Traveling to Viet Nam
You enjoy Vietnamese food, and you may have heard of our country from the famous Vietnam war. But that is not everything there is to know about Vietnam. It has been more than 30 years since the end of the war, and Vietnam has changed in many ways. Why not travel there and see for yourself? It is bound to leave a lasting impression.
Vietnam
From Wikipedia:
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east. With a population of over 86 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world.
The people of Vietnam regained independence and broke away from China in AD 938 after their victory at the battle of Bạch Đằng River. Successive dynasties flourished along with geographic and political expansion deeper into Southeast Asia, until it was colonized by the French in the mid-19th century. Efforts to resist the French eventually led to their expulsion from the country in the mid-20th century, leaving a nation divided politically into two countries. Fighting between the two sides continued during the Vietnam War, ending with a North Vietnamese victory in 1975.
Traveling to Vietnam
Vietnam is an elongated country (approximately 2,000km from north to south) which makes it very easy to plan a trip to capture the true beauty of Vietnamese people as well as their country. Arriving at either Noi Bai International Airport in Ha Noi (Vietnam’s capital in the north) or Tan Son Nhat International airport of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam’s biggest city in the south), you can journey along the country before departing at the other end. As you go, you will see the people, the culture, as well as the scenery changing gradually. The south is a big delta area of “Cửu Long” (nine dragons) River, with Ho Chi Minh City (previously known as “Sai Gon”) which is considered the heart of the Vietnamese economy. One thing about the people in the south is that they are very open and direct. The further towards the north you travel, the more mountains and highlands you will see. The geography somewhat makes these areas less developed which facilitates in the preservation of the beautiful scenery. The population in the north is usually concentrated in small villages and verbal speech is generally more formal. It is in the north where you will find many traditional and historic places of Vietnam’s 2700 years of history. While there are differences in lifestyles, differing from what you may have heard, you will find that most Vietnamese people are friendly and content with life.
A good way of travelling in Vietnam is to start in big cities and from there span out. For example, assuming you start in the north, you may stay at hotel in Ha Noi and from there visit other places around. Many interesting destinations such as Kiet Bac, Tam Coc, Cuc Phuong National Forest, Chua Huong, and Den Hung are only 100-200 km away, making traveling and touring accomplishable within a day. With other world famous destinations such as Sa Pa (high land) and Ha Long Bay, planning more time for enjoyment is encouraged.
Although you can enter Vietnam from either the north or south (both with international airports), Ha Noi capital in the north is a recommended place to start for several reasons. First, the north has beautiful and famous attractions such as Sa Pa and Ha Long Bay to visit. Also, the landscaping in the north will exhaust most of your energy . Finally, Ho Chi Minh City is a big shopping center that you may want to visit last for souveniring purposes :)
When travelling through central Vietnam, you may want to explore Da Nang, a sea-side city. Staying in Da Nang, you may visit Hoi An (can be one day trip), Hue (a few hours away by car, but you may want to spend a few days there) and My Son. Finally, arriving in the south, you will want to visit Nha Trang, Da Lat, and Cat Tien before departing from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
Travelling can be done by cars and planes, however, you will not want to miss the experience of traveling by Vietnam’s railway system. The high class trains are very comfortable (air conditioned) and high-speed, but will only stop at certain destinations. Regular trains will have more stops, giving you more opportunities to step out and enjoy local food and souvenirs. In both cases, it only takes about half a day to travel from Ha Noi to Da Nang, and an additional half day from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City.
A few things to notice when you are in Vietnam
- Traffic: it is really hectic and seems to be without any order or regulations. But there is one simple rule: never stop. Just go and they will avoid you :)
- Food: You might want to get a taste of “pho” noodle soup in Vietnam. Street alley foods are depicted as unsanitary by Western standard, but if you are daring enough to try, tasty food will subside your worries and excite your tastebuds.
- Buying: There is always “second” price. Many travelers claim that this negotiating and bargaining is only reserved for foreigners of Vietnam. But in fact, this actually works on Vietnamese too. Think of it as a custom of the culture :)
Footprint Vietnam Travel provides many practical tips that you should be aquainted with before traveling.
