Affordable Fun
As an employee of a printing company in Tan Phu district (HCMC), the combined income of Nguyen Thi Lan (35 years old, from Nghe An) and her husband is around 20 million VND per month. This amount is just enough to cover their two children’s education, rent, food, and a small emergency fund.
Therefore, traveling during holidays is almost a luxury for Lan’s family. But that doesn’t mean the holidays are any less enjoyable.
“If we can’t travel far, we’ll go nearby. I take the kids to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the museums in HCMC. With ticket prices of just a few tens of thousands of VND, some places are even completely free. The whole family can still have a fun day out and save a lot of money,” said Lan.
Domestic tourism exploring HCMC attracts visitors during the April 30 holiday (photo: Saigon River Tourism) Photo: Trong Thinh
Preparing fried chicken, bread, soft drinks, etc. and packing them in the car, Vo Thanh’s family (living in Thu Duc City) planned to go on a self-guided tour to Binh Duong. Thanh had previously planned to take his family to Phu Quoc. However, when he was quoted an airfare of up to tens of millions of VND, he decided to cancel the trip. Instead, they chose nearby trips, traveling round-trip in a day and driving themselves.
“Binh Duong is in fruit season, and it only takes about an hour to drive from HCMC to the center of Binh Duong. The cost of travel and food is around 5 million VND for a family of 5, which is only half the price of an airplane ticket to Phu Quoc. The kids can still have fun during the holiday, and it’s less tiring and gives them time to review for their final exams after the holiday,” Thanh said happily.
Currently, there are many affordable tours in HCMC that also offer great quality. Specifically, inner-city tours right in Suoi Tien, Dam Sen, etc. have ticket prices ranging from only 40,000 – 150,000 VND per person. Visiting the Independence Palace or the War Remnants Museum with ticket prices from 45,000 VND per person allows visitors to revisit the glorious past of the nation. On the occasion of April 30, the War Remnants Museum offers free admission to people in HCMC.
Visiting the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens for just a few tens of thousands of VND, visitors can have fun all day (photo of tug-of-war with a tiger) Photo: U.P
A “refreshing” tour by water is also an interesting option for visitors. The Saigon River Bus route has a ticket price of 15,000 VND per person. Departing from Bach Dang Wharf (District 1), the boat will take visitors along the Saigon River, allowing them to admire the scenery, the skyscrapers, and the bridges that span the river. Or enjoy Saigon at night on a double-decker bus, which is also an exciting suggestion for visitors.
On this occasion, the Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Site offers a 30% discount on tickets for Vietnamese groups of 10 or more people from agencies, organizations, students, and university students (with a letter of introduction). Visitors receive attractive gifts when participating in entertainment activities when visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Can Gio Mangrove Forest Historical Site (Can Gio district).
According to a survey by several travel agencies, more than 90% of visitors to HCMC are interested in new tours and inner-city sightseeing itineraries in HCMC: Saigon River Tourism, community tourism in Can Gio, experiencing the night in Districts 1 and 5, exploring the city by double-decker bus, etc.
This year’s holiday, Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens has many unique events: organizing visitors to tug-of-war with tigers, check the teeth, feet, and mouths of elephants, and hold a first birthday party for the giraffe baby “Thao Em”.
According to Ms. Vu Thi Huong Giang, Director of Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens Co., Ltd., the interactive activities with animals here attract a large number of people and tourists to participate. “The interactive activities with animals are based on the characteristics of the animals, arranged so as not to affect their daily lives,” said Ms. Giang.
Road Trip Attracts Tourists
This year, road travel has also proven to be a winner in the face of soaring airfares. Ms. Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Director of Marketing and Communications of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, said that the company has built more than 200 domestic and international tour itineraries, serving more than 110,000 visitors. Of which, the number of tourists on overseas tours accounts for nearly 60%.
To date, Saigontourist has sold nearly 90% of its capacity, with more than 100,000 visitors confirmed, and the remaining mainly being added to road tours.
“Road tours are gaining traction and are very popular. From 2024, up to 30% of Saigontourist’s all-inclusive tourism products will be replaced with combo products, as many families have their own cars, and transportation is becoming increasingly convenient, so they choose combos to create customized tourism products tailored to their individual and family needs,” said Ms. Tra.
Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Director of Communications of Viet Media Travel Communication Corporation, observed that this year, the transportation infrastructure has developed, especially the expressway system has been extended, making it easier to travel by car from HCMC. This has created an opportunity for travel businesses to open more tours using automobiles.
“Companies with their own fleet of tourist vehicles, such as Viet Media Travel, can be flexible in changing direction, helping to increase the number of visitors during the April 30 holiday. Customers who choose to travel by car have a tour price that is nearly half that of an airplane,” said Mr. Vu.
