Vietnam's largest city and its economic nerve centre, Ho Chi Minh City is a fascinating mixture of the old and the new as towering skyscrapers compete for space with centuries-old pagodas and historic French colonial buildings.

I'm of a generation that finds it hard not to call this city Saigon, but the old colonial ambience associated with that name is no longer immediately evident. Parts of the metropolis resemble any other big city and at least one of its grand old colonial hotels does a roaring trade in decidedly 21^st century-style weddings. English author and Saigon aficionado Graham Greene must be turning in his grave.

But the history is still there, you just have to look for it. There are many examples of beautiful French colonial architecture including the People's Committee Building, Central Post Office, the Municipal Theatre (Saigon Opera House) and Notre-Dame Cathedral, all pictured above in the thumbnails, left to right. In fact it's surprising how often the name Saigon is still used, even on new buildings, and there appears to be no authoritarian objection to it.

Pictured below is the former Presidential Palace – now known as Independence Palace or Reunification Palace – where the first communist tanks arrived on 30 April 1975 and crashed through the original wrought-iron gates – a scene shown countless times on newsreels. 

Hotel Continental, the Rex (my favourite), the Majestic and the Caravelle are among Saigon's grand old colonial hotels. Indulge in a drink at the Rex Hotel's Rooftop Garden Bar, from where you can gaze out over the city. 

Opposite the Hotel Continental is the Vincom Centre, a bastion of international consumerism with more than 250 shops and multiple food outlets. It is the city's largest shopping mall.

Bến Thành Market is located in the centre of the city in District 1 and is a hugely popular attraction. The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Ho Chi Minh City and an important symbol of the city. It operates all year round and opens at around 6am every day until the official closing time of 6pm, after which it converts into a night market that runs until 10pm.

A rickshaw or "cyclo" ride around Cholon in District 5 will get you up close and personal with one of the city's old quarters. Cholon lies on the west bank of the Saigon River with Bình Tây Market as its centrepiece. 

Remnants of the war

An hour's drive or 45 kilometres north-west of Ho Chi Minh City are the Cu Chi tunnels, a must-see attraction for military history buffs. Communist forces began digging the first of these tunnels beneath the jungle in the late 1940s, during their war of independence from French colonial authority.

In the early 1960s, as the United States began escalating its military presence in Vietnam and Australia joined the war, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops gradually expanded the tunnels. They were used to launch guerrilla attacks and as shelter from the aerial bombing, and eventually grew to house entire underground villages. 

At the peak of the Vietnam War, the network of tunnels linked Viet Cong support bases over a distance of some 250 kilometres, from the outskirts of Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border.

There are two display sites where you can descend and crawl through the tunnels – you can crouch and almost stand in places – but don't attempt it if you are claustrophobic. There is also a rather noisy shooting range onsite and a restaurant.

The Mekong Delta

While in Ho Chi Minh City it is worth taking a boat ride along the Mekong River to witness the way of life along the riverbanks and visit the floating markets.

Cai Rang is the largest floating market in the delta and it can be reached from the city of Can Tho, about 170 kilometres south-west of Ho Chi Minh City. Be prepared to start early as the floating markets open around dawn and are all over by mid-morning before it gets too hot. 

Photos © Judy Barford

Useful links

​Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam Tourism