Nick Ray - Vietnam

Most folk dont realise that the Ho Chi Minh Highway (Hwy 1A) connects Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City via the Truong Son Mountains and is breathtakingly beautiful. I crossed the border from Laos into Vietnam at Bo Y and headed north. The scenery is sublime with jagged peaks, raging rivers and little oases of green where rice is grown. The scenery around Phong Nha is Halong Bay on land, and continues almost all the way to the suburbs of Hanoi.

YU-MEI BALASINGAMCHOW My first day on the job and my motorbike driver gleefully deposited me at the foot of a small hill outside Ninh Binh. Up, up nice to see! he exhorted. Five hundred steep stone steps later, I had an incredible view of rice fields and limestone landscapes. Well worth the climb, but I wish someone had warned me to bring some water.

IAIN STEWART Punting a bamboo raft on the Quay Son river that forms the border between Vietnam and China, with the Ban Gioc waterfall in the background. Ho Chi Minh re-entered Vietnam in this remote region (after decades in exile) and plotted the overthrow of the French from a cave close by.

If there is one country in Southeast Asia that everyone has heard about long before they discover the region, its Vietnam. Of course, such infamy wasnt always for the right reasons, but this is the new Vietnam and its one of the most intoxicating places on earth. Its a kaleidoscope of vivid colours and subtle shades, of exotic sights and curious sounds, of compelling history and contrasting cultures.

Nature has blessed Vietnam with a bountiful harvest. From the soaring mountains of the far north to the carpet of emerald-green rice paddies in the south, Vietnam is little short of stunning. The curvaceous coastline is defined by endless beaches, lovely lagoons and hidden coves. Inland, peasant women in conical hats still tend to their fields, children ride buffalo along country paths, and minority people scratch out a living from impossible gradients.

If Vietnam has a soundtrack, its the buzz of a million motorbikes, the cries of street hawkers plying their wares and the tinkle of pagodas drawing the faithful to prayer. Here, the modern and medieval collide. The big cities are strikingly sophisticated, with gourmet restaurants and designer boutiques, but turn a random corner and find yourself travelling back in time. Embrace the street life with a bowl of pho at a pint-sized plastic table.

For culinary crusaders, Vietnam is a treasure trove of more than 500 different dishes. Its a wonderful world of pungent herbs and secret spices. Dip delicate spring rolls in nuoc mam, a fish sauce that, for the Vietnamese, is as compulsory as ketchup. Or play down-in-one with ruou (pronounced xeo), the whisky of the mountains.

Nam to a generation, the sorrow of war weighs heavily on the consciousness of all who can remember it, and the Vietnamese side of the story is told at poignant sites across the country. Although fiercely protective of their independence and sovereignty, the Vietnamese are graciously welcoming of foreigners who come as guests not would-be conquerors. Of course, the countrys history did not begin and end with the American War and the country is littered with vestiges of empires past and battles fought, all of which are elements in piecing together the story of Vietnam today.

Politically, Vietnam remains a perplexing place. Apparently, its a communist country, but capitalism is no longer a four-letter word. The cities are awash with money, but not everyone is getting a share. Transparency International rated Vietnam 121st out of 179 countries surveyed for its corruption index, on a par with Nigeria. Some observers argue this is why Vietnam needs to embrace democracy, to hold the politicians accountable for their actions; others argue that a firm hand drives the country forward economically, creating a stable environment for investors. Either way, there is no doubt the latest Asian dragon has awoken from its slumber.

Tourism has had a huge impact on Vietnam in the past two decades, helping plug the Vietnamese back into the world. It has spread into areas that other businesses cannot reach, and empowered a new generation of young Viets to a better life. The Vietnamese people are dynamic in commerce and dedicated to their families. They love to share a joke, a story, and getting to know some Vietnamese beyond the tourism industry can be the highlight of a visit. The Vietnamese have a vitality as tangible as the traffic on the street.

Vietnam is in top gear. Try and catch it before it reinvents itself as another Malaysia or Thailand. For now, it remains one of the most enriching, enlivening and enticing countries on earth.