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.

Places to visit

Hanoi

Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital and the country’s second largest city.As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered to be the cultural centre of Vietnam, where every dynasty has left behind their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. The city is a fascinating blend of east and west, with Chinese influence from centuries of dominance, and French design from its colonial past.Hoan Kiem lake,The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum,Museum of Ethnology,The Temple of Literature and One Pillar Pagoda are the highlights of Hanoi city.

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is Vietnam’s largest city and river port, sprawls asross an area of 2,095 sq.km on the banks of Sai Gon River.Reunification Hall,War Remnants Museum,Notre Dame Cathedral,Saigon River,Cu Chi tunnels,The Ho Chi Minh City Museum  are the highlights of this place.Conquered by France in 1859, the city was influenced by the French during their colonial occupation of Vietnam, and a number of classical Western-style buildings in the city reflect this, so much so that Saigon was called “the Pearl of the Far East” or “Paris in the Orient”.

Hue

660 km from Hanoi and 1080 km from Saigon, lies the city of Hue. The former capital of the emperors of Vietnam, yet despite a tumultuous history it retains much of its cultural identity and is currently undergoing restoration efforts.Forbidden Purple City,DMZ - Demilitarized Zone,Thien Mu Pagoda,Tomb of Tu Duc,Tomb of Khai Dinh,Tomb of Gia Long are the highlights of Hue.

Dalat

Dalat, the city of Eternal Spring, is the main city of Lam Dong province in the Central highlands of Vietnam, some 300 km north of Ho Chi Minh City.Da Lat’s specific sights are pine wood (forming the name: “City of thousands of pine tree”) with roads twists and turns and tree marigold blossom in the winter. This city has a unique temperate weather in such a tropical country like Vietnam. Mist cover valleys almost the year leads to its name “City of eternal spring”.

Danang City

Danang is an ancient land, closely related with the Sa Huynh cultural traditions. Many imposing, palaces, towers, temples, citadels and ramparts, the vestiges from 1st to 13th are still to be seen in Cham Museum.Danang has other various interesting attractions as Ba Na Tourist Resort, Ngu Hanh Son (Marble Mountains) as well as the Linh Ung Pagoda, Han River, and My An, Non Nuoc beaches, stretching on dozens of kilometers.

Best time to visit

When you should go to Vietnam depends upon which part of the country you’re planning to visit. If you like drippy, drizzly weather, visit South Vietnam between June and August - it pours. The south also has very hot summers, especially between February and May. Most of the northern highlands, on the other hand, have very cold winters, with temperatures falling below 0°C. So, if you’re going north, go during the summer, but avoid the months between July and November- hurricanes sometimes hit this part of the country at the time; if you’re going south, go between December and April, when it’s dry and relatively cooler.

Getting here

By Air

Vietnam currently has three international airports: Noi Bai serving Hanoi in the north, Danang International Airport serving the central provinces and Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City serving the south.

By train

One can get to Vietnam by trains also but only from China. There are two rail route connections between these two countries, twice a week, one from Beijing to Hanoi Vietnam, via Nanning and Lang Son and another from Kunming to Hanoi and passing through Lao Cai.

By road

You can travel to Vietnam by road from China, Laos and Cambodia. There are road crossings between these countries and Vietnam and the roads will take you past scenic locales so that you also get to have an enjoyable journey.

Hotels in Vietnam

www.vietnamhotels.biz