Tour of beauty
From cool rooftop bars and frenetic markets to the haunting war museum, Saigon is a friendly and fascinating city, writes Kate Wickers
Spectacular Saigon, plus 48 hours in South Queensferry
We held hands tightly. This was our third attempt to cross the road and, again, we jumped back to the curb shrieking as the traffic skimmed by. Ben, my 15-year-old son, had an idea. “Let’s follow them,” he said, pointing to a group of local Saigonese. We stuck to our unsuspecting guardians like glue. It was 23 years since I last visited Ho Chi Minh City, known locally as Saigon, and the pace of life had certainly quickened.
We were staying at the gorgeous Hotel des Arts, a trailblazer for a new breed of boutique-style luxury hotels. It is styled in French colonial chic. The suites have freestanding baths in marbled bathrooms, which have floor to ceiling views over the city (too high up to flash the neighbours). In the public lounges there are antiques and artwork from leading Vietnamese artists. All are for sale bar one – Vu Cao Dam’s painting of Divinite is placed strategically to watch over the hotel.
Breakfast is lavish in Saigon Kitchen (freshly made pancakes, French pastries, Willy Wonka smoothies of dragon fruit and pomelo), which we walked off en route to the mixed-faith Jade Emperor Pagoda, built in 1909. You won’t hear a reverential whisper here – it’s a 24-hour non-stop hive of boisterous Buddhist and Taoist bustle. I didn’t have the right amount of change for my son Freddie, aged 11, to buy incense so a local lady, with a wide gappy smile and no English, stepped in to pay for his sticks. I was instantly reminded of the warmth of the Vietnamese people. The huge incense coils that hang from the smoke-stained ceiling made our eyes stream as Freddie joined the throng of worshippers who jostled to leave offerings of food; waft incense and pay their respects to the Emperor.
Ben Thanh Market still thrives, chock-full with goodies from fake designer gear to enamelled bowls made from coconut husks, to papayas the size of rugby balls. My sons discussed footie with the fake Rolex sellers as they negotiated a deal, while I stocked up on loose leaf lotus tea (a local speciality) and haggled over jade earrings. The smell of fresh mint wafted from Phung Kau food stall in the heart of the market so we pulled up tiny plastic stools and ordered Banh Khoai, juicy rice flour wraps packed with noodles, prawn, onion leaf and mint that cost just £2.50 for five.
On weekends Hotel des Arts’ Social Club (rooftop bar and pool) teems with a cool set, who come to pose and enjoy a cocktail with a view over to the futuristic Skydeck – the lotus-shaped viewing platform of the Bitexco Financial Tower, Saigon’s tallest building. Weekdays it is tranquil – a lovely place to while away the hottest hours of the day away from the frenetic streets below.
The quietest hour to visit The War Remnants Museum is just before closing, from 4pm-5pm, and with kids in tow this is probably enough time to brood over the brutality of the Vietnam War. There’s a huge collection of uncensored photographs (including those of the infamous My Lai Massacre); propaganda posters; weapons and torture instruments. The inhumane ‘tiger cages’ where Viet Cong prisoners were held are beyond disturbing.
For dinner Temple Club is wonderfully atmospheric, full of polished lacquer furniture, opiumden screens, orange pumpkin lanterns and original Art Deco (don’t miss the ornate wood-panelled loos). It’s tucked away, along a candle-lit alley, on the first floor of a pretty heritage mansion and feels like a secret. Try the seabass steamed in a clay pot and the coconut prawns.
For post-dinner drinks the roof
The‘ tiger cages’ where vietcong prisoners were held are beyond disturbing