Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is easily Vietnam’s largest and most vibrant city. First-time visitors will no doubt find its mixture of excessive traffic, bustling markets, unceasing pagodas and smiling locals pleasantly intoxicating.

Reminders of the war are still evident, with the Reunification Palace being the most obvious and imposing with its armoury outside. However, Ho Chi Minh City has moved on with the times and thriving markets, glitzy skyscrapers and luxury hotels can now be seen alongside crumbling French colonial structures.