In short: District 7 and Phú Mỹ Hưng (Saigon South) are home to one of Ho Chi Minh City’s densest clusters of international schools: American, British, Canadian, Finnish, Cambridge, Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese, with even more campuses just next door in Saigon South. It is also one of the city’s greenest, most walkable neighbourhoods, shaped around Crescent Lake, riverside promenades and new parks. You have put real thought into your children’s education. Your own health deserves that kind of care too: float therapy offers one of the deepest forms of rest we know, and from District 7 a visit to Thảo Điền makes an easy half-day outing, about an hour away by Grab.
If your family lives in District 7, chances are you chose it with care. Short school runs, wide pavements, trees lining almost every street, a lake for an after-dinner walk, and neighbours from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, North America and every corner of Vietnam. It is a neighbourhood that feels built around family life. This guide brings together every international school campus we could verify in and around District 7, some of the easiest walks and weekend spots, and one idea that is just for the parents.
Walk-ins welcome until 18:00. Ōmni Space is at 16C Quốc Hương, Thảo Điền, just a few minutes’ walk from Thảo Điền Metro station. We are open 9:00–21:00 daily; the last float starts at 20:00. Open in Google Maps
Why so many families choose District 7
Phú Mỹ Hưng was planned from the ground up as a new urban area south of the city centre, and you can feel the difference: broad boulevards, landscaped canals, low-rise villas beside apartment towers, and a sense of calm that can be hard to find in Saigon. By the developer’s count, more than 30,000 people lived there in 2018, over half of them from abroad, mainly from Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The schools followed the families, and today the area offers campuses covering almost every curriculum a globally mobile family might look for.
A quick note on names: since Ho Chi Minh City’s 2025 reorganisation, District 7 is officially divided into wards such as Tân Mỹ, Tân Hưng and Tân Thuận, and school websites now use those ward names. In everyday conversation, though, you will still hear “District 7”, “D7” and “Phú Mỹ Hưng”.
International schools in District 7 (Phú Mỹ Hưng)
We checked each school below on its own website in October 2026. Curricula can change, so it is always worth confirming year groups, fees and admissions directly with the school.
| School | Curriculum | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Saigon South International School (SSIS) | American curriculum; AP and the IB Diploma in high school | 78 Nguyễn Đức Cảnh, Phú Mỹ Hưng |
| Canadian International School (CIS) | Ontario curriculum to Grade 10 (optional AP), IB Diploma in Grades 11–12 | 7 Street 23, Phú Mỹ Hưng |
| Renaissance International School Saigon (RISS) | National Curriculum for England with IB PYP, Cambridge IGCSE, IB Diploma | 74 Nguyễn Thị Thập |
| Vietnam–Finland International School (VFIS) | Finnish-based curriculum, international and bilingual programmes; IB Diploma | Ton Duc Thang University campus, 19 Nguyễn Hữu Thọ |
| Vietnam Australia International School (VAS), Riverside Campus | Cambridge programmes with the Vietnamese national curriculum, kindergarten to high school | 99 Nguyễn Thị Thập |
| Vietnam Australia International School (VAS), Sunrise Campus | Cambridge Academic Programme International, kindergarten to high school | 1 Street 20, Him Lam area |
| Royal School, Phú Mỹ Hưng Campus | Bilingual: Vietnamese national curriculum with Cambridge | 8 Đặng Đại Độ, Phú Mỹ Hưng |
| EMASI Nam Long | Bilingual: Cambridge (to IGCSE and A Level) with the Vietnamese national curriculum | Nam Long residential area |
| The Japanese School in Ho Chi Minh City | Japanese national curriculum, elementary and junior high | Block M9, Tân Phú street, Saigon South |
| Taipei School in Ho Chi Minh City | Taiwanese curriculum, kindergarten to Grade 12 | Lot S3, Area A, Saigon South new urban area |
| Korean International School, HCMC | Korean national curriculum, kindergarten to high school | Tân Phú street, Phú Mỹ Hưng |
Just next door in Saigon South
A few minutes south and west of Phú Mỹ Hưng, around Bình Hưng and Nhà Bè, you will find several more international campuses that many District 7 families use:
| School | Curriculum | Area |
|---|---|---|
| British Vietnamese International School (BVIS) | National Curriculum for England through IGCSE and A Level, with Vietnamese pathways | 44–46 Street 1, Bình Hưng |
| International Schools of North America (SNA), Saigon South | IB continuum: PYP, MYP and Diploma | Street 20, Him Lam residential area, Bình Hưng |
| Singapore International School @ Saigon South | Singapore and Cambridge approaches, IGCSE and A Level | 29 Street 3, Trung Sơn residential area, Bình Hưng |
| The ABC International School (ABCIS) | National Curriculum for England | Trung Sơn campus (early years and primary), Nhà Bè campus (upper primary and secondary) |
A family guide to District 7: walks, parks and weekends
One of the nicest things about District 7 is how much of everyday life can happen on foot. A few favourites:
Crescent Lake and Starlight Bridge. Crescent Lake (Hồ Bán Nguyệt) is the heart of Phú Mỹ Hưng. The riverside avenue along Tôn Dật Tiên stretches from Crescent Mall to Starlight Bridge (Cầu Ánh Sao), a pedestrian bridge about 150 metres long that lights up after dark. Come early and you will see joggers; come in the evening and the paths fill with families taking a stroll. Across the water, the Hillview riverside park follows the canal opposite Crescent Mall.
