By Kate Harris

Motorbikes, motorbikes, motorbikes. If a single image can represent a city, for Saigon it is the motorbike. It would be possible to fill an entire photo album with pictures of them alone; a motorbike as a school bus, a motorbike as a grocer's cart, a motorbike as a removal van. On the roads they flow like water through the city, churning like rapids at busy intersections. On the pavements they stand in endless metal rows of makeshift parking lots.

Motorbikes, however, are not the only things to capture the eye, or the imagination, in this city. Spectacular structures and scenes are woven together to reveal vivid impressions of Saigon past and present. Remnants of the Chinese and French occupations form the backdrop to the energetic hurly burly of this modern metropolis.

Two birds with one stone

The square at the top of Dong Khoi, one of District 1's most prominent streets, is an ideal place to get photographing. A central location, it includes two of the most notable architectural legacies of the French colonial era. The Notre Dame Cathedral, built towards the end of the 19th Century using bricks transported from Marseilles, stands at the north-east side of the square. In a city where open space is at a premium, make the most of the plot of grass in front the church to capture an image of this imposing structure.

Rotating ninety degrees to the right, is a similarly beautiful French structure, which at first glance appears to be a railway station but is in fact Ho Chi Minh City's Central Post Office. Under a dome shaped roof, individual wooden phone booths, adorned with clocks displaying times across the world, evoke the feeling of a black and white movie played out on cine reel. If you venture to the back of the post office, you will see a painting of Ho Chi Minh.

Located at the top of Dong Khoi. Notre Dame Cathedral: Han Thuyen. (The front gate may be locked. Also try the entrance on the south west side of the basilica.) Central Post Office: 2 Cong Xa Paris. Open 7am – 9.30pm.

Hard to miss

You won't be the only person photographing the People's Committee Building. This central landmark is right at the heart of downtown Saigon and hard to avoid. The building was originally constructed at the beginning of the 20th Century as the Hôtel de Ville (city hall) and it maintains its ornate colonial edifice. The interior, however, is off limits, so keep your snaps to the outside only.

People's Committee Building, located at the north-west end of Nguyen Hue.

Art's fine by me

Only a few hundred yards from the hectic Ben Thanh Market, the Fine Arts Museum is cloaked in an aura of calm and instantly transports you to colonial Saigon. Shuttered windows adorn a faded yellow façade, contrasted with blue ceramic detailing. The museum itself is not particularly notable for its art, but the interior does offer some interesting shots of its wrought iron staircase, tiled floors and the courtyard that the building encircles. Alternatively, you can wander around to the back of the museum (where you can stroll through some contemporary art galleries) and walk into the courtyard through the back entrance.

Fine Arts Museum, 97A Pho Duc Chinh. Open 9am – 4.30pm.

Gilded glory

Cholon, Saigon's Chinatown, straddles districts 5 and 6. It has the highest concentration of pagodas in the city and is well worth a visit with your camera. Quan Am Pagoda is one of the most notable and is popular with both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists. Arrays of colours greet you at the gatehouse, and inside, shafts of sunlight bounce off the heavily gilded altar, statues and wall decorations. Look out for the ornate panels just next to the entrance door, fashioned in gold and lacquer and be sure to walk behind the main altar to the rear courtyard where there is a statue to Quan Am, the goddess of mercy.

Cholon has a different feel to the rest of the city, and the best way to explore it is on foot, absorbing the sights and smells and unearthing the vast array of items on sale from fabric (see below) and handmade scissors to Chinese herbs and lion masks.

Quan Am Pagoda, 12 Lao Tu, Cholon.

The story lies within

Cha Tam Church, built at the turn of the 19th Century, stands in a courtyard so languid and picturesque that it feels a world away from hectic downtown Saigon. In fact, it played an integral part to the city's history when President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu fled to it for refuge from an attempted coup on 2 November 1963. Upon surrendering, they were escorted from the church under orders of the coup leaders but the soldiers executed the brothers before arrival back in central Saigon.

Cha Tam Church, 25 Hoc Lac, at the western end of Tran Hung Dao, Cholon.

In a city teaming with commerce, almost every street offers an array of wares appealing to the shutterfly. Here's a selection to seek out:

Well heeled

Le Thi Hong Gam, the street adjacent to the Fine Arts Museum, displays a sea of shoes, from sandals to trainers, work shoes to flip-flops. Other leather goods such as belts and wallets lie nestled in between these knock-offs of well known brands. This street doesn't have the bustle of the market, but is impressive for its sheer quantity of goods.

I want to ride my bicycle

If the road isn't full of motorbikes, then it's full of motorbike parts. Pham Huu Chi in the Cholon district of Ho Chi Minh City is a grease monkey's and photographer's dream. The street is covered with everything you could need to build or repair a bike. Wing mirrors dangle from shop ceilings, lights are heaped in piles by the doorway, spare tyres stack up on the pavement and there is a constant racket of clanging metal.

