Dai Nam Tourist Park, is an interesting attraction found around 40kms from Saignon which opened in November, 2008. Dai Nam Van Hien Temple is located within the site as well as entertainment site complex, shopping areas, open range zoo, hotels, Vietnamese and Western restaurants plus the country’s biggest man-made mountain range.

Upon arrival visitors first across the famous Dai Nam Quoc Tu Temple. The first floor contains historical artefacts whilst the second continues to be used as a place of worship. Exhibits of the various dynasties of Vietnam from Ngo to Nguyen are on show here.

Dai Nam Quoc Tu is otherwise known as Tu An Temple (or the Temple of Four Gratitudes), and acts as a reminder of the apparent origins of the Vietnamese people. Buddha, the Au Co Mother, the Hung Kings and President Ho Chi Minh all represented here.

More than 50 billion dong was spent to build the park, and it is treated as the started point for mass tourism in Vietnam. However, despite the rather contrived origins, many locals rave about it especially the beautiful temple. The park can be found as Thu Dau Mot Town, Binh Duong Province (to get there take bus number 616 or arrange a tour through a travel agent.

As the epicentre of Vietnam’s business world, Saigon is home to a large community of expatriates. This fact, combined with a rocketing tourism industry has led to the development of a cosmopolitan dining scene in the city.

Modern and sophisticated restaurants are opening up throughout the city, offering not only the best of Vietnamese cuisine, but creating international dishes and delicacies as well.

Zen, located in Saigon Sky Service Apartments on Le Thanh Ton is a fine example of the wide range of culinary creations available in Saigon. Diners can choose from Mexican, Indian or Japanese food, and the restaurant is also one of the city’s best picks for vegetarian grazing.

For a truly atmospheric setting, board the Saigon Restaurant Cruise Ship and enjoy the views of the city by night as you dine. Award winning chefs serve up a variety of European, Asian and Chinese specialties to three decks of diners.

For authentic Vietnamese food in a traditional setting, Temple Club on Ton That Thiep Street is a treat for all the senses. The restaurant is housed in an old Chinese temple, with stunning woodwork and creative masonry, as well as rustic terracotta floor. The menu features a range of mouthwatering dishes from every corner of the country.

Bikes and bustle

Get caught up in the heady buzz of Saigon, dizzy with the pace of a million motorcycles, and beguiled by the local girls cycling by in their flowing Ao Dai dresses. Southern Vietnam is captured in all it’s intriquing essence here.

Follow the history and culture of the city on this blog, from Re-unification Palace to the War Museum, with plenty of Asian and Indo-Chine architecture and character splashed across this guide. From the Cu Chi tunnels and Mekhong Delta, to endless pagodas and Com Pho shops, it’s all soon covered here.

It’s all part of a comprehensive travel guide, with hundreds of pages and dozens of pictures, which we are busy developing to help you plan you trip to Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam.