planning your trip 04

This is Vietnam 04Putting it all together 06

Hanoi-Sapa-Halong Bay 08Hanoi-Hué-Ho Chi Minh City 14Ho Chi Minh City-Mekong Delta- Angkor Wat 20

Contents

2 dream trip Vietnam

Hanoi ➔ sapa ➔ Halong Bay 25

Hanoi 27Ninh Binh 53Mai Chau 60Son La 62Dien Bien Phu 65Muong Lay 70Sapa (opposite page, bottom) 75

Ha Giang 84Pho Bang 86Dong Van or Meo Vac 88Ba Be National Park 89Haiphong 94Cat Ba Island (for Halong Bay) (opposite page, top) 99

Hanoi ➔ HuÉ➔ Ho CHi minH City 105

Hanoi 27Hué 107Danang 130Hoi An 137Kontum 149Pleiku 153Buon Ma Thuot and Lak Lake 155, 158Dalat (above) 158Nha Trang 170Mui Ne 179Ho Chi Minh City 185

dream trip Vietnam 3

praCtiCalities 261

Ins and outs 262Best time to visit Vietnam 262Getting to Vietnam 262Transport in Vietnam 265Where to stay in Vietnam 268Food and drink in Vietnam 269

Essentials A-Z 271Index 275Photography credits 287Credits 288

Ho CHi minH City ➔ meKong delta ➔ angKor Wat 185

Ho Chi Minh City 185Con Dao 210My Tho 215Ben Tre 218Tra Vinh 219Vinh Long 220

Can Tho (opposite page, middle) 223Sa Dec 225Cao Lanh (for Xeo Quit) 227Chau Doc 231Phu Quoc Island (opposite page, bottom) 236Siem Reap (for Angkor) 241

4 dream trip Vietnam

THIS ISVietnam

Vietnam’s allure lies in its herb-infused seafood and soups, its historic temples and towns, and the ripple of vibrant green paddy fields that carpet river plains and mountains across this storied land.

From the roof of the country, near the Chinese border, to the wide estuaries of the Mekong Delta in the south, Vietnam’s history, food, beaches, pagodas and ethnic minority markets and textiles have always entranced me.

The north pivots around the capital, Hanoi, an elegant city of tree-lined boulevards, French belle-époque buildings, and the antique narrow streets of the old town; while Ho Chi Minh City, an economic powerhouse that trills to the sound of millions of motorbikes, anchors the deep south.

The far north and northwest, dominated by the Hoang Lien and Song Gam mountains, are covered with undulating and high-angled paddy fields tended by the numerous ethnic minorities (Vietnam is home to 53 ethnic groups) who live in these high-altitude lands. The northeast is characterized by the stunning karst island pillars and placid teal waters of Halong Bay.

Between the Communist north and the capitalistic south are more than 3000 km of golden sands, developed primarily in two clusters: Danang and Hoi An, and further south at Nha Trang and Mui Ne. Relatively unvisited are the Central Highlands and the rituals of the ethnic minorities that live in these mountainous folds. While the far south, blanketed with rice paddies, is run through with the watery eight-pronged fingers of the Mekong Delta. While Vietnam’s bloody history is evident in giant memorials and museums across the land and embedded in the country’s collective memory, go for the Vietnam of the 21st century – its current dynamism and energy is contagious. Where you go depends on your time and budget and how you choose to get around. But in short, the choice of destinations, activities and itineraries is virtually inexhaustible, so careful planning is needed to make best use of your time…

Dream triP Vietnam 5