Ho Chi Minh City
Get there before the guidebooks do
Temple Club: The city's answer to the China Club is cosy, clubby and wonderfully relaxed, with exposed brick walls and antique art deco fittings throughout. A handsome retro dining room melds beautifully with the svelte long bar and huge chill salon, stuffed with Chesterfield-style sofas, comfy armchairs and velvet 'theatre' drapes. Most of the antiques, colonial and retro furniture is for sale. Not only that, the Vietnamese food is excellent. Ask for one of the terrace tables (29 Ton That Thiep Street, District 1, tel: [84] 8829 9244, www.templevn.com).
La Fenetre Soleil: When the shopping has you dropping, stagger up a crummy staircase to find this tucked-away treat. The large, airy, raw-brick salon with weathered, shuttered windows, comfy old sofas and chilled sounds is a cafe by day and bar by night. There are scrumptious homemade muffins, and try the signature, fresh green tea cappuccino - you won't have tasted anything like it. To find the secret staircase, head for 125 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street and turn the corner (2/F, 135 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, tel: [84] 8822 5209).
Gaya: Top-end retail in Ho Chi Minh City has always been a test of stamina, with the best shops spread over a large area. However, this new glamourpuss' emporium next to the Temple Club puts paid to aching feet, while elevating the city's shopping to a new level. Three wonderful urban loft-style storeys display the work of four designers: Romyda Keth's fabulous stretch silk evening dresses; Lawson Johnston's comfy rattan sofas and egg chairs; Michele de Albert's lacquerware and celadon tableware; and Catherine Denoual's elegant embroidered linens and sleepwear. Take a large bag, shop to the max, then recover your senses with a delicious iced coffee at the stylish third-floor bar (39 Ton That Thiep Street, District 1, tel: [84] 8914 3769).
Spa Tropic: Once you've maxed your credit card at Gaya, reflect on your future penury at this perfect retreat, located in a pretty, converted French colonial villa. Wonderful massages, wraps, facials, manicures and pedicures, and packages for men and women are offered in the tropical, Zen-style oasis, using all-natural products by Jurlique (187B Hai Ba Trung Street, District 3, tel: [84] 8822 8895 www.spatropic.com).
Q Bar: At weekends, this is the most hopping and popping bar in town for style-ophiles particular about what they drink. Situated in the atmospheric Municipal Theatre, smack in the centre of town, its sleek, contemporary design offers hordes of nooks and crannies in which to enjoy the impressive bar stock. The sounds are chilled and the crowd is hot. And, if you're staying at the Caravelle Hotel (which you should be), it's a mere 30 seconds walk away (7 Cong Truong Lam Son, District 1, tel: [84] 8823 3479).
Grant Thatcher is editor of Luxe City Guides (www.luxecityguides.com)