If you are planning a night on the town in Saigon, first you need to decide if you want to be surrounded by other foreigners, or local Vietnamese punters. Venues vary from backpacker haunts and expat pubs, to Vietnamese cabaret and open air live music bars. Saigon also has a relatively lively club scene, which attracts a mix of customers.

Q Bar Saigon is a classy night club which attracts both visitors and locals. It’s a chic setting and the cocktails are delicious, however the prices are less appetizing.

Khong Ten is a massively popular cabaret club which often features acts from some of Vietnam’s most popular celebrity singers. It’s a popular haunt with locals, and although the music doesn’t always please western ears, it provides invaluable insight into Vietnamese culture.

Acoustic Café is also a local favourite, well distanced from the beaten tourist trail. The Vietnamese house band belt out rock ballads to an audience of students and young people. The venue is jammed at weekend, so you should arrive before 19:00 if you want a seat.

Wine lovers will get their fill at ZanZBar. This upmarket venue features a walk-in wine cellar and boasts an extensive list of wines-by-the-glass, as well as tantalising cocktails.

Le Pub is a popular expat haunt, and the favourite hangout of the city’s English teachers. The pub has a lively, welcoming atmosphere and is well known for its daily specials and Western strength refreshments.

The best place to shop in Saigon, in terms of value and choice, is at the markets. Saigon’s markets are a treat for all the senses. Visiting these lively trading arenas is as much a social occasion, as a shopping trip.

At the southwest end of Le Loi, Ben Thanh Market, is easily spotted with its clock tower on the roundabout. This market is the city’s largest and has been divided into two sections: one side targeting tourist shoppers, and the other selling regular every-day goods. You can find everything from jeans and souvenirs, to flowers and fruit, in the warren of stalls. Always haggle in order to get a fair price.

Situated in the heart of Chinatown, Cho Binh Tay market is a more specialised affair. Here you can find Chinese medicine, spices, fermented fish and dried seafood. However, the best buy at this market is the vast array of silks and velvets.

The Night Market sets up each evening neat Ben Thanh Market, and is a great place to try different Vietnamese dishes. Stalls serve up food from all over Vietnam, and at very cheap prices. Once you have refuelled, you can browse the many market stalls selling everything imaginable.

The War Surplus Market is a maze of military style paraphernalia. Each stall is draped with combat clothing, cheap t-shirts and fake Marine Zippo lighters. The authenticity of much of the goods is questionable, but if you haggle you can usually get a good price.

As the epicentre of Vietnam’s business world, Saigon is home to a large community of expatriates. This fact, combined with a rocketing tourism industry has led to the development of a cosmopolitan dining scene in the city.

Modern and sophisticated restaurants are opening up throughout the city, offering not only the best of Vietnamese cuisine, but creating international dishes and delicacies as well.

Zen, located in Saigon Sky Service Apartments on Le Thanh Ton is a fine example of the wide range of culinary creations available in Saigon. Diners can choose from Mexican, Indian or Japanese food, and the restaurant is also one of the city’s best picks for vegetarian grazing.

For a truly atmospheric setting, board the Saigon Restaurant Cruise Ship and enjoy the views of the city by night as you dine. Award winning chefs serve up a variety of European, Asian and Chinese specialties to three decks of diners.

For authentic Vietnamese food in a traditional setting, Temple Club on Ton That Thiep Street is a treat for all the senses. The restaurant is housed in an old Chinese temple, with stunning woodwork and creative masonry, as well as rustic terracotta floor. The menu features a range of mouthwatering dishes from every corner of the country.

Saigon is a great place to experience and appreciate the fantastic art pieces created by contemporary Vietnamese artists. Visiting galleries allows visitors to gain insight into the local culture, as well view popular styles and mediums.

Lac Hong Art Gallery

This gallery is located in the Fine Arts Museum and is run by art enthusiast Tran Ngoc Diep. Her gallery showcases some of the city’s most impressive pieces, ranging from representational to abstract.

Galerie Lotus

Located on Le Lois Street, close to the Pasteur intersection this gallery features exhibitions of some well known artists’ work, including eggshell painter Bui Ngoc Tu. The gallery is bursting with innovative works using traditional styles such as lacquer.

