Vietnam

The geographic heart of the nation, central Vietnam is packed with historic sights and cultural interest, and blessed with ravishing beaches and outstanding national parks. Marvel at Hue and its Imperial Citadel, royal tombs and excellent street food. Savour the unique heritage grace of riverside jewel Hoi An, and tour the military sites of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). Check out Danang, fast emerging as one of the nation’s most dynamic cities. Also emerging as a must-visit destination is the extraordinary Phong Nha region, home to three gargantuan cave systems (including the world’s largest cave), and a fascinating war history concealed amid stunning scenery. Enjoy well-earned downtime on the golden sands of An Bang Beach or learn to cook central Vietnamese cuisine, the nation’s most complex. With improving highways, and upgraded international airports at Hue and Danang, access to this compelling and diverse part of Vietnam has never been easier.

Central Vietnam

This stupendous coastline of ravishing white sands and azure bays is Vietnam's premier destination for beach holidays.

If your idea of paradise is reclining in front of turquoise waters, weighing up the merits of a massage or a mojito, then you have come to the right place. On hand to complement the sedentary delights are activities to set the pulse racing, including scuba-diving, snorkelling, surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Nha Trang and Mui Ne attract the headlines, but the beach breaks come thick and fast in this part of the country. Set aside a few days to explore further and you'll find that hidden coves, lonely lighthouses and a barefoot vibe are all in reach. And for the definitive castaway experience, the fabled Con Dao islands are the ultimate off-grid destination.

Southeast Coast

Wow, the vistas. This is Vietnam's big-sky country; a place of rippling mountains, cascading rice terraces and the winnowed-out karst topography for which the region is famed.

Halong Bay's seascape of limestone towers is the view everyone's here to see, but the karst connection continues inland to Ba Be's sprawling lakes and the knobbly topped peaks of Ha Giang, until it segues into the evergreen hills of the northwest highlands.

Not to be outdone by the scenery, northern Vietnam's cultural kaleidoscope is just as diverse. In this heartland of hill-tribe culture, villages snuggle between paddy-field patchworks outside of Sapa and the scarlet headdresses of the Dzao and the Black Hmong's indigo fabrics add dizzying color to the highland markets.

The twisting ribbon-roads winding north from Hanoi reveal a rural world far removed from Vietnam's horns-a-honking big-city streets. If you're up for some road-tripping, this is the place to do it.

Northern Vietnam

The ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, the delta is carpeted in a dizzying variety of greens. It's a water world that moves to the rhythms of the mighty Mekong, where boats, houses and markets float upon the innumerable rivers, canals and streams that criss-cross the landscape like arteries. The bustling commerce of its towns contrasts sharply with the languid, almost-soporific pace of life in the countryside. Here buffalo wallow in rice paddies, coconut- and fruit-laden boats float slowly along the mud-brown waters, and two-wheeled exploration of the narrow lanes is amply rewarded with a true taste of rural hospitality (and delicious river fish). Elsewhere, mangrove forests teem with a wealth of bird life and bristle with the remains of Viet Cong bunkers, ornate Khmer pagodas and Buddhist temples reaching for the sky, while off-coast islands offer white-sand beaches and tropical hideaways to some, and pirate havens to others.

Mekong Delta

Vietnam's capital races to make up for time lost to the ravages of war and a government that as recently as the 1990s kept the outside world at bay. Its streets surge with scooters vying for right of way amid the din of constantly blaring horns, and all around layers of history reveal periods of French and Chinese occupation – offering a glimpse into the resilience of ambitious, proud Hanoians. Negotiate a passage past the ubiquitous knock-off merchants and you’ll find the original streets of the Old Quarter. Defiant real-deal farmers hawk their wares, while city folk breakfast on noodles, practise t’ai chi at dawn or play chess with goateed grandfathers. Dine on the wild and wonderful at every corner, sample market wares, uncover an evolving arts scene, then sleep soundly in luxury for very little cost. Meet the people, delve into the past and witness the awakening of a Hanoi on the move.

Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is Vietnam at its most dizzying: a high-octane city of commerce and culture that has driven the country forward with its pulsating energy. A chaotic whirl, the city breathes life and vitality into all who settle here, and visitors cannot help but be hauled along for the ride. From the finest of hotels to the cheapest of guesthouses, the classiest of restaurants to the tastiest of street stalls, the choicest of boutiques to the scrum of the markets, HCMC is a city of energy and discovery. Wander through timeless alleys to incense-infused temples before negotiating chic designer malls beneath sleek 21st-century skyscrapers. The ghosts of the past live on in buildings that one generation ago witnessed a city in turmoil, but now the real beauty of the former Saigon’s urban collage is the seamless blending of these two worlds into one exciting mass.

Ho Chi Minh City

Few parts of Vietnam stir the imagination with the lure of adventure quite like the highlands. The ribbon that is the Ho Chi Minh Hwy winds its scenic way past coffee plantations, pine-studded mountains, rice paddies with their wallowing buffalo, enormous reed-covered lakes and peaceful villages, laying down the challenge of a two-wheeled journey.

Protected jungle hosts singing gibbons, pygmy loris, wild elephants and incredible numbers of birds. Active travelers take to the mountains, forests, waterfalls and rivers in biking, hiking, rafting and abseiling adventures, and the former French colonial hill station of Dalat beguiles with its cool climate, the palaces of the last emperor of Vietnam and bars for after-dark thrills.

The highlands are also where you're likely to encounter many of Vietnam's ethnic minority peoples such as the Bahnar who build tall, thatched-roof building on stilts called rong, or the Jarai who 'feed' the graves of their dead.

Southwest Highlands

Ancient Hanoi preserves the best parts of French and Chinese culture and architecture, and weaves it all into the modern world with youthful Vietnamese verve. If that gets too boisterous, two nearby national parks offer clean mountain air, rare plant life and animal-spotting opportunities. At Tam Dao Hill Station the weather is cool year round, while Ba Vi National Park offers hiking through atmospheric mist to a mountaintop temple.

Hanoi Region

Highlights of this area include the vibrant city of Danang, the former imperial capital of Hue, and the very popular but undeniably stunning historic port town of Hoi An. The best beach scenes are at An Bang near Hoi An and Lang Co near Danang, and for nature fans there is good hiking and birdwatching in Bach Ma National Park. Ancient Cham history is fascinating at My Son, and the compelling Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) showcases the poignant and tragic stories of the American War.

South-Central Vietnam

Beyond the urban buzz and excitement of Ho Chi Minh City, the attractions of the surrounding region include fascinating cultural and historical sights such as the Cu Chi tunnels and the Cao Dai Holy See temple at Tay Ninh. Also worth exploring is the Unesco-accredited area around Can Gio, especially the extensive mangrove forests that were an integral part of the Viet Cong resistance effort during the American War.

Ho Chi Minh City Region

Northwest Vietnam, with its rocky, cone-like mountains, high vistas and deep valleys, encompasses some of the most extreme geography in the country – if not all of Southeast Asia. Travelling to the more remote parts of the region takes time and effort, but those short on either can stick around Sapa, the surrounding hills of which are a microcosm of the region as a whole. Northwest Vietnam's people and culture are additional draws, and those mountains are home to a variety of ethnic groups, not to mention the scenic villages where they live and the colourful markets where they shop.

Northwest Vietnam

Northeast Vietnam includes Halong Bay, one of the region's biggest draws. Reasons to linger after your boat trip include the lesser-known but stunning Bai Tu Long Bay, the intersection of nature and culture that is Ba Be National Park, the otherworldly karst landscapes outside of Cao Bang and the urban options in Haiphong.