Saigon Skydeck - Bitexco Financial Tower

I've been wanting to visit the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower in HCMC for some time now.

The tower has 68 floors (above ground) and 3 basements; it was just completed one year ago. The shape and design (and its height!) make this building stand out from others in the city... but mostly, its uniqueness comes from the giant helicopter pad coming off one side of it.

Click here to see the Wikipedia article about this tower.

For 200,000 dong ($10.00) I was able to ride the elevator up to the 49th floor, which is the "Saigon Skydeck".

 I thought it was funny that these were the only options in the elevator! Lobby, Upper Lobby, 6th floor (wonder what is there??), 49th floor (Yes, please!), and 50th floor (which isn't open yet... not sure what that will be but I think maybe a restaurant).

Wanna see Ho Chi Minh City?? Below is a video of my stroll around the 49th floor... a 360-degree view.  :)

Video notes:

• At the very beginning of the video, you can see the Ben Thanh Market (a central point in the city). It is the big, flat, red-roofed building.
• At 2:25, the tall buildings that you see straight out are near my school.  :)
• Gotta love Backstreet Boys playing in the background.

And some photos:

These are the buildings that I mentioned at 2:25 in the video. The white ones in the center are beyond my school somewhere... but the 3 big ones on the right are straight across the street from my school and are called Saigon Pearl... and the ones with blue tops to the left are down the street from school (where I workout) and are called The Manor. Both sets of buildings are mostly apartments and condos but also include many stores and restaurants.

Zoomed in on the Ben Thanh Market... a central point within the city and the main market. The hotel that I stayed in my first week here was just down the street from the back side of the market about a block.

 

Zoomed in on the City Hall or "People's Committee Building".