You may also want to read “Reasons To Hate Vietnam” based on a Vietnam vacation gone bad. Why post a link listing bad qualities about Vietnam? Being Vietnamese, I have to admit that most of what the author listed is true, but not necessarily considered bad. It really just depends on the outlook and mind-set of the individual.
"Tam Coc" (Three Caves) is located about 100 km from Ha Noi. Exploring these caves is by boat on the Hoang Long River, where you will see the first limestone mountains running along the river for several kilometers.
This photo was taken inside one of the caves of "Tam Coc" (or Three Caves).
"Chùa Hương" (Perfume Temple) is a short drive from Ha Noi. A vast complex of Buddhist temples and shrines are built into the limestone Huong Tich Mountains. This is the site of religious festivals which draw in populations of followers across Vietnam. The main pilgrimage season of Chua Huong is during the Huong Pagoda Festival, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims make their way to the Huong Tich Mountain and the other temples. It is the longest lasting festival in Vietnam officially beginning on February 15th on the lunar calendar, but the peak in visitors lasts from mid January to mid March. The Festival is often times seen as an opportunity for young adults to find romance and begin courtships. The photo above was taken in July with me and my dad. It is the rain season and streams from the mountain just overflow and pass through the temple and create a very beautiful sight as you can see. It is unlikely that you will travel here in the main festival which begins on February 15 on the lunar calendar which is a good thing because at that time, there are just too many people here and you may unable to see anything at all!
"Đền Hùng" (The Temple of Kings Hùng), is located in the Phong Châu District of the Phú Thọ Province, approximately 85km away from Ha Noi. The temple now sits on Nghĩa Lĩnh Mountain in Phong Châu District, previously located inside the Văn Lang kingdom 4,000 years ago. The Temple of Kings Hùng consists of 4 temples, a pagoda, and a tomb. For the majority of the destinations, you will need to climb mountains which is the reason why you should start your trip by exploring the north.
This is still a common image of Vietnam rural area, taken not too far from Ha Noi.
This photo was taken in Sa Pa, or Sapa (Westernized spelling), a frontier town and district of the Lào Cai Province in northwest Vietnam. It is one of the main market towns in the area attracting many ethnic minority groups such as H
Travelling to Sa Pa is usuallly by high class trains departing Ha Noi daily around 11PM and arriving in Sa Pa in the early morning. The photo above was taken at a Sa Pa market where minority girls are customed to wearimg colorful clothes everyday.
The scenery of the Sa Pa region illustrates the relationship between minority civilians and nature. This is seen especially in the paddy fields carpeting the rolling lower slopes of the Hoang Lien Mountains. The impressive physical landscape is the product of elements wearing away the underlying rock over the coarse of thousands of years. On a clear day, the imposing peak of Fan Si Pan, the last major peak of the Himalayan chain, comes into view. Fan Si Pan offers a real challenge to even the keenest walker, but rewards an opportunity to set eyes on staggering views and rare glimpses into some of the remaining rain forests in Vietnam.
Tranh Đông Hồ Paintings (Vietnamese woodblock prints) refers to a distinct Vietnamese folk art originating from Dong Ho Village and Song Ho Commune of Thuan Thanh District in Bac Ninh Province (north of Hanoi). Dong Ho folk paintings are one of the most renowned Vietnamese folk arks because only Dong ho villagers make the
Near Da Nang is the old town Hoi An. During the Full Moon Festival, Hoi An is illuminated with lanterns and fun activities are held along the streets and Thu Bon River.
During the monthly Full Moon Festival, all lights in the town are turned off and villagers abandon their motorcycles and televisions.
In the early morning, when strolling the beaches of Da Nang, you will witness early market activities that initiate a new beginning to each day.
Above are some of the interesting places in the north that I have personally visited, but these places are by no means even near the number of places you can explore. For more information or good tour operators, please visit Footprint Vietnam Travel.
* The pictures shown on this page were taken by me. Some information on the picture captions were taken from wikipedia.
