Tourism in modern Vietnam is enjoying a boom time. As safety for tourists to Vietnam no longer presents great concern, this beautiful country can be explored from north to south, from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)
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Visiting Vietnam offers travellers a rich and varied cultural history, combined with the charm of a country which is still largely rural, the exceptions being Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. Its tourist industry has developed to the extent that accommodation of excellent quality is available at popular destinations.
Hanoi is a unique city dominated by French colonial architecture with tree-lined boulevards, peaceful lakes and oriental temples. Recommended places to visit include the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Fine Arts Museum and Temple of Literature and the Lake of the Restored Sword and the Old Quarter of Vietnam's capital. Additionally the Museum of Ethnology and a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show in the evening at Thang Long Theatre are very enjoyable.
Traveling to Halong Bay, takes approximately 3 1/2 hours by road (170 km) from Hanoi. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as is Hoi An. Halong Bay, in the South China Sea, is made up of 1969 islands and islets rising from the blue water on the area of 15,000 sq. km.
The bay is quite spectacular because of its craggy islands, islets, the mists and the sun. It is extraordinary in shape, size and colour and rich vegetation. There are many beautiful caves and stunning beaches to explore in the summer and autumn. The islands are said to be where the dragons descended into the sea when Vietnam was defending itself from Chinese invasion.
The foods of Vietnam vary from the north through the central region to the south, all with their own distinct regional variations. The common bond is the use of rice or noodles. Whether your choice is for vegetarian, multiple dishes, contrasting flavors, varied textures and exotic ingredients Vietnamese cooking offers a wide selection to satisfy the most discerning visitors, To name but a few traditional favourites, Cha Ca, Banh Chay, Banh Troi, Nem Ran (spring roll but called cha gio in the south) and Pho Bo, a traditional beef soup and Gio Lua which is found at its best in the north.
The Vietnam climate allows for light travelling particularly as any necessary clothing can be bought locally and cheaply. As Vietnam stretches some 1000 miles (1,600km) so the temperature and rainfall varies from north to south and from lowland to highland.
The far North (Bac Bo) resembles the four seasons we are familiar with in the temperate world. The low temp. in the winter (Jan.-Feb.) can go down to about 35-40 deg. F. ( 2 to 5 deg. C) but in the summer, it can get to as high as 105 deg. F (40 deg. C). The winter is the dry season while the summer is the wet one.
Central Vietnam - Lowlands and Highlands: (Dalat, Hue , Da Nang , Hoi An, Nha Trang)
Summer: May - October Average temperature 23-24C Average rainfall 210mm
Winter: November - April Average temperature 17-23C Average rainfall 골프여행 95mm
Central Vietnam - Lowlands and Highlands: Dalat, Hue , Da Nang , Hoi An, Nha Trang The weather is fairly similar across both, although the highlands tend to be slightly cooler with higher rainfall as the majority of rain normally falls on the mountains before arriving at the low coastal areas.
Lowlands Summer - the weather is warm and reasonably dry from May to September. The monsoon winds then change bringing above average rain during late September. This time is not ideal as rain can be fairly constant - flooding and, in extreme cases, typhoons are also a possibility.
Highlands Winter temperatures can fall slightly below the average and rainfall is higher than at lower elevations. However, most rain tends to fall during the summer months when it can be very wet - although these summer months do provide a respite from the often intense heat of other areas. The exception is on the Central Highland (Kontum down to Lam Dong) where it's cool year-round (temp. from 55 to 65 deg. F (13 to 18 deg. C), with moderate rainfall.
In the Far South (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and the Mekong Delta or Nam Bo), it's pretty much warm year-round but the Dec. -Jan, low can be down to around 60 deg.F (15 deg. C). The high temp., however, rarely gets above 90 deg. F (35 deg. C). The dry season begins in Nov. and lasting through April. The rainy season is from May through October.
Summer: May - November Average temperature 24-31C Average rainfall 265mm
Hot, humid and rainy but heavy downpours are usually short lived.