Riverside paths and new parks. Phú Mỹ Hưng has several landscaped riverside walks, including a path with stone benches and a wooden boardwalk following the bend of the Rạch Rỏi river. The newest green space is P2 Park on Trần Văn Trà street, about 8 hectares, opened in April 2025 with a children’s playground, a landscape lake, rest pavilions and stone walking paths. It is an easy place to let younger children stretch their legs after school.
Malls for rainy afternoons. Crescent Mall (101 Tôn Dật Tiên) sits right beside the lake, with a supermarket and cinema, while SC VivoCity (1058 Nguyễn Văn Linh) has five floors of shops, a hypermarket, a cinema and plenty of places to eat. When the rainy season arrives, both make simple escapes with children.
A taste of Seoul. Bùi Bằng Đoàn, Phạm Văn Nghị and Đặng Đại Độ make up District 7’s Korean quarter, lined with Korean restaurants, cafés and grocery shops stocked with imported food. It is a lovely area for an evening wander, and the smell of barbecue drifting down the street is almost reason enough to go.
Through the year. The Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) hosts fairs and exhibitions, many of them family friendly. Before Tết, Phú Mỹ Hưng’s spring flower festival fills the streets around Crescent Lake with flowers, turning the area into one of the loveliest evening walks of the year.
You’ve chosen a great education. Now give your own health the same care.
Think for a moment about everything that went into choosing your children’s school: the open days, comparing curricula, perhaps even the move itself. Families in District 7 tend to think long term, and they make those choices carefully. Your own health deserves the same attention. Not only the occasional massage fitted between pick-ups, but genuinely deep rest: time when the body can let go and the mind does not have to keep carrying the day.
For us, float therapy is one of the purest forms of that kind of rest. In a private room at Ōmni Space, you lie back in about 25 cm of water holding around 500 kg of dense, mineral-rich Epsom salt, warmed to 33–34 °C, close to skin temperature. The water supports your whole weight. Turn off the light and the room becomes completely dark and quiet: no phone, no school chat group, no to-do list waiting for your attention. Just you, weightless, for an hour or ninety minutes. If the idea is completely new to you, our guide to what float therapy is walks through the experience step by step.
What the research says
Float therapy has been an active field of research for decades, with encouraging findings around stress. A 2005 meta-analysis of 27 float studies found positive effects on stress-related body measures and on well-being. In a Swedish randomised pilot trial, 65 working adults who floated 12 times over seven weeks reported less stress and anxiety and better sleep than a waiting group. In a 2018 study at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 50 people with anxiety- and stress-related conditions floated for one hour and reported a clear drop in anxiety straight afterwards; because there was no control group, we treat that result as promising rather than proven.
If you often carry tension in your back or shoulders, there is another interesting finding. A 2021 trial of 99 people with chronic pain, published in JAMA Network Open, found that pain eased right after each float session. That effect had not lasted 12 to 24 weeks later, one reason regular floaters often choose to return. Many people also simply report sleeping better on the night of a float.
Ōmni Evidence Scale: Strong evidence, for float and stress. We rate it Strong because, alongside these trials, user experience is overwhelmingly positive: in a 2025 survey of regular floaters, 92% reported relaxation and 77% less stress, echoed by thousands of reviews, Reddit threads and forums, and by athletes and public figures who float. See how we rate evidence on the Ōmni Evidence Scale.
Ōmni Evidence Scale: Promising, for float and stress-related muscle pain in the short term. Trials found pain easing soon after floating, but the relief did not persist for months without further sessions.
And it is not only an idea for parents. If grandparents are visiting and still feel stiff after a long-haul flight, you may find something useful in our guide to things to do with your parents in Ho Chi Minh City. Teenagers heading into IB or IGCSE exams may also appreciate our exam-stress gift guide.
From District 7 to Thảo Điền: make it a half-day
Ōmni Space is in Thảo Điền, on the other side of the city. From District 7, a Grab takes around 60 minutes, depending on traffic, so it makes more sense to turn the trip into a small outing than squeeze it in as another errand. Two easy ways to do that:
- A school-hours escape. After morning drop-off, head north, float mid-morning, linger over lunch in Thảo Điền and still make it back in time for pick-up.
