ONE does not have to drive into the city to the see the change.

Upon arrival the transformation is apparent.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport, once comparable to Mactan Airport during its domestic-flights-only-days, is unzipped from its small-town feel, now fitted with glass, steel and techno trappings, appropriately suited up not just to receive tourists, but foreign investors and expat executives, flying in to talk shop over a power lunch.

The largest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh was formally known as Saigon during the French conquest in 1860. The name is still commonly used to refer to District 1, the city’s financial, commercial, and administrative center.

Updates on President Benigno Aquino III's presidency

On the ride into town, one notices that streets are still covered with motorcycles, the popular mode of transport among locals, but numbers have tapered ever so slightly, giving space on the road for more automobiles---Hondas, Toyotas, Mercedes’, BMWs, Lexus’ and the occasional, but not uncommon, sighting of Bentleys.

The touch of progress is palpable, and there is no doubt in your mind that the rate of advancement is as frenzied as the bikes crisscrossing in front of your car.

A chat with a local confirms this, where once box office hits could only be viewed from bootleg DVDs and grocery shopping meant jumping from one mom and pop store to another to complete the list, now there are around 10 cinemas to choose from, 3-D if you wish, and three malls to wander, the swankiest of which, opened a week before you arrived.

Where there is money, there is shopping. Needless to say, retail therapy here, today, is even more glorious, becoming a wonderful split-complementary affair---the wallet-friendly faux, overrun and handcrafted Vietnamese purchases are not only rounded out by pricier specialty boutique finds, but also genuine runway luxury goods as of late.

Rummage through stalls in Ben Thanh Market and haggle over keychains, carvings, embellished fabric and other knick knacks. Head over to Saigon Square 1 or 2 and bargain for overrun Crumpler bags, imitation Polo shirts and surplus MNG dresses.

Depending on what you are in the market for, you will be able to find, either copy or overrun, brands like Samsonite, Kipling, Le Sportsac, Roxy, Abercrombie, Esprit, Timberland, Lacoste…the list is endless.

Window shoppers and paying customers alike will enjoy District 1 for its specialty boutiques. Among them, Gaya on Le Lai st. for high-end made in Vietnam clothing, accessories, furniture, home accessories; L’Apothiquaire on Le Tanh Thon st. and Parkson stores for French herbal bath and body products; Saigon Kitsch and Dogma on Ton Tat Thiep st. for old propaganda art, and specialty Saigon souvenirs; Apricot Gallery on Mac Thi Buoi st. for fine Vietnamese art; Shop Nga on Dong Du st. for lacquer ware; Khai Silk on Dong Khoi st. for silk and linen clothing; Thanh Thuy on Le Thanh Ton st. for hand embroidered linen and cotton clothing for children, women and men, home accessories and linens.

Also in District 1, fashionistas can start their pilgrimage at Dong Khoi st. for Louis Vuitton, Versace, Tod’s, Gucci and Prada; Rex Hotel shopping arcade for Marc Jacobs, Chloe and Lowe; and Vincom Centre for Armani, Jimmy Choo, Swarovski and more Marc Jacobs.

But be warned, it’s easy to burn a million bucks here. In Vietnamese dong, that is, as US$100 is equivalent to VND1,909,500.

When in Vietnam, try the food, don’t let language be a barrier.

Make a trip to Nhà hàng Ngon on Le Thanh Ton st. for authentic local cuisine. Translated “Delicious Rice Restaurant”, it serves a variety of rice dishes.

If you don’t have much luck communicating with your waiter (sorry, the menu doesn’t have photos either), not to worry, take a look at your neighbor’s table and order whatever looks good there.

Or better yet, drag your waiter to the open air kitchen by the entrance and point to whatever makes your mouth water.

Main courses range between main VND7000 to VND 55,000.

For a special night out, one can try the Temple Club on Ton That Thiep st. Once an old Chinese temple, the restaurant has kept the original wood and masonry. Serving standard Vietnamese cuisine from different parts of the country, the feel is upscale, vintage-meets-antique, but the prices reasonable.

If you’re not entirely convinced of its merit, just think, the table where you’re seated might be the very same one Brad and Angelina sipped drinks over when they were dating.

As I finish my Coke on our boat ride down the Saigon river, watching the newly-constructed US$1-million homes and US$1,500 per square meter apartments float by, I can’t help but think, for a place where shopping malls and movie theaters were nonexistent 10 years ago, Ho Chi Minh has done well for herself.

Just goes to show you, in some parts of the world, what a difference a decade makes.