Ho Chi Minh City (formally Saigon) is Vietnam’s largest city. The city centre is situated on the banks of the Saigon River. In 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding province of Gia Dinh and was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City, although the name Saigon - formally known as District 1 – is still commonly used. Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is once again awash with clubs and bars, varying from tiny, gloomy establishments to some very upmarket venues. Most of the nightlife is concentrated in District 1 and the variety is part of the appeal.

The law about homosexuality in Vietnam is vague to say the least! Homosexuality is not a crime provided that it involves noncommercial acts between consenting adults in private. Male prostitution and public sex are illegal and establishments or people found to be involved in such behaviour can be sentenced to long prison terms. LGBT citizens are not treated as criminals, although homosexuality is widely frowned upon. There is increased public acceptance of homosexuality and more gay people coming out of the closet and setting up support groups is on the rise. Vietnam has no exclusively gay venues. HCMC has a few mixed bars and discos that attract local gay people. The scene seems to move around every night, prompted by a flurry of texting, so unless you know someone it will be difficult for you to find out what’s going on where! Most Vietnamese are very friendly and are probably your best chance of getting to know what’s going on. The scene here is probably a bit more open than in Hanoi, but you still need to be discrete and be very aware of criminals posing as gay men!