Vietnam's fast-moving southern metropolis
Ho Chi Minh City, still widely called Saigon, is Vietnam's biggest and most energetic city. The French left behind Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and the Opera House, while the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace tell the story of the 20th century. Ben Thanh Market and the backstreets of District 1 and District 3 are full of food, from broken rice to banh xeo pancakes. Day trips reach the Cu Chi tunnels and the waterways of the Mekong Delta.