Northern Vietnam Travel Information
The staggering beauty of this fascinating country is no better understood than by taking a trekking holiday in Sapa or a boat cruise in Halong Bay. Both these regions are in the north of the country. They will feature in any Vietnam travel guide worth its salt. Halong Bay is a 600 hundred square mile paradise of beautiful sea. It is dotted with 1960 karst islands that jut out of the water to create a different vista every few minutes. The only way to see the bay is to take one of the many cruise boats that sail in the area.
Sapa is in the mountainous region to the north west of the nation’s capital. It is where travellers can witness the incredible rice terraces cut into the hillsides. Sapa and Halong Bay are normally the two most popular venues among the best destinations in Vietnam.
The capital, Hanoi is more old school Vietnamese and is the base of the country’s communist government. Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City, to give it its newer less glamorous name, is a huge modern vibrant city. It is full of life, food and fabulous boulevards.
Vietnam is definitely Southeast Asia’s home of the motorbike and some 37 million are on the streets every day. A secular country by nature, there is a strong representation of Christianity here. Most of the Christians are Catholics.
Central Vietnam Travel Information
The central coastal area of Vietnam is home to some of the best beaches in the country and also some of the places of the most historical significance. This is where the geography sees the country at its narrowest point. Laos is never more than about 70km (45 miles) away. The three main centres here are Danang, Hoi An and Hué. Danang is the international arrival point for the area and has much to offer the tourists. Hoi An is as pretty a place as anyone has the right to expect and is famous for cheap beer, great food, tailors’ shops and lantern manufacture. Hué is home of the Citadel of Ancient Monuments. This is just one of the Five Unesco World Heritage Sites that are situated in Central Vietnam. There are eight in the country as a whole.
Southern Vietnam Travel Information
The fabulous Mekong Delta is home to 17 million people. It features some of the most amazing scenes of humanity. Floating Markets, such as Cai Rang are world famous. Tiny rivulets and streams are formed as the Mighty Mekong River reaches the end of its journey. A journey that is two thousand seven hundred miles long, from the Himalayas. These provide some of the best sights in the country. One could fill the pages of any Vietnam travel guide, writing about the Mekong Delta alone.
Vietnam is home to an astonishing 54 ethnic minority tribes. That they have survived at all is something of a miracle. They have clung to their traditional way of life against all odds. It is not surprising in anyway that Vietnam is the fastest growing tourist destination in Asia.
