Which Vietnamese hotspot is for you - Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi?

Both are kaleidoscopic wonders that fascinate at every turn, but which metropolis would you choose? Our duelling experts help you decide.

By Mal Chenu

Vietnam is an enthralling country wherever you go, and its vibrant cities are culturally kaleidoscopic whirlwinds backed by the incessant, happy honking of motorbikes and scooters.

While you can join the throng in Haiphong, Ha Long, Binh Duong or Vinh Long and hand over your dong for a plate of nem nuong with tuong and a glass of luong, you can't go wrong in Saigon, officially known as Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

HCMC is bigger, groovier and more modern (and Westernised) than Hanoi, and the larger airport means more and cheaper flights in and out. HCMC is more than a thousand kilometres south of Hanoi, too, which translates into a more comfortable visit in the winter months.

HCMC's compactness makes its cityscape easy to explore. You have to be braver than a scorpion handler to tackle the traffic on your own, but you can tour the place on the back of a motor bike, a thrill-seeking adventure you will not soon forget.

The old, the new and the future of Vietnam is showcased in HCMC with attractions including Ben Thanh Market, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, Saigon Opera House, the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum, among rather a lot more.

With a French colonial past, American influences from the war years and its current status as the nation's financial hub attracting expats from all over, HCMC is a potpourri city of endless fascination.

This is especially the case when it comes to dining, and the city's numerous rooftop bars and restaurants stay open late to cater to hungry and thirsty visitors.

Widely regarded as one of the best cities in the world for street food (don't miss the vermicelli noodle soup with fish cakes seasoned with chilli salt called bot muoi ot), HCMC is a gourmet delight, especially in and around District 3, the hippest precinct in town. The local Chinatown (aka Cho Lon) is one of the world's finest and the nearby Thien Hau Pagoda, dedicated to the goddess of the sea, is well worth a wander.

Day trips from HCMC include the Mekong Delta and the beaches of Vung Tau and Mui Ne, where red and white sand dunes produce ethereal sunrises and sunsets. Just to the north of the city, the fascinating Cu Chi Tunnels network, which played a major role in the north's eventual victory in the war, are now one of the country's most popular attractions.

Amy can be a bit of a snake wine saleswoman, especially after a couple of snake wines, so her claims of Hanoian superiority should be taken with a pinch of bot muoi ot. You'll get a lot more bang for your dong if you visit Ho Chi Minh City.

By Amy Cooper

Once bitter enemies in the conflict between north and south, Vietnam's two biggest cities now fight only for affection. Which one wins? Best ask Ho Chi Minh himself. The national hero resides permanently in Hanoi, rather than the southern city bearing his name. His tomb with a view, in a stately mausoleum surrounded by stunning gardens with flowers from all Vietnam's regions, is a place of pilgrimage where visitors file reverently past the revolutionary's eerily well-preserved body.

It's quite something, to gaze into the face of the past. And that's what you do at every turn in historical Hanoi, Vietnam's capital for nearly a millennium. Older than HCMC by about 700 years, Hanoi bears testimony to each of Vietnam's turbulent eras, from early dynastic Chinese rule to French colonisation and the 20th century American War.

It's a roller coaster ride in a time machine hurtling through rambunctious, scooter-packed streets from the 11th-century Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, with its ancient palaces and fortifications, to 20th-century Hoa Lo Prison, now a museum offering a grim glimpse into French colonial punishment with exhibits including a guillotine.

It will come as no surprise to Mal that my top pick is Ta Hien Street, or Beer Street, a pumping party strip of pubs, bars and restaurants, proving there's plenty of life in this ancient city.

It's also home to the world's cheapest cheers. At about 20 cents per glass, the astonishingly good value Bia Hoi - "fresh beer" - is enjoyed at street stands on plastic stools, surrounded by neon-lit action. You can sample Hanoi's other signature beverage, egg coffee, with its decadent froth of egg yolk and condensed milk, while you feast your way through this foodie city's epic menu.

Name a delicious Vietnamese dish, and it most likely comes from Hanoi. The globally loved noodle soup, pho, was born here and you can slurp it in famous spots such as the deceptively ramshackle Pho Gia Truyen, revered by the Michelin Guide along with the city's fancier, starred restaurants. Whether you feast on food, history, culture or just the intoxicating vibes, Hanoi is a banquet of Vietnam's greatest hits. If you don't go, you'll have pho mo.