Locals still lovingly call it Saigon, and it is a city that never sleeps. While Hanoi holds the country’s ancient soul, Ho Chi Minh City drives its modern pulse. It is a dizzying mix of commerce and culture, where sleek skyscrapers tower over French colonial villas, and incense-filled temples sit next to buzzing rooftop bars. Fast, chaotic, and incredibly friendly – this is the engine of Vietnam.