The Royal Palace of the Hague, also serving as the monarch’s workplace, may not be as exuberant as its counterpart in Amsterdam, but it is an impressive city centrepiece nonetheless. Built as a farmhouse in 1533, it was reformed and repurposed several times over the years, accommodating such pivotal historical figures as Voltaire and notable monarchs such as King Willem I until its most recent extensions in 1984, which have turned it into a working palace, where political and state affairs take place daily. The palace gardens are open to the public throughout the day and make a nice spot for a picnic, where anyone can enjoy the ponds, flowerbeds and marble statues with views of the royal stables, archives and the Dome of Fagel. Look out for the hidden corridors leading to the Old Hague District in one of the corners of the gardens.

Cho Lon, also well-known as Chinatown, is an area of Ho Chi Minh where many Chinese immigrants reside and earn their living. Within Cho Lon, the biggest and most crowded trade hub is Tan Binh Market, where you can find a wide range of clothing and knick-knacks at very low prices (although be warned the assortment is mostly made up of obscure dried edibles and Chinese ritual paraphernalia). An interesting time to visit Cho Lon is when locals celebrate the Chinese New Year Festival. During Tet, all shops and eateries are lavishly decorated with multi-coloured lanterns, and streets seem to become deluged with the lucky colour red.

The War Remnants Museum contains exhibits reflecting the restless effort and deep devotion of people who endured the hardship of war, more specifically the Vietnam War and the First Indochina War. More than 20,000 valuable war documents, artefacts and films are exhibited here, but the biggest draw must be the outdoor exhibition of military equipment: the M48 Patton tank, aircraft, and original attack bombers.