Winter: December - April Average temperature 22-33C Average rainfall 25mm
Remains hot and humid, although humidity levels are more bearable between December and February. During April and May the southwest monsoon winds bring rain showers to the Mekong Delta and southern Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City in south Vietnam lies on the Saigon River north of the Mekong River delta. The former French colonial city, home to over 5 million, is a bustling modern metropolis where travellers enjoy the historic sites and architecture and marvel at the intricacies of local Vietnamese handicraft.
Tao Dan Park a strong and youthful life force, and make it a fresh and peaceful space in the heart of the city. Open markets include Ben Thanh Market, the most famous in HCM City. Others are Binh Tay Market and An Dong Market but be sure to haggle when making a purchase.
Other places of interest include the City Museum with its secret tunnel under Gia Long Palace. A boat trip on the Megong Delta is surely a must before enjoying the wonderful restaurants, bars, coffee shops and clubs particularly centered around District 1.
Ho Chi Minh is famous for its shopping. Dong Khoi and Luu Van Lang, a small street on the side of Ben Thanh Market decorated with ornamental trees and special lighting systems, being very popular for fashionable clothes and footwear. These connect with Nguyen Trung Truc Street and Phan Boi Chau Street where if you can't find what you want you probably don't need it.
Rich in history and culture, Hoi An has remained a well-preserved model of a traditional Vietnam port city of an earlier era. Named a UNESCO World Heritage site, it remains a charming, small riverside town with its history intact.
Historically, Hoi An was the commercial capital of the powerful Champa Kingdom, who built the city in the 1st century AD and ruled it until the 15th century. Hoi An quickly became the largest harbor in Southeast Asia and one of its most important seaports. From here, the Champa gained control over the highly-lucrative spice trade, generating great wealth for the city. A key stop on the silk road, Hoi An became the dominant power in the spice and silk trade spreading its influence as far as Baghdad.
In the 15th Century, when the Champa Kingdom fell to the northern Viet people, Hoi An gradually lost its primacy as a seaport, though in the next century it was briefly restored to its glory by the Nguyen Dynasty, following the settlements of Japanese, Chinese, Dutch and Indian merchants in the city.
Today, Hoi An is a popular travel destination. Its beautiful old buildings and architecture, its quiet narrow lanes (cars and motorbikes are mostly banned from its streets), its many craft shops including local ceramics and fabrics and its history as a central ancient seaport all draw travelers to this lovely city. In addition, The town is renowned as the tailoring capital of Vietnam, with its hundreds of skilled tailors whipping up custom-made clothing at great value.
Not far from Hoi An, the Champa's commercial capital, lies My Son, its spiritual capital. Once a holy valley of impressive Hindu temples and burial grounds of the Champa kingdom's royalty, My Son is often compared to Cambodia's Angkor Wat and Egypt's Valley of the Kings.
My Son dates back to the 4th century AD when the Champa King Bhadravornan created the first temple on the site and appealed to following generations to honor the temple and respect the site. Over the centuries, more temples were erected and at its peak, My Son embraced more than 70 temples and monuments. With the disappearance of the Champa Kingdom in the 15th century, My Son gradually deteriorated and fell into ruins. In the 1930's, the French restored the site only to have it destroyed during the Vietnam War. In spite of that, the site remains an impressive monumental site of the Champa Kingdom and an icon of the early heritage, history and culture of Vietnam.
Centered around Hoi An, this is a region to enjoy life at a slower pace than elsewhere in Vietnam. Nearby, the Marble Mountains offer a taste of adventure, where hiking and cycling opportunities abound, and the long stretch of lovely China Beach close by features white sands and turquoise waters for the best water adventures around. Most of all, walking around Hoi An's quiet streets, visiting the city's museums, merchant houses and neighboring My Son, and sitting quietly by the banks of the river in the relaxed atmosphere here make Hoi An a top destination in any Vietnam adventure.