Like the cut of your cloth

The rolls of fabric on sale in Saigon offer myriad photo opportunities. In Tan Dinh Market, cloth merchants sit atop of mountains of material, or perch on small stools eating noodles in the tiny gangways between each stall. The colourful silks in Ben Thanh Market brighten the dimness of this vast covered market built in 1914. But beware, by far the most tourist savvy of the markets, you may want to think twice before taking your camera out. Pop outside to see the main entrance with its belfry and clock, which has become a symbol of Saigon. To view the fabrics in the natural light, journey to Nguyen Trai and Do Ngoc Thanh streets in Cholon. Wait for a store-owner to unravel a spool and you can capture an unending parade of shapes and colours.

Tan Dinh Market: Hai Ba Trung, Walk 200 yards north-west along Hai Ba Trung from the intersection with Vo Thi Sau; Ben Thanh Market: intersection of Le Loi, Ham Nghi, Tran Hung Dao and Le Lai.

Knick Knack anyone?

War memorabilia abounds in Saigon and there are a variety of places to go to peruse for GI Zippos and combat boots. Dan Sinh Market, also known as The War Memorabilia Market, houses all of this and more and you have to fight through the busy networks of hardware stalls to track down your goods. The more photogenic option is the nearby street, Le Cong Kieu. This street has a large number of shops opening onto the road, offering an eclectic mix of artefacts and bric a brac. Old money, ceramic vases, gramophone players all jostle for space. If you switch from taking pictures to taking pieces, be careful, as not all of what is for sale is authentic.

Dan Sinh Market, 104 Yersin.

We like it fresh

The mountains of fresh food piled high on carts, or transported on motorbikes make excellent photo opportunities and there's no shortage of markets and street restaurants to snap away at. Most central is Ben Thanh Market, which is also surrounded by a hubbub of food stalls. For some more open-air markets, take a wander along the streets leading off Nguyen Trai in Cholon. Down here, you can also weave in and out of the stalls selling traditional Chinese herbs around Trieu Quang Phuc Street.

And finally... time to unwind

Ho Chi Minh City does not have many parks to boast of, and yet there is an unmistakeable feeling of tropical greenery in some areas of the city, most notably along the banks of the Saigon River. Perhaps the most relaxing way to record the river, and tune your zoom lens onto the vibrant pink bougainvillea leaves, is to take a taxi out to District 2, known as An Phu. Visit the waterside bar and restaurant The Deck for a sundowner and snap away in peaceful seclusion.

The Deck Restaurant, 38 Nguyen U Di, An Phu, District 2, HCMC; Tel: +84 (0) 8344 6632.

Photo Credits: Photos by Kate Harris, apart from 'The Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon' by Quang Minh (YILKA) and 'Hotel de Ville de Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam' by yeowatzup.

Our brand new "Business Traveller's Guide To" series kicks off with Hong Kong. The new guide gives you the heads up on everything you need to know about the "Fragrant Harbour".

For tips on where to stay, eat, meet, drink, shop, spa, get suited and much more click here. These tips are guaranteed to knock the socks of your clients and colleagues next time you're in town.

Where to Spa in Hong Kong: The Mandarin Barbour.

By Nora Dunn

Whilst visiting Tokyo, you slip your taxi driver a small tip for taking you to your destination so promptly and courteously. Little did you know you just offended him beyond reproach. Or you get out of the cab in Mexico, only to find that you must have either over-tipped your driver or have entered the twilight zone because the serenade you are getting now seems a little over the top considering all you did was toss in the equivalent of an extra dollar or two. Or you walk out of a bar in Canada, wondering why the bartender ignored you for 10 minutes when you went to order your third drink – without tipping for any of them.

As with so many cultural idiosyncrasies around the world, tipping is a prevalent and ever-changing custom that differs as much with each country as the language or topography does. In North America, tipping is common, and in many cases downright expected. Servers and bartenders for example, often earn less than the minimum hourly wage, because it is expected that they will also earn tips that amount to 15%-20% of their customers' bills. In other countries like Australia, tips are lovely but not expected; and the servers and bartenders are paid an hourly wage to reflect this.

So while abroad, who do you tip and how much? Here is a small collection of tipping practices around the world you can use as a guide.

NORTH AMERICA

Arguably, North American culture dictates more tipping than anywhere else in the world. Make sure you have some extra cash handy!

Canada

• Restaurants and Bars: 15% (Hint: If you're at a bar, tip the bartender well on the first drink you order. You'll get great service for the rest of the night, and if you tip really well on the first drink you aren’t necessarily expected to keep tipping on every drink thereafter. If you wait until the end of the night you may be the victim of bad service.)
• Taxi drivers: No set formula. Usually just round up the fare a few dollars.
• Spas: 10-15%
• Food delivery: $2-5, depending on the weather
• Coat Check: $1 per coat
• Hotel bellhop: $5-10
• Hotel chambermaids: $2-5/day

USA

• Restaurants: 18-20%
• Bars: 15%
• Taxi: 10-15% of fare
• Spas: 15%
• Food delivery: $2-5, depending on the weather
• Coat Check: $1 per coat
• Hotel bellhop: $5-10
• Hotel chambermaids: $2-5/day

ASIA

In many parts of Asia in general, tips are welcome but ones that are extravagant can be seen as an insult.

