BINH SOUP SHOP
It might seem strange to introduce a noodle soup restaurant as a sight, but there is more to this shop ( greater HCMC map; 848 3775; 7 Ly Chinh Thang, District 3, noodle soup 30,000d) than just the soup. The Binh Soup shop was the secret headquarters of the VC in Saigon. It was from here that the VC planned its attach on the US embassy and other places in Saigon during the Tet Offensive pf 1968. One has to wonder how many US soldiers ate here. completely unaware that the staff were all VC infiltrators. By the way, the Pho isn’t bad here.
BINH QUOI TOURIST VILLAGE
Build on a small penisula in the Saigon River, the Binh Quoi Tourist Village ( Lang Du Lich Binh Quoi, Tel 8991831, Tel 8994103, 1147 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, bungalows US$ 15-20) is a slick tourist trap operated by Saigon tourist. Backpackers are few, but upmarket tourists get carted out here by the busload and some city – weary locals also seem to like it.
The village is essentially a park featuring boat rides, water puppets, a restaurant, a ground, a guesthouse, bungalows and other amusements for the kids. The park puts in a plug for Vietnam’s ethnic minorities bu staging their traditional wedding accompnied by music. There are some alligators in an enclosure for viewing. River cruises can be fun – the smaller cruise boats have 16 deats and the larger ones have 100 seats.
Next door to the water puppet theatre, you can make bookings for the local ngihtlife, including dinner cruises and shows.
The bungalows are one of the better value palces to stay here. Built on stilts above the water, the bungalows give you a tast of traditional river life in the Mekong Delta. But with air-con and tennis courts. It’s worth asking for a room with good views of the river.
Binh Quoi Tourist Village is 8km north of central HCMC in the Binh Thanh district. You can get there by cyclo, motorbike or taxi. A much slower alternative is to chanter a boat from the Bach Dang pier area on the Saigon River.