Lonely Planet Vietnam

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Blessed with a ravishing coastline, emerald-green mountains, breathtaking national parks, dynamic cities, outstanding cultural interest and one of the worlds best cuisines, Vietnam has it all.

Vietnam is a nation going places. Fast. Its people are energetic, direct, sharp in commerce and resilient by nature. This is an outrageously fun country to explore, the locals love a laugh (and a drink) and youll have plenty of opportunities to socialise with them and hear their tales. The American War is over, and yet its impact endures youll find reminders of that cataclysmic conflict everywhere you travel. That said, the country was never broken and emerged with its pride intact. Poor in parts but never squalid, Vietnam is developing at an astonishing pace. For travellers, there are issues to consider (including minor scams), but little real danger on the whole its a safe, wonderfully rewarding and incredibly varied country to explore.

This is a country of myriad influences and reference points. In the south, Indian and Hindu culture had a lasting influence in the Cham temples and spicy regional cuisine, spiked with chilli and tempered with coconut. Head north and Chinese connections are far more apparent. Between these two competing cultures, youll find a quintessential Vietnam in the central provinces: the graceful historic old port of Hoi An, and the royal tombs, pagodas and imperial cuisine of Hue. Oh, and theres more, far more. Factor in an enduring French colonial legacy, which is evident in Hanois graceful boulevards, in Ho Chi Minh Citys stately museums and in the crispy baguettes and coffee culture youll find on every street corner. Add the American interlude, more than 50 hill tribes, and of course the proud (battle-tested and victorious) ruling Communist Party ideology and youve got Vietnam: heady, intoxicating and unique.

If you want visual dramatics, Vietnam delivers. Cruise an azure ocean pierced by surreal-looking limestone islands in Halong Bay, slalom through the majestic inland karst mountains of Cao Bang. Hike mountain tracks and explore tribal villages near Sapa and Bac Ha. Then witness the spectacular sandy bays of the central coastline and explore the reefs and coves of the Cham and Con Dao Islands. Highway 1 is near-relentlessly urban, so get off it at regular intervals to see the astonishing cave systems of Phong Nha, national parks like Cat Tien, and the bewitching backwaters of the Mekong Delta. Finally, no visit would be complete without experiencing the energy of big-city life in Vietnams capital Hanoi, the grand old lady of the Orient, and Ho Chi Minh City, the engine room of the economy and the nation.

Women sitting by the beach near moored fishing boats, Mui Ne
MICAH WRIGHT / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Halong Bays stunning combination of karst limestone peaks and sheltered, shimmering seas is one of Vietnams top tourist draws, but with more than 2000 different islands theres plenty of superb scenery to go around. Definitely book an overnight cruise and make time for your own special moments on this World Heritage wonder rising early for an ethereal misty dawn, or piloting a sleek kayak into grottoes and lagoons. If youre hankering for more karst action, move on to the less touristed but equally spectacular Lan Ha Bay ( ).

PETER STUCKINGS / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Hoi An

Medieval-looking Hoi An ( ) was once Vietnams most cosmopolitan port. Today the good times have returned and this beautiful, ancient town is bursting with gourmet Vietnamese restaurants, hip bars and cafes, quirky boutiques and expert tailors. Immerse yourself in history in the warren-like lanes of the Old Town, shop till you drop, tour the temples and pagodas, dine like an emperor on a peasants budget (then learn how to cook like the locals), hit glorious An Bang Beach, explore the riverside and back roads Hoi An has it all.

Riverfront restaurants along Bach Dang Street, Hoi An
ANDERS BLOMQVIST / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Just opening up to tourism, Phong Nha ( ) wont be a secret for long, such is its allure and beauty. Picture jungle-crowned limestone hills, rainforest, turquoise streams and traditional villages. Then throw in some of the globes most impressive cave systems the river-created Phong Nha Cave, the aircraft hanger-like space and ethereal beauty of aptly named Paradise Cave and you can see why Phong Nhas star is on the rise. Accommodation options are fast improving and the national park is perfect for exploring on two wheels.

Rock formations in Phong Nha Cave
ANDERS BLOMQVIST / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Food

Perhaps Asias greatest culinary secret, Vietnamese food is on the radar but hardly a global phenomenon. Essentially its all about the freshness of the ingredients chefs shop twice-daily to source just-picked herbs from the market. The result? Incomparable texture and flavour combinations. For the Vietnamese, a meal should balance sour and sweet, crunchy and silky, fried and steamed, soup and salad. Wherever you are, youll find exquisite local specialities () the white rose of Hoi An, the canh chua of the Mekong Delta or good ol pho of the north.

A dish of steamed crab with herbs
GREG ELMS / LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Hanoi Old Quarter

Dont worry, it happens to everyone when they first get to Hanoi. Get agreeably lost in the citys centuries-old Old Quarter ( ), a frantic commercial labyrinth where echoes of the past are filtered and framed by a thoroughly 21st-century energy. Discover Vietnams culinary flavours and aromas at street level, perched on a tiny chair eating iconic Hanoi dishes like