- A Thảo Điền afternoon. Float after lunch, then stay for a riverside walk, coffee on Xuân Thủy and an early dinner. Our Thảo Điền guide has the addresses.
Allow about 30 minutes on top of your float time for a short introduction, a shower before and after, and a cup of tea in the lounge. Every room has its own private shower; the couple room has two, one for each person, which makes it easy to come with your partner or a friend from the school community.
Prices. A single float is 1,500,000 VND for 60 minutes or 2,000,000 VND for 90 minutes. Floating together in the couple room adds 700,000 VND for the second person. You can see every option on our price page.
Payment. International cards are accepted at the front desk; online booking payment does not take international cards yet. Staff speak English, and if you have any health questions, our team can talk them through with you on site.
A gift for a teacher, a friend or yourself
For the Christmas and Tết season, Ōmni’s gifts come in a gift envelope, a thoughtful end-of-term thank-you or a present for a friend from the school community:
- Gift card for one float: 1,500,000 VND (60 minutes) or 2,000,000 VND (90 minutes), valid for 12 months. Cards bought in November also give the recipient an infrared sauna session on arrival.
- Double gift card: a 90-minute float for two in the couple room, 2,700,000 VND, plus an infrared sauna session for both if bought in November.
- Intro Pack as a gift: three 90-minute floats for 3,000,000 VND. The first float can be any time within a year of purchase, and all three are used within three months of the first. The floats are for one person; bringing a partner adds 700,000 VND each time.
Ōmni Space – Float Saigon is at 16C Quốc Hương, Thảo Điền, a few minutes’ walk from Thảo Điền Metro station, created by the team behind Float Vietnam, the country’s pioneer float centre since 2017. We are open 9:00–21:00 daily; the last float starts at 20:00, and walk-ins are welcome until 18:00.
Float PlanRunning on empty?Take the one-minute Float Plan quiz: tell us how you feel and what you need, and get a simple plan for your first session.Make my Float PlanFAQ
Which international schools are in District 7?
In District 7 (Phú Mỹ Hưng), you will find SSIS, the Canadian International School, Renaissance International School Saigon, VFIS, two VAS campuses, Royal School, EMASI Nam Long, and the Japanese, Taipei and Korean schools. BVIS, SNA, SIS @ Saigon South and ABCIS are just next door in Saigon South.
Is District 7 a good area for families?
Many families certainly think so. Phú Mỹ Hưng is planned, green and walkable, with Crescent Lake, riverside paths, new parks such as P2 Park, two big malls and a large international community.
How far is Ōmni Space from District 7?
Around 60 minutes by Grab, depending on traffic. Most District 7 guests turn it into a half-day: float, then stay for lunch or a walk in Thảo Điền.
What does the research say about float therapy?
Float therapy is an active field of research with clear findings around stress: trials report less stress and anxiety and better sleep, as well as pain easing right after each session. We rate float and stress as Strong evidence on the Ōmni Evidence Scale.
Can my partner and I float together?
Yes. The couple room has one large pool for two and two showers, one for each person. The second person adds 700,000 VND to the price of a single float.
Written by the team at Ōmni Space – Float Saigon in Thảo Điền. General information, not medical advice; schools and places checked on 30 October 2026.
Sources
- Saigon South International School. About SSIS.
- The Canadian International School. CIS Curriculum Transition FAQ.
- Renaissance International School Saigon. FAQ.
- Vietnam–Finland International School. Introduction.
- Vietnam Australia International School. VAS campuses.
- Phu My Hung Corporation. Riverside roads at Phu My Hung City Center.
- Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (19 April 2025). Thêm công viên 8ha trong lòng Khu đô thị Phú Mỹ Hưng.
- VnExpress (27 February 2020). ‘Phố Seoul’ ở Sài Gòn.
- van Dierendonck D, te Nijenhuis J (2005). Flotation restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) as a stress-management tool: a meta-analysis. Psychology & Health 20(3): 405–412.
- Kjellgren A, Westman J (2014). Beneficial effects of treatment with sensory isolation in flotation-tank as a preventive health-care intervention: a randomized controlled pilot trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 14: 417.
- Feinstein JS, Khalsa SS, Yeh H, Wohlrab C, Simmons WK, Stein MB, Paulus MP (2018). Examining the short-term anxiolytic and antidepressant effect of Floatation-REST. PLoS One 13(2): e0190292.
- Loose LF, Manuel J, Karst M, Schmidt LK, Beissner F (2021). Flotation restricted environmental stimulation therapy for chronic pain: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open 4(5): e219627.
- Hilpert K, Chis Ster I (2025). Experiences and perceptions of regular floatation-REST users: results from an online survey. Journal of Clinical Images and Medical Case Reports 6(5): 3600.