Travel And Visit Vietnam. Traveler Guide.

The capital, Hanoi, sprawls on the banks of the Red River. It is a beautiful city that retains an air of French colonial elegance with pretty yellow stucco buildings lining leafy streets. Hanoi is also known as the City of Lakes which adds to its air sleepy grace. IN the middle of the city lies the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) with the 18th-century Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple) sitting on an island in its center. To the north of Hoan Kiem Lake is the Old Quarter, a fascinating maze of small antiquated streets lined with markets and pavement restaurants and cafes. West of Old Quarter and south of the West Lake is the former Ville Francaise. This is the old French administrative center and is characterized by enormous colonial-era chateaux and wide spacious boulevards. It also houses Hanoi's most popular attraction, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.



Famous museums in Hanoi include the Bao Tang Lich Su (History Museum), the Bao Tang Quan Doi (Army Museum), Ho Chi Minh, Bao Tang My Thuat (Fine Arts Museum), Bao Tang Cach Manh (revolutionary Museum) and the Independent pagodas in Hanoi. The One pillar Pagoda, first constructed in the 1049 was built to resemble a lotus flower, the symbol of purity rising out of a sea of sorrow. To the north west of the Citadel is the West Lake which is about 13km in circumference. The shores of the lake are popular amongst the Hanoians for the picnics and there are number of cafes.

Halong Bay is an amazing complex of 3,000 chalk islands rising out of the South China Sea. The area is strange, eerie and very beautiful. Many of the islands contain bizarre cave formation and grottoes. Near Ha Long Bay is Catba Island, a designated National Park and a rich repository of plants and wildlife. Hoang Lien Mountains is the old hill station of Sapa. This area is inhabited by the Hmong and Zhao hill tribes. Every weekend there is a market where the local tribes people come into the town to trade. In the evening, they celebrate with huge amounts of potent rice alcohol. If one follows the road from Sapa further into the mountains, one reaches Dien Bien Phu, a scene of the humiliating defeat of the French by the Viet Minh that finally put paid to French colonial occupation in Indochina. This is a wild, beautiful and remote region.

"Catba Island" "Hoang Lien Mountains"

Mid-way between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City lies the city of Hue. The former capital of the emperors of Vietnam, it is known for its beautiful imperial architecture, although a great deal of this was destroyed during the Tet offensive in 1968. The Perfume River forms the border between the city itself and the former 'Forbidden Purple City', the mighty Citadel. This 'city within a city' with its tombs, pagodas and lakes covered in lotus flowers was largely destroyed during the Vietnam War but one can still see evidence of its former magnificence. Within the city are the tombs of several of Vietnam's emperors. Most interesting are the Tomb of Minh Mang and the Tomb of Tu Duc. The city also houses fine example of Buddhist pagodas and other temples such as the Thien Mu Pagoda.

Da Nang, the city of China Beach, consists of the Marble Mountains and the Cham Museum which houses magnificent examples of the art of the Indianized Cham civilization. Approximately 20km from Da Nang is Hoi An, a delightful small riverine town replete with temple and pagodas. From here it is easy to reach the town of Da Lat in the Central Highlands, evocative of a typical French Town which is popular among domestic tourists for its cool climate and alpine scenery.

Set back from the delta formed by the Mekong River, Ho Chi Minh city (formerly) is the main commercial center of the southern part of Vietnam, receiving its name in honor of the leader who successfully led the nation against the France and USA. More modern than other Vietnam cities, Ho Chi Minh City also retained its French colonial influences. The streets are jam-packed with mopeds ans scooters often carrying whole families. The markets are chaotically busy. There is a lot to see in Ho Chi Minh City. The colorful Emperor of Jade Pagoda is an excellent example of a Chinese temple. Inside, there a re elaborate woodcarvings decorated with gilded characters and sculptures depicting local deities. The twin towers of Notre Dame Cathedral have been a familiar landmark in Ho Chi Minh city since the 1880s.

"Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh"

Tay Ninh is an interesting destination as it is the home of the Caodai religion. This is a purely Vietnamese sect formed last century which takes teachings and precepts from the most of the world's major religions. Tay Ninh is the site of the Caodaist temple in Vietnam. This structure is colorful and unique. South of Ho Chi Minh city are the flat, verdant planes of the Mekong Delta where much of Vietnam's rice crop is grown. There are several towns in this region from which visitors can take boat trips on the many tributaries of the Mekong.

Characteristics of Vietnamese food include heavy use of fish sauce, which smell notoriously bad if you sniff it straight from the bottle, but blends into food very well. Vegetables, herbs and spices, notably Vietnamese coriander (rau rain) accompany almost every dish and help make Vietnamese food much lighter than the cuisine of its neighboring countries. Vietnam's national dish is pho, a broth soup with rice noodles garnished with fresh greens and bean sprouts. Pho bo, the classic form of pho, is made with beef broth that is often simmered for many hours and many include one or more kinds of beef. Pho ga is the same idea but with chicken broth and chicken meat.

"Pho" Beef Broth "Po Ga"

If you like seafood, you may find heaven in Vietnam. The ultimate seafood experience is traveling to a seaside village or beach resort area in the south to try the local seafood restaurants that often serve shrimp, crab, and locally-caught fish. Follow the locals to a good restaurant: The food will still be swimming when you order it, it will be well prepare, very affordable and often served in friendly surroundings with spectacular views. Banh mi Hanoi are french bread sandwiches: Freshly-baked white bread baguettes filled with grilled meats or liver or pork pate, plus fresh herbs and vegetables. Most pastry shops serve a variety of sweets and quick foods and are now owned by Vietnamese.

"Banh mi Hanoi"

Coffee, baguettes and pastries were originally introduced by the French colonials but all three have been localized and remain popular contemporary aspects of Vietnamese cuisine. Coconut water is a favorite in the hot southern part of the country. Nuoc mia or sugar cane juice, is served from distinctive metal carts with a crank-powered sugar caner stalk crushers that release the juice.

"Nuoc mia"

Another thirst quencher is the fabulous Sin T, a selection of sliced fresh fruit in a big glass, combined with crushed ice, sweetened with condensed milk and coconut milk.

• Souvenir shops in Vietnam sell lots of T-shirts with the red flag and portraits of "Uncle Ho". They may make good souvenirs, however as many overseas Vietnamese are highly critical of the Vietnam Government.



• You are advised not to wear communist paraphernalia.



• Tropical disease such as malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis are endemic in rural Vietnam. Malaria isn't as much as concern in the bigger cities such as Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi.