Hanoi has the French quarter and the Hoan Kiem Lake to promenade around, but Saigon, or as it’s officially known Ho Chi Minh City, has a warmth that pulls you right into its teeming streets and makes it difficult to leave. My partner and I experienced all aspects of the two during a month-long visit to Vietnam which is experiencing a renaissance in tourism.

Both cities have a wide range of accommodation; from the more affordable hotels in the Old Quarter in Hanoi and the Pham Ngu Lao in Saigon to five-star luxury. The colonial-style Sofitel Metropole hotel remains a beloved Hanoi institution whose guest list has included such notables as Charlie Chaplin, Grahame Greene and Jane Fonda. However, I thought the opulent Hilton Hanoi Opera, located next to the beaux arts style Opera House, was more glamorous. Of course this is not to be confused with the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” where American POWs were imprisoned during the war.

Nightlife in Hanoi is more sedate than the nightclub-driven Saigon. Take a stroll around the lake while enjoying an ice cream from Fanny’s, before heading off to an early show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Hop in a cyclo afterwards to take you to the great Indian restaurant Tandoor in Hang Be Street in the nearby Old Quarter where you can find the best shopping. Make sure you agree on a price with the cyclo rider first!

The Old Quarter is a labyrinth of narrow streets named after various trades. So there is paper street, cotton street, gold street and dozens of others. There is nothing to beat it for bargains for gorgeous local ceramics, jewellery, handbags and silks. For a more lively end to your evening return to the other side of the lake to Hang Hanh Street where there is a selection of bars that cater to Westerners. Our favourite was the Funky Monkey Bar.

During the day we took in the usual sights such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where Uncle Ho’s embalmed body is on display except for three months of the year when he is sent to Russia for maintenance. The 11th century Van Mieu, known as the Temple of Literature, is a great place to spend an afternoon relaxing writing postcards under the trees in the various courtyards.

Hanoi is a good launch pad for side trips to Halong Bay and Sa Pa where you can visit the hill tribes. The Australian-run Kangaroo Café in Bao Khanh Street can arrange tours for both destinations. Ever since I saw the film Indochine starring the incomparable Catherine Deneuve I have longed to experience the dramatic scenery that gave the film its air of romance.

So, I was thrilled when we boarded a wooden sailing boat to drift among the thousands of limestone outcrops. My partner and I had a cosy cabin with a tiny en suite bathroom. But we spent most of our time on deck sipping drinks watching the scenery go by. The boat stops for swimming and snorkeling opportunities.

One of the highlights was swimming at night in the phosphorescence-filled water which drew squeals of delight as we imagined we were fairies magically turning the water around us luminescent green. On the second night we docked at Cat Ba, a charming fishing village that has delightful bars and restaurants along the seafront.

The trip to Sa Pa was another highlight. After a comfortable overnight train ride from Hanoi it was a relief to arrive in the cool mountain air. We went trekking in the hills to several villages of the Black Hmong and the Red Dao. Both tribes cling to their colourful costumes in their traditional villages. Many tourists focus on the north or south of Vietnam but it is quite easy now to travel between the two if you have enough time. The Open Bus is used almost exclusively by foreign tourists who insist on air conditioning and plenty of toilet stops. You can buy a ticket for around $22 from Hanoi to Saigon which allows you to jump on and off at several towns along the way.

We decided to fly from Hanoi to Hue as the 12 hour overnight bus trip was a bit daunting but the legs from Hue to Hoi An, Hoi An to Nha Trang, Nha Trang to Dalat and Dalat to Saigon were just a few hours and allowed us to see some beautiful countryside and visit some charming towns outside the main cities.

High energy Saigon offers superb dining and the best nightlife in Vietnam. For those interested what the Vietnamese call the “American War” there is plenty to explore. My partner, who has read widely on the subject, found it fascinating to see first hand the legacy of the war. We limited ourselves to the Reunification Palace and the sobering War Remnants Museum. The Palace was rammed by a North Vietnamese tank in one of the defining moments of the war. Apart from the historical context it has some fabulous 1960s architecture and furniture.

We did excursions to the Mekong Delta, the Cao Dai Church and the Cu Chi tunnels in which Vietcong guerillas lived for months. War memorabilia is on sale everywhere. The locals, whose humour is never far from their sometimes rather brusque exterior, sell “genuine” GI Zippo lighters, bullet casings and the ubiquitous yellow star T-shirts. Once you start bargaining the banter becomes a fun exchange that we didn’t find among the more dour northerners. If Hanoi has poise, Saigon has joie de vivre!