Vietnam’s vibrant and delightful Saigon is a city to truly savour

Saigon is the city where Robert De Niro tried to stop Christopher Walken from playing Russian roulette in The Deer Hunter. It’s the place where the mighty American military machine was run out of town by the Vietcong peasant army.

And after the US defeat, the name was changed to Ho Chi Minh City, although few locals or visitors use it – to them, it’s still Saigon. Here’s what it has to offer to the curious visitor.

Sunshine

The climate delivers sunshine and heat for much of the year. I loved basking in it last January when everyone else back home in Ireland was freezing.

Sights and sounds

Visitors flock to Walking Street, where they sip cocktails while go-go dancers gyrate and entertain.

Here they buy the best replica handbags, T-shirts, football tops and watches at knockdown prices.

They feed on some of the best street food in Asia and stroll in lush botanic gardens and take river cruises at night.

For a Communist one-party state, tourist eyebrows are raised at the considerable number of Lamborghinis and Ferraris.

Young at heart

Saigon drives the Vietnamese economy, with its young, entrepreneurial workforce (the majority of citizens are under 35).

There’s a can-do attitude and an Instagram feel to the hipster bars, art galleries and digital businesses.

District 1 has the landmark Central Port Office and Reunification Palace. Here, young meets old, with seniors playing cards next to trendy bars and restaurants.

District 2, or Thao Dien, used to be the poorest area, but is now awash with international nomad workers. It’s a mustgo place to stroll and gawk.

District 3 has the hippest bars as well as Mia Saigon, an amazing art deco shop. It also houses the Apartment Malls, a concept unique to the city, where shops are found behind the facades of French-style apartments.

Food and drink

Vietnamese chefs return home from Michelin-star restaurants in America and Europe and fuse local cuisine with international fare to stunning effect.

If that’s too fancy, go where you see locals eating and feast on dishes like pho, typically made with beef (pho bo) or chicken (pho ga).

Or try banh mi, a delicious Vietnamese crispy baguette filled with grilled pork, pate, pickled vegetables, coriander and chilli sauce. And all this for the equivalent of just a few euro.

When it comes to drinking, the locals produce fabulous beers, including Huda, 333 and Belgo.

I also tried a gin from the Mekong Delta made with lemon grass. It was fab.

As for coffee, try ca phe sua da, brewed through a filter, mixed with sweetened condensed milk and served over ice.

See and do

First tip – get a guide. You’ll find them online and by talking to travel agents.

I engaged Mei through the excellent vietnamalluretravel.com, and for a few dollars I saw more in a day (including from the back of Mei’s scooter) than I would have done in a week on my own.

Mei took me to the amazing Cu Chi Tunnels, which were used by the Vietcong to launch surprise attacks on American and South Vietnamese troops and then disappear quickly underground.

They’re very narrow, and even though they have been widened to accommodate stout Westerners, they still gave me extreme claustrophobia (and it’s 30C down there).

The War Remnants Museum offers a sobering look at the Vietnam War through photos, artefacts and exhibitions and documents the impact of the war on the Vietnamese people – six million died or were maimed by bombs and chemical weapons.

I was also taken to see city landmarks including Notre-Dame Cathedral, Independence Palace and Saigon Central Post Office.

One of the many Saigon River tours offers unique perspectives of the city’s architecture.

Saigon scooter

If you want to live dangerously, look no farther than exploring the city on a scooter taxi – it’s an unforgettable experience.

The streets of Saigon are crazy, so just hang on tight to your driver and enjoy.

I saw places you’d never find easily, such as the Black Op CIA centre, from where the last US Marines helicopter left.

Cost of living

Restaurant prices in Dublin are 370pc higher than in Saigon, so you’re on to a winner, with a good street food dinner costing the equivalent of about €3.

Domestic draught beer (0.5 litre) starts at around €0.74. A regular cappuccino is €1.12 and a Coke or Pepsi (0.33 litre) is 37c.

With care, you could live full-time in Saigon on €1,000 a month, and that includes rent, food, drink and walk-about money.

The verdict

I fell in love with Saigon – the people, the weather, the food, the fun. I’m even thinking of spending the winter months there, enjoying the sun and saving money.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Kevin, who presents the Top Travel Destinations podcast, flew from Dublin to Vietnam via Dubai with Emirates, availing of the airline’s Hotel Stopover. See emirates.com

● For more information on Saigon, see visithochiminhcity.vn