Exploring the Old Quarter of Hanoi on a cycle

One of the safest places in the world today for immersing oneself in a timeless and exotic culture, Vietnam offers a rich diversity of experiences to nourish any curious tourist. The heartwarming and joyous welcome of the Vietnamese people makes visitors feel immediately at home. Travelers of many diverse interests are discovering that this tiny country has everything they could be looking for. This includes areas yet unspoiled by the hordes of tourists  tramping around our planet.

A land of tremendous natural beauty, Vietnam provides a veritable feast for photographers. With a coastline of 3,260 kilometers stretching along virgin beaches, tropical palms, and other scenic natural beauty abounds. Inland from the China Sea, the topography includes majestic mountains and forests, innumerable lakes, rivers, waterfalls, tropical plants and flowers, where the untouched beauty of nature flourishes. In addition to explorations along mountain trails, through untouched bamboo and pine forests, tourists can visit national parks and bird sanctuaries housing 80 colorful species between the vast greenness of cultivated rice paddies.

Sapa, Rice Field in the Mountain

Vietnam has a rich 4,000-year history recorded through folk tales and confirmed by archaeology excavations. Before the Christian era, many scattered tribes lived in what is now South China and Northern Vietnam. By the 1st century AD early people of the Red River delta were practicing agriculture and were at an advanced level of Bronze Age civilization. In the centuries that followed, China repeatedly invaded and controlled much Vietnamese territory. Yet a separate culture continued to develop with its own traditions. The great Cham civilization of central Vietnam was finally conquered in the 15th century as Vietnam moved Southward and eventually included the Mekong Delta region. Since then, Vietnam has been involved in several wars. After 1975, Vietnam was united.

A particularly exciting time for foreigners to visit either in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Hai Phong, or any little town of the country, is during the Tet Festival in early February. Celebrating the Lunar New Year, the whole country bursts into colorful celebrations. Flowers and flowering trees line the streets, along with teeming crowds dressed in their finest to watch dancing dragons and rockets soaring over lakes.

The modern cultural diversity of Vietnam is surprising. The modern Kinh (Viet) people makes up the majority of the population. Yet 53 other ethnic groups, living mostly in remote and mountainous areas following their own languages and cultural identity, create a fascinating richness of cultures. The Vietnamese continue to produce and wear local fabrics and styles, which are striking and beautiful. A rare tourist will leave Vietnam without a sample of handmade silk clothing. The ethnic villages create their own unique costumes, which identify their origins. The Vietnamese people are radiant, humble, courteous, beautiful, friendly, and kindhearted. Their eagerness to learn the language of visitors provides ample opportunity for mutual and rewarding friendships.

Cai Rang Market, Mekong Delta

Many visual treasures await you in the “not to be missed” category. The four World Heritage locations alone are worth a journey to this awesomely beautiful country. Halong Bay is a spectacular natural heritage area, with thousands of islets and rocks of dramatic sizes and shapes jutting out of the South China Sea. Many of these small islands offer grottoes and caves to explore from a variety of boats available for hire. My Son Sanctuary, rather than natural, is a cultural World Heritage designation. It was once a veritable forest of towers, built during the Cham dynasty, between the 4th and 12th centuries, and was inhabited until the 15th century, longer than the more famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Built as a spiritual center, 70 Hindu architectural works were constructed to reflect the divinity of the kingdom. Twenty-five of the towers and temples remain for an eager visitor to explore. Another cultural World Heritage destination is the ancient town of Hoi An. Little changed since the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was an international port and trade center, it has become a living museum of the Middle Ages. The old quarter is lined with ancient streets, alleys, graves and temples, where artists and tailors create new works of art daily. The complex of Hue Monuments has gorgeous architectural works to explore. Although Hue has sustained much damage from wars and natural disasters, the city and most of its architecture remain intact. Hue is the only ancient capital in Vietnam where the citadel, walls, palaces and royal tombs still appear as a visible monarchic complex, and is recognized by UNESCO as another World Culture Heritage.

In addition to these world-recognized heritage locations and major cities, there are many more historical and cultural sights which visitors should investigate, such as Sapa, Dien Bien Phu, Mai Chau Valley, Cu Chi Tunnel, Perfume Pagoda, Bich Dong, Mekong Delta, Cat Ba Island National Park, Ba Be Lake National Park, Cuc Phuong National Park, etc..