Where To Find The Best Parks In Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh Is renowned for being a busy city but has some great parks to escape that rat race mentality. Having lived in Ho Chi Minh for a month, I always found the parks to be quite tranquil and a great place to get rest bite. The Vietnamese have a different perspective to parks than in the West, which I’ll discuss later in this blog post. I know you are going to love these open spaces and what they have to offer.
If you’ve never been to HCMC, you must understand that its an intense place with motorbikes flying past you every hour of the day. I loved this city, but my family members who come to visit me didn’t like it left quickly because of how busy it was, but it’s each to their own.
The parks were great for gathering my thoughts and appreciating nature for what it is. As I get older, I’ve realized that I need to be in nature for my mental health and general wellbeing. Let’s put it this way HCMC wouldn’t be a great city if it didn’t have parks, due to the high population and the fast life-style.
Below are my favorite parks in HCMC- Keep reading to find out more
Tao Dan Park
Tao Dan Park gets the most traffic in Vietnam with plenty of green spaces that the government keep pristine and tidy. The vegetation is awesome, with old African trees and unique plants native to Vietnam. You find a lot of sculptures while you’re walking around, such as Tigers and Dragons with exercise machines close by with great sidewalks and benches. In the center of the park, you can find the cham temple related to the Royal dynasty of Vietnam.
You find many activities in the park with people going for morning runs, badminton, meditation, Tai chi, and Vietnamese aerobics. I like it because it’s people from all ages gathering together and kicking off early, even at 4:00 AM sometimes. If you’re after some downtime from this hectic city, give this park a go and maybe build an exercise routine here in its lovely, vibrant, and relaxing atmosphere full of characters and beauty.
Address: Tao Dan Park, Trương Định, Bến Thành, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam,
Phone: +84 90 999 42 99
The Crescent Walk
Crescent walk is in a lovely area and spans over 2 kilometers and district 7. One of the first things you notice is the high-class residential buildings with office spaces, public places, and fantastic bars and restaurants to chill out in.
One of the first things you’ll notice is how clean and tidy the park is with a relaxing feel after a busy day. You find a bridge that connects Crescent Walk to Ho Nguyet park, which is a cool place to get some pictures, have a picnic, or take a girl for a date. But when you think it can’t get any better, you have the Starlight bridge, which lights up at night and has water flowing either side with neon lights in the bridge. If you’re finishing work and need some time and space, make sure you come to Crescent Walk because you won’t be disappointed.
Address: Ton Dat Tien Tan Phu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City 70000 Vietnam
September 23rd Park
One of the more downmarket parks is still a nice space with many backpackers and budget travelers staying close by. The park is narrow and straight and has your guest houses close by and low market restaurants with performances practically every weekend.
You also get many students practicing their English with backpackers, so getting a chance to try and help someone improve their language skills give some time to them. One of the downsides of the park is you get a lot of scammers and bag snatches, so always be on your guard and try not to go at night time.
Like most parks, you will see many of the elderly population practicing Tai chi and exercising here, like every park in Vietnam. I still love this aspect of Vietnamese society!
Address: 107 Phạm Ngũ Lão, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hoang Van Thu Park
Located in Tan Bing District and only 10 minutes away from the airport, you don’t get many ex-pats and tourists here. I kind of like this because anywhere too touristy puts me off generally. The space is triangular and has three roads alongside the park.
One of the downsides of the park is you can hear motorbikes screaming past daily, so you’re not to far away from the rush. You also get some nice sculptures with an Eiffel Tower and plenty of gazebo’s and overgrown plants, which add uniqueness to the park. But overall this park is friendly and different without the tourist aspect. Maybe give the park ago you might like it? It’s a bit different for sure.
Address: 32 Hoàng Văn Thụ, Ngô Mây, Thành phố Qui Nhơn, Bình Định, Vietnam
Gia Dinh Park
Another park near the airport with planes roaring above your head, but this park is tranquil with many children attending a children’s playgrounds with swings and roundabouts. For the adults, you have badminton, aerobics, and street vendors nearby to get food.
Again you won’t see many westerners in the park, so that’s another plus for me, but you will get many students approaching you asking questions about your life and again try and improve their English. It’s interesting in the West in the park you won’t meet anyone but in Vietnam it’s it’s like the beach in Brazil it’s a social hub which can be great if you’re a bit lonely or traveling by yourself.
Address: Phường 9, Phú Nhuận, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Phone: +84 28 3844 2415
Van Thanh Park
Van Thanh Park Is a government-owned Park and a place to escape the HCMC grind, which can get tedious from time to time. The park is surrounded by apartment blocks and some fantastic restaurants, giving you plenty of options. Not only this but you have tennis courts, a swimming pool and an artificial lake close by. The park is also decorated with bamboo lanterns and wooden canoes, which gives it a nice touch
Once you arrive at the park, you can hire private gazebo’s with barbecues that will cost you around VND 400,000 ($18). But the park is excellent value for money in my opinion, especially if you get a good bunch of you.
Address: Van Thanh Park, Phường 22, Bình Thạnh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
