Certainly Vietnam's most developed city, Ho Chi Minh is a high-rise contrast to much of the rest of the country, although perhaps less so with each passing year as the North catches up to the wealth in the south. I'm only here for a day or so as the same travel agency in Hanoi that ripped me off also told me incorrectly that there was a Myanmar embassy office here where I could get a visa, so I have booked a cheap flight back to Bangkok to sort that out. It means skipping out Cambodia this time round, but that's probably for the best as if there's one thing I've learned on this trip (aside from never trust a travel agent) it's that you should spend a lot of time in a few places to have the most fun.
Much of the sight-seeing to be had in Ho Chi Minh and around centres on the American war. The War Remnants Museum has a number of restored American aircraft, tanks and weaponry on display as well as a powerful photo exhibition, and you can go into the nearby Reunification Palace which was infamous as the symbol of the end of the war, with the tank that was filmed on newsreel crashing through the fence on display outside. Though perhaps the most disturbing reminder of the war here can be seen on the streets, where you'll find beggars with ugly birth defects caused by Agent Orange.
Ho Chi Minh City Hotels
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