Reset search
Vietnam
Satellite

Vietnam
Dinh Doc Lap

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Travelers at this place
    • TravelerSE Asia 2024
      1
      Day 30

      Vietnamese Motorscooter Culture

      April 3 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      All countries are unique in their own way, but one feature of Vietnam that really stands out is the number of motorcycles in all cities and villages. They are used for commuting, shopping, delivery, taxis, 'trucking', family wagons with often two adults and two kids on one cycle, and stores where goods are sold, we even saw someone prepping up meat on a motorcycle mounted cutting board and then disappearing to deliver it to a small restaurant! We can't vouch for the accuracy, but our guide Tom had said 40% of the population owns a motorcycle. They are cheap - about 400-500 USD brand new for 50cc scooters. These don't require a license and can be driven by 16 year olds. The laws very much favor them too. They have the right of way over both cars and pedestrians, are allowed to turn on red lights and pedestrian green crossing lights, and can even drive on sidewalks if traffic is jammed. It is interesting to see people side saddle, wearing high heels, often fully shielded from the sun, a passenger covering up their head with a cloth if its raining and, typically, flip flops or open toed sandals while on a cycle.Read more

    • Weltreise 2023
      1
      Day 223

      Ho Chi Minh City

      August 23, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌩️ 34 °C

      Hello everybody

      Gestern haben wir mit dem Bus die Broder nach Vietnam überquert. 🇻🇳
      Unser erster Stop ist die Stadt Ho Chi Minh. Wir haben hier 3 volle Tage geplant. 🗓️
      Heute waren wir in der Stadt unterwegs und haben die Sehenswürdigkeiten erkundet. Dafür haben wir uns für eine Tour mit dem Roller entschieden. Der Guide hat uns an die jeweiligen Orte gefahren. 🛵

      Begonnen haben wir im Kriegsmuseum. Hier waren Panzer, Flugzeuge und Vieles mehr ausgestellt. Der Vietnam- Krieg war furchtbar und die Bilder im Museum haben dies wiedergespiegelt. 🔫💣🗡️
      Beim zweiten Halt haben wir einen Gebetstempel besichtig. 🛐
      Stop drei war der Wiedervereinigungspalast. Er ist ein Wahrzeichen in Ho Chi Minh - das Ende des Vietnam- Krieges wurde hier besiegelt. Ein Panzer der vietnamesischen Armee hat die Tore durchbrochen.
      Die Notredame Kathedrale ist aktuell im Umbau. Die Kirche wurde für die französischen Kolonialisten erbaut. 🔔
      Zum Schluss haben wir die Brücke The Phú Mỹ überquert. Die Brücke wurde über den Saigonfluss gebaut.

      Ein toller erster Tag in Vietnam- morgen sind wir auf einer Tour.

      Alessandra & Noemi      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerVietnam & Cambodia Adventure
      1
      1
      Day 13

      Day 13 Saigon

      November 12, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

      We all had an early start today at 4am- it was the Saigon marathon and it was starting outside our hotel and they run early!
      Firstly today we went to the War Remnants museum - as you would expect not a cheerful place - the agent orange exhibition was horrendous and the war crimes section too- whilst in a war there is atrocious things conducted by all sides , the information and picture about what the Americans did was very upsetting!( will not put the photos )
      Next we went to the Reunification palace which was where a tank went through the front gates ( an iconic moment in the war ) we also saw the CIA building .
      After a very pleasant lunch ( any where is pleasant so long as it has AC) we went to hear a performance of traditional Vietnamese music . Then had a go on the instruments.
      Hotel has lovely rooftop bar with good views . The green helmet bikes are their version of Uber called Grab- don’t look particularly safe!      Read more

    • Asia 2023
      2
      Day 104

      Independence Palace 🏰

      November 12, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

      Het Independence Palace in Saigon is een presidentieel paleis uit 1966. Het was de woon- en werkplek van de president van Zuid-Vietnam en werd gebouwd omdat het vorige Governors Palace werd verwoest door een bombardement ✈️ tijdens een coup-poging uit 1962.

      Het heeft als zodanig bestaan totdat op 30 april 1975 een Noord-Vietnamese tank door het hek ramde. Dit markeerde het einde van de Vietnamoorlog. 🕊️ Het heeft daarna een ceremoniele functie gehouden en is nu ook open voor toeristen. 📸

      Het paleis heeft duidelijke trekjes van brutalisme en wij vinden dat fascinerend. We moesten dus zeker even een kijkje nemen! Het paleis is grotendeels in de stijl gebleven zoals het was in de jaren 70.

      We hebben gelopen door statige zalen maar ook de privé-vertrekken van de president. De tijd 🕰️ heeft hier stil gestaan. Er stond nog steeds een helikopter 🚁 op het dak en er was zelfs een enorme schuilkelder.

      We vonden het ge-wel-dig! 😄      Read more

      See translation
    • Steve CatterallVietnam & cambodia
      Day 16

      Day 16 independence palace

      October 21, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

      The independence palace is the place where a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the main gates to end the war.
      It's quite an impressive building that is set back in time to April 1975. The rooms are neat clean and tidy, two tanks in the grounds along with the F4 fighter that bombed the palace.

      I'm not sure if it's because it's a Saturday but there is a food festival in the grounds with some strange foods including dried insects and live grubs 😳      Read more

    • Morris & Susan's Viking WC
      Day 60

      Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam Day 1

      March 8 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F

      We always wanted to go to Vietnam, and now surrealistly, here we are. We are feeling a curious mix of emotions ranging from excitement to a bit of aprihension as our teenage years were all about the war and fall of Saigon. The city is now officially called Ho Chi Minh City, but many locals still call it Saigon.

