the area, though truth be told, we could have easily traded a bit of adventure for some extra poolside lounging.
(edit: Speaking to Joshua after writing this, he says the delta is also littered with ancient ruins of the Funan civilization that started the canal building, I never knew they left anything behind! It’s not well advertise at all, I’ll have to go back and try and find some…)
Eastward Ho! 