48 visits Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest city, its economic and cultural hub and one of the most promising cities in Asia. Ho Chi Minh City is the heart and soul of Vietnam. It's a bustling, dynamic and industrious centre, the largest city in the country, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture. This is a city that churns, ferments, bubbles and fumes. The streets, where much of the city's life takes place, are a jumble of street markets, shops, pavement cafes, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks. It's impossible not to be infected by its exhilarating vibe.
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Ho Chi Minh City in 48 hours. Video hosted on Youtube. Formerly known as Saigon, this is Vietnam’s largest and most energetic city, a teeming metropolis, full of life. The streets are packed with an intoxicating mix of markets and restaurants, street vendors and cafés. Once known as the ‘Paris of the Orient’, Ho Chi Minh City’s French colonial past now gazes up at the new and dramatic high-rise buildings; visit one of the many museums or traditional pagodas to understand a city that has a truly fascinating past and charming culture.
HO CHI MINH CITY (Reuters Life!)
Got 48 hours to explore Ho Chi Minh City? Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most from a short stay in the vibrant southern city, Vietnam's biggest.
FRIDAY
7 p.m. - Start your exploration at Temple Club, one of the city's most stylish and atmospheric watering holes. Housed in an old Chinese temple with high ceiling, exposed brick walls and terracotta floors, it also boasts beautiful art deco furniture, massive paintings - which can be yours at a price - and a great cocktail list.
8 p.m. - Walk a few steps to the restaurant, where the same plush feel is extended and reliably good Vietnamese fare is served. Prices are moderate but the setting is premium.
10 p.m. - Get into the groove at Sax n' Art, the only dedicated live jazz venue in town, with renowned saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan at the helm.
11 p.m. - Head to Q Bar, where everyone ends up on a Friday night. Located on the grounds of the Opera House, this is where history meets new Saigon. Cubbyholes, late opening hours and martinis make this place special.
SATURDAY
8.30 a.m. - Go to the famous Benh Thanh market for some early shopping when it's cooler and the shopkeepers are still friendly.
10 a.m. - Visit the Reunification Palace where a North Vietnam tank crashed through the gates in April 1975 at the end of the U.S. war. It is still beautifully intact, boasting retro-looking rooms and a basement filled with radio equipment and maps used by the U.S.-backed South Vietnam government.
11.30 a.m. - Lunch at Quan An Ngon, just across from the Palace and the best place to sample Vietnam's famous street cuisine in an English-speaking and hygienic setting. The street prices still endure and most dishes cost a dollar.
1 p.m. - More sightseeing. Just around the corner from the Palace are the towering spires of Notre Dame Cathedral and the airy, ochre-colored Ho Chi Minh City Post Office.
2 p.m. - Walk down Dong Khoi from the Post Office to start your shopping. Galleries along the way stock reproductions of Klimt and Van Gogh for a fraction of the original price. Heritage in Dong Du and Minh Boutique in Nguyen Thiep produce gorgeous lacquerware products while bead shop Mai O Mai is a must-stop and don't forget the tailors where silk outfits are made in 24 hours.
4.30 p.m. - Rest your weary feet at Coffee Chateau, a miniscule, one-room coffee shop in Mac Thi Buoi with stacks of coffee beans and serving the freshest and cheapest cup of cappuccino in town.
5 p.m. - Walk down Mac Thi Buoi and cross Nguyen Hue towards the trendy Ton That Thiep, where you'll find gorgeous clothes and homeware products at Gaya and propaganda art and more such ilk at the appropriately-named Saigon Kitsch.
7 p.m. - From street side to high-rise, few places command a bird's eye view of the city most people still call Saigon than Sheraton's chic Level 23 bar. The Rex Hotel might have all the history, but this is where new Saigon parties.
8 p.m. - Dine at Xu, the crushingly hip restaurant serving nouveau Vietnamese cuisine. The pork belly is exquisite.
10 p.m. - The large and lavish Lush is the best club to see out a Saturday night. There's no dance floor, but regulars, who fill the club to the brim, couldn't care less. There are also comfortable sofas outside.
SUNDAY
8 a.m. - You haven't really been to Vietnam if you didn't have a bowl of Pho during your trip. The beloved noodle soup, available in beef and chicken, makes a great breakfast. Taste one at Pho 24, a noodle chain with branches everywhere serving a bowl for US$1.50.
9 a.m. - Visit the War Remnants Museum. Emotional exhibits and photographs, including the My Lai massacre, show the horrors the Vietnamese suffered during the war.
11 a.m. - After such a somber place, a good way to relax is to hire a cyclo. Sit back, relax and let the men who pedal these graceful vehicles show you the city's landmarks. Bargaining is expected, but it should cost only a few dollars.
12.00 p.m. - Head to Luong Son for a fun eating experience. Famous for its delicious barbecued beef, here you grill meat, including scorpions, snakes and crickets, right on your table.
2 p.m. - Desserts at a totally different, but no less intriguing, place. La Fenetre Soleil is a lounge lizard's paradise which does fluffy muffins and crispy waffles.
3 p.m. - Time to pamper yourself. Whether you want a facial or foot reflexology, there's no shortage of spas, but for good ambience and service, head to L'apothiquaire in District 3 or Glow in the town centre.
5 p.m. - For more shopping, head to Le Cong Kieu, otherwise known as Antique Street, where all sorts, from ceramics and pocket watches to hanging lamps and retro luggage, are on sale, although most products here are said to be reproductions. There are restrictions on foreigners buying genuine antiques.
7 p.m. - Drinks at Qing, a cosy, stylish wine bar with a long list of wines by the glass and a relaxed air on a Sunday evening.
8 p.m. - Enjoy one of the Vietnamese's all time favorite foods - hot pot. Chi Nghia is an unassuming little place, but what better way to close an evening then with a chef whose cooking earned a personal handshake from Bill Clinton?
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