Saigon & South
Why go?
Chaotic is the word that springs to mind when you think about Saigon (now officially known as Ho Chi Minh City, but still called Saigon by everyone who lives there). Four million motorbikes fly around the dusty roads (some carrying entire families or piled sky-high with boxes), there’s no such thing as a Green Cross Code, and there’s a constant cacophony of horns, brakes and people shouting to one another. The narrow streets are filled with people, with beggars and with food carts and it’s a city that never seems to rest. Yet for all the bedlam, it’s mesmerising and you either love it or hate it. South of Saigon lies the Mekong Delta – a spread of backwater canals that run from the Mekong River out to the sea. It’s a fascinating area to explore with stilt houses, floating markets and endless paddy and fruit fields. East of all this (and 50km off the coast by Rach Gia) lies Phu Quoc island, which has beautiful white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, small fishing villages and a jungle-covered interior. Relatively undeveloped it’s a great place to come and snorkel, dive or just kick back.