Local Interest
There are several ‘ moto-mobile ’ street food vendors around the Thu Thiem Tunnel Park , offering various fried snacks and sweet drinks . The Thu Thiem Tunnel closes to motorbike traffic from 10pm to 5am , so make sure you get back to the tunnel entrance before this time . Pass through the toll-booths ( motorbikes go free ) and glide beneath the Saigon River on this spooky , subterranean road – the longest river tunnel ( according to some sources ) in Southeast Asia – until it emerges out the other side , in District 1 ….
Route : Districts 1 & 4 : Ben Nghe Channel , Mong Bridge , Vinh Khanh Food Street
Out of the tunnel in District 1 , the Vo Van Kiet Expressway follows the course of the Ben Nghe Channel . Acting as a kind of ring road , bypassing the smaller , clogged streets of downtown Saigon , this highway was only opened a few years ago . Although not especially scenic , it ’ s a multi-lane freeway that , even during the day , is fun to ride . At night , with the lights of the city reflected in the channel and the air cooled by the presence of the waterway , Vo Van Kiet is one of the most pleasurable riding roads in the city . Open the taps a little and watch the city slide by : the illuminated high-rises of District 1 to the right , and the stout apartment blocks , across the channel in District 4 , to the left . Turn off Vo Van Kiet before Nguyen Van Cu Bridge . Double-back and cross the bridge over the Ben Nghe Channel to District 4 . This district is actually an island , formed by two creeks – one to the north and one to the south – and the Saigon River to the east . This is most apparent when crossing the multi-tentacled Nguyen Van Cu Bridge , which straddles the watery junction at the confluence of the Ben Nghe Channel and the Kenh Te Canal .
Follow the south bank of the Ben Nghe Channel on Ben Van Don Street . This side of the channel is more scenic , with an attractive , tree-lined , bank-side park , and plenty of late night quán nhậu ( food and beer restaurants ) lining the road , if you ’ re feeling peckish . Not long before Ben Van Don meets the Saigon River , look out for Mong Bridge on the left . Designed by famous French architect Gustave Eiffel in the 1880s , this pretty bridge is a favourite night-time hangout for young Saigonese . Go all the way to the end of the Ben Nghe Channel , ride under the Khanh Hoi Bridge , and turn back up past the pink , illuminated walls of Nhà Rồng . Now the Ho Chi Minh Museum , this French-era building was the old customs house . It was here that , as a young man , Uncle Ho set sail in 1911 , as a ship ’ s cook , bound for Europe , Africa and the Americas . He was not to return to his native Vietnam for another 30 years . From here , ride southwest , through the heart of District 4 , via the burgeoning street food street of Vinh Khanh , until crossing over the Kenh Te Canal into District 7 ….
The MAG Vung Tau 15