Reunification Palace: Previously known as Independence Palace, this five-storey time-warp has been left largely as it was when Saigon fell to northern Viet Minh troops in April 30, 1975. The impressively kitsch recreation room is a popular draw as is the basement, filled with 1960s office equipment abandoned as the defeated forces fled. There are propaganda films and a photo gallery whilst free tours are available. A pleasant café can be found outside the main building. (135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, tel. 9693272. Open daily 7:30am to 11am and 1pm to 4pm, Entry 15,000 dong)

War Remnants Museum: Having shrugged off it’s rather confrontational former name of the ‘Exhibition House of American War Crimes’, this museum first opened its doors a mere five months after the end of the Vietnam War. Visitors of a squimish disposition may want to avoid the re-created ‘tiger cage’ prison,gruesome photographs and jars of deformed fetuses apparently caused by Agent Orange poisoning. (28 Vo Van Tan Street, tel. 9302112, warrmhcm@gmail.com, Open 7:30am to 12noon and 1:30pm to 5pm. Entry costs 15,000 dong)

City Hall: Called the Hôtel de Ville during the French occupation and now formally entitled the People’s Committee Hall, Saigon’s City Hall is a a striking yellow and cream French colonial building especially picturesque while floodlit at night. Although visitors are not allowed inside, the statue of Ho Chi Minh outside is an obligatory photo stop. (End of Nguyen Hue Street)

Museum of Vietnamese History: This museum contains an extensive collection of Vietnamese exhibits from ancient times, although it’s best to come prepared to get the most out of the experience as descriptions are minimal. The Botanical Gardens outside have placed for a cheap lunch and are great for relaxing away from the hustle and bustle. (Intersection of Nguyen Binh Khiem and Le Duan Street just within zoo gates)

Ho Chi Minh City Museum: This museum is housed in another imposing French colonial building by Saigon’s docks. It depicts the life of Ho Chi Minh, the hero of the communist victory in the Vietnam War. Don’t expect impartiality here though! (Duong Nguyen Tat Thanh, District 4, Open every day from 7:30am to 12:00noon and 1:30pm to 5pm. 10,000 dong entry)

Bikes and bustle

Get caught up in the heady buzz of Saigon, dizzy with the pace of a million motorcycles, and beguiled by the local girls cycling by in their flowing Ao Dai dresses. Southern Vietnam is captured in all it’s intriquing essence here.

Follow the history and culture of the city on this blog, from Re-unification Palace to the War Museum, with plenty of Asian and Indo-Chine architecture and character splashed across this guide. From the Cu Chi tunnels and Mekhong Delta, to endless pagodas and Com Pho shops, it’s all soon covered here.

It’s all part of a comprehensive travel guide, with hundreds of pages and dozens of pictures, which we are busy developing to help you plan you trip to Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam.