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| Cu Chi Tunnel, Vietnam |
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| Ho Chi Minh Statute, City Hall Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
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| Central Market, Taka Plaza Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
Day 7 Saturday Jan 24 2026 (Ho Chi Minh & Cu Chi, Vietnam) - my 3rd night in HCM City, an exciting day & night for me after visiting Cu Chi Tunnels (by pubic buses) & the Saigon Walking Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City by Night (By Metro) ! Seeing is believing, HCM City has graduated over the years to become a vibrant & progressive city like that of Singapore city, Bangkok & Kuala Lumpur !
Travel itinerary: Ho Chi Minh City > Cu Chi Tunnels (approx. 44km)
1) Cu Chi Tunnels visit - early morning walk & breakfast (06.00) from Spring House Hotel to nearby Cho Ben Thanh Market & a short walk to a bus stop to board a public bus No 13 to Cu Chi Bus Station / Tunnels; each of us savoured a plate of BBQ pork rice / egg (70K VND = Rm11).
2) A public bus stop nearby Cho Ben Thanh Market for Bus No 13 heading to Cu Chi Bus Station (36km), bus ticket one way 23K VND = Rm3.70
3) Heavy traffic during the early morning hours in downtown Ho Chi Minh City - interesting sights of motorbikes in traffic junctions !
4) Arriving in Cu Chi Bus Station & boarding a connecting bus No 79 to Cu Chi Tunnels (drop off near the entrance), bus ticket 7K = Rm1.10.
5) Countryside & village town scenery as the bus heading towards Cu Chi Bus Station
6) Bus dropped off at a bus stopover from the main road & a short walk to the Cu Chi Tunnel Front Gate Entrance.
7) Cu Chi Tunnel Front Entrance & walkabout at the external compound.
8) Ticketing Counters, Cu Chi Tunnels - entrance fee for foreigners 125K = Rm20 (US$5) inclusive of an entry to Phi Vao Cong & Guided Tour Service fee.
5) The Ben Duoc Memorial, Cu Chi, Vietnam - a major, solemn memorial complex honouring soldiers & civilians killed during the French * American wars, located in Phu My Hung village, often visited alongside the nearby Cu Chi Tunnels.
6) Exhibits of defused cluster bombs, artillery, armoured vehicle, tank, aircraft etc near the entrance to Cu Chi tunnels.
7) Entrance to the tunnel - just follow the sign & join the queue followed by ticket inspection & you will be greeted by Tunnel officials (foreign language speaking) who will be your tour guide of the day & take you through all the way to the various stages / levels of Cu Chi tunnels, due to the Saturday weekend, we observed large crowd of local students at the queuing area / entrance point.
8) Showroom display of small artillery & fire arms + pictures of Vietnam War nearby the queue up area / entry point to Cu Chi tunnels.
9) The start of our introductory walking tour led by an English speaking guide to the Cu Chi tunnels, a brief stopver to view a pictorial presentation of Cu Chi Tunnels (Level 1 > Level 3) at a rest stop.
The Cu Chi Tunnels are a massive, 250km underground network northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, served as a crucial base of the Viet Cong (VC) during the Vietnam War, initially built in the late 1940s during the war against the French, they were significantly expanded in the 1950s to include living quarters, hospitals, kitchens & weapon storing.
10) Level 1 (upper level) of Cu Chi Tunnels - our tour group of 10 people led by an English official Tour Guide to a Level 1 tunnel which is about 3m deep, capable of withstanding artillery fire & the weight of tanks & armoured vehicle, this level mainly housed ventilation systems in tunnels, booby traps & kitchen; the tunnels were big enough to accommodate Vietnamese soldiers but small enough to stop any trespassing, the passageways were between 1 & 1.2m in height & 0.6 & 0.8m in width, only enough for individuals of shorter stature of 5ft 3inches to stoop through, taller people might need to crouch or crawl !