      So the photos start with the building currently called Independence Palace. This is the building where the last USA helicopters flew from which marked the fall of Saigon at the end of the war when, on 4.30.1975, the North Vietnamese army tanks crashed through its gates. Many mixed emotions for me as a protester and in losing someone in the war (Rest in peace, Herman).

      Ho Chi Minh has now become a bustling, seamless blend of history and modern youthful energy, where pagodas and French colonial grandeur mingle with bustling old world alleyways and marketplaces along with modern skyscrapers.

      In addition to the Palace, our tour took us to Chua Phuoc Hai, Buddhist Temple. We then visited a Lacquerware factory employing people affected by the war's aftermath. Fascinating multistage process of utilizing eggshells, shells, and painting to create these pieces of art.

      This city has 15 million people and 10 million scooters swarming all around mixed w cars. Traffic lanes and lights only seem to be a suggestion as everyone tries to pass everyone else in this chaos. Then, all of a sudden, someone raises their hand, wanting to cross the road. As I put my hands over my eyes, anticipating the horns, the slamming of breaks, and imminent carnage, I see a woman's confidence in stride crossing the road and traffic just going around her. Our tour guide told us that this is normal here, and you either cross this way or don't get across. The main rule is don't stop and don't step back ... "Because that's how accidents happen." We now have a new normal.

      With this introduction, our fear of a strange place melted away, and we decided to get off the tour bus for dinner on our own. In the process, we bravely tried to cross the busy streets ourselves, and I am happy to report that we survived!

      We found a fun restaurant for dinner, discovered the local beer, and grabbed a Grab back to the ship.      Read more

    • Goood mooorning Vietnam!
      1
      Day 14

      Eindelijk geland in Saigon

      July 16, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌬 33 °C

      Deze dag is een transit dag. Na het ontbijt leggen we ons even aan het zwembad waarna een chauffeur ons oppikt om 12u om ons naar de luchthaven te brengen. Daar volgt een korte vlucht van 2u naar Ho Chi Minh City, voorheen Saigon.

      Onze vlucht had moeten opstijgen om 14u30 maar bij aankomst op de luchthaven is die al uitgesteld naar 15u. Dit allemaal door uitlopers van tropische storm Talim in het Noorden van Vietnam. Eenmaal opgestapt op het vliegtuig deelt de Gezagsvoeder mee dat we een uur gaan moeten wachten, nog steeds door het slechte weer. Om 17u stijgt het vliegtuig dan toch uiteindelijk op.

      2 uur later lijken we klaar om te landen, maar helaas had de piloot nog een fijne mededeling : we gaan nog eens rondcirkelen! Door het slechte weer zijn ze meer vliegtuigen die wachten in de rij om te landen.

      Om 19u30 landen we dan eindelijk in Saigon. Onze vrouwelijke gids staat klaar om ons naar het hotel te brengen. Ze heeft zelfs banh mi mee!

      Maar wat een verschil met onze vorige stops! Saigon heeft 12 miljoen inwoners op zo'n 2.000km2. Dat is 1/15de van de oppervlakte van België. Dit is de echte grootstad, de metropool. Goed voor 25% van het GDP van Vietnam. Door het late uur zien we niet veel meer van de stad en besluiten we nog snel iets eenvoudig te eten in de stad.

      Het hotel is dik in orde, tijdens onze wandeling naar het hotel zien we verschillende dikke ratten en kakkerlakken. Dat hoort bij de grote stad zeker?      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerVietnam!!!!!
      1
      11
      Day 3

      Reunification Palace

      February 26 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

      Today we are on a private tour of a bunch of landmarks and places in HCM City. We have a lovely air-conditioned bus to take us around (it's 37 degrees here today) and our first stop was Reunification Palace (aka the President's House).

      We went through a bunch of rooms and our guide explained all the design choices and symbolism and history of each room. We learnt some very interesting things about Vietnam's history and the various wars. My favourite room was the Ambassador's room, which was a beautiful combination of wood and gold design. It was amazing to see how every room had different context and colour, but still aesthetically fit within the context of a presidential palace.

      Also, apparently Vietnamese thought that Australian soldiers were the best of anywhere in the world because they shoot the best. Oh, and the reason for the random animal tusks and tails is that they are all gifts from other countries to represent a famous Vietnamese saying that essentially means (we hope from top to tail that everything sails smoothly).      Read more

    • TravelerTo infinity and beyond - 2022
      Day 131

      SGN - Independence Palace

      August 9, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

      🇧🇷 Primeiro dia de exploração por Ho Chi Minh City e a primeira parada foi no palácio da independência 🏢

      🇦🇷 Primer día explorando la ciudad de Ho Chi Minh y la primera parada fue el palacio de la independencia 🏢

      🇺🇸 First day exploring Ho Chi Minh City and the first stop was the independence palace 🏢      Read more

      See translation
    • Family Of 5 Vietnam + Cambodia
      Day 2

      Reunification Palace by Matt

      July 15, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

      When the Americans evacuated in 1975, the South Vietnamese president hastily departed the palace and the VC soldiers smashed through the gates in their tanks, still present in the garden, and symbolically unfurled their flag on the balcony.

      Nowadays, the grand reception rooms are used to greet foreign dignitaries and host banquets. Upstairs are the living quarters, which retain their 60s vibe, and the animal skulls on the walls include their tails to symbolise long life, something the owners presumably didn't have.

      A bomb shelter lies in the basement, with gray walls and gray rooms containing old gray transmitters and typewriters, which were all very military and, well, gray.      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Dinh Doc Lap

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

    • 2024© FindPenguins
    • Home
    • About us
    • Blog
    • Group Tracking
    • Press
    • Terms
    • Privacy Policy & Cookies
    • Support
    • Legal notice
    • English