Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh City runs at a different pace to Hanoi, faster and more overtly commercial, with Ben Thanh Market at its lively centre and a nightlife scene that runs well past midnight. Its history is close beneath the surface, though: the Cu Chi Tunnels, a short drive from the city, are an extraordinary feat of ingenuity and resilience, and worth the detour even on a short stay. Few cities in Vietnam feel as forward-looking, or as layered underneath that energy.