Vinh

Practically obliterated during the American War, Vinh was rebuilt with East German aid – hence the brutalist concrete architecture dominating downtown. The only reasons to stop here are if you're a Ho Chi Minh devotee (he was born in a nearby village), or if you're heading to Laos.

Vinh is a major transport hub with regular buses to HCMC, Hanoi, Danang and Dien Bien Phu, and trains to all stops north to Hanoi and south to HCMC. Open tour buses pass through town between Hanoi and Hue, and while it’s easy to ask to jump off here, it’s difficult to arrange a pick-up.