Joanna James
The cutting-edge heritage city of Saigon is a mosaic of authentically exhilarating experiences suited to every brand of wanderlust. Here's what you can't miss in this historic commercial city dubbed the 'Pearl of the Far East.'
Vietnam's heart-throb Mekong City is full of dazzling contrasts, from gracious period buildings housing avant-garde mega malls to blazing masts of skyscrapers overlooking a sea of rustic neighbourhoods and bustling street markets. If you're out for a morning stroll through the atmospheric warrens of this spice-scented city, don't forget to stop at Cholon District's vibrant colonial market to warm your soul with some steaming pho, succulent Banh bao, and decadent Vietnamese coffee, while stocking up on fresh munchables, indigenous handicrafts, and household knickknacks.
With its breathtaking medleys of diverse cultural influences in each of its buildings, Vietnam is a potpourri of sensations that you can never get enough of, whether it's the futuristic 68-storey Bitexco Financial Tower affording jewel-toned cityscape vistas from its Saigon Skydeck, the stunning yellow Fine Arts Museum full of old-world glamour, or the gorgeously retro-chic, Sakura-lined Nguyen Hue Walking Street with its high-end boutiques, eateries, and ambient architecture. However, you can miss out on the exact site that first witnessed the end of the harrowing Vietnam war; the Reunification Palace, which still holds wartime remnants in its airy elegant spaces.
If you want a more eye-opening glimpse into the appalling experiences that the Viet Cong troops went through to resist the U.S. forces, the half-day trip that will get you to the Chu Chi tunnel network, 60 KM from the city, is well worth it. While this 250 KM maze of constricted underground passageways used as a military base will expand your mind to unpleasant realities, this spot is still a top attraction for visitors who look for insightful appreciation of the strength, resilience, and resourcefulness of fellow human beings in dire situations.
From Ben Thanh Market with its rich hues and traditional flavours, hawking every authentic collectable you can imagine, and vivacious Saigon Square where the deals of a lifetime are at your fingertips to more luxe shopping centres like Parkson Hung Vuong Plaza and the fashion-forward local artisan boutiques lining Saigon Lane, there's plenty of retail therapy to enthral any shopaholic! If you're looking for sophisticated serviced apartments in Ho Chi Minh City, proffering prime access to the metropolis's chief allurements, venture no further than Somerset Chancellor Court Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam is enriched by state-of-the-art museums with unique personalities, from the graceful Neoclassical façade of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum with its Eastern and European embellishments and comprehensive range of exhibits telling the city's story to the dreamy French-and-Asian infused style of the Museum of Vietnamese History, nestled in the botanic gardens and full of larger-than-life echoes of the past. However, if you're in the mood for an exquisitely off-the-beaten-path treasury of tradition, the Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine (FITO), where you can discover, make, and purchase the medicinal herbal infusions of Old Vietnam, should not be overlooked!
Whether you're most enamoured by floating markets decked like bountiful mini-kingdoms with dazzling tropical colours and native delicacies, lush, forested channels leading into water-borne villages and luscious country orchards, or hypnotic mountain undulations, musical cascades, and neon-lit cities just a stone's throw apart, the Mekong Delta is full of a wild whimsy that you need to discover. You can sign up for a Mekong Delta adventure day tour from Ho Chi Minh and sample the best gifts offered by the river-ribboned city and countryside.
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