The ravages of war and a tricky reunification certainly took their toll on Ho Chi Minh City. The French colonial city was on the skids for years, taking decades to rediscover its mojo. But like a blooming lotus flower, Ho Chi Minh City, still affectionately referred to as Saigon, has fully emerged as the electric, extroverted and vital metropolis of Vietnam, where attention-seeking skyscrapers and bling-bling luxury retail is all part of the new city’s allure. Home to a whopping 8 million people, it aspires to be as buzzing as Bangkok or Singapore.

Ho Chi Minh's central district is still called Saigon, and the war is recalled in the War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace. It’s a great starting point on the essential sightseeing check-list. Designed as the home of former President Ngo Dinh Diem, the US-backed leader of Vietnam until his assassination in 1962, this building is most notable for its symbolic role in the fall of Saigon in 1975, when its gates were breached by North Vietnamese tanks and the victor's flag hung on the balcony. The tours include the war command room, with its enormous maps and old communications equipment, as well as the basement labyrinth.

Take a stroll through the War Remnants Museum, where the focus is on the ugliness of war – with a side-serving of pro-communist sentiment. The courtyard is cluttered with tanks, planes and bombs, including an American F-5A fighter jet at the entrance. The galleries present chilling images of events like the My Lai massacre and the horrendous effect of biological warfare on humans. Hideously malformed foetuses are preserved in pickling jars. There’s also a guillotine that harvested heads at the Central Prison, plus reconstructions of the so-called "Tiger Cages", where the French subjected those struggling for Vietnamese independence to perpetual torment.

One of the best city pastimes is to take a heritage walking tour in Saigon, District 1 which is studded with a horde of French colonial confections and classic architecture. The People’s Committee Building, is a stately columned edifice, formerly City Hall, and it’s the city’s most photographed emblem. It’s especially pretty at night when it’s lustily illuminated. A statue of a waving Uncle Ho stands sentinel over the tiny park fronting the building, where immaculately maintained flowerbeds add pops of colour.

Notre Dame Cathedral is modelled on its Paris namesake and was inaugurated in 1880, with the bricks sourced from Marseilles and stained-glass windows from Chartres. I love how the Virgin Mary statue is lustily bathed in neon blue – how very Vietnamese. The supposed sighting of a teardrop falling from the statue in 2005 triggered a torrent of pilgrims and miracle-seekers. The renovations are scheduled to be complete later this year.

Right across the road, one of my city favourites, the grand old Central Post Office, which dates back to 1891 and remains faithful to its original purpose. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, the oversized vintage maps of Vietnam are wondrous, as are the evocative old telephone boxes, which remain in full operating order.

Completed at the end of the 19th century, the Opera house is another classic French confection, seemingly teleported from Paris. Nearby, a hotel with a potent history, the Caravelle Hotel. Opened in 1959, this was the nerve centre for foreign journalists covering the Vietnam War, in addition to the Australian and New Zealand embassies. They would routinely scramble up to the rooftop terrace to watch the air strikes. Head up to Caravelle’s 9th-floor Saigon Saigon Bar with ice cold beer and sizzling city views. Also in the neighbourhood, the graceful arches of Hotel Continental is a prime spot for a thirst-quencher. The writer Graham Greene was a long-term guest of the hotel, which featured prominently in his novel and the movie, The Quiet American. Another fabled hotel in District 1 is

Hotel Rex. During the Vietnam War, the hotel was the CIA’s base and site of the United States military command's daily press conference, derisively named Five O'Clock Follies by cynical journalists who found the optimism of the American officers misguided.

If you’re up for some bargain hunting, make tracks for Ben Thanh Market in District 1. Crowded and rife with pickpockets, it’s the go-to for handicrafts, bargain souvenirs, and traditional street food. A reconnaissance here will soon reveal more conical hats, Buddha heads, basketware, lacquerware and Vietnam T-shirts than you could ever imagine. It’s the largest market in Vietnam, so just surrender to the chaos and suck it up. Be sure to haggle otherwise you’ll be lumbered with the over-the-top “tourist price” on items here. Just keep your wallet secure and out of reach as you explore.

Sitting at the intersection of several major streets, Turtle Lake is like a giant watery roundabout and it’s steeped in Vietnamese history. It served as a city gate under Vietnam’s last dynasty, before being modified by the French. It’s an excellent haunt for delving into Ho Chi Minh’s street food scene, with countless street stalls brimming with delicious Vietnamese food. Alongside the crowd-pleasing Banh mi and Pho staples, here’s some other picks. Bo la lot is grilled beef wrapped in fragrant betel leaves and rolled up in rice paper. Yum! Sink into Com tam. This is a mash-up of grilled pork chop, chewy pork skin, savoury quiche and a fried egg which is served over broken (fragmented) rice with sweet and salty fish sauce drizzled on top. I also tried Bo ne. This is a mix of thinly cut steak, pate, pork sausage, sliced onions and an egg, all delivered on a sizzling cast-iron plate.

For something truly quirky, particularly if you’re travelling with kids, check out Suoi Tien Theme Park. This wildly wacky Buddhist-inspired theme park brims with giant statues of dragons, unicorns, tortoises and phoenixes, complete with a snow castle, roller coasters and water slides. If Disneyland and Angkor Wat had a baby together – this would be it. It’s wild.

Where to stay? Hotel Majestic is a historic 1920s riverfront hotel, built in French Riviera style by a Chinese businessman, that spills forth with history and character. After the war, it was acquired as a government guest house but has now reverted to being a luxury hotel. All the rooms are charming, especially those with river views, and the staff fall over themselves to be helpful. There’s a first-floor pool and rooftop bar, too. Definitely order up a signature cocktail, Majestic 1925, which is a heady concoction of orange & cinnamon infused bourbon, sweet vermouth, Campari and orange zest.

I locked in a stay with Booking.com at Hotel Majestic, a Travel Sustainable certified property, which is increasingly top of mind for Kiwi travellers. Travellers now have access to 500,000+ more sustainable accommodations on Booking.com across the world, from homes to hotels, labelled with a certified Travel Sustainable badge. What’s more, rental car search filters on the Booking.com platform enable people quickly find fully electric and hybrid cars across 111 countries. For great rates and total flexibility, head to www.booking.com

Jet your way to Ho Chi Minh City with Malaysia Airlines, who offer super-convenient, one-stop services from Auckland via Kuala Lumpur, eight times a week. With well-timed overnight flights, to and from KL, the award-winning Malaysia Airlines is a full-service carrier, renowned for competitive airfares, exceptional service and quintessential Malaysian hospitality. The in-flight entertainment offerings and meal services impress, across all classes. When stopping-over in KL, enjoy the comfort of their Golden Lounge, by purchasing a single-entry lounge pass through Malaysia Airlines' website and mobile app, or a walk-in lounge pass on arrival. As a oneworld alliance partner, enjoy enhanced connectivity to more than 900 destinations. Bag some great fares and seats to suit with the Malaysia Airlines Explore the World Sale. www.malaysiaairlines.com

Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.