11) Level 2 (Middle Level) of a Cu Chi Tunnel - about 5m deep, resistant to small bombs, served as passageways, resting & hiding areas & ambush points.
12) Various booby traps on exhibits in Cu Chi Tunnels
13) Level 3 (Lowest Level) of a Cu Chi Tunnel - about 8 - 12m deep, provided safe shelter against all kinds of bombs & connected to the Saigon River, this level contained field hospitals, weapon storage & command rooms.
14) Resting & Drinking Bunker of Commander, Cu Chi Tunnels.
15) Dining Bunker, Cu Chi Tunnels
16) Light refreshment after the various tunnels visit.
17) The end of visit after a short video presentation of the Vietnam War.
18) Free & easy (unguided) jungle walk towards the exit side of Cu Chi Tunnels
19) Sandals made from rubber tyres used by the Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War !
20) Booby traps used during the Vietnam War on show in Cu Chi Tunnels
21) Souvenir store promoting & selling various woodcrafts, artworks. gift items & packaged food.
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22) Tank, aircraft & armoured vehicle on display in Cu Chi Tunnels.
23) Phong Chieu Phim, Cu Chi Tunnels - external visit only, Ho Chi Minh memorial statute, Vietnam War aircraft & armour vehicles display, graphic & posters on President o Chi Minh & his working life.
24) Exiting the Cu Chi Tunnel's visit after 3 hours of internal guided tour + free & easy external compound Cu Chi Tunnels visit - an exciting day indeed !
25) Bus ride from a bus stopover near the Cu Chi entrance to Chu Chi Bus Station for a transfer of another bus to Ho Chi Monh City.
26) Cu Chi Bus Station - awaiting to board Bus No 13 back to Ho Chi Minh City (36km)
27) Late afternoon visit (16.30) to Central Market & Food Court after the bus ride from Cu Chi Tunnels to Ho Chi Minh City.
28) Iced Ba Ba Tea dessert (36K VND = Rm5.70) in Food Court, Central Market, Ho Chi Minh City after the bus ride from Cu Chi Tunnels visit.
29) Chua An Lac, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - my solo evening visit, a popular beer street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City located opposite the Central Market, Plaza Taka.
30) Metro train ride (7K VND = Rm1.10) from Benh Thanh station > Opera House station - my solo evening visit to catch a glimpse of Ho Chi Minh City by Night !
31) Saigon Opera House by Night, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - a singing concert was held in conjunction with the Saturday weekend !
32) Ho Chi Minh City Hall, District 1 - overlooking Nguyen Hue Boulevard Square - completed in 1908, this iconic building served as an administrative house for past government during French colonial period & Vietnam War, now a National Heritage Site.
33) Nguyen Hue Walking Street (Boulevard Square) & the surrounding, Ho Chi Minh City - a 900m long vibrant pedestrian-only plaza in District 1, running fron Saigon River to the City Hall, opened in 2015, it is a hub for nightlife, cafes, city events featuring the famous 42 Nguyen Hue apartment building, musical fountains & lively street performances; my solo evening visit to get a feel of the nightlife of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, a must visit for tourists when in Ho Chi Minh City in the likes of Orchard Road of Singapore, Bukit Bintang of Kuala Lumpur & Yaowarat Road of Bangkok !
34) Saigon Skydeck, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - glass-enclosed observation deck on the 49th floor of the Biteco Financial Tower with scenic views ! External visit only but very pleased with my presence in front of this skyscraper in HCM City !
35) Cultural performance in City Hall Square & singing concert in Opera House, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. - well attended by locals & tourists to catch a glimpse of a vibrant night life in this progressive city !
36) Return Metro train ride from Opera House station > Benh Thanh station
37) Pho Museum, Ho Chi Minh City - the first private culinary museum in Vietnam, the museum features hundreds of artefacts & documents honouring Vietnamese pho culture across the three regions; external visit only, pay to enter !
38) One for the album - a narrow staircase lined with colorful pictures / posters inside of a building in downtown Ho Chi Minh City
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