Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

BE ENERGIZED AND ENTHRALLED BY THE FORMER SAIGON DURING YOUR ASIAN CRUISE

This city, still familiarly referred to as Saigon by many, has an infectious energy all its own. You can feel the buzz generated by the mass of motorbikes and scooters that have all but replaced the traditional cycle rickshaw called a cyclo, and in nightclubs with names like Apocalypse Now that don’t really get hopping until midnight. French colonial architecture mixes with modern and Asian influences, and many fine old houses have become trendy restaurants serving up fine Vietnamese cuisine. One or two of the colourful pagodas, heavy with the scent of incense burned to bring good fortune, and the huge Ben Thanh market, crammed with everything under the sun, are definitely worth a visit.