Introducing Vietnam
Blessed with a ravishing coastline, emerald-green mountains, breathtaking national parks, dynamic cities, outstanding cultural interest and one of the world’s best cuisines, Vietnam has it all.
Advertisement
The Vietnamese Experience Vietnam is a nation going places. Fast. Its people are energetic, direct, sharp in commerce and resilient by nature. This is an outrageously fun country to explore, the locals love a laugh (and a drink) and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to socialise with them and hear their tales. The American War is over, and yet its impact endures – you’ll find reminders of that cataclysmic conflict everywhere you travel. That said, the country was never broken and emerged with its pride intact. Poor in parts but never squalid, Vietnam is developing at an astonishing pace. For travellers, there are issues to consider (including minor scams), but little real danger – on the whole it’s a safe, wonderfully rewarding and incredibly varied country to explore.
A Cultural Smorgasbord This is a country of myriad influences and reference points. In the south, Indian and Hindu culture had a lasting influence in the Cham temples and spicy regional cuisine, spiked with chilli and tempered with coconut. Head north and Chinese connections are far more apparent. Between these two competing cultures, you’ll find a quintessential Vietnam in the central provinces: the graceful historic old port of Hoi An, and the royal tombs, pagodas and imperial cuisine of Hue. Oh, and there’s more, far more. Factor in an enduring French colonial legacy, which is evident in Hanoi’s graceful boulevards, in Ho Chi Minh City’s stately museums and in the crispy baguettes and coffee culture you’ll find on every street corner. Add the American interlude, more than 50 hill tribes, and of course the proud (battletested and victorious) ruling Communist Party ideology and you’ve got Vietnam: heady, intoxicating and unique.
Big Nature, Booming Cities If you want visual dramatics, Vietnam delivers. Cruise an azure ocean pierced by surreal- looking limestone islands in Halong Bay, slalom through the majestic inland karst mountains of Cao Bang. Hike mountain tracks and explore tribal villages near Sapa and Bac Ha. Then witness the spectacular sandy bays of the central coastline and explore the reefs and coves of the Cham and Con Dao Islands. Highway 1 is near-relentlessly urban, so get off it at regular intervals to see the astonishing cave systems of Phong Nha, national parks like Cat Tien, and the bewitching back waters of the Mekong Delta. Finally, no visit would be complete without experiencing the energy of big-city life in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, the grand old lady of the Orient, and Ho Chi Minh City, the engine room of the economy and the nation.
Learn a little history, and how to cross the street (!) with our 226 Days in Nam video. Or see the capital in a different light with our Hanoi Hustle video.
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in 11 days
- Discover Vientam and Cambodia on a shoestring
- Experience Vietnam on a 14 day adventure
- Trek the beautiful Sapa valleys
Last updated: Jan 10, 2013
Tips & articles
-
Five amazing places to experience another culture
20 May 2013
Learning about the culture and customs of other people is one of the great experiences of travel. Explore the planet’s...
-
Top 10 walking tours for globetrotting foodies
25 April 2013
The best – and tastiest – way to fast-track your understanding of a city’s cuisine is to embark on a...
-
The world’s best wild swims
22 March 2013
Little can match the pleasure of taking a dip in a secluded spot. Sliding into a river or striking out...
Hotels & Hostels
Check out all our reviewed and recommended accommodation and book online.
Advertisement
Vietnam
Things to do
- All things to do (1,231)
- Activities (142)
- Entertainment (166)
- Restaurants (438)
- Shopping (121)
- Sights (289)
- Tours (75)
Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Vietnam
-
1 Halong Bay
Book an overnight cruise and make time for your own special moments on this World Heritage wonder - rising early for an ethereal misty dawn, or piloting a sleek kayak into grottoes and lagoons.
-
2 Hit the beach at Nha Trang
Lap up the beach culture, and decide for yourself if this heavyweight champion deserves its place on our best beaches list
-
3 Tantalise your tastebuds in Hoi An
Try a modern spin on traditional Vietnamese cuisine at Mango Rooms in historic Hoi An
-
4 Have a Hanoi art attack
Head straight to our faves: Apricot Gallery and Mai Tai Gallery in the Old Quarter, the Oriental Gallery in the Nha Tao Area, Dong Phong Art Gallery in the French Quarter, and perhaps the best in Hanoi: Art Vietnam in the West Lake area.
-
5 Karst your eye over Phong Nha Cave
Go underground and explore the nooks and crannies of Phong Nha Cave, the largest and most stunning cave in the country
Fast Facts about Vietnam
- Border countries:
- Number of motorbikes:
16 million and counting
- Currency:
Vietnamese dong
- Most pungent fruit (one to be wary of):
durian
- Population:
86 million
- Fishy business:
200 million plus litres of nuoc mam (fish sauce) produced per year
- Guinness World Records:
largest coffee cup (containing 3,604 litres of coffee); most sumo squats in 1hr (5,135)
- Head of government:
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
- Ba, ba, ba:
not the sound of Vietnamese sheep, but the way to say '333': a popular beer