Local Interest
The famous red bricks of Notre Dame Cathedral( 1880) shine even at night
The splendid facade of the Saigon Opera House( 1897) is illuminated throughout the night
Onto the grand Le Duan boulevard, trees and street lamps lead the way to an icon of Saigon: Notre Dame Cathedral. Sitting in the middle of Paris Commune Plaza, the red bricks shine in the night and, even at this time, there are people taking photos of themselves in front of the grand facade. Across the plaza,, the yellow ochre walls of the famous post office glow in the dark( albeit next to a brand new McDonald’ s outlet!). Turn down Dong Khoi Street, Saigon’ s avenue of chic boutiques and five-star hotels. This glamorous street has been stamped with a double monument to modern Vietnamese consumerism: two Vincom shopping centres, one on either side. Halfway down Dong Khoi, the splendidly handsome( and beautifully lit) combination of the Continental Hotel and the Opera House can’ t fail to catch your eye. Then the fancy hotels and fine dining restaurants close in, ending with the elaborate facade of the Majestic Hotel at the riverfront.
The Bitexco Financial Tower bears down on Saigon’ s new and ever-popular Walking Stree
The elaborate facade of the Hôtel de Ville City Hall( 1908) is beautiful lit at night
Double back on yourself, heading north-west on Nguyen Hue, Saigon’ s new Walking Street. Opened in April 2015, the pedestrian walkway has proved a hit with foreign visitors and locals alike. Presided over by two of the city’ s new and old architectural icons – the soaring Bitexco Financial Tower to the south, and the wedding cake edifice of the Hôtel de Ville City Hall to the north – the Walking Street attracts a young crowd( yes, even in the small hours) brandishing rollerblades, hoverboards, acoustic guitars and snacks. Turn left past the Hôtel de Ville and weave back up to Le Duan boulevard. Head all the way up this wide, empty street. Turn right onto Nguyen Binh Khiem, a pretty, tree-lined avenue with the Botanical Gardens on one side and beautiful, old French school buildings on the other. Join the multiple lanes of Nguyen Huu Canh Street all the way back to the start of the Midnight Loop at Lovers’ Bridge, just in time to greet the dawn.
20 The MAG Vung Tau