Vietnam is an easy win for when we want to get out of the Singapore – short flights, bustling city vibes or remote valleys and mountains, whatever takes your fancy. If you have just a long weekend (or a normal length weekend, for that matter), then hop on a 1.5 hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City to stay at The Caravelle, Saigon.
Located in the city centre, the hotel is a short walk to iconic landmarks and locations, such as the Saigon Municipal Theatre, also known as the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, historic Dong Khoi Street, modern Nguyen Hue Walking Street, and the legendary Ben Thanh Market.
Within its walls, the hotel has been at the centre of significant historic and cultural events as well, beginning with its original design hailed at the time as one of the tallest and most modern buildings of its kind in Vietnam. It’s also renowned for delivery 5 star decor and service, and really lives up to its reputation.
Having recently gone under a huge renovation to ensure the building offers the best facilities for its guests, a trip to The Caravelle should definitely be added to your bucket list. For one, they now have (launched at the beginning of September) an Aperol Spritz bar, offering the iconic cocktail daily, with a full wall greenery backdrop and neon sign setting that looks fab on the ‘gram.
It also boasts of a swimming pool that wouldn’t look out of place in a faraway remote resort – you can easily forget you’re in the heart of the city. Alongside the pool is the Kara Spa, a tranquil 750 sqm sanctuary overlooking the bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, offering a wide variety of high quality health and wellness therapies, plus beauty treatments.
The ‘Serenity for Couples’ pamper package comes highly recommended – delivering 3 hours of pure bliss that includes 30 minutes petal Jacuzzi and welcome tea, 60-minutes full body massage, 60-minutes foot reflexology and 60-minutes facial. You will leave feeling like a whole new you – along with your partner, who shared the experience in the double VIP treatment room. Need any more excuses? They offer all hotel guests 20% off treatments from 9am-3pm.
With ample eateries and bars – they even have a casino – you may need not wish to leave the residency of The Caravelle. If, however, you do want to venture out and explore the city, an epic option is a vespa tour called Saigon After Dark, hosted by vespa adventures. Here you get to experience the nightlife via the road, jumping on and off your tour guide’s vespa as you’re taken to a variety of bars and local Vietnamense food hotspots. If you love live music, check out Lela Bar – a stop on the vespa tour – for some awesome bands on stage singing your favourite tunes. An amazing bar full of life, energy and overall coolness, it comes highly recommended.
If the nightlife and whizzing around on a bike isn’t quite your vibe, you can instead take a more somber note and book a half-day trip to the infamous Cu Chi tunnels. Steeped in the history of the Vietnam War, a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels will really bring it home. The Caravelle can help organise your trip for you, with a minibus picking you up at 7am at reception, taking you to the speedboat which then heads up the river for around 90 minutes until it reaches the Cu Chi tunnels. The boat ride in itself is worthwhile. Whilst you may or may not think heading to an old war zone is something you’d want to do on your mini vacay, it’s truly a worthwhile experience.
But you need not leave the premises to immerse yourself in history and culture. Take the Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar on the top floor of the hotel, for example. Way before sky bars, craft beer and social media became ‘things’, drinks flowed uninterrupted at Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar from the very first moment the hotel opened way back in 1959. Not even a war could prevent thirsty politicians, journalists and soldiers from risking a sneaky happy hour beer on the patio and balconies that overlook the city and along one of its most famous and historical streets. It also has excellent live music and a magical city view.
The great thing about The Caravelle is that it’s located in the best place, offering guests access to whatever takes their fancy. But if leaving the hotel itself seems too much effort (after all, we go on vacation to switch off and relax), simply stay in the hotel’s luxury and enjoy immersing yourself in what the hotel has to offer.
