More than 1000 kilometers to the South of Hanoi is Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon as it was known before the Vietnam war. Itis a rapidly developing and dynamic city. People sell everything from fruit to DVDs on the sidewalk and street corners. The city remains the economic capital of the country and is booming, with new hotels and businesses opening daily.

Many of the landmarks from the colonial days remain, and they give an otherwise sprawling metropolis some much needed character. Furthermore, Saigon has some exceptionally good markets, a number of which are open 24 hours a day.

Ho Chi Minh City is an ideal starting point for any tour of Vietnam. Highly recommended is a daytrip to Cu Chi and Tay Ninh.

Reunification Hall formerly South Vietnam's Presidential Palace, this is a restored five-floor time warp to the Sixties left largely untouched from the day before Saigon fell to the North. On April 30, 1975, the war ended when tank 843, now parked outside, crashed through the gate. Be sure to check out the impressively kitschy recreation room, featuring a circular sofa. You can also visit the war rooms in the basement and view a propaganda film recounting how the South Vietnamese lackeys and American imperialists succumbed to Ho Chi Minh's indomitable revolutionary forces. Entry 15000 dong; open daily 07:30-11:30, 13:00-16:00.

The City Hall at the end of Nguyen Hue Street. Originally called the H™tel de Ville and now formally re-branded the People's Committee Hall, it's a striking cream and yellow French colonial building beautifully floodlit at night. No entry, but the statue of Uncle Ho in front is a very popular place for photos.

The War Remnants Museum formerly known as the Exhibition House of American War Crimes provides an an alternative perspective on the Vietnam war from the viewpoint of the victors which is a jarring counterpoint to that of official western history and Hollywood. This disturbing display of man's cruelty during the Vietnam (American) War includes halls full of gruesome photographs, a real guillotine, a simulated "tiger cage" prison and jars of deformed fetuses blamed on Agent Orange. Entry 10000 dong; open daily 07:30-11:45, 13:30-17:30.

Notre Dame Cathedral is woth a visit, it is a French-built Catholic cathedral in the city centre (Dong Khoi, District 1) next to the Post Office. Free entry.

Museum of Vietnamese History, at the top of Le Duan Street (just inside the zoo gates). The museum has a fine collection of Vietnamese antiquities, but unfortunately they are accompanied by signage which is both in poor English and full of risible Marxist distortions. Read up on Vietnamese history first or you'll have no idea what you're looking at. Outside, the Botanical Gardens are very nice and a good place for a cheap lunch away from the crowds. If you care about animal welfare, avoid the zoo.