Vietnam is one of the world's most up-and-coming travel destinations, with luxury tourists and backpackers alike flocking in ever-increasing numbers to the country's stunning beaches and lush rainforests - although it's also well worth visiting the nation's cities too, with Ho Chi Minh City being loaded with history. Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City was the capital of South Vietnam before it was reunited with the Communist north after the iconic yet tragic Vietnam War. Among the best places to learn more about this history is Reunification Palace, which was the South Vietnamese presidential palace until 1975, and now hosts a fantastic series of exhibits and displays telling the story one of the 20th century's most controversial conflicts. Elsewhere, the War Remnants Museum and the Ho Chi Minh Museum both offer further insight into the events that occurred in the country during the 1960s and 70s, while those looking for something a little more spiritual may want to visit some of the city's ancient pagodas instead. Alternatively, the Notre Dame Cathedral is a great site to explore if you want to get a taste of Vietnam's French colonial past.
Vietnam is one of the world's most up-and-coming travel destinations, with luxury tourists and backpackers alike flocking in ever-increasing numbers to the country's stunning beaches and lush rainforests - although it's also well worth visiting the nation's cities too, with Ho Chi Minh City being loaded with history. Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City was the capital of South Vietnam before it was reunited with the Communist north after the iconic yet tragic Vietnam War. Among the best places to learn more about this history is Reunification Palace, which was the South Vietnamese presidential palace until 1975, and now hosts a fantastic series of exhibits and displays telling the story one of the 20th century's most controversial conflicts. Elsewhere, the War Remnants Museum and the Ho Chi Minh Museum both offer further insight into the events that occurred in the country during the 1960s and 70s, while those looking for something a little more spiritual may want to visit some of the city's ancient pagodas instead. Alternatively, the Notre Dame Cathedral is a great site to explore if you want to get a taste of Vietnam's French colonial past.
