Getting there There are no direct flights from the UK to Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon). Qatar Airways serves the city via Doha while Air France flies to the hub of southern Vietnam via Paris.
Business climate A flourishing free-market economy means entrepreneurialism is thriving and a growing contingent of leading global companies is proof of the city's newfound status as a regional powerhouse.
Don't miss Shopping is one of Ho Chi Minh City's greatest pleasures and you are sure to pick up a bargain or five at Ben Thanh Market. Just make sure you play hard to get when it comes to deciding a price. Other highlights include a cyclo (cycle rickshaw) ride down historic Dong Khoi from Notre-Dame Basilica and sipping a cocktail at one of the many rooftop bars.
Etiquette The Vietnamese are early starters so don't be surprised to find the city buzzing by 7.30am. Business hours are standard 8am to 5pm, but don't even think about getting anything done between noon and 1pm as locals take lunch very seriously. Dinner is usually around 7pm and the city shuts down relatively early, except for a healthy number of late-opening clubs and bars. Attire is generally smart casual and you won't have any problems getting by in English, although trying the odd Vietnamese phrase earns you extra brownie points.
Enjoy the high life One of the best ways to appreciate the romantic evening cityscape is from a rooftop bar. The best are found in the cluster of hotels near the Opera House. Saigon Saigon in the Caravelle was once a favourite watering hole for Vietnam War correspondents while the rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel offers gaudy charm and cocktail jazz. The sleekest is the bar on the 23rd floor of the Sheraton, which offers an unrivalled panorama at sunset.
Where to stay There's a huge range of accommodation from good-value mini hotels to high-end pampering palaces. The most desirable address in town is the Park Hyatt, which justifies steep rates with a stellar location, great service and excellent dining venues. For historical value try the Majestic, which evokes French colonial splendour, or the iconic Caravelle, a bolthole of foreign press during the Vietnam War.
Eat like a local Ho Chi Minh City's teeming streets are a paradise for those with an adventurous palette. The national dish pho bo (beef noodle soup) is available at countless hole-in-the-wall restaurants and in slightly sanitised form at chains such as Pho 24. For a westerner-friendly introduction to street food, try Quan An Ngon on Pasteur Street where banh xeo (pancake stuffed with shrimp, pork and beansprouts) and bun thit nuong (grilled pork and vermicelli salad) are served up in a charming colonial-style villa. Splash out at Au Manoir De Khai, which serves sumptuous French cuisine. Or try Square One at the Park Hyatt, the premier top-end restaurant.
