Participating in sports
is a relatively new concept for the residents of Ho Chi Minh City.
Sports have principally been introduced by the large community of ex-pats.
However, now that the residents have little more disposable income,
the interest is raising. Football is very
popular in Ho Chi Minh City. Local,
national, and international football matches are held at the Thong Nhat Stadium, 138
Dao Duy Tu, in District 10 which has been renovated. Horse racing is the only other spectator sport
in the city. Entry tickets for
both football and horse racing can be purchased at the stadium on
the day of the event.
Bowling
Saigon Superbowl (tel: (08)
885 0188), A43 Truong Son, has 32 lanes, shops and food outlets. The Bowling Centre (tel: (08)
864-3784) is a smaller
venue with 12 lanes in the International
Club at 285B Cach Mang Thang Tam, District 10. The newest bowling centre is at the Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan (tel: (08) 825-7778).
Fitness centres
Most fitness centres are located in the hotels and are for their
guests and members only, even though the Mimosa Club
in the Rex Hotel (tel: (08) 829-2185 or 829-3115)
is open to the public. The International Club (tel: (08) 865-1709), 285B
Cach Mang Thang Tam, District 10, has a
gymnasium which is also open to the public.
Golf
Few golf courses are found in Vietnam but only 2 are near Ho Chi Minh
City, including a few driving ranges. Song
Be Golf Resort (tel: (065) 755-802 or 756-660) is 35 minutes
journey on Highway 13 from the heart of the city (close on Mondays). Green
fees are US$70 (week-days) and US$90
(week-ends) for 18 holes.
Vietnam Golf
and Country Club (tel: (08) 733-0124) is in Long
Thanh My Village, Thu Duc District, around a 30 minute drive
north of the city centre. Green fees are US$82.
(week-days) and US$102 (week-ends).
Saigontourist
(tel: (08) 829 8914) can offer discount green fees
(US$62 weekdays; US$82 weekends).
Two driving ranges are available on the
fringe
of the city. The Saigon South Driving Range (tel:
(08) 771-6377) is at Saigon South Parkway and the Rach Chiec
Driving Range (tel: (08) 896-0756) is in An Phu Village.
Horse racing
Races are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 12.30 pm to 4.00 pm
at Phu Tho Sports Club (tel: (08) 962-8301 or 962-8205), 2 Le Dai Hanh, District
11, with a maximum bet of VND50,000.
The horses are very small but the jockeys are even smaller as they
are mostly children.
Running
The Hash House
Harriers meet every Sunday at 2.30 pm at the
Caravelle Hotel (visitors are welcome). Specifics
of meeting locations are available in local magazines, ex-pat
hangouts, and on their website.
Swimming
Lam Son Swimming Pool (tel: (08) 835-8028), 320 Tran Binh Trong,
District 5, is for more skillful swimmers.
Fun-lovers will enjoy the water
parks, with a good range of water rides and slides: Saigon
Wonderland (tel: (08) 873-1370, ext 108) is at Saigon South Parkway. The Saigon Water Park (tel: (08) 897-0456) is in Thu
Duc or north of the city.
Tennis
Only a few tennis courts available in Ho Chi Minh City and a number of them are located in the international hotels and are for residents
only. Courts that open to the general public are at Lan
Anh International Tennis Court (tel: (08) 862-7144), 291 Cach Mang Thang Tam, in District 10; and Green Bamboo Club (tel: (08) 898-6504),
50/3 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Binh Thanh District. |
