Ho Chi Minh City for foodies

This morning, head straight to one of the local kiosks selling the famed banh mi sandwich for breakfast. Then hit the bursting markets offering everything from lacquerware and fragrant pho to bunches of colourful flowers. Next stop, Chinatown packed with herbs and spices. Visit an 18th-century Chinese-style pagoda before stopping for lunch at a neighbourhood restaurant. Tuck into various delights including fresh summer rolls and ban xeo, a moreish savoury crepe topped with pork or shrimp.

After a day of sightseeing, explore Ho Chi Minh City’s exciting drinking pastures. Begin the evening visiting three local breweries championing the city’s booming craft beer scene. Pull up a stool and sip everything from German lagers to regional brands served from a handful of hip hot spots. You’ll taste concoctions with Vietnamese slants as well as cold pints of European brews. Take a cyclo back to your hotel revelling in the balmy night air and twinkling lights.

Watch Ho Chi Minh City come alive in the early morning. Way before the humdrum of rush hour, you’ll glide around the city by cyclo (bicycle taxi) to see local life unfold. Experience the city's coffee culture, where people spill out onto the streets from tiny cafés. You can join them with an iced coffee before a stroll through the tree-filled Tao Dan park. Hop on a Vespa to a street market with a hidden underground bunker. Then finish the morning with a steaming bowl of pho, traditionally eaten at breakfast.