Vietnam

You may only be familiar with this magical country through the movie “Apocalypse Now” and those of us of a certain age will forever associate this region with student protest against the war..

Maybe more recently you’ll have seen the BBC Top Gear show dedicated to the idiot petrol heads’ moped-based journey almost the length of Vietnam.  Whatever your view of  Vietnam, it’s bound to be coloured or influenced by perceptions and prejudices that simply no longer hold true.  The fact is this South East Asian country is one of the most stunning and beautiful places on the planet.

The major centres of population include Ho Chi Minh City, still the largest city in Vietnam.  Under the name Saigon it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina and later of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975.   Saigon either “fell” from an American perspective, or was “liberated” from a Vietnamese viewpoint  in 1976 and was officially renamed Ho Chí Minh City, although the name Saigon is still commonly used.

A thousand miles north from Ho Chi Minh City lies Hanoi, the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam.  For almost 800 years, it was the political centre of an independent Vietnam.  It was eclipsed by Hue during the Nguyen Dynasty but Hanoi again served as the capital of French Indochina from 1887 to 1954 and then until 1976, when it was the capital of North Vietnam.

In between are magnificent coastal towns and villages including Hue, Nha Trang and Hoi An.  Of these, Hoi An has proved immensely popular and the old town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999.  Hoi An is a small city, but it attracts a fair number of tourists.  Many visit for the numerous art and craft shops and tailors who produce made-to-measure clothes for a fraction of the western price in what seems a matter of minutes.  Several Internet cafés, bars and restaurants have opened along the riverfront and Hoi An is famed for its centuries old Cao lau noodle dish – a soup made with noodles, pork and greens that is served nowhere else but Hoi An.  Its unique taste is rumoured to come from water drawn from an ancient Cham well just outside of the town.

Or take one of our guided tours that will give you an insight into Vietnam and Cambodia, touching on all that this beautiful country has to offer including the magnificent Ha Long Bay.  This UNESCO World Heritage site features thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various sizes and shapes scattered around the bay.  More on Ha Long Bay in our next blog!

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