Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam. It was once known as Prey Nokor.

To get in by plane -Tan Son Nhat (IATA:SGN) is Vietnam's largest international airport. You can fly direct to SGN from Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bandar Seri Begawan, Manila, Macau, Hong Kong, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Nanning, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Seoul, Busan, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Doha, Frankfurt, Paris, Moscow, Perth, Darwin, Sydney and Melbourne. There are two terminals: the new international terminal, which took over all international flights in 2007, and the old terminal, which is reserved for domestic traffic.

Taxis are the most comfortable way of getting around, and not too expensive - about 12,000 dong for the first 1km, plus 10,000 dong per additional km. It's usually not hard to flag a taxi anywhere in the central city, though finding an available one in the rain or during peak hours can be difficult.

You're spoiled for choice in Saigon, which offers the country's largest variety of Vietnamese and international food. Bargains are getting harder to find, however, and restaurant prices have been rising at up to 30% per year due to a combination of higher food prices, rising wages, and soaring real estate costs. Land in the city center now sells for around US$16,000 per square meter, so even a modest-sized restaurant sits on real estate worth more than US$1 million. Authentic local food at bargain prices is one of the glories of Vietnam, but it's getting harder to find in Saigon as the city becomes ever more upscale and cosmopolitan.