Port in Focus: Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is the pulsating heart of Vietnam; a frenetic and chaotic metropolis that injects excitement into sailings along the Mekong River which generally include a pre or post-cruise stay in the city.

Sitting on the banks of the Saigon River, from which it originally took its name, this city crackles with energy and life; its roads packed with mopeds that race past in a cacophony of beeping horns and revving engines as they swerve around pedestrians brave (or foolhardy) enough to cross in front of them.

Swish department stores offer a modern contrast to steamy street markets, the best-known being the vast covered Ben Thanh Market – a must for picking up fake designer goods, lacquer-ware and vividly-coloured silks.

But Ho Chi Minh City isn’t short of history, and memories from the infamous Vietnam conflict linger, especially at the fascinating War Remnants Museum that documents the country’s torrid history. The Central Post Office is a beautifully-preserved reminder of Vietnam’s colonial roots under French rule and well worth popping into for a closer look, while the National History Museum showcases national costumes of the Vietnamese people.

Notre Dame Basilica

Distinctive twin spires mark the city’s neo-classical Notre Dame Cathedral, which dates from the 1800s, and you can’t miss the imposing Sixties-style Reunification Palace where armed tanks crashed through the gates as Saigon fell to the Communists on April 30, 1975.

Visitors looking for a more authentic way to explore can take a pedi-cab, where a guide pedals you through tucked-away streets past colourful temples and tiny shops.

Another relic of the war is the vast maze of Cu Chi tunnels, stretching for more than 150 miles, where determined Vietnamese fighters lived and battled against their American foes. It is a short drive from the city but well worth the journey

Top tip

Drink in the city’s history at the Rooftop Garden bar at the colonial Rex Hotel, which opened under French rule in the 1920s and became a hub for US military briefings during the Vietnam War.