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 This
Vietnam travel
guide is the result of extensive travelling in
Indochina by the authors. It provides useful
information about all the major destinations
based on our experiences in the region. As
travel professionals in Europe we were well
aware of the potential pitfalls of journeys to
unknown lands so we were well prepared for our
visit to Vietnam. This Vietnam guide is a
summary of what we learned on our travels in
this magnificent country which we hope will
prove to be a useful resource in preparing your
trip.
Don't Mention the War ?
The first thing that most
people think of when they think of Vietnam is
the Vietnam War (known here as the American
War). Our first piece of advice is to forget the
war.
Of course there are war
memorials all over the country and reminders of
a war that only ended in 1975 but to all intents
and purposes the war is of no significance to
modern day tourists except for US Veterans
returning to visit places where they had been
during the war. You'll find interesting war
related excursions from certain cities such as
to the Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)
or to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) from Hue but
the war is now a part of the country's past as
it looks towards a wealthy future in which
tourism will play a key role. The message from
the Vietnamese people ... "Tourists Welcome".
 Facts
about Vietnam
A few interesting facts about
Vietnam ... The population is 83 million and the
capital is Hanoi. The Government is Communist
but only 3 million people are members of the
Communist Party. Economically the country is one
of the "Asian Tigers" with annual growth rates
around 8%. The distance between HCMC and Hanoi
is 1700km. There are an estimated 10 million
motor bikes on the roads and when you leave
you'll feel as though you saw them all.
When to Visit Vietnam
Where and when to go to
Vietnam is an important decision because of the
climate which varies greatly between the
monsoonal north and the tropical south. There is
no month when it is ideal to visit both the
north and the south though we were fortunate in
November/December, experiencing warm, humid and
mainly dry conditions in the south, wet and warm
in the centre and dry but cool conditions in the
north with rain not far away.
 Getting
Around Vietnam
When we first started to plan
our trip we read various
Vietnam travel
guides and surfed the internet as we tried to
come up with a suitable itinerary. In reality
the itinerary almost writes itself and once you
arrive you'll be amazed just how easy it is to
get around by bus, train, private vehicles with
driver and domestic flights. All means of
transport are easily accessible, efficient and
extremely good value. Dollars and Euros go a
long way in Vietnam, for example you can buy an
open bus ticket from HCMC to Hanoi (that's
1700km remember) for just $28 US with stopovers
in Dalat, Nha Trang, Hoi An and Hue. Transport
and accommodation options are available to suit
all budgets.
 The
route we followed on our last trip was as
follows: Ho Chi Minh City - Dalat - Central
Highlands - Hoi An - Hue - Hanoi. The majority
of visitors don't go via the Central Highlands
but tend to travel north or south via Nha Trang
on the coast which is one of the country's
lesser desirable destinations. Now it's up to
you to start planning your itinerary. The map of
Vietnam highlights the principal tourist
destinations which together with our Vietnam
Travel Guide will provide all the information
you need to make the most of your journey.
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