Travel Guide

A rich, diverse culture, spectacular natural landscapes, beautiful beaches and friendly, welcoming people have all combined to make Vietnam one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting destinations. Stretching some 900 miles along the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsular, with a fine tropical climate. The country has one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and with such a booming market is one of the top destinations for global investors in manufacturing.

Ho Chi Minh City, still commonly known as Saigon, is located on a huge bend in the Saigon river in south of Vietnam. Although not the capital of Vietnam, this bustling, vibrant industrial hub is both chaotic and captivating and is the biggest city as well as the cultural centre and economic capital of the country. The City boasts French colonial architecture with traditional and modern living side-by-side. Centuries old incense-filled pagodas and French colonial villas set in streets buzzing with the engines of countless motorbikes and pavements teeming with street vendors selling their goods. Amid all this are glittering skyscrapers, shopping malls, coffee shops and bars and a pulsing nightlife.

There is so much to see; the exquisite Emperor of Jade Pagoda with elaborate woodcarvings and sculptures depicting local deities, the Notre Dame Cathedral an impressive example of French architecture, the War Remnants Museum depicting the horrors of the Vietnam conflict and the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City.

For shopaholics there are choices aplenty from teeming markets and wooden shops selling souvenirs and traditional Vietnamese handicrafts to designer label shopping malls. Ben Thanh Market and surrounding streets make up one of the city’s liveliest areas where there are many bargains to be had.

You will find eating places and restaurants almost everywhere in the city, from makeshift foodstalls and sidewalk cafes selling steaming bowls of noodle soup to gourmet restaurants serving a wide variety of international cuisine.