| Fortunately, the present-day experience of traveling | | | | will find that many of these tours include Nha Trang. |
| from South Vietnam to North Vietnam is not at all like it | | | | Additionally, it was the site of Miss Universe 2008, and |
| was during our parents' time. Instead of fighting from a | | | | will play host to Miss World 2010. Not my thing, to be |
| swift boat in the Mekong Delta, you can now be | | | | sure, but for some, I guess this is an attraction. |
| enjoying cheap beer on a luxury liner. You can even | | | | Most people do not have forever to dilly-dally in |
| make silly television shows about making the entire | | | | Vietnam, so for the next major attraction on the list, |
| South-to-North trek on underpowered motor scooters | | | | we are going to have to jump all the way forward to |
| in the rain. Either way you look at it, the experience is, | | | | Hoi An, home to numerous small museums concerning |
| shall we say, a lot safer. This is even true if you are | | | | the history and culture of the region. This ancient town |
| stupid enough to be taking a scooter into Vietnam | | | | has been remarkably well-preserved over the years, |
| traffic as an inexperienced Westerner, but just barely | | | | well enough for the area to be recognized as an |
| so. | | | | UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a traditional |
| Vietnam is a stunning country with rich history, beautiful, | | | | South-East Asian trading port. |
| powerful scenery, and it is a good value destination on | | | | Hue is another great ancient city with an amazing |
| top of that. It is also popular as a destination for some | | | | amount of monuments . This was the Royal City, the |
| of the older crowd. There is a generation of tourists | | | | ancient capital of Vietnam. The "Pass of the Ocean |
| out there, freshly retired, who want to visit the country | | | | Clouds" is supposed to be an unforgettable drive. Our |
| under more favorable circumstances than they did in | | | | imaginary itinerary next takes us to Hanoi, the capital |
| the past, people who want to choose to visit the | | | | and second largest city of Vietnam. Hanoi has been a |
| country rather than be forced to do so. | | | | city for nearly 1000 years, and this has necessarily left |
| Starting in the South, cruising the Mekong River is a | | | | its mark on the area. If you want culture, history, urban |
| popular place to start. Many travelers choose to start | | | | tourist attractions, and the like, the city is definitely a |
| in Cambodia and cruise down the river before | | | | must-see. |
| disembarking outside Ho Chi Minh (Saigon for all you | | | | Of course, the true must-see destination of Vietnam, |
| old-schoolers out there) and taking a bus in. Another | | | | and where we will end our journey, is Ha Long Bay. |
| highlight of a trip in the area can be taking the Cu Chi | | | | This site should be recognizable to backpackers, |
| tunnels into the city instead. The Viet Cong dug this | | | | seasoned world trekkers, and even those armchair |
| nearly 200 kilometer-long network of tunnels to infiltrate | | | | travelers out there whose idea of travel is watching an |
| American camps in Saigon during the war. | | | | old VHS flick on the tube television. This was where |
| Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling, modern city, and the | | | | the young couple floated around for days in Indochine |
| most populous one in Vietnam. It is also a traffic | | | | (an amazingly beautiful movie, which I highly |
| nightmare, as well as an excellent place to go shopping | | | | recommend, by the way.) In more recent times it was |
| and pick up some trinkets for the folks back home. | | | | highlighted in Tomorrow Never Dies, one of the |
| Don't forget the Presidential Palace and possibly a visit | | | | forgettable Pierce Brosnan Bond films. |
| to the War Remnants Museum while staying here. | | | | Beyond all that, it is shockingly beautiful. The landscape |
| Next on the list of places to see would have to be | | | | is utterly surreal, with over 2000 small limestone islands |
| Nha Trang, consistently ranked as one of the top | | | | erupting from the placid jade waters. A complex of |
| beaches in Vietnam, as well as one of the most | | | | grottos and caves, mountains and beaches, floating |
| beautiful bays in the world. The scuba diving in | | | | fishing villages and spectacular sunsets should enthrall |
| particular is making this a huge backpacker destination. | | | | you. Silently, you mourn the fact that you must |
| More and more, however, the big tour companies are | | | | inevitably return from this island paradise to the |
| also catching on to this fact. Just check out a | | | | drudgery and office politics of the paper company you |
| comparison of Vietnam tours, browse around, and you | | | | work for in Scranton. |