Singapore

• Restaurants & Bars: Generally no tips are required. Upscale dining will auto-gratuity 10%.
• Taxis: No tipping required
• Spas: $2-4 Singapore dollars (hand it directly to the staff who served you). This applies to shampoo person and manicurist, but strangely the hair stylist rarely gets tipped.
• Hotel service staff: $2S, however often you will see "no tipping required" signs so you can use your judgement depending on the quality of hotel you are staying at.

Hong Kong As above.

China Tipping policies are non-existent. Foreigners are generally charged more to begin with.

Japan Don't.

LATIN AMERICA

Mexico Do! Tips are expected by pretty much everybody who services you in any way.

• Restaurants & Bars: 15%
• Taxis: Tipping is not necessary. Usually you have negotiated a flat fare that encompasses the tip.
• Spas: 10%

Brazil

• Restaurants & Bars: Look for the 10% service charge on the bill. If it's not there, then tip 10%.
• Taxis: No tipping required, but it's always nice to round up a bit if you can.
• Spa: 10%-15%
• Hotels: The service charge is usually included in the bill.
• Chambermaids: Only tip at luxury hotels: $1-$2

EUROPE

Germany

Germans are not big tippers in general, but tips are still welcome and, in some cases, expected.

Note: Look for the words "Trinkgeld Inbegriffen" on your bill… If you see them, it means that the service charge has been included already. No need to leave any extra!

• Restaurants & Bars: 10%
• Taxis: 10%
• Spas: €1-€2 will do for a hair stylist, and €1 for the shampoo technician. Tipping on other spa services depends on the cost and nature of the service; 10% is usually a safe bet.
• Hotel chambermaid: Only tip if you are happy with the service, and leave it in the room when you leave.
• Hotel bellhops: €2-€3

Switzerland Pretty much across the board, 15% tips are included in the bills. As in Germany, keep your eyes peeled for the words "Trinkgeld Inbegriffen" to make sure. If the service was outstanding and you want to tip more, then you can give up to 10% extra. Also if you plan to become a regular, this is a great idea!

France

• Restaurants & Bars: A service charge of 15% is usually included in the bill. You'll know if the words "servis compris" appear.
• Taxis: Drivers don't require or expect tips.
• Spas: Look for the service charge to be included in the bill. If it's not, then 10%-15% will do, and only if you are happy with the service.

Italy

• Restaurants & Bars: Tips are not expected. There are often cover charges or bread charges, which take the place of general tipping practices. If you really wish you can leave a small amount at the table.

Again, and as with so many European destinations, a service charge may be included. "Servizio compreso" will be your hint.

United Kingdom

• Restaurants: Tipping is not necessarily expected, but is very welcome. 10%-15% will do. Unlike many other European destinations, service charges are rarely included in the bill.
• Bars: Don't tip in cash. You can offer to buy the bartender a drink if you're happy with the service. They'll then add the price of half a pint on to your tab (sometimes they’ll pour the drink for themselves, but most times they’ll just keep the cash).
• Taxis: 10%

DOWN UNDER

Australia Tipping in Australia is almost non-existent. Generally speaking if you are happy with the service, nobody will say no or be offended that you want to give them money. They're just not expecting tips – at least not from the locals!

• Restaurants & Bars: If you thought the service was great, you can tip up to 10%.

New Zealand No tips are required. Service charges are almost always included in the bill.

MISCELLANEOUS

Egypt Tips in Egypt are most certainly expected, but the amount is at your discretion. When in doubt, tip like you do at home.

Russia Restaurants & Bars: 10% Taxis: 5%-10%

This is by no means a comprehensive guide to tipping around the world. Within each country practices can vary, much less within each geographical region. So how can you best be sure you are following customs and not offending anybody by being stingy, while not getting pinned as a naïve tourist by over-tipping? Ask! Most people will be quite honest with you about standard tipping practices. And if you’re embarrassed about asking your potential tippee what to do, then ask at an information desk at the airport or your hotel.

Happy tipping!

Extra Tipping Resources:

Political Calculations This site includes a chart of all the countries mentioned above and more with general guidelines for tipping and cultural practices.

International Business Etiquette Internet Sourcebook Here you will find links to sites for business etiquette tips around the world - a very useful tool, even if you aren't travelling for business.

Best Trip Choices A great resource for trip planning, from weather to ATM locations to travel insurance and more.

We’ve just set up two fabulous new Facebook groups, please come and join us there! One is focused on travel tips for Hong Kong and the other on what’s hot in Shanghai.

We’ll be talking about the best places to eat, drink and dance the night away. Plus, great places to stay, hot new openings and the events to be seen at.

The groups are perfect both for people living in Hong Kong and Shanghai and for travellers planning trips there. Let iloho be your concierge, city guide and travel buddy all in one.

Put us to the test and fire over questions about what to do, where to go, what not to miss and how to fit it all into the time you’ve got.

Everyone’s invited to join, so please pass along invitations to friends you think will be interested. The more the merrier.

Thanks,

The iloho team.