Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, still widely called Saigon, is the largest and most energetic city in Vietnam, a place of relentless motion where millions of motorbikes flow through streets lined with a striking legacy of French colonial architecture. In the central District 1 stand the twin-spired Notre-Dame Cathedral, built with materials shipped from France, the ornate Central Post Office, the grand old opera house and the People's Committee building, while the modernist Reunification Palace preserves the seat of the former southern government. Around them the city surges: the bustling Ben Thanh Market, rooftop bars in gleaming new towers, and above all the street food, some of the best in the country, eaten from tiny stools on the pavement. It is chaotic, hot and exhilarating, a city that rewards throwing yourself into its energy rather than ticking off sights.

What you actually see

• The colonial centre - Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and the opera house.
• Reunification Palace - the preserved former seat of the southern government.
• Ben Thanh Market - the landmark central market for goods, food and bargaining.
• Street food and rooftops - pavement stalls below and cocktail bars in the towers above.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the most comfortable; the wet season brings heavy afternoon downpours, though they usually pass quickly. The city is hot and humid year-round. Evenings are when the street-food scene and rooftop bars come alive.

Honest expectations

The traffic is overwhelming at first, and crossing the road, where you walk slowly and steadily and let the motorbikes flow around you, is a genuine skill to learn. It is hot, loud, polluted in places and relentless, which is either thrilling or exhausting depending on your mood. Petty theft, especially phone-snatching from the roadside, is a real risk, so keep valuables secure. The rewards are energy, food and history rather than beauty or calm.

Nearby

The Cu Chi tunnels are a half-day trip out of the city; the Mekong Delta begins a couple of hours to the southwest.