HO CHI MINH CITY:Shop till you drop or party like an animal, it can get a little stifling, but there's always refuge somewhere in the shade of a flower-laden courtyard, writes
GILLIAN IVORY
IN CONICAL bamboo hats and immaculate blue overalls, a small group of workers look like they’re manicuring the lawns in front of the Reunification Palace. Against the skyline beyond, 64 glass-fronted floors of the Bitexco Financial Tower are sparkling in the sun.
This is the economic powerhouse of Vietnam, where lively, noisy streets are jam-packed with scooters, some fitting neat, four-person families in a row. In contrast to the laid-back capital, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City is the biggest and busiest in the country, with more than nine million inhabitants living in its greater area.
Inside the palace, the massive halls are thronged with tourists eager to see where the first communist tanks of the Viet Cong arrived in 1975, bringing an abrupt end to the Republic of South Vietnam.
Floor-to-ceiling maps pinpointing military activities, desks with rows of heavy analog phones, a psychedelic bar room with 1970s paraphernalia; rooms of endless nooks and crannies are spread-eagled over five floors, frozen in a time when the building was war headquarters for the South Vietnamese government.
This city has had more than its fair share of political turmoil. Once the main port of Cambodia, it has been home to the Vietnamese since the 1670s. The French came uninvited in the 19th century and left a legacy of ornate colonial buildings and a deeply entrenched love for first-rate coffee.
As capital of South Vietnam during the division of the country, Ho Chi Minh City was also party central for thousands of American GIs during the Vietnam War. The majority of its locals still know it as Saigon, though it has been 36 years since it was renamed in honour of the Viet Cong leader and first president of the reunified state.
District 1 is the downtown area, where most tourists spend their time. Along Dong Khoi Street, upmarket shops ooze with elegance and prosperity. This is where the well-heeled French once lived, but these days it’s more handbag heaven than colonial haven.
At one end, Notre Dame Cathedral is a little more modest than the real thing (though some people say this town is the Paris of the Orient). At the other, the Saigon River ambles towards the busy port, and in between, a lone pianist gives an open-air recital under two large stone sculptures on the steps of the Opera House.
A few blocks away, market mania is at its best. Benh Thanh Market is sprawled over 13,000sq m, where you can lose yourself (and your wallet, if you’re not careful) among hundreds of stalls selling everything from sumptuous fabrics to tiny jade Buddhas. Close to the south gate at Stall 468, Ha and Trinh sell brightly-coloured silks perfect for a traditional ao dai, the Vietnamese version of the Indian sari.
Pretty, petite and somewhere shy of 30, Ha could sell oil to the Saudis with the ease of a rising sun. In near-impeccable English she convinces us to order a few silk pieces each (not a huge commitment, in the region of €15 a throw), in less time than it takes to say “Lam on vang”, Vietnamese for “Yes, please”.
But she also walks the walk; within 24 hours she has taken our measurements, agreed on fabric and design, and left a bag of beautifully-finished clothes at our hotel reception. There are a couple of blips on the fitting side of things though – enough to warrant a quick dash to the market on the back of a motorbike taxi, where an unperturbed Ha whisks us out past a myriad of stalls and into the street.
In the blazing midday heat, she hides beneath her golf-sized umbrella – staying lily white in Vietnam is akin to having a healthy glowing tan in Ireland.
At the top of the crumbling stairs of a French colonial building is a room packed with half-finished garments. Three seamstresses nod in our direction, uninterested in the invasion, and a fourth performs her magic by adjusting the offending dress in less than 10 minutes.
On the way back down, a bored-looking rooster in a makeshift cage vents in the corner of the stairwell. Maybe he’s destined for games at a traditional festival, but more likely he’s fodder for a fight. Cockfighting is popular in this part of the world, but officially it’s allowed only as a traditional sport in festivals and ceremonies, and not where any kind of gambling is involved. It’s lunchtime, and back at ground level, locals are straddling low plastic stools, rows of them lining the sides of the street by the food vendors’ stalls, blocking up paths for pedestrians.
BUT WHO WANTSto walk when you can sit and eat instead? Which is what residents of Ho Chi Minh City love to do. It can look like they're in a constant state of chow, but in reality they eat little and often, enjoying quick savoury snacks at every opportunity. Street food culture is big in this town – big and tasty.
Street gourmet specials range from the classic pho (rice noodle soup, usually with chicken or beef) to dishes such as pha lau bo. This one is for those who are comfortable with the extraneous parts of animals – think tripe or liver, laced with curry powder and coconut milk.
Served with fragrant knotweed and tamarind sauce, it’s light on the pocket at about 50c for a delicious steaming bowlful fresh from a food stall. Banh xeo (rice pancake with minced shrimp) is a slightly more conservative choice. Or try banh canh cua, an aromatic crab noodle soup.
