Vietnam travel guide

In Halong Bay vertical limestone rocks shot out of the deep green South Chinese Sea and create a maze of giant rock pillars and secret lagoons. There are small beaches, floating villages, show caves with colored lights and cave tunnels that is possible to visit in low tide by row boat. Halong Bay is truly an amazing sight, so it is no wonder that this UNESCO site is one of the most iconic tourist destinations in Vietnam. Unfortunately this also means more tour boats that it is possible to count, trash floating around in the water (though this is not necessary the tour boats fault) and the usual Vietnamese tourist mayhem. Though most visitors take in this extraordinary scenery in classic style on a luxury junk, it is possible to escape the crowds by exploring the hollow islands in kayak (read more under "Halong Bay Cave Kayaking").

Maybe you are familiar with Halong Bay and its limestone islands that rise dramatically from the jade green sea. Most visitors only experience this from the deck of a boat, but the true magic begins when you explore these islands with a kayak. Some of islands are hollow and have secret lagoons inside, which are only accessible from narrow tunnels and caves that are filled water at high tide. Through the entrance tunnel, the lagoons will open up with jungle vegetation clinging to the steep walls and a silence hard to imagine (especially in Vietnam). With a good guide and a tide table, it's possible to explore this hidden side of Halong Bay, which is even more magnificent from the inside.

Though Hanoi is beaten in size by Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) it can still offer way more in terms of sights. Old communist relics stand proud here along with historical places from the Vietnam War, the French colonial time and all the way back to the Dynasties. The old quarter charms any visitor with its narrow lanes that are packed with shops selling anything from Barbie dolls to mini temples and dried Seadog penis (don't ask). The range of coffee shops, cafes and restaurants are so overwhelming that it can be hard to pick where to go. The best advise to any first time visitor is to see a few mandatory sights and then just lose yourself to the madness in the area around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Heaven's Gate is the highest road pass in Vietnam (1949 m) and the easiest starting point for the trek to the top of Fan Si Pan, the highest mountain (3143 m) in Indochina. The road from Heaven's Gate down to Sapa passes Silver Waterfall and winds quite a lot. On the other side, the road down is less winding and is very suitable for some serious downhill riding, either on mountain bike or better (and safer) on motorcycle. Turn off the engine and roll the 26 km down to the intersection of Binh Lu. Further exploration continue to Binh Lu, where there is a chance to meet some of the beautiful people from the Lu minority.

The mountains of northern Vietnam are populated with minorities. Every smallish township has their own market once a week and attracts different kinds of colourful tribe people that comes in for shopping, browsing, finding a wife, or just stocking up on this week's rice wine. Some of the best markets "near" Lao Cai Town is Bac Ha (Sunday) which is one of the biggest and most touristy, not saying that many come, Can Cau (Saturday) beautiful set on the mountain side, Coc Ly (Tuesday) small but interesting, Muong Hum (Sunday) located in a lush valley, and Muong Khuong (Sunday) a great trading fair with a real outpost felling, since it's very close to China. Keep in mind that it takes many hours from Lao Cai town on winding mountain roads to get to these far out markets, but it's sure worth it.

Before the reunification of Vietnam in 1975, Saigon was the capital of the South Vietnam. After the Vietnam War the name of city changed to Ho Chi Minh City. With a population of 7.1 mill, it is still the biggest city in Vietnam, beating the capital Hanoi with less than a million. Depending on your interests Ho Chi Minh City will either appear refreshing exciting (if you are into restaurants and shopping) or surprisingly dull (if you are looking for great architecture and historical quarters). It is a modern, frenetic city build on trade and commerce, and the only Vietnamese city with a hint of metropolitan vibe. People are here to make money and there is this wild-east feeling that almost anything is possible, for the communist party is a long way away in Hanoi.

The first thing you will notice when arriving to charming little Hoi An is the insane numbers of tailors. It seems that every second shop can saw up a suit or a dress for you. But Hoi An's reputation as a trading town goes way back. During the 16th and 17th century, Portuguese traders based themselves here, and later came Chinese and Japanese merchants, putting Hoi An on the world map. Time changed, kingdoms disappeared and the river silted up, but Hoi An has kept its charm. Today there are, beside the tailors, boutique hotels, bakeries and fine dining, and the Cua Dai beach four kilometers away is fast turning into a destination of itself with warm sand, swaying palms and flashy resorts. Though the tourist flow is strong, Hoi An always manage spell the visitor and you only have to show up early in the morning down at the river market to get a taste of the original atmosphere.

Under Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) Hue was the imperial capital and home to the emperor's citadel. Even today the town has a more aristocratic feeling than other Vietnamese cities with its wide tree lined boulevards, ao dai dressed college girls, and imperial leftovers. Most of the forbidden city was destroyed during the Tet offensive in 1968 but have been under restoration the last many years. After too much imperial this and imperial that, walk down to the local market and get sucked back in time. Here goods are still transported in cyclos and the old ladies have colonial hats and black teeth. Though most travellers feel obligated to pay Hue a visit, it will rarely be a highlight of their Vietnam journey.

Like their Chinese counterpart, the emperors of the Vietnamese Nguyen dynasty had some mighty fine tombs build, so they could have a descent afterlife. Though not as big as the Chinese, they were designed on the same feng-shui principals. Though keep in mind that the Chinese emperors started erecting tombs in 11th century, while all the Vietnamese ones are from the 19th and 20th century. The Nguyen dynasty had 13 emperors altogether, but only seven of them had a tomb made; Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Tuc Duc, Duc Duc, Dong Khanh and Khai Dinh. The last emperor, Bao Dai (dead 1997), is buried in Paris, France. Some of the tombs have been restored while others are slowly decaying. A closer look reveals a more practical, than aesthetic, style of architecture, like tiles made of broken porcelain (tomb of Khai Dinh). The finest tomb is probably the tomb of Tu Duc, which also functioned as a retreat while Tu Duc was still alive. It was quite a lavish affair including a lake with a tiny island for hunting. The other popular tombs are the ones for Minh Mang and Khai Dinh.

The Jarai (Gia Rai) people outside Kon Tum have some unusual cemeteries. A wooden hut is build to protect the grave and hold possessions of the deceased as well as some offerings to the spirit. Some have fence around while others are guarded by crude wooden statues and maybe decorated by jaws of the buffalo that got sacrificed during the burial ceremony. If the deceased's family can't afford a proper burial ceremony (which includes sacrificing a buffalo), it can be postpone for years. In the meantime the deceased's spirit take home in the hut and has to be taken care of with food offerings and rice wine. Only after a proper burial celebration can the spirit be released and the hut then gets abandoned.
There are several cemeteries west for Kon Tum (e.g. Plei Bur and Plei Sar villages about 15 km West from Kon Tum) and can also be seen in Ratanakiri province in Cambodia.