Gallery Quynh

This gallery is situated a few meters east of Thai Van Lung Street and mainly exhibits contemporary non-representational works. The gallery also hosts educational programmes for the local community.

TuDo Gallery

Partners Dang Hai Son and Tran Thi Thu Ha first opened this gallery in their house, but local politics forced them to move to Ho Tung Mau Street. The gallery is based on a two storeys, with beautiful and unusual pieces dotted around.

Breathing Eyes Photo Gallery

Based on Cong Quynh Street, this gallery showcases some of the best photographic works in the south of Vietnam. The gallery houses an inspiring collection and is well worth a visit.

When the temperature starts to soar and steam rises from the streets, the city’s water parks provide a much needed splash pool.

Dam Sen Water Park in District 11 is an emerald gem among the urban jungle of Saigon. The park is a huge complex, divided into 30 areas and offering limitless fun and adventure for all the family.

The lush landscape provides the perfect background for this fairytale playground, with beautiful pagodas and sparkling lakes reflecting the sunlight. There is so much to experience, from an ice wonderland to an exotic bird garden, not forgetting a thrilling roller coaster ride.

The water slides are the park’s main draw, with innovative new additions each year. The ‘Space Bowl Slide’ is the park’s most popular slide, and is sure to whet your appetite for more. Fishing on the numerous expansive lakes, is a fun way to dry off after a slide session.

Among the beautifully manicured gardens in the park, Nam Tu Royal Garden is the most interesting, with huge animal statues constructed from shells and CDs in the center.

If you have worked up an appetite, the floating Thy Ta Restaurant is a great place to refuel while drinking up the exquisite scenery of this oasis in the city of Saigon.

Other parks include Water World in District 9 and Ocean Water Park in District 7.

If sampling a taste of Saigon culture is on your travel menu, you will be interested in locating the city’s major outlets for cultural performances. Considering the size of the city, Saigon’s arts offerings are limited. However, if you know where to look, there are some fine shows and acts to be enjoyed.

Music: Vietnamese music can be discordant to the western ear, but rarely boring. Regardless of the unfamiliar harmony, performances provide insight into the local culture and tradition. Vietnam House in Dong Khoi and Blue Ginger in Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, are both excellent music venues.

Theater: a prominent feature in Vietnam’s art’s scene, Water puppet theater takes place in Saigon’s Golden Dragon Water Puppetry Theater on a daily basis at 1830 and 2000.

Dance: dance plays a less significant role in Vietnamese culture than in other neighboring countries such as Cambodia and Thailand. However, performances can be enjoyed at restaurants throughout the city, with a particularly good show at Cung Dinh Restaurant in the Rex Hotel.

Film: the chances of viewing an English-language films in Saigon is are on the increase. Aside from the long standing Diamond Cinema, Megastar Cineplex has opened three multi-screen cinemas in the city, including one in Saigon Paragon Plaza and one in Tan Binh District.

Vietnam’s largest metropolis and commercial center can at first seem like a chaotic nightmare with little to offer. However, visitors who can see past the traffic jams and neon billboards, discover a city bursting with culture and character.

Saigon is Hanoi’s more outgoing, cosmopolitan cousin. The city is at the epicenter of a thriving and vibrant scene, pulsating to the beat of commercial development and an ever growing tourist industry.

To experience the best of Saigon, it’s worth doing your homework before hitting the streets. Here are some of the top spots worth the crazy taxi ride:

Eat: Xu Restaurant, Dong Khoi, is a stylish dining hall serving innovative modern Vietnamese cuisine, without forgetting traditional Vietnamese favorites.

Drink: Carmen on Ly Tu Trong Street provides a lively, yet sophisticated setting for drinks, live music and a chance to mix with the locals. Stone walls, open brick face and candlelight add to the venue’s ambience and charm.

Shop: Ben Thanh Market lies at the throbbing heart of the city. Not only does this shopping mecca have the widest range of goods, but prices are competitive.

Chill: Botanic Gardens in District 3, is a pleasant space for a leisurely stroll in the shade of towering tropical trees. If you are feeling flush why not wind down in a more luxurious setting? A replenishing treatment at Xuan Spa in the Park Hyatt Hotel might be just want your body and mind have been craving.