5 days in Ho Chi MInh

There are a lot of proposed itineraries in the FAQ's section, so be sure to visit those.

5 days sounds okay...frankly, maybe too long... once you do the Ben Than market, the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants museum, shopping in Dong Khoi, and a few restaurants/cheap massages, it might be time to move on. HCM is a positively giant, crazy city, polluted as all hell, difficult to breathe, and no real charming, quiet or pleasant places to stroll around taking in the city.. "taking in the city" is really "choke on exhaust fumes and get run over by motorbikes" (motorbikes EVERYWHERE.. the Saigonese don't walk anywhere, at all! No pedestrians really except for tourists! )... Don't get me wrong, I had a great time, but I wouldn't want to spend five entire days there.

How about a trip to a beach? Mekong Delta? Can't comment on Hanoi since I didn't go there but it may be doable in 5 days.

I wouldn't go to Cu Chi. It's not in any way similar to the original site anymore. If your father's a war buff the War Remnants Museum will be better though nothing but a government propaganda machine.

Mekong Delta would be worth it but the time on the bius is about 3 hours to get to Ben Tre alone (I think, could have been 2 hours).

How about taking the hovercraft or whatever to Vung Tau for the day? It's not a hovercraft but something else that's fast and sleek.

If you can find a cheap flight to Hanoi that could be worth it, or to Hue--which was our favorite city in Vietnam. Lots of beautiful tombs and palace ruins, and a lot quieter than some of the other cities. I personally thought Cu Chi was interesting to visit, but it's true that it is quite altered from it's original state. More info and pics in our Vietnam posts at http://patrinadoestheglobe.blogspot.com/

For HCMC: there are also very good museums apart from the War Remnants.
Cholon (aka District 5 for the temples). You could go up Saigon Trade Centre (aka Prudential House) for an almost 360 degrees view of the city: the view along the river is superb.
You could go to Vung Tau by hydrofoil. You catch at the riverfront near the end of Dong Khoi. No need to book ahead.

Thanks everyone! :)

#1 I wouldn't want to be there five entire days...

Thanks, I have been here 5 years now...but actually I agree with you, there isn't a great deal to do here as a tourist. I always tell people it's a better place to live than visit. The War Remnants museum is very interesting, but other than that, I would take a flight to Hanoi, you would be disappointed if you don't see that, even if you shell out a bit more.