Vietnam introduction

Vietnam, a name too long associated with the horrors of war, has finally won its last battle - to capture the imagination of the traveling public. A remarkable over 30-year-journey that has reminded the world, the Vietnamese people are resilient, determined and proud. There's always a flip-side and they can also be stubborn, too proud to accept external influences and very traditional in thinking and practices. The busiest and most important cities such as: the elegant Hanoi now vies with its dynamic sister, Ho Chi Minh City (still fondly called Saigon by the locals), for the attention of visitors drawn by the eclectic mix of old and new. In both cities the streets are jam-packed with motorbikes and scooters, often carrying whole families, and the markets are chaotically busy.

Elsewhere, the scenes are timeless. Early morning on the Mekong Delta brings the daily floating markets where fruit and vegetables are peddled. Everywhere the green patchwork of rice paddies stretches into the distance, broken only by the silhouette of water buffalo and conical-hafted farm workers bending down to tend the young plants. Vietnam has the opportunity to grab a major slice of the action because it's a new destination. The traveling public has already visited Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia and they are looking for the next Phuket, Langkawi or Bali. Vietnam has a number of resort locations and tourist attractions that could, with foreign investment and know-how, be 'the next destination'.

Moving up to highland areas, the soaring mountains in the north of the country tower over tiny villages where life continues much as it has done for centuries, with traditional costumes still proudly worn. Old French hill stations survive throughout the country offering welcome respite from the heat of the plains below. The ancient former imperial capital, Hué, takes visitors back to a time of concubines and eunuchs. In every town, young women wearing the simple but feminine national dress, the ao dai, weave their way through the traffic at the controls of a motorbike. Only in Vietnam could the past and the present be encapsulated so perfectly.

(Supported by: Holiday Indochina)

Tags: Vietnam travel guide, Vietnam tradition, Vietnam customs, Hanoi city tours, Halong boat trips, cruise Halong, central highlights, heritages road, Mekong delta, Hue citadel, Hoian town, Saigon city tour, Vietnam classic tour, Vietnam overland tours, Vietnam packages, Halong bay