During the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon as it was known then) was notorious for its nightlife but this changed dramatically after 1975 and venues were forced to close their doors. Now, however, the city is once again awash with clubs and bars, varying from tiny, gloomy establishments to some very upmarket venues. Most of the nightlife is concentrated in District 1, particularly on the streets around Dong Khoi and Hai Ba Trung, although a few good restaurants and bars are found in District 3 and Phu Nhuan District. Bars and clubs should close at midnight but many are open into the early hours of the morning or until the last client leaves.

Imported drinks are considerably more expensive than local ones and alcohol sold in the more upmarket places is even more expensive again. The dress code is generally very relaxed with no restrictions on jeans or trainers. Information on what's on can be found in The Guide, published monthly by the Vietnam Economic Times (website: www.vneconomy.com.vn).

Bars: Perhaps one of the most famous bars is Apocalypse Now, 2C Thi Sach. Be warned, it only gets going around midnight. For a quiet drink with great views over the Saigon River, try the rooftop bar at the Majestic Hotel, 1 Dong Khoi. A warm welcome is guaranteed at Sheridan's House Irish House, 17/13 Le Thanh Ton. The Q Bar, 7 Cong Truong, Lam Son Square, is a stylish, sophisticated and cool place to be seen in.

Clubs: Clubs were slow in appearing in the city but now there is a choice, although they all play a wide variety of music, including techno, pop and retro. The International Tourist Club disco and karaoke bar, in the New World Hotel on Le Lai, is well established. Popular with young Saigonese and expats alike are the techno clubs, Gossip Club, Tran Hung Dao, Palace Nightclub on Nguyen Hue and Tropical Rainforest, Huan Nghiep, which is decorated as an Amazonian rainforest. The largest club in Vietnam, America Discotheque, An Dong Plaza (website: www.hotel-windsorplaza.com), has two clubs, the Pacific playing progressive music and the New York serving up hip hop and R & B.

Live Music: The Metallic Bar, 41 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, District 3 has performances of heavy rock music by local bands. Several of the larger hotels stage nightly performances by local and international bands. These include Caravelle Hotel on Lam Son Square (in the stylish Saigon Saigon Bar with stunning views over the rooftops), the New World Hotel, Le Lai, and the Equatorial Hotel, Tran Binh Trong, District 5. The Sax n'Art Jazz Club, 28 Le Loi has nightly performances by local jazz musician, Tran Manh Tuan.