At the War Remnants Museum in District 3, the word “sobering” takes on new depth. As one of the most photographed conflicts in history, imagery of the Vietnam War isn’t new to anyone. But this is a powerful collection of photos (as well as military equipment) illustrating the devastation wrought between 1961 and 1975.
Particularly potent, the cameras have captured the long-term effects of chemical warfare on a nation. It’s impossible not to be moved by the contents of this building – among the scores of tourists a number are visibly overcome.
Look out for Requiem, an exhibition donated by the state of Kentucky, which is a compelling collection of images taken by the 134 international press photographers who were killed during the conflict.
Its curator is British-born veteran photojournalist Tim Page, who himself covered the Vietnam War, a man known for his view that “ultimately any good war photography becomes anti-war”. Nowhere is the sentiment more clearly expressed than at this museum.
The effects of its recent turbulent history can be felt everywhere in Vietnam, but there’s a palpable vibrancy and dynamism to this city that make it the nerve centre of the country.
Business is booming, whether you’re talking turnover at local market stalls or massive real estate projects.
From chichi restaurants with fusion cuisine to tasty street food pit stops, District 1 and around is hopping.
Shop till you drop or party like an animal, it can get a little stifling, but there’s always refuge somewhere in the shade of a flower-laden courtyard.
And if you can’t find one of them, just park yourself in a pagoda.
* vietnamtourism.gov.vn
Ho Chi Minh City where to . . .
3 places to stay
Value: Duna Hotel. 167 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1, 00-84-8-38-373-699, vietnamtourism.com/dunahotel. There are few cities in the world where you can get a room with private bathroom, air conditioning and satellite TV for the grand total of €15-€20. Duna Hotel has 40 comfortable rooms in a modern building in District 1. They even throw an electronic safe into the deal.
Mid- market: Hotel Catina Saigon, 109 Dong Khoi, District 1, 00-84-8-38-296-296, hotelcatina.com.vn . Boutique hotels are still surprisingly rare in Ho Chi Minh City, but this one right in the heart of the city on Dong Khoi Street is small, chic, and stylish. From €68 for a double. A summer promotion is offering 40 per cent discount for bookings of at least three nights.
Upmarket: Hotel Majestic,
1 Dong Khoi, District 1, 00-84-8-38-295-517, majesticsaigon.com.vn. From the former French president François Mitterrand to actor Catherine Deneuve, this is the place for famous patrons to stay. Housed in a striking French colonial building, it exudes elegance and old world charm. From €110 for a double, it’s pretty good value by anyone’s standard.
3 places to eat
Value: Ngon Restaurant, 160 Pasteur, District 1, 00-84-8-38-277-131. A real institution in this city, it's a busy spot packed with locals and tourists, and queues out the door at lunchtime tell the tale. Inexpensive noodle and rice dishes are served from different food counters. You can also eat open air in the courtyard.
Mid-market:Lemongrass, 4 Nguyen Thiep, District 1, 00-84-8-38-220-496. Opt for the soft-shell crabs or the melt- in-your-mouth prawns wrapped in sugarcane. The traditional cane furniture and décor will make you feel like you've stepped into a Graham Greene novel (he wrote The Quiet American about his time in Saigon).
Upmarket:Shri, 72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3, 00-84-8-38-279-631. Okay, this place has an advantage other than its food. On the 23rd floor of the Centec Tower, the view of the city is a major attraction. But the food also makes it worth the extra euro. Not for the night that you're looking for traditional fare; it has a good Japanese and international selection on the menu.
Sweet spot
Ice cream is big in this city, with a selection of flavours you may never have tried before. Don’t miss places such as Fanny Ice Cream, 29-31 Thon That Thiep, District 1, fanny.com.vn.
Shop spot
The boutiques along Dong Khoi provide hours of retail therapy. Mai o Mai, 4C Dong Khoi, sells great jewellery and handbags at all kinds of prices. Local designer Mai Lam, 132-134 Dong Khoi, 00-84-8-38-272-733 mailam.com.vn, has a stunning collection of clothing for men and women, fusing the best of traditional Vietnamese with contemporary looks.
Night spot
With ornate arches, gold paint and clubhouse beats inside, there’s also the option of escaping to the terrace under the stars. Q Bar, Opera House, 7 Cong Truong Lam Son, District 1, 00-84-8-38-233-479, qbarsaigon.com, is hip to the last – the place to be seen in Ho Chi Minh City.
Getting there
Malaysia Airlines (malaysia airlines.com) flies to Ho Chi Minh City from London Heathrow via Kuala Lumpur. British Airways (ba.com) flies from London Heathrow via Hong Kong. Air France (airfrance.com) flies from Paris Charles de Gaulle.