We weren't sure what to expect of Vietnam. Would it be like its neighbour, Cambodia : Poor, but trying to make something of itself? Would it still be wary of westerners after the war? Our first impression at the airport was of efficiency (no queues at immigration, courteous taxi service). A mere 6USD to take us into the centre of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Along the way our eyes were opened to the country more and more. Lots of hustle and bustle. Amazingly bad road discipline, yet somehow everyone seemed to get around everyone and get to where they wanted to go. Traffic lights and road markings are a mere suggestion. As we found out later, crossing the road required some faith. No one stopped, even at marked pedestrian crossings, so after a while of watching the locals, we set off from the kerb in a seemingly suicidal move directly into the traffic. The skill seemed to be to keep walking at the same speed, in the same direction.This gave the cars, trucks, buses and a million mopeds a good chance to anticipate you and avoid you. Glad to say it worked for us, but it did make us choose restaurants and shops purely by virtue of what side of the street they were on. HCMC can be described as a garden city. Even in the middle of downtown, there were beautiful squares, courtyards and parks. These parks were a part of everyday life, and it was common to see locals eating, meeting or just relaxing there. (ignoring the hundreds of honking horns around them)

On the left : The Majestic Hotel. and The Opera House.

On the right : The Caravelle. The new kid on the block (Park Hyatt) and finally The Grand.

We stayed in The Caravelle, which was the perfect base for exploring the city. This hotel also had some interesting history, being a firm favourite with the western journalists covering the Vietnam War. There is a fabulous rooftop bar on the 9th floor of the original building. This bar, now named Saigon Saigon, was the preferred place for the newshounds to compare notes over a few G&Ts.

It is said that towards the end of the campaign, the front line was even visible from this rooftop vantage point, so it was possible to write your copy without leaving the bar !

For the food lovers, Vietnam is a treat. We dined at Nam Kha the first evening. This was a traditional Vietnamese restaurant with a fabulous interior. A little bit Liberace, but fun. Great service, great food. Four stuffed people returned to The Caravelle contented....

Our trip to Vietnam was together with Vicis' sister Christine and her fiance Darren. It seemed appropriate to show them "real asia" as they had came so far to visit us. And you don't get people driving the wrong way along streets, four up on their mopeds in Singapore !

Sisters in Saigon Saigon bar (before we had too many cocktails and pictures became difficult)

A lot of what goes on in Vietnam happens on the side of the street. Here you saw traders and hawkers selling absolutely anything and everything. On the second day we enjoyed a Cyclo ride (read Rickshaw) through the area known as Chinatown. Hold onto your hats (and cameras and watches and jewellery) and hold your nose !

A very religious country, with the main bulk following Buddhism. We visited a Buddhist temple, which was right in the heart of the city. As usual, these places manage serenity and peacefulness, even in such a non-stop place as HCMC.

You can't think of Vietnam without thinking about the war. We visited the War Museum, which was harrowing but necessary. As well as some truly gruesome photographs, there was some captured US hardware. The infamous Huey gunship helicopter, tanks and fighter jets, all sat at peace.

There was also a faithful reconstruction of a jail house, complete with guillotine. Although the account told by this museum is likely to be biased one way, the only conclusion could be that even if there was an official winner to the war, actually everyone involved in it lost. Below is a painting from Vietnamese primary school child, depicting their relatives and family lost because of the war.

But, life must go on, so some shopping was required. Vietnam is famous for lacquer ware, but sadly it isn't very exciting to watch it getting made (insert your "watching paint dry" joke in here). Instead we went to watch silk embroidery being done. Some of the pictures on display had taken six months to complete yet were being sold for around 500USD.

To sum up, Vietnam was a pleasant surprise. Very friendly people, and all the creature comforts of home. HCMC was a fun city to visit and an easy 1.5 hour direct flight from Singapore. A place where you feel right at home from the outset. We used and would recommend a LUXE guide, which was invaluable, as we had limited time to find our way around. And finally, The Caravelle was the perfect sanctuary to recover from the street chaos.