When flying into Vietnam, there are two major airports - Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south.   Pretty much one of these has to be your starting destination if you're flying in from anywhere but locally.  For me, it was Ho Chi Minh City. 

Ho Chi Minh City was formerly called Saigon, but was renamed officially after the revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, although the name Saigon is still widely used.   The city has a rich history, used by the Khmer as a seaport in the 17th century, then under French influence until the mid twentieth century, then became the capital for an independent republic of South Vietnam, but today, still remains the largest city in Vietnam as a whole. 

With such a varied history, there is a wide mix of influence that shaped the city, making it worth spending a couple of days here to take in those experiences.